No, We're Not Rich

My Facebook wall is pretty much a collection of:

1. My travels
2. My greetings for select few (birthday, anniversary, etc)
3. Pickleball
4. Running
5. Brand collabs and events I've attended 

I don't think I have posted anything outside of those (I might have shared some memes but that's it). Yet it's still funny how some people assume we're rich. Of course, when they say "rich," I know they mean well-off, not alta sociedad rich. Those people are a different breed. Heck, we're not even close to being an actual rich.

I have friends, you know the heiress/CEO type, whom I genuinely look up to. And I swear, they are very much kuripot than me. If their change is short by even a single peso, prepare for bloodshed but make it classy and in impeccable English. I aspire to that level of financial tenacity. Because apparently, I'm too proud to be seen negotiating over a loose change. 

Well, I can be kuripot too. And will wage war over a piso. But that's only because my pockets are empty. Rich people, on the other hand, are kuripot despite having far more to spend.

Scrambled on the floor and helped myself to a handful of coins during Power Mac Center's coin shower at their opening.
Pambayad din ng parking.

I remember one time when I flinched at the amount of our contribution when a friend told me, "sinsilyo ra na sa imo, dato bitaw ka." (That's just a small amount for you. You're rich, after all.) But as I typed 500 with a heavy heart, I mourned the two open plays I had to give up.

Or those times when certain “friends” would message me asking if I had any extra money right after I posted about my travels, as if seeing me travel meant I must have plenty to spare. It always felt like a subtle guilt trip before they’d eventually ask if they could borrow some. What they don't know is I fear for my next billing statement every time I come home. Haha.

Or that time when a former colleague told me, "Bata pa lang imong mga anak, naka-experience na'g snow. Lahi ra jud ning adunahan." (Your kids are still little, and they've already gotten to experience snow. The rich really do live differently.)

Yes, our kids are lucky and privileged that they get to travel at an early age (Jan and I didn't travel abroad until we were in our 30s). And sure, we're fortunate enough to travel regularly as a family. I guess that's why some people see us as rich than we actually are. 

I tell you, we're not. 

We're just middle class citizens. Alipin kami ng salapi. 

It's just that, we cut back in other areas. We rarely (almost don't) eat out. We don't buy new clothes unless necessary (if you've only seen how gutay-gutay our pambahays are baka maawa pa kayo sa amin. Haha). We don't spend weekends at the mall. We're mostly at home, and when we do go out, it's usually either to the grocery or the pickleball court. Yes, we're boring like that. We rarely (almost never) give in to our milktea or barista-made coffee cravings. We don't go to concerts or even the cinemas. We don't replace our gadgets until they die on us. I don't get my nails and lashes done. I shave Jan's hair. And we don't throw big parties and celebrations.

And I'm not saying that those things are bad. We just have different priorities. We all choose where our money goes.

So where else do we usually spend our money? I used to splurge on things like Dr. Martens and running shoes. Jan, on the other hand, would go crazy over homelab equipment and electronics. But we only let ourselves splurge on one thing at a time. These days, that one thing is pickleball. 

Again, we're not rich. We just make plenty of trade-offs. Social media shows where we have been, not the sacrifices that paid for it. We can't even afford business class and mostly rely on seat sale. Our camera roll might look expensive, but our budgeting habits are as middle class as they come. 

So the next time you see us in another country, just remember that that trip probably cost a thousand tears from convincing myself not to buy that choco wacko I always crave and enduring the discomfort of being drenched in sweat because I'm too reluctant to turn on the fan (tapos yung aircon namin pang display lang talaga), all so we could save every peso just so I have something to post on socmed. Haha. Kidding!