Sweldo o Pambayad lang?

I've been there. Where, when  payday comes and all my salary just passed by me and went directly to all my debts whether cash loans, minimum due on credit cards and others. And then nothing left again for the next 15 days. And I would resort again to borrowing, swiping the card again and stretching whatever I could until the next payday. Yes, the most difficult part of my life where I was taught the hard way of getting out of bad debts.

 

I felt terribly lost. Stressed. Frustrated. Self esteem lowering. And I thought of breaking the cycle. I know it was a hard habit to break. A frustrating situation I thought I could never survived. But God is good. He makes things possible and fall them into right place in His perfect timing.

 

Coupled by my focus to get out of the bad debts, I started to see the light from the darkest tunnel where it has once been felt like a home. Back then, I do not know I am following the snowball method of paying off my debts. Yes, snowball method is really helpful in paying off those debts. I started with all the cash loans. Small amount first. Each of them, speaking with the bank or those law firms, negotiating, and coming to terms to  pay each loans. When I did accomplish small one, I turned into the next bigger loan and that goes on until I paid all my credit bills. Why small first when the interest of those bigger loans are higher? Because, we need to feel that we are accomplishing something otherwise, we will feel discourage if we are not seeing any progress. Agree?

 

All those while, I was living a very frugal lifestyle. Having a strict budget from day to day. Kasi ang sweldo ko those times are pambayad lang sa utang. Kung meron mang tira, enough to let me survive for the next 15 days before the next payday. I took advantage of the over times. I covered someone else's shift para lang me extra income. Looking back, I have nothing. No emergency fund or savings at all. I wanted to invest pero pambayad na nga lang kulang pa ang sahod ko.  Had I gone a little sooner, I have nothing but for my family to pay off the debts I left unsettled. And the thought scared me.

 

After my ordeal, I have realized that we can always get out of any situation if we become determine and focus on achieving our goals. We can always stand out in the midst of a very shaky situation if we pursue something with the ends in mind. No one can help us if we don't start within ourselves. Talks without an action will remain as a talk or just a dream. Find ways to increase whatever is insufficient such as cashflow when it is in terms of finances. Make no excuses. And never forget to pray for His guidance and mercy.

 

It has been years, I was ashamed to talk about this part of my life before. But as I go to the process of acknowledging I made mistakes, I know it was a part of who I am today. That anyone can be better too. That we only have to remain positive with what lies ahead. That whoever we are, at some point in our lives, we commit mistakes and that at the end of the day, we are willing to acknowledge those mistakes, repent, start again and never make the same mistake again.

 

Just sharing. God Bless. :)