Goal Digger - My Daily Grind Story

I came from a poor family. When I was a kid, we were thought to be satisfied of what my parents can afford and give to us. We were thought to be patient and adopt to what is available in front of us. We were thought also to be resourceful.

Because of that, I always think of how to make money to be able to help my parents and to be able to give something to my elder siblings. And also, I just love the thought of hardwork and earning money.

When I was in Grade 3, I started selling stickers to my classmate. I will buy a whole sheet of Sticker in a store near the school and will cut it into single characters. Then I will sell it for 1 peso into my classmates. I am so happy when some of my classmates will buy from me. Because of that, I earned some cash and got some gift for my elder sister’s birthday. As I remembered, I bought a piece of Orange and a peanut brittle candy. Haha! That may not be a extravagant gift but she was happy back then because its her favorite.

I am also thrifty. When my parents give me money for school, I dont usually spend it all. I always save little amounts so that when I wanted something, I can buy it. Sometimes, I walk from our home up into the jeepney station so I can save more. I just dont want the feeling of not having money in my pocket.

When I got into HighSchool, my father opened a mini store in front of our house. He sells candies, biscuits, balloons and other merchandise meant for kids. I thought of putting my own product at his store so I can earn some. After School, I will go to the grocery store and will buy a pack of candy that is not available in my father’s store. Then I will asked him if he can sell it for me and he will agree. I dont mind if profit was small. All I am thinking was atleast, it has profit. And because of that, I am able to save more.

Up until to the day that I am working in a company, I always think of other ways to earn more. I dont want to waste my time just sitting in my house. I also think that its much better to have a lot of source of income.

3 years ago, as I was decluttering our house and sorting out things that we dont wanna use, I came up with an idea of having a garage sale. Instead of putting those things that we’re not using anymore, we put a small table outside our house and sell it in a cheap price. It went well and we earned some cash. And we are very happy.

Because of the success of our Mini Garage, we reviewed again the things in our house that we really dont need. And I asked my husband if we can place a table in the vacant lot near the highway. He agreed and tried, and again it was a success!

So we sold all of our old clothes and my son’s toy. We stopped for a bit. But after a few weeks, my father sent me sacks of used clothes and other items that were from the Rich Families in our community! So we ended up selling more. Me and my husband decided to sell only every Sunday because I have a regular office job every Monday to Saturday.

So we made money out of those 2nd hand items given to us. Then, I realized, we have to add another business. Even if we have additional income thru the Thrift Store, its not enough to cover all our expenses. Since my husband dont have a job that time, I asked him if he could sell outside some Filipino Snacks like Fishball, Kikiam, Squidball and Gulaman. And he agreed to the idea. So we bought a 2nd hand bike cart so he can roam around the community to sell.

So every afternoon, he sells snacks and every Sunday we open the thrift store. It was a hit! Everything fall into its perfect place. We are having enough money for our daily expenses and we got to save some more! Everything went smoothly up until one Sunday Morning, as we are preparing the Mini Thrift Store at the vacant lot, a group of people from the Local Government told us to pack our things and leave the vacant lot. They told us that we were no longer allowed to sell there because we are an obstruction at the side walk. So we packed our things and go home very sad. We lost one of our business.

Days passed and I think of what to do next. The Snack Cart is not enough again to support our daily expenses. And an idea struck my mind! I tried selling Pasta and Dessert in a pre-order basis. And again, it was a hit! I also had a reseller that makes the sales boost!

Everything was going smooth back then. We do sell a lot of items. We added more to the menu. But sometimes, when you think everything is going well and you think everything is stable, life will throw something to you and you’ll suddenly fall down. But that doesnt mean you should stop. You must stand up again and be stronger. Be brave to conquer again the world.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, some of our business had stop. But that didnt stop me to pursue more. I still try and try again. Because that is what keeps me alive. That is what makes me happy. That is my passion. I love to sell things. I am business minded. I can call myself an entrepreneur.

I learned that if you want something in life, you should not stop working from it. As long as you are young, keep on grinding. It really hard, but at the end of the day, youll get the reward you deserve and wanted eversince.

Dont stop dreaming. Dont stop setting up goals. Be brave and take a risk. Keep digging!