More than a decade ago, I was a YOLO single lady whose main concerns were booking ultra-cheap flights during Piso Fare season and changing my nail polish every 2 weeks.

Having not much responsibility in life, I must admit that I also had my fair share of “happy-go-lucky” spending—from local or foreign travels with friends to almost-weekly coffee shop hangouts or salon sessions. #Millennial

But despite all the cash I spent during that YOLO season of my life, I’m thankful that I still made a few good Financial moves as a young urban pro floundering in the sea of corporate life.

One of my best investments as a Yuppie? My very humble and resilient Insurance plan!

Insured at 23

To be honest, getting my insurance plan wasn’t really part of my young adult’s agenda. Like many young people, my YOLO mentality back then was, “Why bother with insurance when I have a blossoming career?”

So, whatever’s left on my paycheck, I spent on travel, food, gadgets, family dates, spa, and some good deeds like sponsoring a child’s education program.

Oh but, with all that I’ve done wrong (or not so financially sound), I must have done something right!

One afternoon, I received an invitation for a chat over coffee from a Tita who’s a Financial Advisor. As you might have guessed, our very casual coffee date turned into a crash course on Financial Wellness 101.

At 23, I honestly did not absorb every single word the financial advisor was saying. It was like a part of a movie when everything goes slow-mo, and the audio dramatically fades out…enter sentimental background music!

“OK, you got me at coffee.” Since she’s a trusted long-time family friend, I just said YES to the insurance plan she was offering because I somehow vaguely understood that it will come in handy in the future.

Realistic at 28

Several travels and salon sessions later, I gained more years, bigger responsibilities, and a more realistic mindset. Just like any chapter of a story, that happy-go-lucky season of my life naturally came to an end.

At 28, I received the grandest proposal of my life—a marriage proposal. Awww, sweet!

With the ring came an unrelenting slap of reality. Adult life means more than just booking cheap flights and getting some pamper time every now and then. I just woke up one day with eyes wide open to the reality in front of me.

It was a whole new chapter of preparing for the wedding, starting a family, gaining more serious financial obligations, as well as managing expenses and income streams. Save that for a separate blog post!

With the series of adulting events in the more realistic chapter of my life, I began to appreciate the value of my insurance plan and understood the vague realities my financial advisor used to tell me.

Secured in my 30s

10 years later, I’m proud to say that I successfully fully paid my insurance plan. Now, it’s giving me security and peace of mind as a mom since my beneficiaries are now my husband and daughter.

I’m also able to depend on my insurance plan during those rare moments when I need an extra hand for emergency cash.

Of course, setting aside a significant amount of cash to pay for my insurance plan during my Yuppie days wouldn’t have been possible without my financial advisor’s constant reminders. As years passed, she has become a financial partner who often reminds me about the importance of setting aside some amount for financial security and investment.

That one coffee date with my financial advisor was one of my eye-openers to the importance of financial planning. Ultimately, I took the time to educate myself more about personal finance and started securing other financial investments including a Sun Life mutual fund.

Part of your life. Partner for life.

Since I was 23 years old, my financial advisor has always been part of my life as a financial partner who guides me as I improve my financial mindset and reach my financial goals.

Now that I’m 35, I must say that I still am able to enjoy the YOLO part of life (travel and occasional me time – sans the pandemic), but I am now more grounded when it comes to finances and priorities. I am thankful that I now have a more sensible financial direction, and I am fortunate that I have a go-to financial consultant who can guide me as I make my decisions.

For an additional layer of security to an uncertain future, I have my financial advisor to thank. I’m glad she took the time to buy me a cup of coffee that afternoon just to educate me about financial wellness.

You, too, can get sound financial advice through every life stage from a Sun Life advisor. As your partner for life, a financial advisor can help you map out a plan for a better and brighter future.

Start your journey to a brighter life by connecting with an advisor now via bit.ly/advisormatch

#SunLifePartnerforLife