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The Beauty of Being Self-Reliant


By: Gynn Flores


Self ReliantI have been very independent when it comes to my finances. There have been many ups and downs in the past but no matter how hard it is for a single parent to survive financial crisis, I can say that I am indeed a survivor. Looking back – after watching my children grew up and have their own lives, I can never trade my being self-reliant to living a luxurious life as a dependent. This is how I found fulfilment and would gladly share my views to those who are seeking financial independence. You are self-reliant if you can support yourself and your dependents without needing the help or assistance of other people. This is hard to achieve as it means you have to earn more than enough for yourself alone. Many people work multiple jobs but still have a hard time coping without cash advances. Here are pointers on how to achieve self-reliance:

    1. Always make a budget and stick to it. Over spending happens when you subconsciously spend without knowing you can’t really afford it.
    2. Maximize your capacity to earn and still maintain enough sleep and good nutrition for yourself. Do not risk or force yourself to work when your body is giving signals that it is already depleted with energy.

  1. Teach yourself and your dependents the value of money. Be thrifty to allow your budget to match your lifestyle. Do not force to upgrade if you still cannot afford it.
  2. Be strong against temptations especially on the luxuries in life. Necessities should be prioritized. Luxuries can wait if something is still left after you have set aside enough for the basic needs.
  3. Know how to save for the hard times. You should set aside a certain percentage of your income for savings. This is the way to have financial stability. It is not enough to be able to afford the daily expenses but also to keep a small portion for the future in case of emergency and for your retirement.

Here are the benefits of being self-reliant:

  1. You do not need to seek approval from anybody if you are spending for your own needs.
  2. You have a free hand on what lifestyle you want for yourself as long as you can afford it. This is usually based on your earning capacity.
  3. You earn some respect as you do not have to be a dependent of anybody.
  4. You keep out other people from making decisions for you. This makes you in control of your life.
  5. You can live away from people you don’t like if you are self-reliant.

Self-reliance requires a lot of hard work and discipline that you have to impose on yourself. Do not be intimidated or influenced by others who are spending the money that they don’t have just because they drive nice cars or wearing signature clothes. All the luxuries can wait when you can already cash them. Relying to cash advances is a killer. A short time of enjoyment will be replaced with a lot of time pushing yourself to earn more just to level off your deficit spending.

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