Many of those who struggle financially want to appear wealthy to fit in a group. Are you one of them? Here is how to be financially comfortable!
One way to be financially comfortable is to believe that money problems won’t be permanent if you don’t make them permanent.
Even though there aren’t enough opportunities out there, many people are just too lazy to look for some, which could resolve their problems.
I will go deep into that later. Now, here is how to be financially comfortable:
- Don’t be pressured to possess the latest gadgets.
- Don’t borrow money or learn to manage your debt.
- Live with your parents if you are single.
- Be single because a relationship costs money.
- Don’t feel bad about being cheap.
Let’s begin.
How to Be Financially Comfortable: How You Spend Matters
Someone told me, “You would not be happy without money.” I believe emotional satisfaction is the key to true happiness. It made me question that belief.
I reflected on my situation. I asked myself, “Am I saying that because I don’t have financial problems? What if I can’t see the other side of society clearly?”
But I realized, I wasn’t financially comfortable before. I depended on my parents until I was 20 all while they were financially struggling.
It was expensive to have four dependent children. My parents were living paycheck to paycheck, and they had credit card debt and debt to relatives.
In 2020, I worked at a digital marketing agency that hadn’t paid me for 11 months. I needed to have freelance work on top of that non-income-generating full-time job.
I was paid 6 months’s worth of salary 9 months after I quit.
I became unemployed four times, too, throughout my career that started in 2017. I was fired once without a warning. On the spot!
According to Psychology Today, being fired or laid off can be traumatic. It is a shameful event that could affect our belief in our capabilities.
I had lived in financial discomfort for over two decades before I reached this point.
And looking back, the reason why being broke was difficult is that it was difficult to be “nothing” in a sea of financially capable people.
It is not about not having enough money but about the insecurity I had due to not having enough money, which was deeper. Can you relate?
You might want to be rich because you feel insecure. Or maybe you are financially struggling because you buy stuff to impress. Why? You feel insecure!
Either way, it boils down to your insecurities. If you want to learn how to be financially comfortable, learn how to spend better!
1. Don’t be pressured to possess the latest gadgets.
The reason why I stick to using Android-based gadgets is that Apple devices lose their spark as new models come out.
I have been using my Huawei Y9 Prime (2019) since 2019, and I don’t plan to upgrade until it breaks. I love the screen size.
It is still fast, smooth, and looks new. I am not a heavy phone user, too, so why upgrade? It will just gather dust! A waste of money!
I don’t own the latest gadgets as of writing. I have a secondhand Nikon D5100, a laptop my mom bought before 2020, and a tablet I bought in 2022.
New York Post says that many people flaunt possessions that were not bought with their own money on social media!
That is why I don’t have money issues: I don’t care about the latest.
I may seem poor, but if we talk about monetary assets, I bet I have more than some of those who pretend to be wealthy by showing off their expensive possessions.
Most of those who struggle financially are struggling because they want to fit in and appear wealthy even though that is not the case.
Learn to live below your means!
2. Don’t borrow money or learn to manage your debt.
I had my first credit card at the age of 27.
Before that, I always paid in cash, and I used my cash. My phones, my tablet, and everything I bought before 2024 were paid in full with my money.
This is why even though I have a credit card now, I don’t abuse it. As of writing, I haven’t bought any object with credit. I have used it for subscriptions.
Those who had their first credit card before their 20s are financially illiterate. You can’t be financially comfortable with huge credit card debt.
If you want to be financially comfortable earlier than others, The Balance says you need to develop good spending and saving habits.
Moreover, I finished college debt-free, thanks to my parents. My parents paid for my college, which is why I said I was dependent on them until I was 20.
I was 20 years old when I graduated from college.
There is a thing called good debt, and I think student loan debt is part of it if your education is helping you with your career even indirectly!
That is the same with other loans. If you gain anything significant in return and can pay it off, that is good debt. It will not hurt your financial health.
3. Live with your parents if you are single.
Culture is at play here. In some countries, it seems wrong to live with your parents after 18. But in the Philippines and other Asian countries, that is fine.
But whatever the case and wherever you are, that is a belief or standard that society created. You may be judged, but what is wrong with living with parents?
If marriage is your goal, there comes a time when you will build a family with your spouse and spend the rest of your life with them and your children.
Why not spend your years before marriage with those who raised you?
There is nothing wrong with it, but why do people look at it as if it were a sin? That is actually a good financial move!
If you are expected to move out once you reach the age of 18, wikiHow has a guide on how to move out at 18 even when you are broke!
I live with my mother and my siblings.
Even though I contribute to the household in a lot of ways, including financially, I am not spending as much as if I decided to move out and live by myself.
I will move out once I get married, and I am not even sure if I will ever get married, so I might live here in this house until I die.
There is nothing wrong with living with your parents if you are single! Unless you don’t contribute anything to the household.
4. Be single because a relationship costs money.
You can be financially comfortable more easily if you are not committed to anyone. Relationships may not be expensive but cost money!
Dates. Gifts. Transportation. Even though the person doesn’t ask for anything other than your love and presence, it would not work without spending even $1.
If you want to be financially comfortable at 25 or earlier, remain single until you meet the person you want to marry if marriage is a want.
5. Don’t feel bad about being cheap.
Fashion is not about the brand of your clothes and accessories or how much those are. It is mostly about how you carry yourself while wearing those.
I don’t look at the brand and the price tag. Most of my clothes were from random online stores. My accessories cost around $1.
But they look good on me, so I couldn’t care less.
People will not ask you about brands and prices if you wear them with confidence, and you are naturally attractive. They will assume those are expensive!
Want to look expensive without spending on expensive outfits? Reader’s Digest has easy fashion upgrades and styling hacks!
Don’t focus too much on the money side of things. Focus on your confidence!
But of course, if you buy low quality cheap stuff, you will replace them many times. So, check the quality before you buy or learn to take care of your stuff.
Last Words
I recommend you use a money tracker if you want to be financially comfortable. Money trackers let you see clearly if you are overspending or misspending.
I use Wallet. If you don’t want a money tracker app, you can use spreadsheets. I once used Notion to manage my finances. I created a spreadsheet.
You learned how to be financially comfortable. Did it make a difference to your spending habits?
If you enjoyed reading how to be financially comfortable, here is a video of me talking about the days I was broke and what I did to resolve it:
