Life Update - January 2020

Hi,

HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! It's 2 of 365 days of 2020. I am excited of what will come my way this year ether good or bad but praying that it will has lots of good than bad.

Last year was a good year for me but also some are bad. I would like to recap the events that has happened last year.

February last year I lost my 10 year job, yup I thought that job will last for a lifetime but it did not :( That's the time that I realized that the job I have online doesn't last long, what I mean is I cannot stay with one boss only. My skills will stay but staying on one boss for a long time until I get old is not possible. I can work with many bosses in this kind of work I choose to have. I already gave up my teaching career and my licensed to teach will expire until 2022, after that I can no longer renew my license. And teaching is not what I wanted to do. Yes sabi nga nila is "Sayang naman yung pinag aralan mo" well my answer is that "Wala namang masasayang kahit na yan ang pinag aralan kung hindi mo naman mahal o gustong gawin ang trabahong yun." I still believe that we have only one life, why choose to do things that you don't like? Choose always to do things that make you happy :)

Because of that loss of job, I choose to have a 3 day vacation at Boracay together with my friends to release my hurt and can start to move on.

Boracay 2019

After my travel, God was so faithful that He gave me a new work :) Yes my heart has been broken when I lost my 10 yr job but our God said that I should not worry and sad because He has another job for me. God is really good all the time. 

Down to August-September was the hardest trial I went through. I did not expect that it would happen. I've been heartbroken starting of the year, but as the year ended I got heartbroken again. Our two dogs Winston and Browny passed away for two consecutive months. Browny passed away last August and Winston last September :'( . Browny has been bitten by something that we we're not able to identify and Winston got the virus that has no cure which is the Canine Distemper. I brought them to the vet but it was too late. This is my lowest time last year. They have been with us for 11 years already and it was not easy to let them go. One week I have cried when they pass away, I realized that it was more painful than having a break up. It was already 4 months and until now we have no new dog yet. I am still healing until now.

After that loss, I decided to travel again and this time I went to Bangkok, Thailand last October 2019. It was a quick weekend travel but it's one way of healing from pain I felt when my two dogs passed away. I was with my travel buddies Mai and Diane. 

Bangkok, Thailand 2019

So even I go through trials last year, God was still amazing granting the desires of my heart. I do love to travel and my work and God was so good granting me those desires. 

For this year I still look forward for more travels and hopefully God will grant my heart desire also to find a man whom I can consider to settle with. Yup since I'm turning 32 this year, I am not anymore getting any younger but older, lol!Haha . I've been single for 3 years now and for the past 3 years I did not even feel that I was alone. But this year na realize ko nang dapat magka love life na ako uli,hehe. Wala pang suitable man but praying God will let us meet this year. Hindi na ako bumabata bes! Hahaha.

Also I have this plan to go to Japan for the last month of this year. Please help me pray that this plan will come true :)

Thank You and Choose to be Happy Always!

Life Update 2019

Hi,

How are you all? It's been a while.

I want to apologize for not being active in this blog for about 1 year and 7 months :( I am very busy with work plus traveling.

So I am writing this entry now to update you of what has happened to me for the last 1 year and 7 months :)

Last year 2018 was the best year for me :) I was able to go to Hong Kong and Macau! My first international trip which is my dream and still praying to go to places which is out of the country in the near future. It was my first time using my Philippine Passport since it was release last September 2016 and will be expired on January 2021. That trip was a 3 days 2 nights trip only, quick right? Well even if it's a quick trip, it was really worth it. I have my two beautiful friends Diane and Mai with me. We booked through an agency that includes the Hong Kong + Macau package. The package includes the round trip airfare from Manila to Hong Kong + Ferry to Macau, accomodation plus daily breakfast and a tour.

This photo is taken at the Garden of Stars Hong Kong!

St. Paul Ruins of Macau

Grand Venice Macau

The trip was really fun, when we arrived at Hong Kong International Airport, the tour guide pick us up and told us all the details about the trip, it was a convenient trip until we go home. 

Then to start of this year, I went to Boracay last February 3-5, 2019. I had my friends Arcelli and her Sister and Diane with me. 

Boracay

Puka Beach Boracay

So it is really obvious that I spend most of the time traveling plus working while I was away and not able to update this blog. I want to thank the Lord for granting my hearts desire to travel while still working. And hoping and praying that He will continue to give me a chance to be able to travel until I grow old, hehe. 

Till my next life update :)

Cheers,

Robinsons Place Iligan Opening + My Financial Situation

Hi,

Robinsons Place Iligan has their opening last July 26, 2017 in Iligan City, yup my city. I've been living in Iligan City since 1997 so I've been living in this city for almost 20 years already. My mom and I left my father's hometown in Samar, Leyte when my father died because my mom wanted to live near her relatives. I graduated my primary until tertiary in this city, I did not experienced living outside this city even though I am travelling to some places I like but this city is the city I can call my home.

Iligan City has only 2 big malls for now, we have Gaisano Mall City Iligan and now Robinsons Place Iligan. Our city is not that big when in comes to land area but I am proud to be an Iliganon. We are two hours away from Cagayan de Oro City which is more progressive than our city but if I were to choose to live in these cities I still choose my city. Because of the war situation now in Marawi City our security situation has been threatened. It's only been an hour or so that our city is from Marawi. During the war our city accepted refugees from the war and the residents of Iligan adjusted to our new residents. Our city is composed of 50-80% Christians (not really sure about the percentage) and 20% Muslims. Even though the city is not a 100% Christians residents there was never a discrimination from the two groups and we treat each other fairly despite the differences.

The Robinsons Place Iligan is only a few kilometers away from our home, we only ride a tricycle and a few hiking to go to this mall. This mall is much bigger than Gaisano Mall so most of the people now are visiting Robinsons. During the opening the opening guest artist is Daniel Matsunaga, sadly I was very far from him so I was not able to see his face clearly :( Me and my family visited the mall on its opening, we only took few pictures inside the mall.

My mother and lola.

Me at Daiso Japan. I really love Daiso Japan, when I go to Cagayan de Oro City I always go to this store.

Me, mom and lola.

Lola, My Cousin and his son, Mom.

Robinsons Place Iligan is a one stop shop of all the things you need, they have there Supermarket, Department Store, Movie World, Restos inside. When you think of it this mall is really a temptation for unnecessary spending, hehe. There prices of goods is also high compared to other small stores in the city. Right now I am planning not to spend so much time in going to this mall. I should resist the temptation to always go to this mall because actually when you are inside you will really be tempted to buy anything that is inside. 

My current financial situation right now is quite bad, I am two months deficit on my budget. My travel to Bohol last month was not even planned and I was not able to save in advance on that trip. For next month August I wanted to see to it that I will save for a travel fund. The worst part of my situation now is I have 0 emergency fund :( I still have my VUL paid automatically monthly, my long term healthcare which is KAISER, and my FAMI Equity Fund. My income monthly mostly goes to this, my breakdown is below:

VUL(AXA) - PHP 1522 (to be paid 10 years)

KAISER - PHP 2647 (to be paid for 7 years, right now I am paying it for 5 months already)

FAMI Equity Fund - PHP 2-5K per month

Do you think this is a wise decision for my finances? I am finding it hard to saved for my emergency fund because every time I saved 3 or 2k for my emergency fund I always touch it. I am putting my emergency fund in a cooperative instead in a bank or atm. So when I touch it, my emergency fund goes to zero again. Do you have any suggestions for me? I really need a help on this. And I noticed that we have a huge expenses on food. I gave my mom 7k per month for our food expenses and I noticed it was not enough for the 3 of us. I have a debt of PHP 2100 right now and will pay it next month. I don't really like to have a debt. I don't have a credit card and I am not planning to have. I have only one atm card where my payroll goes every month. Do you think I should open another bank account for my savings? I apologized I have so many questions on this post. My mind is really not in a good mood because of this financial problem I am having. I am hoping I can still go back on track next month. For unnecessary expenses, I don't always go out because I am working at home, during my pay day I treat my mother and lola twice a month only. I don't also buy new clothes every month, or make up because I don't wear make up, I only wear a powder and a lipstick every time I go out. I don't wear make up because I have an acne prone skin and I am sensitive to products that I don't normally use. I only spend on a facial cleanser, shampoo, conditioner, lotion and other needs for myself. I  have my tracking spreadsheet where I tally my everyday expenses but in the long run it was not effective, I get bored after a few months of doing it, I tried the envelope system and it did not work also. Right now I am doing my budget system on a notebook but I don't tally my expenses.

Hoping that next month I can still go back on track on my finances. Thank you for reading this post, if you have any suggestions on my questions feel free to comment. I really do love to see any comment on my post :)

Till next time.

Cheers,

Life Update July 2017

Hi,

How are you? It's been a while that I was not able to update this blog. I've been with so many things that make me so busy, physically, emotionally and spiritually. My last post was on the month of January where I wrote about my investment with FAMI and I am happy about the growth of my investment now.

Last January I am struggling with my work.  My boss decreased my salary and it does affect my finances as a whole, yes  it can pay my bills in full but my other needs cannot anymore be met. So I decided to apply to different job postings again but unfortunately I was not very lucky. Then what I did, I contacted my friend Diane who is also working online and ask a favor if she can refer me to her boss and apply in their company, the reply was 50/50 chance but I did not loss hope and I waited for few weeks for me to get hired, luckily I pass the probation period and was hired full time after that. Thank God I did not loss hope, I prayed and prayed for it and God answered my prayer :) , sometimes when we have a prayer that is not answered directly by God, we usually give up and loss hope but for me you shouldn't, persevere and keep the faith.

I am already 29 years old by now :) I am proud of my age, hehe. I became 29th last June 4th.

By now, I am happily single, contented and happy :) , most of them ask me why I am still single and not yet married? Well, I just answer them that "maybe it's not yet time for me to get married, lol, haha". I will honestly tell you here that my ex contacted me last February, well it did not turn out well and thanking God it did not happen that we get back together again, he is now in Jeddah working and fulfilling his dream, I just wish him well. I now believe in this line "Whatever happen never ever get back again with your ex". That past relationship I had has so many ups and downs, the cheating and betrayal was the worst of that relationship. I am thanking God all the time that he saved me not only once but twice from that relationship. I thought that love was enough for a relationship to work but it takes more than that, it takes a lot of courage, risk and hard work. My single season now is the season full of peace and happiness because I realized that I have my friends and family who loves me a lot, more than I can ever imagined :) When we are in a relationship, our focus was on our significant other most of the time and we forget that we have friends and family who loved us more than a lover can do, so please don't neglect your friends and family while you are in a relationship.

I've attended a wedding also last May 20th, it was my cousin Melvin who got married, all our relatives are expecting that I will be the next in line after him,lol! Let's pray for that, haha. There is always a miracle when we believe, hehe. See our photo together below. I am his made of honor.

The whole summer I was very busy with his wedding preparation and my job, so I was not able to have a summer vacation. So I was exhausted and wanted to travel even for just a few days. And it did happen, yay! My friend Irene contacted me on Facebook and she ask me if I wanted to go with her including with her friends to go to Bohol for a short getaway and my answer was a big YES! I hurriedly pack my things and ask for a vacation leave from my boss and he said yes, yehey! I am so happy I can finally get out from my comfort zone, haha. I am working at home so a short trip like this is needed so that I can relax and replenish my motivation to work hard. 

Then June 24th we went to Bohol via Trans Asia and stayed in Alona Bamboo House, Panglao, Bohol for 3 days and went home on 28th. It was a short trip but it was a memorable and jam pack adventure for me and my friends.

Our photos below are the evidences, hehe:

At the famous Chocolate Hills of Bohol.

And also a famous tarsier of Bohol.

Riding a small boat going to a fish sanctuary of Balicasag Island and watching the sea turtle.

The whole group plus our tour guide Sir Jonathan. Visiting a coin collector with his incredible coin collections.

Visiting the farm with the biggest Python but he is dead already last 2012, what we saw is his descendant,aw I don't know how to say "anak" haha

At the Butterfly farm, look at that wings, hehe.

At the Virgin Island, unluckily we arrived there during high tide so we cannot see the sand formation of the island.

And now the last but not the least, our extreme adventure was when we ride the ATV, it was around PHP450 per person for about 1 and half hour of ride. It was really worth the price.

My solo picture at the back of the chocolate hill sitting with my ATV :) yay a very happy lady!Hehe

Well so that's it. I just wanted to share about my experienced :) It was a happy and memorable experienced for me over all. Thank You God for all these blessings and opportunities. Till my next travel adventure and post on this blog. 

Cheers,

BACK Investing with FAMI

Hi,

Photo courtesy of FAMI FB Page

My life starting of this year has been busy because of some things to do and was not able to update this blog. But I am happy writing this because it's been a while I have not able to invest in FAMI. One of my goal this year is to go back investing and I want to start it starting the first month of the year and so I did. Last September I redeemed few of my shares to buy a Netbook for work because my old laptop is already damaged. I bought it at PHP 14995.00 , it was a 10" ASUS white netbook, the screen can be detached to the keyboard and has a 4-6 hours battery life. I love this netbook :) my money is worth it for this.

Back to investing with FAMI, I had started investing last January 20, 2017 through direct payment at Metrobank, for the past 3 years I am automatically investing through my Unionbank account but I noticed that it is not credited to the account to same day I wanted it to be put to my FAMI account. So for this year I want to invest through paying directly to Metrobank. I wanted to open also a savings account at Metrobank and hope I can open this month of February or March of this year. When I redeemed my share last year, it took about 2-3 weeks that my money was transferred to my Unionbank account, it was a long wait actually since I really needed the money that time.  

Talk soon.

Cheers,

My