Ah! Finally I am going to get paid, after almost two months! I was completely unprepared for this kind of a situation. Whatever little money I was left with, started vanishing sooner than expected and I became officially ‘Broke’ since mid-June. Let me qualify the word ‘Broke’ here. This isn’t that kind of broke where you can’t go on a vacation where you typically go due to lack of funds. This is a kind of broke where I had to debate (with myself) if I can afford to spend a few dollars to buy a Chalupa at Taco Bell or Pretzels at Aunt Anne’s, when I was at the Carousel Mall. This is the kind of broke where your friends only invite you out if they’re footing the bill because everybody close to you knows that you ain’t got no money.

But, I can actually say now that I’m grateful for this period of ‘being broke’. Sometimes the most valuable lessons in life are learned outside your comfort zone. Being broke has taught me how to better manage my money, so I can actually deal with these kind of surprises and eventually be better off financially. Sounds cliché, but it has really been a blessing in disguise.

So, here’s what being broke taught me:

Have a cushion to fall back on. If you’re living paycheck to paycheck, surprises like these can derail your finances. But if you’re prepared, you can better deal with any kind of financial crunch.

Having less leads to greater appreciation for what you do have. Now that I have money, I’d be able to appreciate better, those things that I were not able to do as often for the past two months. Like for example, eating Jerk Chicken at Alto Cinco!

Sometimes, you have to make tough choices. Which is worse: Going an additional $15 into debt because you are too proud to tell someone that you don’t have the money to go out with them for dinner or risking embarrassment by being honest?

Set goals and tune out peer pressure. Unless you have some kind of Goal, you would never save any money. Whatever money you have will drain out so easily in so many different channels. And to avoid the money from draining out, you might have to tune out peer pressure sometimes.

Small sacrifices add up to big rewards. Earlier, I used to spend money eating out daily. But, for the last two months, though unwillingly,  I had to eat at home. This has taught me one great lesson, how much I can save if I eat at home! Such small sacrifices like avoiding the urge to eat out, can result in huge savings and eventually bigger rewards.

Just how important money is. It isn’t everything, but everything you want to do involves it. Making it (or having access to it) is paramount. I no longer have any idealistic, youthful notions about money. In fact, I respect it a lot more now, as I do the good advice: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.”

So, What has being broke taught you?

For everyone who works, one significant day of their life is the day of the first salary. I got mine on 31st of July 2008! I am not going to disclose how much it is (Company Guidelines ) but it was a great moment for me. The whole of the money, my own money, much awaited money. I was expecting to get my first salary from Infosys, but Sutherland beat them to it!

Our salary account was with ICICI Bank. All of us were eagerly awaiting our first salary. We were told that we’ll get the money only by 6pm on the 31st! We were working at that time and so we cudnt go to the ATM! But, we got the message thro’ the Mobile Banking service that the salary has been credited!

I don’t have to ask money from my parents anymore cause now I have my own money. HaHa. Soo Hooray! Money! $_$ Yes. I Luv Money! (Well, Who doesnt?!)

But, I havent decided how to spend it yet! Any suggestions?!

Update: I invested my entire Salary in an Equity Fund!

I had joined Sutherland recently. They put me in the DELL Process. We were given a 15 Day Comm Training, after which, we were to be shortlisted based on our performance in Two Tests.
1.Comm Check (a mock call and a one on one interview)
2.Versant Test
For the uninitiated, Versant is an automated test of spoken English. It evaluates the ability to understand, be understood and general English language proficiency.

This Monday i gave my Versant Test. I had been to Tirupati the previous day. I had very little sleep coz we had returned only by midnight. I woke up late and started to get ready in a hurry, when I got a call frm Sakthivel, my frnd in Sutherland who came with me in the same cab. He told me that my name was not in the list that day and that the cab driver refused to come to my place. So perfect in cancelling the cab(coz our 15 days of training was over), did they show this sincerity while providing us cab for the first time!~! Anyways, i had more time now. I can relax and eat properly.
I then took my Bike and went on to pick up ma frnd Sripadharajan. We reached the Perungudi Office on time. We were asked to wait in the Conference room. Then, the H(aitch)R Sangeetha came and we practised the pronounciation with her.

The first one to give the Versant Test was Krithika (She’s the one who’s very much into this Accent and Pronounciation thing, in my class. In Velammal language, Topppperrrrr! ) She cleared the Test with 64points.

Actually we were told that we had to be loud and clear so that the machine can understand us properly. Since girls usually have a low pitched voice, they were asked to be a bit louder than normal. So, Swapna, the next girl who went in, started screaming! She got too much excited and worried about the whole thing, which made her shout! Poor Girl! She got only 42 and failed in the Test. 60 out of 80, was what one had to get to clear Versant.

It was almost 1pm and so we were asked to have our lunch. I too was getting excited and wanted to get done with it. Ah, How I hate Exams! So, myself and Pawan went in as soon as we finished our lunch.

I went into the Versant Test Room… There was a Telephone and a Headphone. The Lady in-charge dialled the ordinate system and put me on line.

Voice over the Phone(VoP): Thank you for calling the Ordinate testing system.

Me: {My Pleasure!!!} ( (Ma heart started beating faster! I dont know why, whenever i go for an Interview or an Exam it happens like that)

VoP: Please enter your Test Identification Number on the telephone keypad.

Me: Dialled my Versant TIN(Test Identifaication Number) – 12345678

VoP: Now, please say your name.

Me: {Ah, My Name! Now wat was that!} Shanmugam

VoP: Now, please follow the instructions for Parts A through E.

Me: {Ok Ok! I’ll Try to!}

And then, I gave the Test! Part A was Reading. Part B – Repeat. Part C – One Word Answers. Part D – Sentence Builds. Part E – Open Questions.

I actually didnt listen to the voice properly. {I was thinking how loud i was? After giving a wrong answer for a question, i would remember its correct answer after sometime! And when i am thinking abt the correct answer, i would miss the next question! And like this my concentration was not at all on the voice most of the time! I had done better than this in all my practise files!}

And i finished the Test. Pawan also came out at the same time. We waited for the Results.

The other guys who were waiting for their turn asked me what were the Questions. I didnt remember any questions! Only one Question that i remembered was this one in Part C! VoP: To chill it, what do you add to water? Me: Sugar. (But, said that with perfect accent and pronounciation! lolz!) Its always like that… As soon as i come out of the Exam Hall, i would forget everything! Absolutely Everything!

And soon the Lady in-charge saw ma results in the ordinate website and told me that i had scored 71!

71! :O That was a Surprise!

But whatever, i dont care. We guys have finished engineering, without even once worrying about the percentage et al, ithenna jujuppi matter!!! The Only thing that Matters is whether you are IN or OUT!

And thankfully, am IN! One Month Salary vaangama poratha illa!

I’m at home since then… Havent got my Tech Training scheduled yet!