Flip Community: Taufik
Taufik
Event Organizer
Narrative from: link
Ini kisah Taufik, pejuang keuangan yang pantang menyerah pada keadaan.
“Biar bagaimanapun, hidup terus berjalan. Marah dan terus-menerus meratapi keadaan tidak akan mengubah apa pun. Jadi, ya sudah, jalani saja.”
Mochammad Taufik Faturrahman tidak sampai pada kesimpulan itu dengan cara yang mudah. Dia belajar untuk melepaskan kenyamanan dan mimpinya demi menjaga kesinambungan hidup keluarga. Awal pandemi 2020 lalu, dia mengalami berbagai kejutan tak terlalu menyenangkan dalam hidup. Ayahnya yang hanya beberapa bulan lagi purnabakti terpaksa harus pensiun lebih awal. Ibunya yang masih aktif bekerja terpaksa juga menerima dirumahkan.
Seakan tidak cukup, dana atas masa tugas tersebut tidak serta-merta cair. Praktis, Taufik menjadi satu-satunya pihak yang menanggung beban finansial keluarga. Dia harus menghidupi kedua orang tuanya, dirinya sendiri, dan tiga adiknya yang masih bersekolah.
Penghasilan Taufik yang sebelumnya sangat cukup untuk memenuhi kebutuhan maupun keinginan pribadi pun goyah. Belum lagi, pekerjaannya sebagai penyelenggara event tidak lagi berjalan mulus. Pandemi seperti ini, mana ada event yang masih berlangsung?
“Beruntungnya, gaji dan tunjangan tetap dibayarkan meski WFH. Namun, kalau tidak acara terus-terusan, saya juga khawatir. Berapa lama lagi sebelum saya akhirnya harus dirumahkan seutuhnya?”
Kegelisahan yang belum tuntas diperparah dengan adanya tagihan utang bank atas nama dirinya sebesar 23 juta. Dirinya yang tak pernah berutang pun meradang. Dari mana datangnya tagihan dengan angka tak sedikit itu? “Rupanya, Ibu saya di akhir 2019 kemarin meminjam ke bank atas nama saya, tanpa sepengetahuan saya, untuk keperluan renovasi rumah. Karena secara usia saya lebih muda dan jenjang karir masih panjang, bank lebih mudah memberi pinjaman.”
Di pekan yang sama, dua adiknya yang kembar menyodorkan lembar tagihan biaya kuliah. Sialnya, terlepas dari kondisi pandemi maupun status keduanya yang merupakan mahasiswa tingkat akhir, biaya kuliah harus dibayarkan secara utuh tanpa potongan apa pun.
“Saya bingung. Sejujurnya, saya nggak punya tabungan. Satu-satunya simpanan yang saya punya adalah tabungan untuk menikah akhir 2020. Tapi, debt collector sudah mulai mengganggu, mulai dari menelepon, datang ke rumah, sampai datang ke kantor.”
Dia harus segera melunasi utang. Kalau urusan debt collector tidak selesai, maka bukan tidak mungkin dia akan kehilangan pekerjaannya lebih cepat sesuai peraturan dari perusahaan. Maka, satu-satunya jalan adalah dengan menggunakan tabungan menikahnya.
Sayangnya, hal itu justru membuatnya harus kehilangan hal lain. Rencana menikah terpaksa harus batal dan hubungannya dengan sang kekasih terpaksa harus kandas sekalipun beberapa vendor telah dibayar.
Tidak mudah, memang, tetapi Taufik harus terus melanjutkan hidup. Utang bank telah lunas, tagihan kuliah telah dibayarkan. Kini, dia masih harus berjuang untuk memenuhi kebutuhan sehari-hari. Terbatasnya dana bahkan membuatnya harus menjual pula motor kesayangan. Taufik kembali menata hidup. Pengeluaran sekecil apa pun sangat diperhitungkan agar tetap bisa makan dan bertahan. Mau tak mau, dia bahkan harus menurunkan batas kenyamanan hidup yang selama ini dinikmati.
“Keluarga saya nggak suka makan mie instan. Tapi, kami harus berkali-kali makan mie instan agar perut terisi. Urusan listrik, internet, dan lain-lain harus di-downgrade supaya besok tetap bisa makan.”
Namun, hidup tak selamanya di bawah. Di tengah ketidakpastian tentang masa depan pekerjaan, dia mendapat promosi meski ke tim sales yang sama sekali berbeda dengan sebelumnya.
Beberapa bulan berikutnya, kedua adiknya lulus dan bahkan langsung mendapat pekerjaan. Perlahan-lahan, Taufik kembali bernapas lega. Semangatnya untuk kembali menyongsong masa depan kembali bangkit.
“Salah satu pelajaran paling penting buat saya dari pandemi ini adalah pentingnya punya persiapan dan betul-betul membedakan mana kebutuhan dan keinginan. Biaya sekecil apa pun, seperti biaya admin saat transfer antarbank, ternyata sering diremehkan. Padahal kalau dikumpulkan, jumlahnya juga lumayan.”
Di samping membuat skala prioritas, Taufik juga lebih selektif dalam memilih metode pembayaran. Flip menjadi tool yang membantunya lebih menghemat dana untuk berbagai keperluan transfer yang cukup sering dilakukannya.
Kondisi keuangan yang membaik pun membuat Taufik kembali berusaha mewujudkan mimpi yang sempat pupus. Taufik sekali lagi mendatangi sang kekasih untuk mencoba memperbaiki hubungan dan meneruskan apa yang terjadi.
Kali ini, gayung bersambut. Pandemi membuat keduanya belajar lebih banyak dalam menghadapi dan menyikapi segala sesuatu, termasuk soal hubungan. Taufik pun bersyukur, memiliki kesempatan untuk memperbaiki diri lewat situasi yang tak mudah dan menyaksikan pelangi setelah badai yang keruh.
This is the story of Taufik, a financial warrior who refuses to surrender to circumstances.
"No matter what, life goes on. Getting angry and dwelling on the situation won’t change anything. So, I just have to keep moving forward."
Mochammad Taufik Faturrahman did not come to this realization easily. He had to learn to let go of comfort and dreams to ensure his family’s survival. At the start of the pandemic in 2020, he faced a series of unpleasant surprises. His father, who was only a few months away from retirement, was forced to retire early. His mother, who was still working, was also laid off.
As if that wasn’t enough, the retirement funds did not immediately become available. This meant that Taufik became the sole financial provider for his family. He had to support his parents, himself, and his three younger siblings who were still in school.
Taufik’s income, which was previously more than enough to cover his personal needs and wants, suddenly became unstable. To make matters worse, his job as an event organizer was no longer secure. After all, during a pandemic, who would still be holding events?
"Fortunately, my salary and benefits were still being paid even though I was working from home. But with no events happening, I was worried. How much longer before I, too, would be laid off completely?"
His concerns were compounded by a sudden bank debt under his name—23 million rupiah. He was shocked, as he had never taken out a loan. Where did such a huge debt come from?
"It turned out that at the end of 2019, my mother had taken out a bank loan in my name without my knowledge to renovate our house. Since I was younger and had a longer career ahead of me, the bank was more willing to approve the loan."
That same week, his twin siblings handed him their university tuition bills. Unfortunately, despite the pandemic and the fact that they were in their final year, the tuition fees had to be paid in full with no discounts.
"I was at a loss. Honestly, I had no savings. The only money I had set aside was for my wedding at the end of 2020. But the debt collectors had started harassing me—calling, coming to my house, even showing up at my office."
He had to pay off the debt immediately. If he didn’t, he risked losing his job sooner, as per company policy. His only option was to use his wedding savings.
Unfortunately, this meant losing something else in the process. His wedding had to be canceled, and his relationship fell apart, even though some vendors had already been paid.
It wasn’t easy, but Taufik had to keep going. He paid off the bank loan and his siblings’ tuition fees. However, he still had to fight to cover daily expenses. With limited funds, he was even forced to sell his beloved motorcycle. Taufik started restructuring his life, carefully calculating every expense to ensure he could still eat and survive. He had no choice but to lower his standard of living.
"My family doesn’t like eating instant noodles. But we had to eat them repeatedly just to fill our stomachs. Electricity, internet, and other expenses had to be downgraded so that we could still afford food the next day."
But life isn’t always about being at rock bottom. Amidst the uncertainty of his job, he received a promotion—although to a sales team, which was completely different from his previous role.
A few months later, both of his younger siblings graduated and even landed jobs right away. Slowly, Taufik could breathe easier. His motivation to embrace the future returned.
"One of the most important lessons I learned from this pandemic is the importance of preparation and truly distinguishing between needs and wants. Even small expenses, like interbank transfer fees, are often overlooked. But when added up, they actually make a big difference."
Besides prioritizing his expenses, Taufik also became more selective in choosing payment methods. Flip became a tool that helped him save money for the many transfers he frequently had to make.
As his financial situation improved, Taufik decided to pursue the dream he had once given up. He reached out to his former fiancée, hoping to mend their relationship and continue what had been put on hold.
This time, things worked out. The pandemic had taught them both valuable lessons about facing and handling challenges, including in their relationship. Taufik was grateful for the opportunity to grow through difficult circumstances and to finally witness the rainbow after the storm.