Kumusta naman ang midyear bonus natin? May natitira pa ba? Did you go ahead and splurge? Maybe you felt generous and shared it with those closest to you. Or naubos na ba dahil sa mga bayarin gaya ng tuition or utang?
Having extra money at the halfway point of the year is a blessing to most of us in the workforce. First of all, eto yung panahon na sadyang pumapasok ang maraming mga bayarin. Enrolment fees, school supplies, house repairs, registration renewals—you get the idea. As such, malaking tulong para sa marami sa atin ang pagpasok ng dagdag na kitang pinaghirapan mo rin naman.
Secondly, your midyear bonus offers a precious opportunity to shore up your finances. Dahil sa mga gastusin sa first six months ng taon especially noong bakasyon, maaaring kelangang punuin ulit ang inyong kaban. If this is the way you feel about managing your finances, read on to see how you can spend your midyear bonus wisely.
Save It
The best way to spend your midyear bonus is not to spend it at all. May mga ine-expect ka bang gastos in the coming months? May project ka bang pinag-iipunan? Then i-deposit mo agad ang bonus mo into the bank. If you don’t have a savings account, open one.
Saving up your cash inflow gives you the unique opportunity to prepare especially for unexpected events, like sickness or emergencies. Even more importantly, it affords you a measure of protection. It is recommended that you save up to three months’ worth of your monthly income para meron kang buffer para sa mga biglaang gastos. Save up your midyear bonus and protect yourself and your loved ones in case something bad happens.
Invest It
Instead of splurging your bonus, why not invest it into something worthwhile? Putting your money into a venture that earns lets you make your money grow. Kapag ginastos mo kase ang bonus mo ng one-time-big-time, wala na, ubos na yon. Pero kapag nag-invest ka, pwedeng bumalik at lumago ang pera mo. In addition, you create extra income na umaandar nang sarili niya.
Before you invest your midyear bonus, magtanong at mag-research nang mabuti. If the scheme promises returns of more than 200 percent and sounds too good to be true, chances are it’s a scam. Choose proven and trustworthy business and investment opportunities para hindi naman masayang ang pinundar mong pera.
Start a Side Business
In addition to investing your money, you might like to consider starting a small side business. Maganda ito kung nag-aalangan kang ipasok ang iyong pera sa malaking investment. Instead, all you need is a little capital to create a side venture to give you a secondary source of income.
Starting a small tindahan or a food stall is the usual go-to business. However, sa dami ng nagtitinda along a particular street, for instance, paano ka magkakaroon ng advantage sa kakumpitensiya mo? The secret is to offer something different from your competitors. POSIBLE, for example, offers an affordable bills payment and microremittance platform that’s easy to use. Pwedeng-pwedeng gamitin ito na pang-negosyo sa bahay o pandagdag sa existing tindahan, food cart, barber shop, internet café, at marami pang iba.
Budget It
Sometimes kelangan mong gastusin ang pera dahil sa mga pangangailangan mo. We’ve mentioned beforehand the expenses that come along at this time of the year. As a result, minsan hindi maiwasang gumastos kahit gustuhin mong mag-save or mag-invest.
The tip here is to spend smart. Budget your midyear bonus wisely. Allot cash where it is needed most, first of all. Kung mga hindi naman masyadong priority, medyo park na muna. If it’s not an urgent need naman pero makakatulong sa iyo, consider allotting funds for it. Make the most out of your extra cash by spending it first on your needs instead of wants.
Treat Yourself
Wait, di ba ang post na ito ay tungkol sa pag-save ng aking midyear bonus? Bakit kasama ang item na ito dito?
Money is meant to be a servant, after all. Importante lang na i-manage ang mga gastusin para hindi ka naman maubusan. Besides, pinaghirapan mo ang extra kitang iyan. Hindi ka machine or computer na enslaved sa trabaho mo. Give yourself a break and enjoy the fruit of your labor. Go on vacation, or buy yourself something. Just remember to spend smart and not splurge everything in one go.
Make Your Midyear Bonus Work for You
At this time and age, you can’t pluck money from trees. Similarly, earning extra cash gives us the opportunity to make something worthwhile happen in our lives. As such, mataas ang pressure for us to go ahead and spend our midyear bonus ng isang bagsak lang. However, if we spend excessively, we run the risk of being enslaved to money. Feeling natin kelangan nating bawiin ang ating ginastos kaya magpapakahirap at pagod ulit tayo nang kalahating taon.
Managing your midyear bonus doesn’t have to be that way. Spend it wisely, or save and invest it to create opportunities for additional income. Finally, enjoy it and let it serve its purpose for you and your family.
Learn more how you can save your midyear bonus here. Want to start your own business? Click here to learn more.
Images courtesy of Freepik
