The Start of My Financial Education

Photo by Larry Washburn

I wasn't always a big advocate of financial education (but I did learn about the art of saving and budgeting at an early age). I used to be like most people when it comes to finances, ignorant. That all changed though after reading a book.

My journey began on December 2011. I was just barely four months into my job yet I was already feeling restless. I started asking myself if this is really what I want? Is this the life that I see myself living? Is this what I was really looking for? I thought that, after getting a job in a good and stable company with good pay and good benefits, I already found my home. I though that I can see myself staying for at least 5 years, climbing the corporate ladder, starting a business on the side and just be happy and content with life. I was just 6 months removed from turning 25, but this was the age that I promised myself that I'd be more serious with life. I have already worked in three (five if you count my one month tenures) different companies since I graduated and have little savings to show for. So I thought that this job is the one I've been looking for, the one I see myself staying in for a long time or even retire with.

Then I started to question all of that. I started to doubt the path that I laid down for myself and began looking to see if there's another path that I can follow. During this time, I was actually trying to learn about making money on the internet, I've already heard of people succeeding in it so I wanted to get into the action as well. But I never really saw it as something that I can fully replace working in the corporate world, at least not yet. My quest for answers took me to the book store, particularly in the business and marketing section. I was already thinking of getting into business during my working years because I had this vague knowledge that having a business is the way to getting rich, so I wanted to start reading books about  business.

The first book that I actually picked up was Robert Kiyosaki's Cashflow Quadrant, I read the back cover to see what the book was about. I found it interesting but I wasn't sure yet if its the book that I need to read, so I put it down and checked out the other books. After about 20 minutes, I realized that none has caught my interest in the way that Cashflow Quadrant has so I bought the book and started reading it as soon as I got home. Cashflow Quadrant opened my eyes and my mind to the world of money and financial literacy and I got hooked ever since. I started buying more books about the subject and kept on expanding my knowledge.

Being financially educated provides you with the necessary knowledge and tools to properly manage your money, take care of your financial well-being and lets you see investment opportunities and earning possibilities. It will attract you to wealth.

I believe that having financial education is the key to achieving true wealth and abundance.