I have a new writer, and in getting to know her, I asked about her life and family.
It struck a chord with me when she told me that one of the best things about working online is that it has given her a shot at a comfortable life.
For many Filipinos, it’s not about pursuing happiness, wealth, or power. They just want to be comfortable.
They want to live where they can pay the bills and put food on the table.
I asked her what “a comfortable life” means.
I’ll let my new writer tell you more.
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“Living a comfortable life” is probably the ultimate goal of every Filipino adult. Or, at least adult millennials and Gen Xers. We were brought up believing that A Comfortable Life (not happiness) is the pinnacle of success. I guess it’s the Philippine equivalent of The American Dream.
But what encompasses that comfortable life? This is where I think answers will vary. I think many Filipinos think that “a comfortable life” means not needing to work any longer, which would mean having a sufficient source of passive income. My friends think “a comfortable life” means having their own house and car or having the means to travel without worrying about finances.
While I’d also like to achieve those things, maybe in the future, I consider them luxuries rather than necessities for comfortable living.
Personally, what I consider to be comfortable living is having financial security after a major life event. It’s having that peace of mind when you’re trying to sleep, knowing that even if something happens to me or my husband, my family can get by for at least six months.
It’s something I fully realized back when I had my miscarriage. Our combined savings went to my surgery…and that was with PhilHealth insurance, and done in a public hospital outside Metro Manila. The bill would certainly have been higher had I had my operation here.
I was reminded of this again when my son got hospitalized just this July for pneumonia. We stayed in the hospital for a week, and we thought we were prepared for it this time around. We thought we had more than enough savings for such an event, but when we were given the partial bill…well, we already started calling friends and relatives to ask if we could borrow money just in case. Luckily, my husband’s HMO covered almost 99% of the final bill, and we could go home without any medical debt.
But it was an unpleasant reminder that, though my husband and I both work (he’s a full-stack developer) and we’re more fortunate than others (we don’t pay rent; we only have one child), we’re just one major accident, one hospitalization, or one unemployment away from becoming bankrupt.
So that’s what I consider comfortable living. It’s knowing that my family will be able to survive for six months even if both my husband and I suddenly become unemployed. It’s when none of us will endure sickness or disability because going to the hospital for checkups and treatment is too expensive. It’s when my parents will no longer choose to suffer the torturous heat instead of turning on the AC because they feel guilty adding to the expenses.
So, it’s been my mission to provide everyone with that comfortable life I talked about. We’re not there yet, but we’re working on it.
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Hiring a Filipino worker changes lives. You can give them a good life. A comfortable life.
You can’t hire any of my writers, but you can hire writers on your own at Onlinejobs.ph.
John