The 5 stages of grief in your first sweldo

For a fresh grad, seeing your first sweldo is the definition of euphoria. After years of relying on your parents for allowances, you finally, FINALLY have the financial freedom to do or buy whatever you want, courtesy of the number of zeroes written on your first paycheck.

Well, sort of.

Spending your paycheck soon replaces this blissful feeling soon with the realization that freedom is not absolute. Turns out, your first salary is less about fulfilling your doe-eyed aspirations and more of a crash course to how the ‘real world’ works (god, we sound like our moms).

Stage 1: Euphoria

As a fresh grad, your first payslip is a beacon of hope. Yes, you can FINALLY fulfill your travel bucket list (Boracay, here we come!), spice up your wardrobe, and splurge on your hobbies, minus the judgmental eyes of your parents.

You’re on cloud nine and everything is awesome!

Stage 2: Kaltas

Here’s something they barely mention in school: your salary comes with a list of deductions from the BIR, SSS, PAG-IBIG, and Philhealth. There’s a reason why your dad questions his taxes whenever he hits a bump on the road; the kaltas is no joke.

Thankfully, e-wallet apps like PayMaya make paying taxes and other government bills more accessible and more rewarding.

With Bills Bayad Rewards Promo, get a 10% cashback on your first PAG-IBIG/SSS/PRC/BIR transaction OR a 5% cashback if it’s a recurring one. New PayMaya users will also get a P100 reward by using promo code BILLSBAYAD upon registration and after upgrading their account.

For SSS, PAG-IBIG, and PRC bills, simply select the ‘Pay with PayMaya’ option upon checkout in the agencies’ website. For BIR, and for SSS and PAG-IBIG as well, users can pay directly via the PayMaya app when they tap ‘Pay Bills,’ select ‘GOVERNMENT’, and choose ‘BIR’, ‘SSS’ or ‘PAG-IBIG’ from the list of billers.

Stage 3: Budol

Even with the deductions, you still see your salary as golden, and yourself as invincible.

You get drunk on impulsive, budol purchases, and you rationalize it as self-care (we can relate, we’ve all been there!). Can you afford that new bag? Do you really need one when you’re mostly at home? But you know deep inside, you deserve it. You’re a fresh grad who just landed their first job. This is your ‘reward’ for putting up with 18 years of schooling.

The truth is that knee-jerk purchases are here to stay even well into your 20s. You just become a teeny bit smarter as you get older because the next stage really, REALLY sucks.

Stage 4: Regret

Many say heartbreak is the worst feeling in the world. We’d argue these people have never experienced petsa de peligro. Your power trip has led you to this moment: P2,000 in your pocket, with electricity and internet bills still unpaid, and the next payday still a few days away.

Mom and Dad will come to the rescue, but there’s a twinge of shame when they offer to pay your next credit card statement or commuting fees in the meantime. This feeling of regret and inadequacy is your bestie during your first few years, where you’ll realize that adulting is one big cycle.

Stage 5: Acceptance

Adulting has a simple cycle: Wake up, work, sleep. Repeat until you retire. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a 9 to 5, you’ll spend most of your life grinding to provide for yourself and others.

But as the old saying goes, ‘It’s not about the destination, but rather, the journey.’ In between the long hours will be opportunities to enjoy the finer things. Soon, you’ll earn enough to travel, treat your loved ones, set up a biz, and make something of yourself.

That is, provided you’re smart with your money. The occasional brain farts will always be there, but for the most part, things will work out if you’re self-aware with your spending.

So for fresh grads out there, hustle, enjoy, and take advantage of freebies like PayMaya’s Bills Bayad Rewards Promo when you can.

The post <b> The 5 stages of grief in your first sweldo </b> appeared first on WE THE PVBLIC.

Source: we the pvblic