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| Money money money money! Moooooney! |
Okay, here's the thing. For the past five months, I've been saving my 5 and 10-peso coins by keeping them in this cylindrical coin bank thingy (I don't know what it's called in English, but in Tagalog it's alkansya). I even have my paper money exchanged for coins sometimes just to fill it up quickly. Well, that didn't work since it still took me five months, but hey, it got filled up anyway. Look!
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| God knows how many times I got tempted to open it |
Actually, it got so heavy that it already passed as a dumbbell for me. I used it to "lift weights" in the morning. LOL! Anyway, all that hard work pushing myself to commit to this personal project has definitely paid off. And now, I'm P2,500 richer! Can you believe it? I can't! I mean, those who know me well are aware that I find it hard to finish things that I start, so this is quite an achievement for me.
A nearby convenience store was more than happy to exchange all my coins with paper money. Did I use the cash right away and bought something from the store to reward myself? Hell no! Haha, I surprised myself yet again. So, what am I planning to do with the money? I'm keeping it as a start-up for my emergency fund.
Where the hell did I get the idea of putting up one? It's these blogs about saving money and budgeting that I've been reading lately at work. They've influenced me and made me see why everyone should have a fund for emergency cases. And I mean that -- everyone should.
I realized that the term "job security" doesn't make sense anymore these days. Also, age doesn't guarantee you good health. So I thought that I have to have some back-up in case of a mishap that would require me to shell out money. Some think it's just paranoia, but I think it's being smart.
How much am I planning to save? Experts say that a good emergency fund consists of three to six months worth of your expenses. In that case, I still have a looooong way to go. I'm using my salary as a basis, so I'm not gonna stop until my fund amounts to a month's pay. Well, that's my goal for now, for the second leg of this project. Once I achieve that, I'm going to set the bar higher and higher
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| Financial security is extremely important to me |
As I bid goodbye to bankruptcy, I welcome a whole new challenge. This time, I have to work twice as hard. I have to maintain my habit of saving coins, and at the same time, prevent myself from spending my savings. Who knows, I might even take it up a notch and save more than just coins. Whew, wish me luck on that!
And to end this post, let me tell you this. I know that many of you feel the same way about financial security. So I insist, start planning your own emergency fund now! There are many ways to do that. You can engage in something similar to what I do, or open a savings account, or whatever. But I suggest that you start small. Making big leaps can make you lose interest right away, so do baby steps first. Remember: little things matter!
Happy saving, everyone. :)
Hi, classmate! It's so nice to learn that you keep a coin bank. I do the same too. I am now following your blog. I wish you could follow my blog back. You just have to click on my name. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI have a really big problem saving money. I'm very impulsive when it comes to shopping especially when I have cash at hand. I've only started to say no to future unnecessary expenses now (like booking a P1 fare flight that isn't planned). Pero lately, I've been accustomed to leaving coins in my office and bedroom desks. I've dismissed the idea of a coin back because it's more tempting to spend it since all the money is in one place. Sana I can learn to exercise self-control like yours. Haha.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on phase 2! :)
@Dani: So perhaps the coin bank technique isn't for you. Maybe some other saving method, like opening a bank account or something. What do you think? There are accounts that can automatically take a portion of your salary come pay day. That way, you can't really spend that money. I'm not sure which bank offers that, though. :) Thanks, and good luck to you too, Dani!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog! Yes, even change is a great way to start an emergency fund. You have to start somewhere, right? Only you can dictate how much you need to tuck away and the secret to any emergency fund is to only use it in dire emergencies! Great start to your fund.
ReplyDelete@Cheapchick: Thanks! You're right, only in real emergencies. But, boy, I tell you, it's hard! Hahaha. Thanks for dropping by. :)
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