Let’s talk about how to be Financially Comfortable, shall we?

A few days ago, someone told me, “You won’t be happy if you don’t have enough Money.” That honestly made me think hard because I always say that emotional satisfaction is the key to true and lasting happiness. We have different beliefs.

It also made me reflect on my situation. I asked myself, “Am I just saying that because I don’t have financial problems?” Because what if I just can’t see the other side of society clearly?

But then, I realized, I wasn’t Financially comfortable before. I depended on my parents until I was 20 all while they were financially struggling because it’s just expensive to have four dependent children.

And then my career journey was too difficult until 2021. I became unemployed three times. I was fired once. I had done unpaid work.

I had lived in financial discomfort for 24 years before I reached this point in my life. And looking back, the reason why being broke was difficult is that it was just difficult to be “nothing” in a sea of financially capable people.

It’s not about not having enough money but about the insecurity I had due to not having enough money, which was deeper. The case might be the same for you.

You may not have realized this, but you might want to be rich because you feel insecure. Or maybe you are financially struggling because you buy stuff to impress because you feel insecure.

Either way, it boils down to your insecurities.

How to Be Financially Comfortable: It Is More About Your Spending Habits

Money problems won’t be permanent if you don’t make them permanent. In my opinion, even though it’s true that there aren’t enough opportunities out there, a lot of people are just too lazy.

Before, giving up was an option for me but I chose to continue moving forward and work on my passion projects despite the pain I felt because I literally had zero support.

But I wonder what could’ve happened if I had chosen to let my last hope vanish into thin air at the time. Maybe those who had put me through that difficult time would have been happy.

And it’s sad to think that if I had walked in the opposite direction and decided to do what was normal, which was to just cry and feel miserable, some people who felt regretful now wouldn’t have felt regretful at all.

Anyway, here’s how to be financially comfortable:

1. Don’t be pressured to possess the latest gadgets.
2. Don’t borrow money at all or learn to manage your debt.
3. Live with your parents if you are single.
4. Be single.
5. Don’t feel bad about being cheap.

Let’s begin.

1. Don’t be pressured to possess the latest gadgets.

The reason why I stuck to using Android-based gadgets is that Apple devices get laggy and lose their “spark” as new models come out.

I had an iPad and just gave it away because of the software version. I still have an iPhone 6 and don’t have any plan on upgrading even though I can’t download some apps anymore because of, you guessed it, the software version.

I love my Android phone so much because I love the screen size and that it’s fast and smooth even though I’ve been using it since 2019. It also looks new because I’m not a careless—and reckless—user.

And then my laptop. My laptop was actually my mom’s laptop. It’s still working and there aren’t any major issues, so I don’t see myself replacing it. And I don’t see any problem with it.

My desktop isn’t expensive. I bought the whole setup for just a little over $400.

I actually don’t own any latest gadgets as of writing because I don’t care about them. And that’s one of the reasons why I don’t have money issues, and why I have savings, an emergency fund, a travel fund, money to spend, and money I don’t know how to spend.

I may seem poor based on what’s going on in society, but if we compare our bank accounts and our monetary assets, I bet I have more than some of those who pretend to be wealthy by showing off their expensive possessions.

Based on my observation, most of those who struggle financially have struggled financially because they wanted to fit in and appear wealthy even though that’s not the case. That shouts low self-esteem.

2. Don’t borrow money at all or learn to manage your debt.

I don’t have any debt. I always pay in cash, and I use my own cash. My phone and my desktop were paid in full, with my money. I also never do installments because I dislike interests. If I can’t pay the full amount, then I will save up for it.

Now, let’s talk about credit cards. I don’t have a credit card because I don’t like debt. If you have it, then use it wisely. I’ve read stories of people who have credit card debt and the root cause is usually them being careless.

Student loan debt? I finished college but I don’t have it. My parents paid for my college, which is why I said I was dependent on them until I was 20. I was 20 years old when I graduated from college.

Other loans? I don’t have anything to say about this because I haven’t tried this. As I said, if I can’t afford to pay for it in full, then I will wait until I can. But I think it’s the same: Be a responsible human and pay your dues!

Nevertheless, there’s a thing called good debt. If you will gain something significant in return and you can pay off your debt at the right time, then that’s good debt and it won’t hurt your financial health.

3. Live with your parents if you are single.

Of course, culture is at play here. In some countries, it seems wrong to live with your parents after 18. But in the Philippines, that’s fine. In fact, here, parents usually are the ones who don’t want to let go of their children.

But whatever the case and wherever you are, the thing is, that’s just a belief or standard that society created. You may be judged by people, but if you look at it closely, what’s wrong with it?

Sometime in the future, you will build your own family and live with them for the rest of your life (assuming nothing terrible happens), so why can’t you spend your years before marriage with the people who brought you to this world?

There’s nothing wrong with it, but why do people look at it as if it’s a sin? That’s actually a good financial move!

I personally live with my mother and siblings and even though I contribute to the household in a lot of ways, including financially, I’m not spending as much as if I decided to move out and live by myself.

I will move out once I get married, and I’m not even sure if I’ll ever get married, so I might live here in this house until I die. Regardless, the point is, there’s nothing wrong with living with your parents if you’re single!

4. Be single.

And speaking of being single, it’s not surprising that you’ll be able to be financially comfortable more easily if you’re not committed to anyone because, for sure, you know that relationships may not be expensive but cost money!

Dates. Gifts. Transportation. Even though the person doesn’t ask for anything other than your love and presence, it would be impossible to make it work without spending even $1.

So if you want to be financially secure at 25 or even earlier, then just stay single until you meet the person you want to marry—if you can.

5. Don’t feel bad about being cheap.

The thing about fashion is that it’s not about the brand of your clothes and accessories or how much those are. It is mostly about how you carry yourself while wearing those.

I personally don’t look at the brand and the price tag. Actually, most of my clothes were from random online stores and my accessories weren’t expensive, but they look good on me, so I couldn’t care less.

Based on my experience, people won’t ask you about brands and prices if you wear them with confidence and you are naturally attractive. They will simply assume that those cost a lot of money because you look expensive.

So don’t focus too much on the money side of things. Focus on your confidence! *wink*

Last Words

I also recommend you use a money tracker if you want to be financially comfortable. The thing about money trackers is they let you see clearly if you’re overspending or misspending.

I personally use Monefy and I love it but it’s very simple and you might find that it lacks some features, especially if you use credit cards or want to track other things apart from income and expenses.

The post How to Be Financially Comfortable: It Is More About Your Spending Habits appeared first on A Lover in Disguise.