After making a super-duper makeover about your finances you are finally financially free. You are now investing in stocks and from time to time able to splurge on gadgets and go on holiday/vacation in some of the Philippines’s tourist destinations of course after cutting on some of your other unnecessary wants. Then one day your “pinsan” in the province called you asking to come visit and treat them saying that “ang yaman mo na, patikim naman nyan”(your rich now can we have a taste of it).
Of course your kinda irritated with this attitude but you can’t say no.
This remark will from time to time come your way. It is a sign that you are indeed financially free that even far-flung and far away relatives start to ask you to share. The question now is are they nuts? Yes this is the mentality of most Pinoys; that is to splurge big the savings you work hard for because you deserve(and unfortunately some people you don’t know now deserves a part of) it.
These people are what we call financial parasites and vampires.
source: http://reallydeepstuff.com
They are so-called because they suck out your hard-earned savings and investments by putting forward their needs and wants to you as if you owe them thus you are obliged to spend for them. They could be your parents, siblings, friends, relatives, office mates/co-workers, and even your neighbors.
They coerce you by saying that you are “kuripot”(miser) or “madamot”(greedy). It is okay to from time to time share your blessings by treating them by buying some food or taking them for a movie but the problem starts when they expect you to automatically treat them because you got a bonus or a promotion or for our matter gains in your stock investments or worst is knowing that you are investing in the stock market which translate into you being a big shot.
It is not bad to once in a while treat some people specially your immediate family but at times it is annoying when friends and relatives you barely know come out like mushrooms out of the blue asking you to share your hard-earned savings.
Remember one of the myths we debunk about stock investing?
Yes people think that you are filthy rich when you are investing in the stock market. Most of our kababayans think that since you are now investing in the stock market you are in league with Henry Sy, the Ayalas, the Gokongweis, Lucio Tan, and the other honchos they hear in TV. Unfortunately they are wrong. Investing in the stock market after zeroing-out your debt and sacrificing so many things just to achieve the status is no joke but it does not translate into you being a billionaire overnight, even those honchos built their wealth over years of hardships and sacrifice in order to reach such level of wealth.
So with this annoyance from financial parasites and vampires how would you respond to it?
It will be hard to avoid it but it would be best if we could share our story how we went from buried in debt to having surplus that we could from time to time treat ourselves and love ones and tell them that they too can do it. The very first reaction they will have would be that they will reason out they are in a different situation than yours. They would say you graduated from a reputable school or you are employed with a big company, your single and not supporting any kid or any family, and etc.
Disbelief would be their defense of not acting to change their financial situation(remember when you were still buried in debt? Yeah you too were in denial just like them). With that in mind tell them that it does not require huge money to be able to invest and enjoy a financially free lifestyle. It only takes discipline and a small amount of savings to start it and realize a dream.
I am warning you though. Most people opt for the easy way that is to get “libre”(free). People don’t want to go to process and just wanted a quick get rich thing. Always reasoning out they are already sick of their poor lives. Yeah if they are sick with it how come they don’t do something about it.
Remember this: whatever situation you are in now is your decision in your past. You and you alone decided your future. It is never your parents, your partner, your brother, your teacher in elementary or any other influential person in your past. They can advice you, or guide you, or lead you to this present life you have but remember that you decided to accept it and thus it is your own desire to be stuck in a poor life today.
But always remember it as well that mistakes no matter how painful it is could always be corrected only if you act upon it.
You made a change in your life and now you are enjoying it. The best way to share this is not by giving in to their “palibre” request but rather by sharing them how you achieved it yourself. As they say give a man/woman a fish and he/she will live for a day; teach him/her how to fish and he/she will live on his own.
Say no to parasites and vampires
About the blogger
Louis Delos Angeles is a Certified Public Accountant, blogger behind Investing in Philippines, and author of Investing in Stocks: Preparing for the future small amount at a time. Check him out in Google+ Learn more about Louis and his financial freedom advocacy here.