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Friday, May 31, 2013

Tracking Down MAY Expenses

Hi,

It's 12:02 AM of June 1, 2013 now, another month to experience new things and to discover new world that God has to offer :). For the past 2 months I've been tracking my expenses so that i'll know if I am effectively following my budget plan and of course being to live frugally at the same time. Don't be shock on what will I'll show you below on my expenses this month.


 

As you can see the expenses, I have very big expenses this month of May not like the previous month of March and April. My total expenses has been blown up to an amount of PHP 29315. My help to parents amount doesn't matter or does not hurt on my part because my family depends on me. The irregular expenses has increased but I have already told you that this month my acne has started to appear again on my face and I have to go to my dermatologist again to have treatments for my acne, an expenses that blow my budget up for this month. Below is the budget plan I made for month of May, so now you can see the difference on how much my expenses increased.


My supposed to be budget for May is only PHP 23100. But it ended up to PHP 29315. The difference is very big PHP 6215.

I know that this is not really a good news coz I do want to spend less on my irregular expenses and save/invest more. There are things that I can't control and need to importantly take care to like what happened on my face to have those acne back. But right now it is slowly been clearing up, the treatment has worked out. A lesson learned that I should really stick to the doctor's regimen and advised for me to do. 

Right now, I just lay out my budget plan for June, you can see the image below. So do hoping that I can follow this budget plan now and work slowly to building up my emergency fund for this month.


Till my next posts,

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Who is Suze Orman?

Hi,

I've been busy lately and keeping this blog up to date seems a bit hard this days. But I know that blogging is not easy, it does requires patience and of course hard work. So I am here now to update this blog :) Why I am writing this topic now? Well, you know all the while that I reading and following some financial bloggers and reading most of their posts that catches my attention. One of their posts was all about "Suze Orman"? So I am really curious of who is there person that most bloggers are talking about.

So I research and read the blogs that talk about her and this is what I have read:

Suze Orman is one of America's most recognized expert in personal finance. She is called "a force in the world of personal finance" and "one-woman financial advise powerhouse" by USA today. A two-time Emmy Award-winning television host, New York Times mega bestselling author, magazine and online columnist, writer/producer, and one of the top motivational speakers in the world today, Orman is undeniably America’s most recognized expert on personal finance.


photo taken from his website: Just click here

Last night when I am browsing some bloggers post that I follow, I stumble upon a blog that featured a video about her interview in ANC by Karen Davila. CLICK HERE to watch the video from a blogger's post named Jill :) . A few minutes video that do tell everybody especially to us "Filipinos" to "live within our means but within your needs". A line that I quiet didn't grasp at first but later on I understand what she meant. We have to clearly understand the difference between a "want" and a "need".

I'll be posting next about an "Expense Tracker" from her website that I was able to grab on what she says on the video that I do really want to try. 

So keep reading my blog and watch out for it :)

Cheers,

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

How long after waking up in the morning should a person eat breakfast?

Breakfast is be the first meal you eat every day. Although there isn't an official time for breakfast, most people eat breakfast within one or two hours after waking. If you don't eat before mid-morning (around nine or ten o'clock), you are probably skipping breakfast. 


 There are two common reasons people skip breakfast. Either they feel they do not have enough time to eat breakfast, or they think skipping breakfast will help them lose weight. Neither reason is good. Skipping breakfast is usually not a successful way to lose weight. People who skip breakfast have a slightly lower metabolism and they tend to snack more during the day. Breakfast eaters also function better mentally. It is difficult to get much work or studying done when your body has run out of fuel. 

 If not having enough time is a reason for not eating breakfast, then get up a few minutes earlier or have something ready to go. Food items like refrigerated hard-boiled eggs, whole grain cereals and fresh fruits take very little time to prepare. A good breakfast should contain a good dose of fiber and protein to keep you satisfied until lunch time. Here are some great breakfast ideas: 
  • Fry one egg in a non-stick skillet and serve with a bowl of oatmeal. 
  • Warm up some leftover chicken breast and serve it on whole grain toast. 
  • Have a yogurt, nut and fruit parfait. Use plain yogurt and mix in berries, nuts and honey. 
  • Eat a bowl of whole grain cereal with low fat milk or soy milk. 


 Maybe you work nights and don't wake up until afternoons. That doesn't mean you skip breakfast, you should still eat within one or two hours after waking.

A Story To Tell: Considering, Who is Jesus Christ for us?


Somewhere in Milaor, Camarines Sur, there lived a fourth grader boy who would follow this route to school everyday: He has to cross the rugged plains and cross the dangerous highway where vehicles are recklessly driving to and from. Once past this highway, the boy would take a short cut, passing by the Church every morning just to say Hi to God, and faithfully say his, "Magandang umaga po" in Bicol dialect. He was faithfully being watched by a Priest who was happy to find innocence so uplifting in the morning:

"Kamusta, Andoy? Papasok ka na?"
"Opo padre ... "he would flash his innocent grin, the priest would be touched. He was so concerned that one day he talked to Andoy.
"From school...", he advised "Do not cross the highway, you can pass through the Church and I can accompany you to the other side of the road...that way I can see that you are home safe...."
"Thank you father ... "
"Why don't you go home ... why do you stay in this church right after school?"
"I just want to say 'Hi' to my friend, God,"


And the priest would leave the boy to spend time beside the altar, talking to himself, but the priest was hiding behind the altar to listen to what this boy has to say to his heavenly FATHER...

"You know my math exam was pretty bad today, but I did not cheat although my seatmate is bullying me for notes... I ate one cracker and drank my water, Itay had a bad season and all I can eat is this cracker. Thank you for this! I saw a poor kitten who was hungry and I know how he feels so I gave my last cracker to him ... funny but I am not that hungry. Look, this is my last pair of slippers ...I may have to walk barefoot next week, you see this is about to be broken... but it is okay....at least I am still going to school.... Some say we will have a hard season this month, some of my classmates have already stopped going to school .... please help them get to school again, please God? ....Oh, you know, Inay hit me again, it is painful, but I know this pain will pass away, at least I still have a mother.... God, you want to see my bruises? I know you can heal them.... Here... here and .... oh ...blood ....I guess you knew about this one huh? Please don't be mad at Inay, she is just tired and she worries for the food in our table and my schooling that is why she hits us....Oh, I think I am in love ... there's this pretty girl in my class, her name is Anita ... do you think she will like me? Anyway, at least I know you will always like me, I don't have to be anybody just to please you, you are my very best friend! Hey your birthday is two days from now!!! Aren't you excited? I am! Wait till you see, I have a gift for you . but it is a surprise! I hope you will like it! Oooops, I have to go ..."

Then he stood up and calls out, "Padre, padre, I am finished talking to my friend ....
youcan accompany me to the other side of the road now"

This routine happens everyday. Andoy never fails. Father Agaton shares this every Sunday to the people in his church because he has not seen a very pure faith and trust in God, a very positive look at negative situations.

One Christmas day, Father Agaton was sick so he could not make it in the Church, he was sent to the hospital. The Church was left to 4 manangs who would chant the rosary in 1000 miles per hour, would not smile and would always find fault in what you do, they were also very well versed in cursing if you irritate them! They were kneeling, saying their kilometric rosary when Andoy, coming from his Christmas party,playfully dashed in..

"Hello God! I ......"
"P----!! (a curse) bata ka!! Alam mo nang may nagdadasal!! Alis!!"

Poor Andoy was so terrified, "Where's Father Agaton? He is supposed to help me cross the street ... and to be able to cross the street I will have to pass by the back door of this church. Not only that, I have to greet Jesus. It is His birthday, I have a gift right here....

Just as he was about to get the gift out of his shirt, the manang pulled his shirt and threw him out of the church.

"Susmaryosep!!! (does the sign of the cross fervently) Alis kang bata ka, kung hindi matatamaan ka!!!

So the boy had no choice but to cross the dangerous side of the road in front of the church. He crossed. A fast moving bus came in. There was a blind curve. The boy was protecting his gift inside his shirt, so he was not looking. There was so little time. Andoy died on the spot. A lot of people crowded the poor boy, the body of a lifeless young boy...

Suddenly, out of nowhere a tall man in a pure white shirt and pants, a face so mild and gentle, but with eyes full of tears... He came and carried the boy in His arms. He was crying. Curious bystanders nudged the man in white, and asked:

"Excuse me sir, are you related to this child?
Do you know this child?"
The man in white, His face mourning and in agony, looked up and answered,
"He was my NESTFRIEND." was all he said.

He took the badly wrapped gift in the bloody chest of the lifeless boy, and placed it near His heart. He stood up and carried the boy away and they both disappeared in sight. The crowd was curious ...

On Christmas Eve, Father Agaton learned of the shocking news. He visited the house, and wanted to verify about the man in white. He consulted the parents of Andoy..
"How did you know that your son died?"
"A man in white brought him here." sobbed the mother. "What did he say?"
The father answered, "He did not say anything. He was mourning. We do not know him and yet he was very lonely about our son's death, as if he knew our son very well. But there was something peaceful and unexplainable about him. He gave me my son, and then he smiled peacefully. He brushed my son's hair away from his face and kissed him on his forehead, then he whispered something..."
"What did he say?"
"He said to my boy..." the father began, "Thank you for the gift .... I will see you soon ... you will be with me..." and the father of the boy continued, "and you know for a while, it felt so wonderful ... I cried, but I do not know why....all I know is I cried tears of joy .... I could not explain it, Father, but when that man left, something peaceful came over me, I felt a deep sense of love inside ... I could not explain the joy in my heart, I knew my boy is in heaven now but...tell me, Father, who is this man that my son talks to everyday in your church, you should know because you are always there ... except at the time of his death ......"

Father Agaton suddenly felt the tears welling in his eyes, with trembling knees, he murmurred:

" ... He was talking to no one ......but .. GOD...."

If you love this story, please. share this on to your friends. So you can touch others too.

Credits to: Princess
By: Pinoy True Love Conversation

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Wants Vs Needs - Which is more important?

Hello,

A busy week for me but still I want to write this topic just to share what is my opinion about this blog post. This past few days I have been into blog post browsing for some bloggers online and most of them are on financial matters but one blog caught up my attention, it is not about Financial topic but it is on Beauty. A blogger has a website which here blog was about Beauty products and etc that concerns about beauty of a woman.

 I am a person that doesn't care much about my beauty, I mean I am very simple to the extinct that I will just go out with a powder and a lipstick on my face. I am not also concerned about fashion, I just wear any clothes that I feel comfortable to. I don't also like trends, even if there was a new trends on clothing or accessories, I don't follow it. I don't care if all people I see wear those trendy thing when I go out. I just want to be simple, that's it!Not a simple word where I don't take a bath anymore, lol! :)

Well, for me which is more important on wants and needs it would be "Needs". 


Let's define first what is needs and wants:
Needs - is something you have to have, something you can't do without or can't live without.
Wants - is something you would like to have. It is not necessary but would be a good thing to have.

For these two things it is absolutely clear which is more important from the two. Needs are those things we can't live without. Example was food, we need to eat in order to live so a food is a need.
Wants are those things that we do like to have but it is necessary for us to have. We can live without these things. For example was a new car or a new phone. We can go to our work or go to places without owning a car, we can travel to public transportation like jeepneys. If you have a cellphone then it is not necessary to buy another one just to keep up with the trend now for latest phones that just got out of the market recently.

Back to what I have mentioned above about the blogger I told you. She has a post that kinda caught up my attention. It was called a "Belle de Jour Beauty Box", this a box where latest beauty products was included. For just a Php 580 for 1 month purchase you can have this beauty box each month. In one box, there are a lot of beauty products included that if you total the overall costs of it, it will amount to more than Pphp 580. So you can save more if you purchase it said the blogger. But what confused me was if I do purchase it, can I really use of all the products of this box? Certainly a big "NO" pops up on my head. Why? This month I am  undergoing a treatment for my acne and my dermatologists prescribed me products that can only be put on my face and nothing else. So if I purchase it and has some products that can be put only to my face then for sure I cannot use it. And of course this is really a big "WANT" and not a "NEED". I can live without this thing that I do really want. I want it because my birthday is fast approaching also and was thinking also to be a gift to myself. But still a part of me says that I should not purchase this.

So I'll give myself two more weeks to decide if I will purchase this and if still I can't decide after that. Then I would definitely not purchase this want.

Till my next posts,


Thursday, May 16, 2013

Pay Yourself First

Hi,

It's been a while since I've updated my blog. I just got into some busy stuff lately ad recently I started to change my sleeping time, before I slept at 12 midnight or 1 am everyday and now I want to see to it that I can now sleep at 11 or 11:30 pm.  By the way I write now just to update on what is going on with my life.

I have been stressed out this past few months and one effect of this was my acne has started appearing on my face and it was worst just like last year when I started to have this. My insecurity strikes again and I don't really like it. My doctor has given me a maintenance regimen to use for my face but when I go to Manila last February for our SFC conference I stop the regimen and stick to a bar soap which was not on the doctor's list that I should use. So 2 months after I was back from the trip all of a sudden my acne has back. Everyday there was a pimple forming on my face and started to cover my jawline and my chin. It's really horrible and sometimes I don't want to see the mirror anymore.


When I got my salary yesterday, I immediately set aside a money to use on getting my acne treated again by the dermatologist. I had a Clarifying facial that was worth Php 700.00 and after this I got a consultation to have a KI injection worth Php 100.00. The doctor advised me to take a antibiotic to take for 1 month because my acne was worst already. Each capsule worth PHP25.00 but I pay Php 750.00 for the 30 capsules. Overall I pay a total of PHP1,550. The amount was kinda not bad, I am taking risk to take out an amount like this on my budget just to be able to have an acne free face. Being frugal sometimes need to be lift up in case of paying yourself first at the end.

Till my next post everyone.

Cheers,

Friday, May 3, 2013

Fiesta Celebration Saving Tips

Hi,

It's been a busy day today because our Purok is celebrating it's annual fiesta. We are not expecting many guests today to celebrate with us because we haven't invited so many for this. But the opposite happened, many of our neighbors, relatives and friends celebrated with us. I am glad that even though we are very tight on our budget right now and afraid if the food serve will be enough for them. But were very blessed that indeed the food served was just enough to all of them to eat. 

My mother did some several techniques or tips on how to save on preparing for the food to be served to the guests:

1. Cook the food at home. Never order or call any restaurants for the food you want your guests to eat. 

2. Buy the ingredients of your recipes you want to cook at a local supermarket. A supermarket that has a lowest price among it's counterpart. Do some research on these stores if they have the lowest prices on their commodities.

3. Don't hire any entertainers to go to your home just to entertain your guests. Get you DVD's and play the song they like and let them sing at your home. For sure they will be happy and get entertained without spending any penny.

So these was the tips that I learned today from my mother. Living frugally can save you a penny
even on something you don't think you can. 

Till my next posts.

Cheers,


Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Tracking Down April Expenses

Hi,

It's been a while I was not able to write a post for this blog. The month of April was the busiest month for me since 2013 came in. I had so many struggles in my service for SFC and other stuff I need to first do. But right now I want to write about my expenses for the month of April. I started tracking it last month (March 2013) and right now hope that my expenses for April will be lower.

Expenses for Month of April:
  • Utilities (Electricity, Telephone, Internet) - PHP 2,285
  • Insurance (Life/Health) - PHP 4, 905
  • Irregular Expenses (Day to Day Expenses) - PHP 3, 304
  • Help to Parents - PHP 14, 500
TOTAL: PHP 24, 994 

 

Last month my expenses was PHP 27, 418.5.

So the difference was PHP 2424.5, so I was able to save this money. This goes to my investment and my savings account.

Hope that this month of May I can still save more and invest more on my mutual fund.

Cheers,