I AM a very simple person.
Well, that’s really far from the truth.
But you get the idea —
I don’t demand much.
I control my desire.
***
I’m not the brand or signature guy.
Which means I have no preference for branded stuff in clothes, shoes, and everything else.
I like what I like.
I love my sense of style.
I am not a slave to materialism or consumerism.
***
I own a lot of things.
But I can Iive without them.
In fact, for four or five months now, I have lived without them.
I sold my house in March.
Which means that I have already sent its most important contents to the Philippines.
Mostly books, movies, knick-knacks.
***
I also gave my car to my nephew when I left Maryland.
So I’m carless in California.
My niece needs a new car.
Her old one needs to be put to rest.
I went up to Sacramento to see a friend who specializes in buying and selling cars.
He’s a great mechanic so he flips cars for a small profit.
We asked him to help us find a suitable car.
***
He has introduced me to friends who have been considering to change cars.
He has taken me to car shows.
He has explained to me what to look for when buying pre-owned cars.
And I’m just thinking, I really don’t know about cars.
I see something that I like, I buy it.
***
When I say I have money, I only mean that I have some actual money lying around.
Like when I said I had a quarter million dollars in my pocket, I actually had $250,000 in my person.
(After three months, that money is not a quarter million dollars anymore, but that’s another story.)
***
When I say I have money, I do not mean that I have unlimited resources.
Or that I have so much that I could no longer count it.
I only mean that when I want something, I can but it without worrying about consequences and responsibilities.
***
For several decades now, I have taught myself financial responsibility.
Mainly, about living within my budget.
I do not desire that which I feel I could not afford.
I do not do things only to show off, or outdo other people.
I do not buy people’s affection and respect.
I do not really let my money talk.
***
It is more important for me that I have money in the bank more than getting all fancy with my clothes, cars, house, dinners, vacations.
I toured 17 countries of Europe in 90 days for roughly half a million pesos.
I stayed in dorm-type hostels instead of cozy hotels.
I ate street food instead of spending euros on fine dining.
***
My biggest expenses on that grand tour of Europe were the museums, guided tours, and shows.
Because my goal was to see all the famous landmarks and popular art pieces that I saw in the books of my childhood.
I visited ateliers and fashion houses, but I didn’t buy signature clothes and branded apparels.
***
I was happy with my European vacation because I knew I didn’t have to work hard to pay for it.
I got family and friends who wouldn’t go on holiday trips without new clothes.
They think that they have to wear photo-friendly fashion when they pose by the Eiffel Tower, or the leaning Tower of Pisa, or by the lovely white buildings in Santorini.
Me? I wear the same clothes people see me wear in the streets of Iloilo!
***
It’s not like I suddenly become a fashion model when I visit new and foreign places.
Holiday wardrobes can easily cost you $1,000.
And honestly, if you time your air tickets booking, that $1,000 could be the cost of the whole round trip, and maybe more.
***
True financial freedom is not the capacity to spend or afford things.
We all can afford what we want.
Given that there are credits cards, you can buy anything that you want.
You just have to pay for it.
And for most people, they can just work hard to pay off their debts.
***
I don’t have debts.
I pay things in cash.
I have come to a point when I don’t have to work at all to afford what I want.
I can afford Starbucks coffee at P150 a cup.
But because I’m okay with P10 coffee in the Dumangas public market, I only spend P20, maybe P30, a day on coffee.
***
People can call me cheap.
But they can’t deny that I have money.
And I can be snobbish because I can afford things.
And I can have an attitude because don’t owe anyone anything!/PN
