Just Money for Food

The fourth fragment of My Journey to Financial Freedom reveals my thoughts and sentiments about my present status. Don’t worry this is not a heavy drama just life's reality.

In my last three posts, I have exposed my curriculum vitae and my various business ventures plus an exiguous (nosebleed) job hunting experience outside the country. So you might be asking what exactly I am doing now for a living.

I am not proud to say this but I will say it anyway. I am living a life of a bum since I resigned in my last job in 2009. This means:

1. I no longer wake up at 4 in the morning for my two hour regimen (day dreaming included).
2. I no longer squeeze myself in towards the middle part of a crowded bus (quite easy for me).
3. I no longer travel for 1 to 3 ½ hours with naps in between (if not in a standing position).
4. I don’t have a boss (which I like the most. Hehe!)
5. I don’t have regular income (which I hate the most. Sigh)
6. I don’t follow a strict schedule (Oh, I love my freedom).
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How am I able to survive?

I live with my parents.With our very limited financial resources (my father’s job and our micro business), I am helping curtail our expenses to make ends meet. So far, I am successful in enduring a variety of worldly temptations by not going to the mall too often unless necessary and by avoiding 3-day sale. My 4 piggy banks have enormous contributions too. I am also a sucker of free seminars or seminars with relatively small fee. A one-day course in making dishwashing liquid gave me a few hundred earnings. Once, I was very enthusiastic in real estate because it promises an incredibly high return but I have remained unlucky till this day. 

Life is really difficult these days. Financially and emotionally. Along with the kind of life I chose is swallowing my pride. Today, I’m doing certain things that I don’t do years back. Because of our micro business, I now go to wet and dry market and carry a huge and heavy transparent plastic on my left hand and a box of 30 eggs on my right. Sweating like a pig, I am comparing prices of commodities and even make “tawad” if the situation permits. Certainly, a total opposite of a life in the corporate world. When I was still employed we have utilities to assists us whenever necessary. I seldom perspire because the office is air-conditioned. In processing sales order all I need is a paper and a pen. An e-mail and a phone call also make life so much easier. Today, my mom and I are taking turns in going to the market. Most of the time, it’s really just the two of us doing everything from purchasing to selling to inventory to accounting to maintenance. It’s physically demanding, so to speak. However, there is inner joy. For a very long time, I didn't know exactly why I took up Business Management in college. Now, I’m grateful that I took this course. The frequent change of jobs made me suspect that I have personality problem. Only to realize now that the struggles in my past employments are actually preparations to the "now challenge." And finally, the homilies of my bosses are starting to sink down deep to my very core. They were my mentors. 

What’s the real problem?

Though physically demanding, doing this micro business is somewhat fulfilling. However such business is just giving us a very meager profit. And that’s the real problem. Prices are continuously going up but our profit remains in a straight horizontal line and on really bad days in a bearish direction. What a joy!

One day, I deposited a small amount in my savings account. When the teller returned my bank book there was a 75 peso increase. I had a fake smile. For this reason, I made a bold decision.

And that’s next (and the last)…

Photo grabbed @ guardian.co.uk