Making the U-turn - a true story

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When we got married 7 years ago, my wife and I were making what I used to call “just right” income. We both have good jobs. We both drive our separate cars (which in the Philippines is uncommon) . Life was so good I was never complaining. We were content with our salaries taking care of the food and rent (yes, we were renting).

2 years into married life, I began questioning
our family’s financial health. Because we have jobs, money was always available every payday. Then it hit me- we were actually living paycheck to paycheck. The bigger our salaries got, so did our spending needs. I also began taking notice how our credit card bills were becoming a burden. Worse, we also had worries with our physical health. Hers due to a lump on her breast, and mine in my throat. Yes, I’ve been smoking since college (which even then, was already a long time ago). We were so scared of cancer, so imagine our stress levels at the time. 

Fast-forward to today: We both still drive separate cars. Only hers is new. We both still work. Only she manages our own small business while I have been promoted twice already. Separately, we were able to tour the US in 2008 and 2009. Our credit card bills are minimal. We have savings and insurance. We have investments in the stock market. Our doctors have given us the clean bill of health. But most of all, I have been smoke free for more than 2 years now. Also in the next few months, we are moving in to our brand new house.

We did not win the lottery, nor did we get “pamana”. I wish we did. But believe it or not, by some stroke of luck, and with much sacrifice and perseverance, we are where we are now because we chose to act sooner rather than later.

The first step was admitting there was something wrong. I shall tell you the rest of the workload in my next few posts.

Reader, I wish you the best. As you can see, we all can make a U-turn. I hope you were moved. This is a true story. This is the one story I wish for the entire Filipino nation to hear.