Isn't Life Great? Almost...

Wow, wow, wow, how time flies, it had been 2 weeks since my last post and 1 year since I started this blog. As I am turning 31 in a weeks' time, I have been reflecting on the past year on the things that I did and the decisons that I had made. I can say that it had been a rather exciting or in some case wasted year.

For a start, let's talk about my financial situation, it had simply become worst. I try to give myself excuses such as I wasn't generating income for a few months from Aug to Dec 2006. But come on, I dun think that is the main reason. I had to face the fact that the years of overspending and self-indulgence had taken its toll and this is getting more evident. I had been blessed with a good life so far, doing better and earning more than a lot of my peers but emm, I am worst off financially than most of them. In my early teens, I was faced with the prospect that my family is no longer able to provide for my own spending pleasure, so as anyone would do, I started working part-time. And yes, I am doing very well, up to the tune of earning $600 a month, which in some way is good money in those days, especially for a 15/16 yr old. After "O" levels, I signed on with the navy and was given a very decent allowance of almost $1000 monthly while I am studying full-time in poly which means I am very much well-off compared to my poly peers. After poly, I was blessed with a job with the navy, which paid me more than $3000 before I reach the age of 23. This was totally put of my imagination as when I was 15 or 16 yr old, I was thinking of how can I earned $2000 a month. So far so good right? So complain what? Ya, I wasn't suppose to complain, but where is my money? Instead of having a nice financial nest or at least reaching a comfortable standard of living, I am seriously in the red up to the tune of the price of a brand new car.

O.k, now facing up to the fact, where do I stand? I just changed my job and is earning what most people would say is a very decent salary but after doing a bit of calculation last friday evening, I realise that even with my pay, my short fall monthly is almost $1000. You may wonder why so much, I also amazed myself with this fact. But it is real and it is here to stay for a while. So what am I going to do now? For a start, I had to remain positive that it is one phase of life that I am going through now and I will get over it. Drastic times require drastic measures, so what am I going to do, for a start, I think I will have to do some OT to help with some of the bills and also hopefully get a decent part-time safety related job that I can do in the weekend. It may not be able to cover the $1000 shortfall but emm, it will at least help. Other than that I think I had to start selling off whatever I dun need. My cards, CDs, whatever.

As I am typing this, something comes up in my mind, when I was 15 yr old, my late grandma used to tell me the importance of saving. One of the thing which I did which I will always remember is to go and buy a $700 gold bracelet and some $400 worth of gold jewellery from the old jewellery shop with the grandma. She told me that no matter what happen, gold is the best source of getting money during needy time. And yes, was she right, till date I had pawned away them twice just to pay for my overspending. And both times, I thought nobody will know, but as the saying goes, Mom knows best. My Mom knows everything about me and my siblings but acts as she dun know anything at all. She just dun want us to feel bad about our situations. Everything I told her about me getting a better paid job or a good bonus, she will always give the standard reply, you earn more you spend more, better save some for the future. Did I listen, nope, not at all, looking into my current financial situation.

Seriously, I had not idea how to overcome this situation except to stick to my plan of paying my bills on time, trying not to spend on unnecessary stuff etc. I know I will be a stronger man when I get out of this situation.. in the meantime, I just have to be positive....