The Wise Living

How to Have 1 Million Pesos through Investing

2012-04-27T20:46:00.001+08:00

Inflation is a bad thing. Basically, this means that what your $1 can buy then will be less than what you can buy with your $1 today. It is the reason why putting your long-term savings in a bank is not a good idea. Banks are good for only our emergency funds.

Let me give you some figures:

The inflation rate of the Philippines is 2.7% for February 2012. (Trading Economics, 2012) And how about the time deposit rates?

Usually, they’re between 1.750% - 2.50%!

This means that your money which is stuck in the bank is actually losing its value over time. Your money earns a measly 2.5% at most while it loses 2.7% - can that be considered as negative income?

The only way to combat inflation and actually earn money?

This can be done through investing.

Investments are available for people of all walks of life now. Gone are the days when investing is only for the rich. Now, we can all invest with the initial amount of either P5, 000 to P10, 000!

We as young professionals owe it to our older selves to invest. Trust me. I have met a lot of people who wanted to go back in time to tell their younger counterparts to save money for investing.

You should remember that the best way to prepare yourself with investing is through self-insight. Investing goals are subjective since we have different situations.

Simply speaking, know your what your investing goals are.

Short-term goals: (1-3 years): You will need the money in a few years’ time so you need to invest in something where the possibility of losing money is very small. Examples: Time deposits or Retail Treasury Bonds.

Medium-term goals: (3-7 years): This is where there is a chance that you will lose some money although there is also a chance wherein your investments will yield a substantial profit. Examples are balanced mutual funds and bond mutual funds.

Long-term goals: (7 years and beyond): This is where there is a chance that you will lose a portion of your money within a short period of time. An example would be losing 10-30% in a span of two months. This is also where there is a chance that you will earn huge profits, provided that you keep the money in for the long term. Examples are equity mutual funds, the stock market and businesses.

Tips to Keep in Mind:

Invest NOW, my friend. Compound interest working for you for a very long time is your best friend. Later you will see that when you start investing early, you will be able to get a huge amount of money just by investing a little amount. When you put off investing by a few years, you might need to invest a larger amount to catch up.

Diversify your investments. Don’t just bid everything on one company. This is because if one company folds, then you will be sure that the other company’s got your back.

Make investing your habit. Treat is as one of your bills. Pay it monthly. Make your money work for you. Invest consistently and regularly so that you will make it as your habit as time goes by.

Do you want a visually-appealing and objective motivation?

Let’s say you invest in a mutual fund company with an average annual return of 9%?

Your Age Now	To have 1 Million Pesos at a specific age, you need to SAVE & INVEST the following amounts monthly (9% Annual Return)
Your Age Now	At age 30	At age 35	At age 40	At age 45
21	6,400.00	3,202.76	1,810.87	1,085.21
22	7,556.20	3,630.55	2,017.69	1,198.49
23	9,057.54	4,137.56	2,253.85	1,325.42
24	11,076.65	4,745.56	2,525.00	1,468.05
25	13,924.37	5,485.01	2,838.24	1,628.87
26	18,222.39	6,400.00	3,202.76	1,810.87
27	25,421.23	7,556.20	3,630.55	2,017.69
28	39,872.41	9,057.54	4,137.56	2,253.85
29	83,333.33	11,076.65	4,745.56	2,525.00
30		13,924.37	5,485.01	2,838.24
31		18,222.39	6,400.00	3,202.76
32		25,421.23	7,556.20	3,630.55
33		39,872.41	9,057.54	4,137.56
34		83,333.33	11,076.65	4,745.56
35			13,924.37	5,485.01
36			18,222.39	6,400.00
37			25,421.23	7,556.20
38			39,872.41	9,057.54
39			83,333.33	11,076.65
40				13,924.37
41				18,222.39
42				25,421.23
43				39,872.41
44				83,333.33

Do you feel motivated to invest now?

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Get a Financial Life: Beth Kobliner

2012-04-23T09:22:00.003+08:00

While I was eating my favorite Mushroom Burger with Cheese from Bodato Burgers and surfing the web simultaneously, I was struck by an idea: What if I look for personal finance books that can help young professionals like me get the financial freedom they want?

And so I researched. And researched some more.

This is how I got familiar with the title "Get a Financial Life" by author Beth Kobliner. The title is great because it has a call-to-action feel. I also love the fact that it is geared towards young professionals, too.

But then the problem was I didn't know where to get a copy of it!

Until one day, I found it in a thrift bookstore.

This is my copy of "Get a Financial Life"

The book was supposed to cost P480.00 but I got a second-hand of it for P50.00 instead! Now that's what I call a bargain.

To be honest, I was really psyched to read this book. A lot of personal finance websites recommended this book because it contains information necessary for putting your financial life together.

It is very comprehensive yet at the same time compact. It even has a "cheat sheet" section wherein you can read the overview if you're in the mood for light reading.

Some of its chapters include diminishing debt, banking, investing, retirement, buying a home, getting an insurance and lessening your taxes.

But then, I failed to acknowledge a certain difference: This book is for citizens living in the US!

If you are a young professional living in the US or Canada, then buy "Get a Financial Life" by Beth Kobliner by all means! You will understand your 401(k) retirement plans even more and even save more money to pay your credit card debt and student loans.

But if your country doesn't have 401(k) plans and you didn't even loan your tuition money, I would suggest you to buy a personal finance book more accustomed to your country. It would save you the trouble. Trust me.

What's your favorite personal finance book?

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Breathe Deeply & Have A Cookie

2012-04-18T10:18:00.002+08:00

Sometimes, when we feel that everything is just a tiny speck of blur because we feel like we are going through life in a fast manner, we feel like giving up.

It's like a roller coaster ride and no, we are not enjoying this ride at all because of the arising problems that come about.

Have you ever felt the need to pull out your head because of extreme stress?

My advice for this?

Relax, smile and have a cookie.

Looks yummy, doesn't it?

Problems are problems and problems are considered as the bane of one's existence.

A lot of people say that problems are difficult. Problems are complicated. Problems suck.

My basic solution for handling a problem is this:

Does the problem have a solution?

YES. The go and do all the possible things in your power to solve it. Find a way. Take the matter into your own hands.

NO. Then leave the matter to God. Pray and let Him handle it.

What is your solution for problems? Leave it in the comments below!

Goal-Setting: S is for Specific

2012-04-09T14:29:00.002+08:00

Goals should be S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound).

Have you ever heard of the adage "It's free to dream."? I hear this statement once a month from family and friends alike. It seems like this is a common Filipino saying.

Everyone has a dream. Everyone yearns of achieving something or finally being able to do something. Everyone wants to feel that adrenaline rush whenever a dream comes true.

"I've finally reached my dream!!!" - How awesome would it be to finally utter this sentence?

The sad part, though, is that even if everyone dreams, not everyone plans to reach their dreams.

"I will be a millionaire someday!"

Will you save P5 coins until you retire?

That's cool and all, but when is someday? When you're 25 and still single? When you're already married at 40? When you're about to retire at 65?

And what do you mean, a millionaire? So only one million? 1.5 million? 5 million and three hundred thousand pesos? Do you even mean pesos? Or are you talking about another currency?

How will you be a millionaire? Winning the lotto? (I doubt it. You can't plan on this, anyway.) Applying financial books' lessons to your daily life? Resisting debt? Saving and investing your income in the stock market? Marrying an old rich guy? (I wouldn't recommend this one, though!)

Setting goals is the way to go.

And the first thing you should remember is that your goal should be specific.

Be precise. Be accurate. Don't generalize. Focus on what your main goal is.

What are you going to do? Use verbs. Earn, reach, travel to, attain, direct, develop - verbs are endless!

When do you think will you be able to achieve this goal? (We will talk about attainable and realistic soon, so make sure your goal is both!)

How will you reach this goal?

Dreaming is free, yes.

But failing to plan is hugely expensive.

May your goals be specifically planned!

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What Mall? D*Mall! (Boracay: 2)

2012-04-02T08:42:00.037+08:00

(This post is dedicated to my mother's birthday. Happy birthday, Mama!)

After we decided to go to D*Mall, we proceeded to reserve 4 slots for Microtel's shuttle. It was nice because it was free of charge so we didn't really worry with the transportation. It took about 15 minutes from the hotel to the vicinity of the mall.

This is the D*Mall signage.

My first reaction was that I didn't expect the mall to adapt a style such as in Bonifacio High Street or Serendra. I foolishly thought that it was going to be like a single air-conditioned building! It was a bit crowded when we went there.

Smile for the camera~!

My brother and I were itching to try on some of the several food establishments there so we settled with Halowich.

There weren't many people when we went here.

I think the establishment's name is a portmanteau of "halo" which means mixed and "wich" from sandwich, so basically their specialty is a sandwich composed of mixed ingredients.

This was savory.

I liked this one as this beef halowich reminded me of shawarma. I think this one was made of chopped cabbage and chopped beef with a hint of spice. It was priced at P100+ which was pretty decent and worth it. The next thing we ordered was ice cream, specifically lemon ice cream!

Lemon ice cream.

My brother didn't like this very much because he prefers chocolate ice cream, so the rest of us had a blast sharing this. It reminded me of halo-halo and I liked that instead of whipped cream as the top, it made use of ice cream instead!

We walked around the mall for a couple of hours and proceeded to buy take-out food for our dinner. When we went back to the hotel, we took a swim on the beach (it was 8 in the evening!) and we ate our dinner. It felt great!

The next day was then filled with aquatic adventures!

The scenery was amazing!

Till next time!

Of Airports and Hotels (Boracay: 1)

2012-03-28T13:41:00.003+08:00

This is part one of my Boracay series so keep on reading!

Going to Boracay was never a dream of mine - I have always wanted to go somewhere else.

Now that I'm older and wiser, I have realized that going to Boracay is something that every Filipino should be able to accomplish. It's definitely more fun in the Philippines!

We were there for three days and two nights (March 24-26, 2012) since my parents are traveling to Qatar today. I think being there for a limited amount of time made us more appreciative of all the surroundings that we were able to be in. I yearned to encapsulate everything when we were there.

Welcome to Boracay!

We were at the airport at around 5:30 in the morning because our flight was at 7:50. It was a good thing that we packed our things the night before so after a quick breakfast and a cold shower, we were ready to go.

Here's my family in the plane.

The flight took 45 minutes. I took a short nap and we were already there at Kalibo. Afterwards, we had to take a bus to Caticlan. The bus ride was 1 hour and 45 minutes but it was worth it since the scenery was amazing. I also had time to listen to Lead and Daichi Miura during the bus ride, so it was enjoyable.

After the bus ride, we had to take a boat from Caticlan to the actual Boracay. Terminal fee is P50.00/pax and environmental fee is P75.00/pax. The boat ride lasted for 15 minutes. Be sure to have your water-proof carry-on bag since you might be splashed by the waves.

And then after the boat ride, we rode a jeep of some sort to go to our hotel (Microtel Boracay). We were thankful that they gave us welcome drinks when we got there as we were thirsty.

It was pretty okay here.

They even gave us a necklace. (At first, I ignored the staff because I thought he was going to sell us the necklaces!)

Cute souvenir necklace!

I was just a bit irked because the receptionist told us she'd text us (she asked for my number) if ever our room's already available. I think it was a tactic so that we would eat at their resto. Sorry, I couldn't help but be a cynic. We were already famished at that time so we had no choice but to eat at their in-house restaurant, Mama's Fish House.

Pancit for P230.00+

We asked the server how many servings their pancit can make. She said one. Let me tell you, it was enough to serve two.

Pan-fried scallops for P340.00+

Their scallops were pretty good but I didn't feel like I had my money's worth, considering that seafood is cheap in Boracay. We even saw one resto offering a seafood buffet for only P275.00!

Chicken satay for P250.00+

This was good! I loved the peanut butter sauce. It really complemented the chicken that was served to us. My dad got buko juice, Mama got a fruit platter and pineapple juice while LJ got his (usual) mango juice. We rested for a bit and went to D*Mall.

Mochiko: One More Please?

2012-03-17T21:43:00.004+08:00

My dad is here temporarily so we're trying on squeezing one trip after the other. He will only be here for 23 days, so, seize the moment, yes? We decided to go to Tagaytay for this day and I just came back from the trip just now.

We went to the church first and I witnessed a wonderful wedding. But then, weddings aren't the main focus of this blog post! This is labeled as Food and Beverage! Let's get it on, Mochiko! Mochi is a Japanese delicacy which is round in shape. It is made from glutinous rice, thus its chewy consistency.

It was hard to choose a favorite!

We decided to try out Mochiko, a trending dessert, in Tagaytay since we were already there. I was kind of excited since I've already seen this a lot of food blogs, so I wanted to see what the hype was about. I asked about their best-sellers so we ordered black sesame, green tea, chocolate and strawberry. It was P70.00 per piece and I was supposed to pay for dessert so paying for this one was okay. I even brought my Play Envelope with me!

This is the black sesame seed flavor.

"Good things come to those who wait." They told us to let it thaw for about 5 minutes before biting into it so as to prevent any tooth injuries. LJ was a bit impatient but he still waited for it. After waiting, we took a bite and loved it! It was chewy and the ice creams were yummy.

YUM!

My complaint was some of the parts of the mochi were too hard because they were too thick, so we had to bite harder for us to enjoy it. Maybe they can find a solution to work around this problem?

Putting the topic of pricing into discussion, P70.00 for one piece is reasonable. Some ice cream stores charge between P50.00-P100.00 for a scoop so this particular price for a cool dessert is decent. They even have an option of paying P400.00 for 6 pieces.

I hope that they will have other flavors in the future. Japan is known for its out-of-the-box train of thoughts, so maybe flavors such as raspberry mixed with mangoes dipped in sakura water? :) Overall, my family loved it. We bonded over eating this dessert and I love the fact that something as simple as this is enough to make our day.

Keep smiling!

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The Envelope System: The Basics

2012-03-13T13:55:00.002+08:00

The Envelope System is something that can be found in a lot of personal finance books. It is an idea which can be seen as one of the basics of budgeting because of its easy and simple nature. How do you go about it? This is a basic overview of it.

I have 2 major categories for my Envelope System!

What is the Envelope System?

This idea can be translated as something figuratively or literally. I know some people practice the Envelope System figuratively - they use separate accounts with different names so that they will be able to have a non-fuss budgeting system. Other people use literal envelopes because they feel that doing so makes their dreams more tangible. As for me, I use both.

How do I start?

You can start by figuring out what your Categories should be. You can choose what Categories to include - it's your call! After doing so, you can choose whether to use literal envelopes or different savings account as your envelopes. Then, when your money comes, you can transfer funds to your online envelopes or you can withdraw your money and allocate a specific amount for each envelope.

Categories? What's up with that?

Your Categories are purely subjective. To give you an idea, here are mine:

Online Envelopes

1. Short-term: Right now, my short-term fund consists of 2 goals - LJ's tuition and also a fund for a vacation next year (2013).

2. Long-term: My Emergency Fund and a down payment for something big goes here!

3. Bills: Cable and electric bill are here.

4. Retirement Fund: I'm still young so I will be investing my retirement fund in equity funds.

Literal Envelopes

1. Tithe: Give back a little something in exchange of everything you have right now.

2. Play: This consists of eating out, watching movies, buying Lead CDs and clothes.

3. Groceries and Cellphone Load: This is very minimal since I only buy basic food.

4. Current Need/Want: I need/want a laptop battery right now since my laptop battery has been with me for 4 years already! I'm not that eager to buy one, but I think I will need to in the future, so I'm saving up for it currently. :)

Do you guys do the Envelope System? :)

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Boracay Checklist (To-Bring)

2012-03-08T11:46:00.002+08:00

Sometimes, I tend to be OC. Because of this, I have a habit of making checklists. I am very weird in a way that I feel frustrated whenever all of the items in my checklist are forgotten. Yes, I even think about these things when I'm supposed to be thinking about a vacation!

To forego this frustration, I present to you my Boracay To-Bring Checklist!

Take the splash and enjoy the summer!

1. Toiletries

This includes toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, comb and powder.

2. Sunblock
Be sure that the SPF is 45 or higher!

3. Clothes & Footwear
It will be a 3-day, 2-night stay so I guess having 3 pairs of shorts and 3 pieces of shirts are fine. I will also be bringing maybe 2 summer dresses, 1 swimsuit and 2 cover-ups. I will be wearing 1 pair of flip-flop and bring another 1 with me, too. I'll be bringing 1 pair of shades also.

4. Camera
I will be bringing my trusty point and shoot camera with me to the trip because buying a water-resistant camera just wasn't in my priority list.

5. Medicine

I will just bring a small medicine bag which will contain analgesics, antipyretics, antiemesis, anti-nausea and antimotility drugs. I know that Boracay is home to convenience as it also has pharmacies around, but why go through all that trouble just for a single analgesic, right? It just isn't worth it.

6. Cash
I'm considering buying a mini belt-bag so that I can always wear it, right? We're planning on a budget of P1,500.00/person per day. Do you think that this will be possible?

7. Snacks
Just little things to munch on whenever we walk. Papa brought cashew nuts, so, yey!

Anything missing? Feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments! :)

Environmentally-Friendly Bags

2012-03-01T06:46:00.005+08:00

(Happy 14th birthday to my little brother, LJ!)

I have stated in my goals for this year of 2012 that I want to be able to make it my own habit to bring a reusable bag so that I won't be needing the use of plastics anymore for the sake of the environment.

I love the color green~!

Now, this might sound trivial and frivolous to some people. Why eliminate consumption of plastic?

This is because conventional plastics are not biodegradable. Although currently, there is an emerging type of plastic that is biodegradable, the fact is most people use the non-biodegradable ones.

Because they are not biodegradable, they pollute the environment. They clog waterways and marine creatures mistake them for food, resulting also in the aforementioned creature's death due to choking. They choke because they take a long time to biodegrade.

I've read that one plastic bag take over 400 years to biodegrade.

To add insult to the injury, the manufacturing of plastic bags adds carbon emissions into the air and also requires a huge amount of petroleum.

Are these facts already enough for you to cringe?

I thought so.

If every one of us make a small investment of P30.00 to buy a single reusable bag for repeated use, then we can help save the environment.

A single step can pave the way for a legacy.

We can do this!

Are you with me? :)

Keep smiling!

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How To Lessen Stress

2012-02-26T20:22:00.003+08:00

A lot of people cope with stress all the time. Stress is connoted as something negative when the fact is, it actually should be seen as the opposite. Yes, stress is somethings considered to be good - as long as the body and mind can handle it. As long as we can deal with the wear and tear process of it, stress is manageable. Put madness and extreme stress into the equation and the good becomes the bad.

I have read a LOT of articles wherein people tell you how to cope with stress. And while these articles are generally well-written, they can be too generalized. These articles forego the fact that stress is subjective and should be therefore dealt differently.

And so I decided on enumerating ways to lessen stress because most of the time, stress has the same causes over and over again.

Do you want to find out what these ways are? Then keep on reading!

"Stressed" is just "desserts" spelled backwards!

1. Get up 30 minutes earlier. A lot of people tend to sleep in most of the time. As a result, they rush through their morning and get late! Then because they're late, they get mad and cranky. Talk about a lot of stress! Wake up 30 minutes earlier & establish a morning routine. Eat a decent breakfast and meditate. Prepare your things. Pretty soon, you'll eventually find out that you may just be a morning person.

2. Keep a small notebook with you always. Let's face it - we're getting old. Sure you could remember something just by hearing about it then, but what about now? A lot of people get stress because they don't remember their awesome ideas or items that they swear they would never forget. Your wife told you to buy this and that for groceries? Write them down. It will save you the hassle of apologizing to her when you forget to buy something. (It will save you money, too, because you don't need to buy a sorry gift anymore!)

3. Avoid wearing tight-fitting clothes/shoes. Tight-fitting items make us look bad - they make us feel bad, too. I feel so fat. I look like a sardine. I am ugly. Please stop. Do yourself and other people a favor and don't wear them.

4. Exercise everyday. Start with just 5 minutes a day and then gradually increase it as you go. Let those endorphins be released and make you feel good about yourself. Doing this will also lessen the stress of sickness in the future.

5. Do it today. This will save you the trouble of worrying about meager tasks. Do it today if you still have the energy, time and mind strength to do it.

6. Laugh it off. Trivial things such as traffic or tripping in public? Laugh them off. I used to be paranoid about these but now I just take them easy. (Of course, this should be taken into context. I don't advice you embarrassing yourself in presentations by not studying your report, though. Know your craft.)

7. Hug at least 2 people a day. Hugging makes us feel good, need I say more? (Don't hug random strangers, though!)

Stress need not be energy-draining, my dear friends!

Enjoy life!

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Improve Your Finances Through Sincerity

2012-02-20T10:55:00.003+08:00

When I turned 19 and graduated college, I wasn't worried about how I could possibly get the money for my clothes or for my Lead CDs. I didn't care for such matters seemed trivial to me.

However, I was deathly frightened of where I would get money for my little brother's college. Don't get me wrong - my parents are very responsible and they never forced me to pay for it. I volunteered to do it because I wanted to show my gratitude to them.

This was my drive. This was what made me interested in managing my personal finance. And now that I'm 20, I think I could share a thing or two about improving finances drastically while seeming more warm and sincere.

1. Have a no-spending weekend. My family was surprised when I suggested this because it was usually me and my little brother who love going to the malls on weekends. Now, they love doing this ritual too because it promotes bonding and lessens stress. We watch movies and make popcorn or sometimes we just sit silently and read our own books while drinking fruit juice or tea. Relaxing!

2. Keep a piggy bank. Everyone has different rules about piggy banks. Some people put all of their change into their piggy banks at the end of the day while some people just toss random money in it. As for me, I make it a point to put at least P25.00 every morning in it. As long as I put this specific amount of money, then I'm guilt-free! (Make sure to have a goal for your piggy bank! Mine is I'll divide it every month - half goes to my emergency fund and half goes to a gift for a random special person to me!)

3. Give gifts with your heart, not with your money. Frugal doesn't necessarily mean cheap. Gifts which require effort seem more sincere and heartfelt, don't you think? Write love letters, make scrapbooks, record yourself singing your love's favorite song (think very hard about doing this first!), make homemade cookies...the possibilities are endless!

Any thoughts? Share below! :)

Spend On What You Love

2012-02-10T07:32:00.001+08:00

One of the greatest (this is purely my opinion) financial authors, Ramit Sethi, said that saving first and then spending on what you love is better than trying to save at every aspect of your financial life. I agree.

Personally I feel very blessed when I focus on spending on the things that I consider as my luxury.

To do this first, you must learn to analyze yourself.

1. Do I love eating? How do I feel about spending P1,500.00 for food good for four?

2. Do I enjoy entertainment? Will I feel guilty spending P5,000.00 for a single concert?

3. Am I indulging in cable TV? It is okay for me to pay P1,000.00 for a month of cable subscription?

4. Am I addicted with gadgets? Do I love spending P15,000.00 for a single item?

5. Do I love bars? It it fine if I spend P3,000.00 for a single night out?

6. Do I adore clothes? Am I okay with spending P2,000.00 for a single piece of clothing?

You can judge for yourself. Among these 6, you can choose up to 2 items and then base your spending plan on them.

I LOVE eating. I will shell out cash without guilt when I'm spending time with my family and loved ones. Dining out at least once a week is practically a law for me.

I like to think I'm spending money for the experience and not for useless "Stuff". Every week I set aside a budget for eating out.

Bodato Burgers to start the day!

The second thing that I love is music - but not just any music. I am fiercely loyal to one Japanese group named Lead. I have been their fan for 6 years and I just obsess about them. This sounds weird for someone like me who advocates financial control but really, your financial life should be all about balance, right?

Whenever Lead releases an album, a single or a concert montage, I check out my budget allotted specifically for them. If it's within my budget, I smile and purchase it - no guilt feelings! If it isn't within my budget, then I look up to the sky and beg because I can't afford it. (Like right now, Lead is releasing a single with 5 versions! I'm sorry but I think I'll only be able to afford one, Akira. What were you thinking, Hiroki? Please give me money, Keita. Oh, hi Shinya!)

Instead I go shopping using the money I allotted for Lead for that month. I like dresses and corporate blazers!

How do I manage to set aside money for the things I care about?

First, I set aside funds for my Emergency Fund and Support Fund. I also fund my Retirement Account. I also have a Tithe Fund for the organizations I have faith in.

Second, I mercilessly cut out the things I need but don't really want.

I pay for cable so I get the lowest plan available. (The lowest plan my family wants. I want the P280 one but they want the P780 so we compromised with the P499!) I also pay the electric bill so needless to say, every appliance in our house is unplugged - except for the refrigerator. ;)

As for grocery shopping, I only buy the essentials: bread, tea, fruits, vegetables and sandwich spread.

Third, I enjoy!

5 Romantic (and Frugal!) Dates for Valentine's

2012-02-08T23:06:00.003+08:00

Valentine's Day, or Single Awareness Day, as some people refer to it, is viewed by most people as something that drains money out of their pockets faster than they can say "I love you".

It is seen as a commercial holiday because some merchants rejoice in the fact that one-half of the couple is busy impressing the other half that stress and anxiety become prominent instead of love and warmth.

Fret no more, friends, because here are some ideas that will make you cuddly even if your pocket's (barely) empty!

This was for my mama and little brother last Valentine's!

1. Rent a movie.

Renting a movie is much cheaper than watching one at the cinema. Nowadays you can rent a VCD for P16.00 and a DVD for P18.00! Add lots of buckets of popcorn (P48.00) which you can pop yourself and a cuddle with your date. This is way better than cuddling in the cinema which can give you neck cramps. Also, you rid yourself of that person seated next to you in the cinema who either talks loudly or eats boisterously. Lots of cuddling and warm lovin'!

2. Cook at home together.

You and your love can make your own menu for the date. Keep it simple. One appetizer (a fresh fruit and veggie salad?), two entrees (one fish meal and one pasta?) and one dessert (cake, panna cotta, ice cream?). You can both bond and then learn more about each other in this way. You get to choose your own ingredients as well and skip being seated right in front of the bathroom in a crowded restaurant.

3. Forget fine dining - go fast food!

Maybe it's just me but I find that going to fast foods is awesome. You get food with minimum money. If you're really low on cash, why don't you guys share instead? ;) Plus, the more people there are, the more you have to concentrate your attention on your lover so it's sweet for me. More noise blocks out you whispering sweet nothings to your love's ear, too!

4. Go to the church. (This is optional though as other couples may not necessarily believe in religion. To each his own! :) )

Okay you might be looking weirdly at me right now but think about it: nothing is more romantic than letting a girl know that you're proud you're with her so you're even asking God to bless your relationship. This date just screams "respect!" and "sincerity!". A girl loves someone who she knows can commit to their relationship.

5. Snuggle, read a book together and drink tea lattes.

This is something that I would personally want to do during Valentine's day (or maybe everyday as well?) Sit there in comfortable silence without any pressure to impress your love. Maybe feed each other chocolate too?

Remember this: Valentine's Day is not that special because you're not supposed to show your love to your partner once a year, you're supposed to do it every day.

Keep smiling!

Struck With Sickness

2012-01-31T05:51:00.009+08:00

I realized that whenever I get preoccupied with something, I always make the title in a form of an alliteration. Oh well.

Hello, my friends. Recently I realized that I haven't been updating because my grandfather got admitted to the hospital. It is such a tragedy and we're hoping that he gets well soon.

Nevertheless, I am still grateful because our family remains strong through all of this. I believe that Tatang will get better because of God's grace.

As such, I am dedicating this post to Tatang's wellness!

And to you my friends, I leave this inspirational quote:

"But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble." -Psalm 59:16

2012 Goals

2012-01-15T19:17:00.013+08:00

January is already nearing its end and I still haven't been able to specifically lay out my goals for this year. I will be reviewing this at the end of December 2012 and I hope that I will be pleased with the results.

With regards to this, I give you Lianne's 2012 Goals! I hope I'll be able to successfully complete all of these!

This was me when I was a kid!

SELF:
* Drive a car carefully and responsibly.

* Go to at least 2 domestic flights (Boracay and Palawan, preferably?)

*  Be an active member of the Exempli Gratia Foundation.
*  Celebrate my 21st birthday with people most important to me.
* Train myself to be ambidextrous!

FAMILY:
*  Have at least P25,000 in my Support Fund for LJ's college. :D
*  Set a dinner date for my parents.

FINANCE:

* Invest in the Stock Market every month.

* Fill my Emergency Fund with at least 3 months' worth of expenses.

* Adapt an effective personal budgeting plan.

CAREER:

* Stay in a job that I would still do even if I'm not being paid to do it.
* Update my resume.

CULTURE:
* Read Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji with ease.

* Speak in conversational Japanese fluently.

WELLNESS:
* Exercise for 10 minutes every day!
* Treat my family to a spa treatment!

NATURE:
* Make it a habit to bring own shopping bag to eliminate the use of plastics!

3 Frugal Tips To Make Your Gifts Sincere

2012-01-07T09:14:00.002+08:00

(This post is dedicated to my best friend. Happy birthday!)

I am an indecisive gift-giver. Usually I plan a week before what gift to give to the birthday celebrant, but then I never take any action so I tend to give something...generic.

And then the chaos doesn't stop there! I even forego the traditional wrapping experience and just give the gift as it is. Talk about looking like I didn't exert an effort.

Well. I've decided to end this fiasco right now.

If you think that you could relate to the aforementioned situations - then venture with me as we go along the road of frugal yet sincere gift-giving.

Birthday cake! She loves chocolate.

1. Say it with a poem!
Buy a manila paper as a wrapper. They are very cheap compared to the generic gift wrappers. Next, have some markers with you. Doodle a poem dedicated to the person you're giving the gift to. Finish it up with a handmade ribbon.

2. Pictures are the way to go.
You can still buy a manila paper for your gift wrapper. Then, look for a picture which symbolizes your relationship with the person you're giving the gift to. It could be a picture of the two of you, a picture of your date, a picture of a beautiful scenery you guys both had the pleasure of viewing, or a picture of a favorite food of the both of you.

3. Tag - you're it!
You can also look for awesome new ways to caption your gift to them. Think of a witty tag. For example, you're giving a lotion as a gift. Why not say "Hope our friendship becomes smoother as time goes by!"? Or you're giving chocolates to a lover - say "You are as sweet as this gift!"

As for my gift to my best friend for her birthday - well, I don't have any idea to give her yet. So maybe I'll just settle with this blog post? :)

Cutting Out My Cable

2011-12-30T09:34:00.001+08:00

According to the book, "I Will Teach You To Be Rich" by Ramit Sethi, focusing on the big wins and cutting mercilessly on the ones that you don't really place a particular value on is much better rather than spending your energy in cutting back everything else.

I agree.

So upon reading his book, I wanted to take action.

I started with my cable subscription.

I would prefer dining out than cable TV.

Here is what I mean:

I don't care about electricity. The only electricity I use are my computer's charging time, phone's charging time and my internet connection's plug-in. I don't use the electric fan and I don't watch TV. I don't need lighting when I read because I can read e-books without light and I try to do most of my work in the morning.

Also, I don't really give any value to our cable subscription. I don't think my family cares about it that much, too. My mother almost usually watches the local channels while my little brother watches anime in the internet.

My grandparents watch local channels, too, though sometimes they watch sports and HBO.

And me? I don't even watch TV, let alone cable TV, so what's the deal here?

We used to pay around P800.00 for a subscription which we don't really optimize!

Now, I must admit that I became serious about cutting down cable when I was tasked to pay for it by my parents. On top of cable, I pay the electric bill, too, so I'm very much meticulous with these two areas. :)

I immediately went to SKY Cable's website and found a plan that is suitable for my family's needs. Instead of the SKY Cable Silver, I wanted to downgrade the service to SKY Cable 499. (Actually, I desired the SKY Cable 280 but my mother said we should do a test run first).

I called their hotline 631-000 and after 15 minutes, our subscription was downgraded just like that!

Now I have more funds for my big wins which are dining out and movies. :)

You should try this method too!

Lianne's Rewards System: Emergency Fund

2011-12-28T21:24:00.003+08:00

Recently I have mentioned that I have this system which makes me want to save more money in my Emergency Fund. I think I failed to mention this specific Rewards System, so I will be giving you the comprehensive details of it below:

This is a copy of one of Lead's CDs. I am such a fangirl!

Whenever I manage to add another P10,000.00 to my Emergency Fund, I give myself permission to be able to splurge. Basically, to "splurge" means to indulge oneself in one's luxury. I mean, who wouldn't want to splurge, right?

Well then, why am I advocating it if I am trying to practice frugality and good money habits?

This is because I believe that the key is balance. I will only practice splurging whenever I manage to reach my 10k pesos milestone.

So this makes me look forward to saving so that I will be spending something?

I think of it as motivation and discipline, too.

I am motivated to spend at least 6 months' worth of my expenses.

I am also disciplined to wait until I have reached the milestone to be able to splurge.

Here is my list of splurge items:

(Obviously, I will only entertain one item per reaching of the milestone).

1. Lead CDs and DVDs. (Worth P3,000 or less only per splurge)

2. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf items (Worth P1,000 or less only per splurge)

3. Eating out (Worth P2,500 or less only per splurge)

4. Fiction or Nonfiction books (Worth P1,000 or less only per splurge)

5. Clothes (Worth P1,500 only per splurge)

I will be thinking of another Rewards System for my investments. :)

Till next time! :)

How to Help Typhoon "Sendong" Victims Without Even Leaving Home

2011-12-20T11:27:00.002+08:00

While my family and I were on the cab, we listened to the hundreds of families at Cagayan de Oro who are in need of our help. This is all because of Typhoon "Sendong".

No one could have ever foreseen this kind of emergency to happen. It all happened in such a blur, and in that sudden blur, hundreds of lives have been taken.

We Filipinos should better up and realize that we all need to contribute our share of help to all the victims. I think this is very unfortunate and this is even made worse with the fact that Christmas is just around the corner.

What better way to celebrate Christmas than to give?

I am going to present to you a list which includes donations which can be easily done by you and me within the comforts of your home. This is a great idea and it promotes an increased chance of helping because of the convenience!

Here they are:

1. GLOBE:

Text RED <amount> and send it to 2899. You can donate in these denominations: 5, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500 and 1000.

2. SMART:

Text RED <amount> and send it to 4143. You can donate in these denominations: 10, 25, 50 and 100.

3. GAWAD KALINGA

Donate online by going here.

4. UNICEF

Help them by going here.

5. RED CROSS

Fill out the form here.

What are you all waiting for?

Donate now because every peso counts.

Make your money count.

Busy with Business

2011-12-09T08:42:00.000+08:00

Hi, guys. I know that I haven't been posting a lot lately, and I think that it's because I have been busy with business. The new experience really took a lot of my time and efforts. Nevertheless, I feel that this is all worth it as it is becoming one of the things that I am passionate about.

It really is true - having a business is like having your first child. The stress, the anxiety, the worry, the nervousness of being in labor (although contractions are out of the issue) can be likened to producing a business as well.

All I have to say is this: I am very blessed to have been given wonderful people in my life and wonderful opportunities that came along with those people.

I am forever grateful.

The 7 Corporal Works of Mercy

2011-11-20T08:49:00.002+08:00

Today's Gospel made me think and re-evaluate my life. It tackled the 7 Corporal Works of Mercy.

Mt 25:34 “Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ’Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ’Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?’ And the king will answer them, ’Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me.’”

I felt that I should share it to everyone else so that they would also feel the message of the Lord, our God.

I was actually feeling a bit downtrodden today because of a various of reasons. Overall, these tackled health and financial reasons - I'm sure that I am not alone in this quest as many of us feel frustrated whenever an illness or a lack of financial wellness has been reported.

Because of the Gospel today, I have come to realize that I do not need such frivolous things. I am not required to do super-ultra-mega actions for me to be able to enter the Kingdom of God. I just need to:

Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit those in prison
Bury the dead

Basically, I just need to be able to help people. I really only need to be able to love people - to treat people the way that I would treat God.

Knowing this is enough to give me comfort, although doing this will surely be more than enough to give me joy. This means that all of us (no matter the race, sexual orientation, gender, among others) are eligible to enter the Kingdom of God as long as we follow these 7 Corporal Works of Mercy.

Are you not sure as to what to do? Simply think of ways to help!

With that, I would like to end this blog post by inviting all of you to join the Exempli Gratia Foundation. You do not need to have the net worth of 1 million or the brains of Einstein to be able to join.

You just need to have the desire for helping others.

That, my friend, is already a given. :)

Breaking Dawn (Part One): Bill Condon

2011-11-18T20:14:00.002+08:00

Today, my family and I had the pleasure of watching Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn (Part One) at Market! Market! in Taguig. We are not that big of a fan but we decided to entertain ourselves for a bit anyway as we needed a bit of a break.

Again, we used our VIPinoy Card and we were surprised to have learned that the priority line-up was indeed taken seriously as we were accommodated to first even though there was a bit if a line-up. Also, the 5% discount on the ticket of the cardholder was applied so imagine our delight! We got P25.00 off our three tickets - not bad!

Image Source

Now onto the review of the actual movie. (Spoilers ahead so read at your own risk!)

Well, I think the movie lasted for about 1 hour and 45 minutes. I was actually anticipating the starting scene to be the same with the actual movie, but it was nice that it had a twist.

The beginning in the book was about Bella freaking out on her new car, while in the movie, it showed Jacob storming out of the house after reading the wedding invitation of Bella and Edward. It was supposed to be a bit dramatic but my little brother laughed - maybe because Jacob had the thought of removing his shirt before actually phasing. I mean, it would still be ruined if he kept it on, so what was the point? Maybe he wanted to show off his abs? Or maybe he really loved that particular shirt. We would never know.

Enjoyable Bits:

* The wedding ceremony actually made me cry. Maybe I am just a real crybaby but it was such an intimate scene that I felt the reality of it all.

* The mini speeches, particularly those of Emmett and Charlie.

Emmett: I'm glad you had 18 years to be able to sleep, Bella, because you won't be getting any sleep from now on...

Charlie: I know that Edward is going to be a good husband. I know, because I'm a cop. I know how to hunt people...and I know how to use a gun.

* Robert Pattinson's smile. It's endearing, okay? His eyes smile alongside his mouth.

* Alice's hair. It was so chic and stylish.

Could Have Been Better Scenes:

* I wanted Edward to speak more Portuguese. I think that the language really suited him so I wanted him to say more. He was supposed to be super fluent, yes?

* When Edward got Renesmee out of Bella, he was a bit slow in his actions. I mean, I get the fact that he was supposed to be super touched by the baby's appearance, but I wanted him to be more urgent. He should have injected Bella his venom immediately instead of waiting for Bella to just stay still.

* The pack's interaction lacked intensity. It was not that powerful.

* The birthing scene was more gruesome in my imagination so I felt that the scene was downplayed so that the audience would be able to watch it.

It was also a bit predictable. Even before seeing the whole official trailer, I instantly knew that they were going to stop the movie right when Bella turned into a vampire. I was even saying, "...and then the camera would focus into her blood-red eyes!" and poof! That was really what happened.

Overall, the movie was decent enough to be watched. It actually kept my family and I entertained. Some scenes were a bit stalling, though, so sometimes I felt like those tiny moments were just fillers to make the audience feel that they at least got their money's worth. I didn't feel ripped off, though. It was an okay movie.

By the way, remember to stay after the credits because the three authorities of the Volturi (Aro, Marcus and Caius) will make an appearance.

It was nice for the Part One so I will be watching Part Two in 2012.

Ayala Malls VIPinoy Card: Enjoying the Perks

2011-11-15T12:52:00.002+08:00

I love Ayala Malls. Maybe it's because my family frequents Market! Market!, Greenbelt and Glorietta that we already memorized the shops there. Maybe because they are near our house. Or maybe because we always find the time to go to these malls to bond.

And no, I am in no way affiliated to them.

The reason is because their choice in advocating their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was very spot-on. They decided to cater to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) who are the real heroes of this country's economic status.

I love their VIPinoy Card! The following picture is just one of its privileges:

Basically, it is a privilege card that is offered to all OFWs, Overseas Filipinos and their immediate families. To apply for it, go here for more details.

One of its benefits, as illustrated above, is the use of the VIPinoy Lounge which has many amenities:

- Charging stations: I didn't get to use this one since my phone was fully charged.

- Drinking stations: Free coffee and water! The receptionist who prepared the coffee was polite.

- Internet stations: Yes, fast wi-fi indeed!

- Lounge area: You and your family can hang out here if you want to get out of the house but not spend anything. :)

The aforementioned are just a few of the many services that the VIPinoy Lounge has. I have to say that my family and I really enjoyed it there. The staff were very nice and accommodating. We felt at home.

It looks like I'll be using my card frequently. :D

Cibo: Italian Dining at Its Best

2011-11-08T09:46:00.000+08:00

There we were at Rockwell; we were looking for somewhere to eat our lunch. We had just finished watching "Praybeyt Benjamin" and we were utterly famished. We needed to eat something. Fast.

We strolled around the mall and decided to go eat somewhere else for a change. The long line of restaurants located on the ground floor has already bored us. We wanted a different choice.

And so we found Cibo.

We were immediatrely greeted by their friendly staff. I was surprised to see that the interiors of this establishment are very sleek in its conceptualization. Everything looked modern and chic.

We ordered pasta first. As I said, we were famished because we haven't eaten our lunch yet and it was already 3 in the afternoon! We started with their Linguine alla Ghiotta (P298.00). I ordered it on the top off my head as I immediately spotted cream and mushroom, and frankly, who could resist that?

We felt that the presentation somewhat lacked a bit in this dish. It did not look that appetizing at first glance. Maybe more garnish was needed? Nevertheless, it was actually quite good! The creaminess of it was found at the bottom of the plate.

Next was my little brother's Costolette D'Agnello (P420.00) which was basically grilled lamb chop, red wine mint sauce and parsley rice pilaf.

Now this! This is what appetizing looks like. I couldn't help it - I grabbed one lamb chop (to the protest of LJ) and immediately bit it. It tasted like heaven! The meat was tender and the sauce was juicy. It was simply magical.

Mama's choice was the Lombatine di Maiale (P320.00) which consisted of roast pork chop, mango marmellata sauce and parsley rice pilaf.

Maybe I was just used to the taste of pork as I didn't find this that special at all. One pork chop was more tender than the other. Mama loved it, though, as she just came back from Qatar. She finished this as if she hasn't eaten in the past 5 days! :D

We all washed the food down with their Limone (P78.00) or lemon iced tea with fresh mint leaves.

The presentation was rather deceiving. :D We thought we were being served root beer! I loved the taste of this one - it was sweet and tangy at the same time.

And who couldn't forget dessert? Torta di Carota-Salsa di Formaggio (P168.00)

I loved the fact that they didn't slather the cream cheese on the cake! I was watching what I was eating so this was particularly important for me. The cake was yummy - not too sweet and not too bland.

Have you been to Cibo?