womenthatwrite

Marriage, like any relationship I know, can either bring out paramount qualities in you, or turn you into a tension-driven spouse. In my experience, several months of marriage propelled Ms. Maturity into my once chaotic system, for I have learned something vital to life…the virtue of saving money. Yes my dear pips, I am now officially on a journey to building my millions.

I have to admit that during my bachelorette days, I was a spending-spree maniac. I was so addicted to shopping that a chunk of my meager salary would be spent in the mall! Though, my mom tried her best to rehabilitate a fashion-addict-daughter by assigning some responsibilities to me, sorry to say, it failed miserably.

So how can marriage turn a once lets-go-shopping junkie like me into a responsible i-have-to check-my budget kind of woman?

My husband just made me handle my own finances.

I know, I know, who was crazy enough to let a “gastadora” like me be responsible for my own money? I thought my husband was going loony when he told me that I’m in-charge. After knowing me and my addiction, how can he be sane enough to let me handle my own finances?

The first couple of months were a disaster, 2 weeks before my salary I was already asking my husband for an allowance to get me past the days until my next salary came.

He was very patient though, and being the angel that he is, he would lend me the money. But I found myself contemplating. I value my independence and yet here I am slowly uprooting from my core, my principles.

This forced me to have an internal look at myself and ask myself, 10 years from now; do I want to amount to nothingness? This question made me cross the Rubicon and started saving.

So how do I go about my savings? I made a list of all the expenses that is necessary for my everyday living(food, transportation cost, rent, tuition fees, bills, savings, and buffer money). Then I made a list of things I can spend if I do have some excess (movie’s, shopping, and travel) I then allotted amount for each category!

This folks is coal-and-ice; I printed out my budget and placed it in my bag for easy reference. So, whenever I am tempted to eat out, I’ll have a look at my buffer money and see if it has enough money to cover my dinner, if yes, then I go about and treat myself. If not, sorry to say, I go home, then cook my own dinner.

If I saved money from transportation, I put the money I saved in my buffer money to increase the amount, this means I have extra money to watch a movie or have a special dinner with my husband.

This experience made me go thru my want-to-do-before-I-get-old list. And I knew instantly that if I don’t become wise with my expenditures, not one of my long-term goals will be achieved. Buying stuff brings about small amount of comfort, but after a while, you’d again want something to fulfil that inner need. I have learned that no amount of shopping, no amount of new clothes, will ever bring me eternal happiness. All these are fleeting. What is important is to create memories and experiences that can inspire you and the people around you. Don’t get me wrong, I still love shopping, but I have curbed it to a tolerable level. I reckon this will impact my life greatly. I am saving for more meaningful experiences, a special trip with the family, a lunch feast for the children of PGH, opportunities to hone my craft, and building a home with my husband.

I hope I have inspired you enough to take charge of your financial stability early on. No one wants to grow old with a truckload of debt to pay. I strongly believe women age with elegance. Having enough money in your bank account would strongly ensure your independence as a woman. So grab hold of that old calculator lying somewhere in your room and start planning your life financially. Goodluck!