Debtus Goneus!

"Probably the very best thing my earnings have given me is absence of worry. I have not forgotten what it feels like to worry whether you'll have enough to pay the bills. Not to have to think about that any more is the biggest luxury in the world."

- J.K. Rowling

These are the words spoken by a real-life wizard. Harry Potter may have killed Tom Riddle/Voldermort, but he cannot wave his magic wand at Citibank or cast a spell at American Express to make the debts and obligations go away. (I bet he couldn't even move the due date) A true financial wizard is one who can create a source of boundless income, eliminate a mountain of debts and retire to a pleasant life with one's own pension. And that is why, instead of quoting from the famous Robert Kiyosaki, a.k.a. the "Rich Dad Guru", I chose the words of a humble author of a fantasy novel who lived that life more than she taught and wrote about it.

I would like to get a taste of what Rowling is talking about in her quote. The absence of worry and experiencing the luxury of knowing that your bills will get paid on time. I have made terrible decisions in the past that turned into terrible mistakes and led me to experience terrible consequences. Worry for me became a constant companion, it felt like if I had a twin sister, her name would either be "Worry" or "Anxiety." And it is a shame because I have been boasting about my ability to manage my finances. I wasn't nicknamed "Wa-is si Miss" for nothing. And my parents never really failed to teach me the right values in handling money. So what the hell happened?!

It was really just a case of mismanagement. As much as it hurts to admit it (and in a public blog, no less), but I did mismanage more than just my money, but also my time, my resources and my talents. Somewhere along the way though, I paused to think about finding a way out of this predicament. And that's when I started putting my act together to device a plan that I can actually pull-off.

So there it was...I have written a spell that will cast away all my fears and anxieties.


"Debtus Goneus!" I say. Suddenly, there was a bright light in the sky, the clouds parted and I saw a rainbow. At the end of it there was the leprechaun with a pot of gold and Harry Potter holding up a sign that says, "I am not Irish, you idiot!"

Obviously I am not knowledgeable in Hogwarts school of Wizardry. But I am educated in the Real World's school of hard knocks. I may have gotten a little carried away with the last part of that little anecdote (although I am hoping against hope that some agent will stumble upon this post and pitch the idea for a sequel of that nature to Ms. Rowling), but nothing is more real than the fact that this experience had raised an alarm in my head that I can still reverse the curse that had befallen my financial life. It is with great concern that I urge you to follow me in the practice of the four S's: settle, save, scrimp and scurry.

S-ettle all your debts and live no stone unturned and no obligations unpaid. Negotiate payment plans with credit card companies and stick with it. Avoidance is not an option. Face your debtors and live up to your obligations. After all, you cannot expect them to magically disappear if you kept denying their existence, so might as well get on with it and pay it all off while you still have the means to do so.

S-ave whatever is left after settling all your bills. Doesn't matter if you do it through a regular bank or just your old school piggy bank, the important thing is you have a safe place to store your excess.

S-crimp on your lifestyle. At some point you have to realize that something in your lifestyle has to change. Learn to tighten the belt if you need to and only splurge when you have more than enough to spare.

S-curry to find means to double your income. Need I say more?

It is funny to learn financial lessons from an author that is a)I am not a huge fan of, b)not a financial guru and c)made a fortune by telling the story of a boy with round-rimmed glasses and an intriguing scar on his forehead. But her rags to riches story is inspirational enough especially for a wannabe writer like me. Her story encourages me to re-write my own story and dictate my version of success. I may not write the next big fantasy series of my generation, but I will consider it a big success if I am able to get a taste of what it feels like to worry less and to live more...to live my dreams instead of just dwelling on them...and to find my own scrawny, black-haired bespectacled lad that can help inspire me to make my own mark in this world.