Broke
Not to be confused with woke - a state of being intellectually awake and aware of on-goings in the community.
Or the state of brokenness.
Broke or or the state of broke-ness as I prefer to call it, also known as penniless, moneyless, bankrupt, insolvent, poor, impoverished, impecunious, penurious, indigent, in penury, needy, down and out etc; means to me a state of living at a standard or condition lower than one is used to.
It's not that you have no money or can't support yourself, it's just that you can't live financially in the same way that you used to. For the past six months or so I've continuously flirted with broke-ness.
A couple years ago I went out on a limb and decided to leave the normal 9 - 5 routine and pursue something that would bring me more fulfilment. The catch is I had to let go of financial security to pursue this dream; and although I don't regret it, apart from when I've flirted with short term fixes, I do occasionally wonder what gave me this brilliant idea.
My parents for good reason no longer provide me with a soft landing I once had. Reason being I'm a grown ass woman capable of working, taking care of myself and paying my own bills, according to them all my mates have graduated and are working good jobs, so the concept of 'freelance' doesn't make much sense to them.
You can guess that a freelance payroll is sometimes unpredictable, and not enough. I mean it's enough to feed yourself and pay your bills but my dear friends, luxury is now an alien word to me. So yes I am broke.
But what have I learnt in this time period?
Creativity with my skills, time and money.
As well as working freelance. I've also learnt to capitalise on the things I'm good at e.g cooking, photography, planning events and make money off it. I was pleasantly surprised that people were willing to pay for what I had to offer.
Also saying NO was a big part of this creative process, it's ridiculous how many times I've had to say to myself "there's plantain at home". Just because someone asks you to eat out with them doesn't mean you have to say yes Oyin.
Financial management
I love to indulge myself. My excuse? I work hard so I should be able to indulge myself. The results? Not good. In a bid to manage my income and savings (whilst on the 9 - 5 grind) I had the spending tracker app, which recorded my spending habits and what I spent it on. I realised with the help of a very colourful pie chart, that I was spending far too much on eating out and beauty products and an equally ridiculous amount on travel (both TFL and Uber.) The app helped me narrow down where I needed to cut back.
Minimalism
You do not need everything that could be useful for you. It’s a crazy concept, but it is true. You have to find what you need most at a price that you can afford, and pay for it. It may still be expensive, but if you can establish your scale of need, it will be worth it.
I don't need everything I spend on, especially ones where there are cheaper options. So instead of buying lunch, I make my lunch at home. Instead of buying two items in different colours, (I know, I'm not proud of it) I think twice, walk away and if I still think I need it a week later I'll come back and buy one. TV, Netflix? who needs to pay for extra when you have a working laptop, NOT ME! Gym? Why pay an extra £30 when I can go for a run and work out in my garden right? LOL.
This process has helped me rid myself of excess stuff and I'm left with only the things I need, everything else I can do without. This has allowed me to focus less on material objects and more on quality experiences.
Selfish
I'm an enabler, and not in a bad way, it just means I like to help, a lot of times to my own detriment, I have once given away half of my salary to someone who I thought needed it more. This period I've learnt that I don't have to do that. I can help others when and if I can but not always to my own detriment.
Being more selfish means putting myself first, and in the past I didn't do enough of that.
Cooking
I've always been a good cook, but you know what's better, cooking a tasty meal for way cheaper. My recipe book has more than a few super cheap but yet delicious meals. I shop smartly, I buy items that can be used in multiple ways.
Sweet potato for example, I can make fries, mash, casserole, pie and porridge with this one item. I mean when you find a produce that can serve as both a main, a side and dessert you know you've hit culinary gold.
All in all, being broke doesn't sound as awful as it seems, and it's only temporary; but I could always do with a bit more money.
Post was inspired by Chuma.