Are You Money Wise???

photo from Foto S.A.

I don't think I am, but I'd like to be. You guys probably have an idea of how much I take home from my pay being a technical support rep at a call center. And with a communications coach husband working for the same company, you may be thinking we're a large money making couple. But where does all our money go to? Here's a sample of a monthly budget:

Rent	7000
Electricity	3000
Phone and Internet	2000
Helper	3000
Market Expenses	3000
Grocery Expenses	3500
Milk and Diaper	5600
Water	300
Work Allowance	6000
Everyday Vegetables	500
TOTAL	33900

Extra money goes to Drew's speaker business and family bonding. And because Drew's speakers sell out one by one, then we usually get to spend it's earnings on extravagant unaccounted things! No wonder we find ourselves losing money as the next payday approaches!

As a young couple with a beautiful and bouncy baby girl, we really find it hard to save. We find ourselves spending like there's no tomorrow! Having a *relatively high salary at our age is just too overwhelming ! (*Relative to how much generations before us could be earning when they were the same age). But we do have plans for the future and if we keep spending the way we do, we might never come close to our dream life. So how do I go about it? Here's what I have done so far:

1. I joined Home Credit. Home Credit is a subsidiary of the Insular Life which aims to provide a savings plan for the working class with a future goal of getting their own homes. A certain amount will be deducted from your salary every payday and goes to your Home Credit fund. It functions the same as PAG-IBIG, but you have the option to withdraw your money with an 8% interest at the end of your term.

2. I increased my PAG-IBIG contribution to the highest possible member contribution. I just recently found out that PAG-IBIG can finance a house up to 3M provided you are paying an increased amount of contribution. Imagine living in your own dream home after 24 monthly contributions! Check this file for more information.

3. I applied for a passbook savings account without an ATM card. One will always have the urge to spend, especially if money is on ATM or a piggy bank at home. Saved money documented on a passbook can only be withdrawn in the bank branch you applied the account from. It would also help if the branch you applied from is not easily accessible from your home. Moreover, because passbook withdrawal would, more often than not, require your personal appearance, you would shy away from frequent withdrawing because the tellers would most likely remember you. (Works for me!) You can also enroll such bank account on an auto-debit function from your payroll account to ensure regular savings!

4. I applied for all the loans I'm eligible for. I am guilty of promising myself to save a certain amount every payday and break that promise. If you're looking into saving a target amount until a specific time frame, why not loan that amount and pay by salary deduction?! If the purpose of the loan is for a material thing, then you get the thing right away. If it's for saving purposes only, then your money is already earning interest in the bank. Even though such loans have interest, with the kind of spending we do monthly, would I be able to save such amount when my projected time comes? I don't think so. I just applied for loans with little interests though, such as SSS and my company's employee loans program.

Think: If a large amount of my pay goes to salary deduction, then there would be just enough to spend for important things and only little will be left for unimportant things.

I know, I may not be successful enough to provide proof that what I've done so far works. But at least you have an idea of the principles I thought of on each bullet and study if it would suit the kind of financial manager you are. Happy saving!

How about you? Especially those who can consider themselves financially stable...How did you become money wise?

Love lots,

To Let Go of An Angel

One of the most hurtful things a parent can experience in his/her lifetime is to outlive his/her children. Can you imagine being born, growing up, learning, finding and loving someone enough to bear kids, and live to see the day your kid or kids pass away before you do?!

I have. And I can only wish it's just my imagination because I am actually remembering my son's passing on it's 4th year today: November 10, 2009. In line with this, I'd like to share a tribute I made for him years ago...

I've been with him for 1 month and 5 days while seeing him suffer like that. You can see how it hurt then, but it was all calm and peace when he left until present.

Before, I thought that it could've been easier for me to send him back to the Father if I we were able to at least spend more quality time together. Others thought it was easier the way it did because I don't have too many happy memories of him. But when death takes place, we realize it's not how long we've been our kids, it's not how many memories we've shared with them...it's the love us, parents, feel for our young that makes it difficult to let go.

With that in mind, I'd like to extend my condolences to Dii's parents and loved ones. Remember Drew's friend from this post? She passed away on November 8 and it was then that I knew how bright her future was supposed to be sans what happened. I feel for her parents' loss so much. May the Lord open His loving arms wide to welcome Dii home.

For any of you who has experienced or have been experiencing such loss or know of anyone who has or have been, you can try referring them to support groups such as The Compassionate Friends. Other people can never force parents to talk about their feelings and what happened at these times... But if these parents get their own initiative to talk about what happened and indulge in the grief, then letting go and moving on will come in place.

On a lighter note, it's Sesame Street's 40th anniversary today! Happy Birthday Sesame Street Gang! :)

Love lots,

Recipe of the Day: Beef Samba

Ingredients:

1/2 kg beef, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1 heaping tbsp cornstarch
1 whole garlic, minced
1 whole onion, chopped into bits
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tsp pepper
1 cup sugar
1/4 kg tomatoes, cut into small pieces
spring onions cut into very small bits


1.Place beef in a sauce pan with enough water to cover the meat. Add 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp pepper. Let boil, then cook under low fire for 1 hour. (This is if you don't have a pressure cooker like I do.)

2. When the beef is tender, drain it and allow stock to cool. By this time, much of the water have evaporated, leaving around 2 cups amount of stock. Mix cornstarch with cool stock.

3. Saute beef on a very small portion of the minced garlic and onions. Add the cornstarch-stock mixture, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper and sugar. Stir until sauce is very thick.

4. Fry the minced garlic and drain from oil when brown.

5. Serve saucy beef with tomatoes, fried garlic and spring onions on top.



Now I have to really work on my presentation because this one doesn't look too delicious even though it really is (I swear!!! Haha!). It's just that it was my first time to cook this since regularly eating it at one of the little cafe's near UST back in my college days. I just tried as hard as I can to remember the flavors I tasted back then and came up with this recipe!

You see, I'm not good with measurements, because I cook by palate...Meaning, I taste the food every once in a while and find out what's missing. I tasted the saucy beef and it didn't quite taste the way it did at UST. Fearing I failed, I had to mix all the toppings in procedure #5 with my saucy beef before serving so I can test if I got the flavor I was looking for. And I got it! I was right all along! So for a better presentation, you can just follow procedure #5 and let your tasters do the mixing.

Love lots,

Got My Dream Planner: Belle De Jour Power Planner

I have always been a planner kind of girl. I wanted my time and everything in my life to be managed well. In fact, if things don't go the way I planned they would, I get upset! Yeah! I'm OC like that.

I've loved the Starbucks 2006 planner when it was given to me by my good friend, Kara. However, I don't find their beverages fancy enough for their prices. Thus, I see no reason to keep drinking just to collect stickers and redeem planners year after year.

I heard about the Belle De Jour Power Planner when 2008 was about to end. Since then, I have wanted to own one. However, I didn't think my hubby would agree about buying it, especially if he knew how much it was. So I settled for notebooks I'd draw calendar layouts, write headers about "Things To Do", "Budget" and "Goals", and basically plan the rest of my year on. (...Have I told you I'm OC?)

Now that I am more financially liberated, I browsed the BDJ website once more and realized that Php 598 doesn't cost too much for a very detailed, stylish and organized planner. I was determined to get it. I even placed it in the "To Do List" of my notebook.

I registered for the BDJ circle and found out they are giving a 5% discount for members who buy the 2010 planner. There was a button that says something about claiming the discount and I clicked it. It asked for shipping information but I was having second thoughts then. I haven't consulted Drew. I quit the page, not realizing that it was submitted anyway, until I received a confirmation earlier.

I asked Drew and he said we can't afford it at the moment because he needed to sustain his speakers business. So I had to reply to the mail, informing BDJ sales about the mistake I did on their website. I was almost in tears until Drew came to my workstation with this:

Isn't he the sweetest?!!! Now I'm excited to end the year. It hasn't been a good year for our friends anyway.

Love lots,

A Second Thought on Stripit Hair Removal Cold Wax Kit

I was addicted about online shopping a year ago that I began browsing online sellers directory of the Philippines and came across Stripit! I was sooo excited to try it out that I ordered the largest jar as soon as my next salary came.

The first time I used it, I was sooo surprised at how effective it was. It took all the hair on the my legs and the same strip can still grip and remove hair up to 3 times for me. Not only that, the color of my skin after stripit was obviously a tad brighter than it's color with hair. I was soo happy with the results that I decided to share my jar to a colleague who is as kikay as I am. Unfortunately, it wasn't in the same condition when she returned the remaining wax.

The wax was moist and watery and it doesn't adhere to the skin anymore. I thought my friend accidentally spilled water over it or kept it in the fridge, but she didn't. I called the seller and was advised to try to microwave it but it didn't work. My husband teased me a lot about it so I decided to put off waxing using that same kit for a year.




Fast forward to yesterday. I was so happy to receive my second order of hair removal wax kit from Stripit. It's even better now because they offer more products like the Crushed Berry Lip and Cheek Tint and Aloe Vera gel which is supposed to calm irritated skin after waxing. I tried it again and it worked just as well as it did a year ago. The Aloe Vera gel did wonders for a part of my legs that turned red and was almost about to show bumps.

Halfway through my wax session, I noticed that the wax mixture is getting a little moist. I realized that was because the electricfan was in full blast at the time and the room temperature was kinda cold (...ber months 'ya know). I remembered not turning the electricfan on the first time I tried doing this because I have no experience and I don't want the wind blowing my cloth strips away. I think my friend did her waxing on an airconditioned room and never replaced the cover the entire time she's waxing her whole body (She's the kind who'll wax everything, unlike me who will only wax a few parts of my body...).

...my waxed legs (don't mind my cellulite! LOLz)

Ergo, the wax recipe was prepared perfectly that the consistency and efficiency will change if there is additional moisture. You may have to keep replacing the cover of your jar every so often while you're waxing if you've experienced this.

Overall, it is a great product considering it's price: Php 160 for 150g trial size, Php 200 for 200g medium size and Php 295 for 350g largest size. It is available online through the main website, through resellers or certain stores. The wax is composed of sugar, honey and calamansi, which are all natural. The mixture is water soluble, meaning you can clean your cloth for future use by just soaking the strips in water until the wax dissolves and hang them to dry. You may say that skin should really be brighter waxed than it is with hair...But I've tried waxing using Veet and it doesn't brighten/exfoliate my skin the way Stripit does. If you are unsure about properly keeping your wax in a place where it doesn't catch excess moisture (...or ants, LOLz), then I suggest you get it in small jars. The mixture retains same consistency while the jar is unopened anyway.

Love lots,