Save for the rainy days to survive financial disasters

 Source: Pinoy Smart Savers

“It is not raining when Noah built the ark. ’

 For the millions of Filipinos affected by Ondoy’s fury, cleaning up after the great flood is just one of the difficult tasks that lie ahead and sadly, it could be one of the easiest.  Ondoy’s once-in-a-lifetime deluge also brought another kind of disaster to hundreds of thousands of its victims – financial disaster.  The kind of catastrophe that’s harder to recover from especially if you were unprepared.
 
Many homes sustained major damage or completely destroyed.  Thousands of cars were devastated and not a few rendered totally useless.  Trashed furniture, appliances and other stuff litter the mud covered streets waiting to be taken away to its final resting place in landfills.  Small businesses which took years to build were gone in a flash.  It will take a long time and lots of money to replace or repair the things that you hold dear.  However, some are lost forever and can never be replaced like the hundreds who died.
 
Your ability to pull through a financial disaster quickly and easily will largely depend on how well you have saved for the literal and figurative “rainy days.”  Getting back on your feet will be a great struggle if you don’t have enough savings to turn to or don’t have ample protection when financial emergencies strike.  Dahil marami sa atin ay maliit lang o walang ipon, marami na namang Pilipino ang mababaon sa utang para lang makabangon.
 
I can only hope that the tragedy caused by Ondoy will jolt every Filipino to seriously start saving and get protection against financial tragedies.  Remember, there are other unexpected events that you should worry about besides catastrophic natural calamities.  Accidents and sickness, which can happen anytime, can also wreak havoc on your finances if you are not prepared. 
 
Kaya sana simulan mo na agad ang pag-iipon.  Dahil magpa-Pasko na, sana hindi mo gagastusin lahat ng bonus mo.  Set aside some for your savings and emergency fund or get insurance for yourself, your family and your properties.  You may not be able to prevent disasters, accidents or sickness from happening but you sure can prepare for it.  So prepare now before it strikes again!