saving for a rainy day
One of the things I love about being in Singapore is my ability to achieve financial independence. Compared to Manila, Singapore has plenty of opportunities for students to earn a substantial amount of cash. The most lucrative ones are giving tuition (tutoring primary school/secondary school/junior college kids) where one can earn S$20-35/hour and coaching sec school/JC debate teams where one can earn anything from S$40 even to S$100 per hour! The good thing about these is that the time commitment isn't so great and the schedules are pretty flexible - perfect for students to earn some money on the side while studying or enjoying their summer vacation. There are also plenty of internship opportunities here unlike in Manila, where internships seem to be unheard of until 3rd year college.
I love the feeling I get every time i receive my paycheck - the satisfaction in knowing that you worked hard for that sum and the pleasure in thinking about what you can indulge in with that amount. I also love knowing that I can choose to spend the money in whatever I want to - no more asking for permission to buy this, no more pleading and convincing your parents on why you need to get this or that.
Yet ironically, I wind up spending less impulsively and thinking more carefully every time I am about to make a purchase. "Do I reallyyyy need this?" and "But I've spent so much already!" pop into my head more frequently. I can't help but feel a tug in my heart each time I hand over cash or my NETS card to the cashier. This is exactly like what my dad always says - you'll only know the value of money when you've worked hard to earn it. Every top I buy, every nice meal I take, every cab ride I indulge in is equivalent to the hours I've slaved away coaching, giving tuition and interning.
As difficult it is to resist the ever so tempting 4 letter word SALE, I'm making a promise with myself to exercise some self-control and rememberi the hard work I've put behind earning the money currently sitting in my bank account. It's never to late to save for a rainy day!
I love the feeling I get every time i receive my paycheck - the satisfaction in knowing that you worked hard for that sum and the pleasure in thinking about what you can indulge in with that amount. I also love knowing that I can choose to spend the money in whatever I want to - no more asking for permission to buy this, no more pleading and convincing your parents on why you need to get this or that.
Yet ironically, I wind up spending less impulsively and thinking more carefully every time I am about to make a purchase. "Do I reallyyyy need this?" and "But I've spent so much already!" pop into my head more frequently. I can't help but feel a tug in my heart each time I hand over cash or my NETS card to the cashier. This is exactly like what my dad always says - you'll only know the value of money when you've worked hard to earn it. Every top I buy, every nice meal I take, every cab ride I indulge in is equivalent to the hours I've slaved away coaching, giving tuition and interning.
As difficult it is to resist the ever so tempting 4 letter word SALE, I'm making a promise with myself to exercise some self-control and rememberi the hard work I've put behind earning the money currently sitting in my bank account. It's never to late to save for a rainy day!