No December Bonus..but We Can Survive This

This year passed by pretty fast because almost everyday seemed like a survival ever since end of March when things start to turn for the worst due to Covid 19. People didn't think that it would turn the whole world upside down and until this day, the pandemic causes ripples in almost every major countries and cities. And then we have to get used to the new norm and experiencing the after effects of the pandemic which includes a worsening economy.

That said, this year I didn't get the mid year bonus which was sorta expected and though I am in a stable job, I sympathise with those who lost their sources of income. You can say that I am still lucky in some ways despite not getting the mid year bonus and the government stepped in to help us a lot, by giving us cash incentives to help us tide over. Even those that are in the affluent groups are affected as many businesses are affected and many people retrenched, whatever their income brackets were, so they aimed to help as many of us as possible, by dipping into the reserves that have been largely untouched unless for emergency and this is one.

I always look forward to December because well, I will be getting the bonus but for the first time, there is no additional bonus on top of the 13th month. But at the very least, they don't take away that 13th month bonus as it is not determined by the economy. It's like our last glimmer of hope, lol. And even the government is encouraging us to be prudent as the economy is not likely to recover very soon.

I used to have grand plans on what to do with the money, after saving a big chunk for future spending down the next few months. Things to buy and stuffs like I have this list of itineraries. But even now, the Black Friday sales don't quite entice me, or perhaps the snaking queue at Sephora put me off too, even though my moisturiser and toner had run out and I am relying on my night moisturiser only. Now I tend to prioritise basic needs first like food and groceries, but of course, at times I will buy things that are nice to have too, like a pair of brand new shoes. Okay, three pairs.

I also am now more inclined to use the money that I earn or receive for my own soul searching or to buy food and groceries for the fam. I like signing up for online spiritual classes even though I usually watch the replays. I believe everybody needs to have a refresher course on how to be a better person on top of learning religious lessons taught by qualified teachers.

Honestly, life is fleeting and while money is not the only motivation for us to live, but it does help us to have at least a decent and comfortable life and also to do good. So even if I don't get to splurge that much since there are no additional amounts to the 13th month bonus, I still intend to use the money to help others through donations or helping out some people that I have in mind of whom I think the money will be of great use to them. I know they are barely scrapping by, even with a paying job, because there are still expenses that still need to be paid, irregardless of the economic situation that we are in.

I know there are also many people like me, who start taking saving for emergency more seriously this year. It's not as if I have ever been careless and love going on a spending spree but we have more control now over money management. At least, sorta there. We are also more fearful now that we have ever been before because we just don't know when something major comes up and we are in need of funds. We don't know when we will fall sick as even the healthier ones fall victims to the pandemic. And I also don't know why too. This year, the machines in our house kept breaking down, lol. Now it is the washing machine.

But even at at our lowest moments, we can rise up with grit and determination, while continuing to have strong faith that things will take a turn for the better. For now, it's still cloudy and things are unpredictable. Last time, I used to wake up with dread because I really didn't know how we were going to survive the next few days because I barely had enough money even though I had a full time job with a monthly salary. It wasn't enough to sustain us on top of being the only income earner. 

However, we managed to survive, well barely, and I had to develop a thick skin just to have money for the next few days. I still won't be cash rich even with this upcoming bonus but I will ensure that it can sustain us longer, even when this time round, it will be lesser that all the previous years of me working in the civil service. I have learnt my lessons in the past and though sometimes I do forget in frivolous moments, I try to stay grounded as much as I can and not lose touch with reality by remembering those hard times.

Let us also hope that 2020 will give way to a better 2021 as everyone starts to rise up against this challenging year while learning to also embrace our new way of thinking and doing things as part of the new norm.