This post is part of The Wealthy Pinay series wherein I will talk about goal-setting, normalizing wealth and using positivity to achieve all our goals.
You can watch the video or read the transcribed and English-translated version of it.
My Journey
To give you a background of myself, my name is Lyn Joy. I’m from Obando, Bulacan and currently living in Dubai, UAE. I’m an Overseas Filipino Worker for more than 12 years. I came to Dubai in 2005 as a tourist. I found work as a receptionist and then from there I was promoted as personal assistant to the owner. After 3 years I changed company and then gradually I gained knowledge and skills so from Administrator I moved to Human Resources.
Currently, I work as an HR/Office Manager in a beverage packaging company and as much as I like my company and feel blessed being in this point of my career, I want more.
As I mentioned, I aspire to be financially independent by 2020. As an OFW, if you lose your job, no matter how big your income is, if you lose your job then you’ll lose your only source of income. So being employed means being dependent to the company that pays you.
No work, no pay. You can’t tell your boss “I’m burnt out, I’ll take a break and come back after 2 months” Haha! As soon as you’re back, all your things are packed and ready to go for sure. Haha!
From 2008-2010, I own lots of credit cards. I didn’t reach the point of missing due dates but I was only paying minimum. Sometimes I would pay more but realized it’s been years yet I can’t finish them all.
That’s the time I started reading blogs. I became interested reading posts on how to get out of debt, how to save.
That’s when I read about snowball debt payment method wherein it tells you to settle the card that has the smallest balance. Note that it’s not the smallest interest but the smallest balance. So basically, pay just minimum amount on all your cards and put all your extra money to that card that has the smallest balance. Do this monthly until you settle that card.
And you know what? You will feel so happy that finally you able to close one card. The feeling of that achievement is something. I don’t care if it’s just one card and the balance is just small. The fact that you finish it off and you can close it finally is an achievement already.
Congratulations!
Now, since you have settled one card, do the same step with the 2nd smallest balance. Pay minimum again to all your remaining cards and put all your extra money to that second card. Do this every month until you pay-off another card. Do this on your 3rd credit card, 4th and so on until you settle them all.
So I did the snowball payment method and was able to close 2 cards and then during the same time someone advised me “Why don’t you take a personal loan and pay off all your cards?”
A very simple advice but I never thought of it. And I’m like “Oh yes!”
I discussed it with Gibson, my husband, and we agreed that it’s actually a good option so we took a loan. We took 70k dhs loan from my bank, I settled and closed all my cards and then in 2 years we were able to settle our personal loan too.
You know the feeling that we are finally debt-free is soooo good. Indescribable.
Now that we don’t have any debts, we focused on saving. But it’s hard to save when there’s nothing to save right? If your income is just enough for your expenses?
But then I thought if you want something you can make it happen. If you don’t want it, then you can find many excuses.
That’s when I started reading about positivity. I love reading success stories, rag to riches. I devoured everything with those topics.
I recall one time, I was talking to my friend. I think it was 2011. We said we will have 1 million pesos in 5 years. We were just laughing while discussing it because the idea seems absurd.
That time, I’m not sure how can I have a million pesos. What I was earning was just enough for my expenses. Maybe there’s a small saving but not enough to reach a million.
But funny how the Universe works. After we had that discussion, I realized that it’s really not an absurd idea. My rich Filipino colleagues were able to do it so why can’t I. I’m not sure how can I achieve it but having 1 million is possible.
Gradually, I got increases on my salary. My husband’s career is getting better too. We started focusing on saving and started receiving company benefits that used to be our own expense like vacation tickets. We used to pay for our flight tickets back home but it now gets paid by our companies.
And then I read the book ‘The Secret’. Honestly, it’s life changing for me. It’s mind-opening.
In essence the book says – your thoughts become your reality.
Thoughts become things.
If you can just realize how powerful that line is then it will be life changing for you too!
Everything that we have, may it be material things, the circumstances we are in, the relationships we have – we have thought of them. In a way, we attract all these things we have right now.
Why do you own a Samsung Edge? Why do you have a Dell laptop? Why did you buy that Plains & Prints dress at the mall? It’s because you want it. You thought it’s affordable so you purchased them. It’s your choice.
But why don’t you have that Mac laptop? Why not buy that Prada dress? It’s because you think you can’t afford them. It’s expensive. Not practical. Whatever the reason, again it’s your choice.
Now, why don’t you just buy that bag or dress from Divisoria? Because you don’t like. You prefer quality over price. Again it’s your choice.
So you see, whatever price point, everything you have right now, you have them because you decided you want them, either you think it fits you or it’s the thing that you can afford.
Whatever you have right now is your decision.
But have you wondered what if you dream bigger in life. What if you aspire more.
Let’s think that we can have 1 million, that it’s not impossible.
We know that we are hard working, we’re smart. Then nothing is impossible, right?
Yes, our family is poor. Yes, we have so many loans. Yes, there are lots of expenses.
But we can have lots of money.
It’s all about wanting it, believing it’s possible. Work on your mindset every single day, and before you know it, your actions will lead you towards your goal.
It’s not magic. Not because you thought you can have 1 million at the end of the year then you’ll get that 1 million magically.
It’s not like that.
Together, we will do some practical steps together. We will tackle personal finance – how to save, how to get out of debt, how to budget. Then together, we’ll find out the best business opportunities or investments, which mutual funds have the best return and so on.
We will work on our mindset then followed by practical steps. If we are just actions without actually believing that our goal is possible then we won’t reach far. At the same time, no matter how much we want to be wealthy yet we don’t do any actions to achieve that goal, nothing will happen.
Back to my story about that discussion with my friend to have 1 million in 5 years, you know it happened after 4 years. Gibson and I had our first 1 million pesos probably 4 years after that conversation. After that, using the same money mindset I have, I dreamed on having my own business and then it happened again.
Again, this is not pure luck. It’s not magic. I just worked on my mindset, I’m so positive, I believe that God is a good God and he will provide me with everything. And then all my actions gears towards that goal. Small decisions, big decisions, all these happened towards that goal. Since that’s what I want, that’s my desire, that’s where the Universe leads me.
Now I have another set of goals. I have set a time frame.
My ultimate goal is to be financially independent by 2020. That’s 3 years from now.
Again, I have no idea how it will happen. How can I pull it off. But I know it’s possible. I will let the Universe figure it out. But that’s what I want.
Any questions, you need any advice, just drop me a mail. Until next time bye.
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xoxo
