You are currently browsing the monthly archive for September, 2008.
Now for the real wrap up:
1. Renew my CPA license through LBC, this will cost me roughly P1,000 for delivery and ID pictures. FAIL! Was too lazy to do it. and with small skin breakouts, I couldn’t bring myself to be photographed and endure my looks in the professional ID!
2. Apply for Social Security ID. HA! FAIL! Too lazy.
3. Shop around some more for a good, solid disability insurance. Done! Though I didn’t actually avail one yet.
4. Max out September Parents fund to P1,500 (P50 x 30 days). I think? I wasn’t home most of the time so I kinda forgot. But it’s really easy to catch up since I still have about 30 minutes left of September 30!
5. Fund credit card debt due October 6 (P4,225.73) Done! Earmarked the amount and just waiting for next business day to pay it off.
6. Pay P3,000 to sis as full payment for my dentist bills. Done! Earmarked the amount, waiting for sis to come in from the office.
7. Bring my various funds to these balances: DONE!!!
| Fund | Savings | Should be balance |
| Emergency Fund | 500.00 | 7,686.32 |
| Personal Improvement | 600.00 | 960.00 |
| Insurance | 1,008.13 | 2,000.00 |
| Travel | 0.00 | 619.92 |
| Entertainment | 1,000.00 | 1,139.58 |
| Clothing | 500.00 | 1,367.88 |
| Tithe | 200.00 | 819.92 |
| TOTAL | 3,808.13 | 14,593.61 |
This is actually the best part of my accomplishment for September. Below is the actual balance of my various funds…and then some! I added a Grocery Fund and that has a balance of P1,200, and Travel fund has a lot of extra cash in it. (pardon how my table looks like. I am tired and have no patience now for aesthetics!)
| Fund | Balance |
| Emergency Fund | 7,686.32 |
| Personal Improvement | 960.00 |
| Insurance | 3,000.00 |
| Travel | 1,915.53 |
| Entertainment | 2,139.58 |
| Clothing | 1,867.88 |
| Tithe | 819.92 |
| Total | 18,389.22 |
October, here I come!!!
By now you all know that I am from Philippines, a third world or ‘developing’ country and I earn third world income. That’s P21,000 gross, or P18,000 net of everything (tax, Philhealth, PagIBIG, SSS), and that my friends, is less than $400.
From that P18K I immediately deduct P3k for my mom as my contribution for household expenses. P6K is earmarked for savings. Add to that the income I make from the tiny business I have which is roughly P1K a week.
Now I only have P9K ($192) left for my monthly expenses. These expenses are mostly fare, food for lunch, and personal supplies. Here’s how I prevent this meager amount from escaping my wallet:
1. I don’t have a car, so I don’t spend on gas. Daily fare is by far the biggest chunk of my expenses (almost 3K per month), and I limit this by conducting my errands in one go. I also do my grocery shopping on a Saturday following pay day. Come to think of it, even if I do have a car, I don’t think it is wise to use it on a daily basis. Traffic in Manila is horrendous, and parking space is limited and expensive. That’s without counting the wear and tear.
2. In relation to #1, I don’t simply commute. I find routes which will cost me less and compare them as to which one will be the most beneficial.
For example, every Saturday, I used to take the Philippines’ version of carpooling, the FX taxi. It is convenient since I can get one right in front of my building but it will cost me P30. Compare that to P8.50 for a jeepney and P11 for the train (MRT). The second choice will only cost me P19.50 and will take me faster to my destination. It does involve a bit of walking and climbing the stairs to the train station (when the elevator or escalator is not working) but then, I am usually not in a hurry every Saturday afternoon. Believe, me, the P10.50 I save from commuting this way is sweet when you add them up at the end of the month!
3. House brands are my best friends. I used to be ashamed of picking those items for fear that the person next to me in the check out counter will smirk at my choices. But then, I don’t really care if my facial tissue is branded as Kleenex or SM Bonus so long as they are of the same quality. I also don’t care if it comes in a decorative box or a simple plastic pouch. So the embarrassment I felt during my days of stupidity were superficial and cost me some bucks. There are few items that I don’t skimp at, though, like toothpaste, shampoo and soap. With these items I make sure to stockpile when they are on sale and I buy the biggest but cheapest per unit packages.
4. I am not crazy when it comes to designer whatever. Designer bags, jeans, shoes, everything, can wait until my emergency fund is secure and retirement fund is underway. It also helps that I am not at all crazy with clothes. I am usually drained after an afternoon of shopping for a pair of jeans. Believe it or not, I can go for a full year without new clothes or shoes or bags. When I do buy, the classic styles and colors are the first thing I look for next to price.
5. I don’t wear makeup. Hey, as they say, simplicity is beauty (or is it?). I am a simple girl wanting simple things. And if I don’t find joy in shopping for clothes, I definitely abhor shopping for tubes of colors. I tried once, and man, was I exhausted. And all I was looking for was a cheek stain to add color and life to my otherwise plain, boring and very brown face. I found one, and I am still using the same, single tube after about 3 months.
6. No vice is the way to go. At 28, I haven’t tasted a drop of liquor. Friends and even my mom encouraged me to take a sip if only to socialize or to know what it is like, but then, I still managed not to. No cigarette has found its way to my lips. They call me goody two shoes, but, truth be told, it’s all about taste(buds)!
7. Decision to completely cut off spending on obsession such as audio CDs and books has definitely helped me a lot. I used to buy at least 5 audio CDs every month and a bag full of books and they are now cluttering our little house. I have put some of them up on eBay in an attempt to free space and earn some cash.
8. I replaced watching movies with blog reading. Haha. I can spend an entire afternoon reading blogs from all over the world and still end up wanting to read some more. So if you see your blog with bloated stats, more likely I have been there several times during the day though I don’t often leave a comment.
Before I end this post, I’d like to leave a quote from somebody (I forgot who!): a friend’s SMS: Though we had it tough, we always have enough!
It’s only the second day of my friggin’ cold, and I could use a bowl of hot soup or really fresh pineapple juice to unclog my nose. (No, I don’t really know if that works. I maybe hallucinating). Or I simply need to sleep it off. Maybe I will after this post.
Tell me, what’s up with parents? My company is paying for my dad’s health card and he has got this nasty ingrown in his right big toe. He just keeps on taking antibiotics and putting Betadine on it. Last Tuesday I got fed up of watching him do it knowing he has got a perfectly valid healthcard and a nearby hospital. I told him to go on and bring it over for a checkup. He said he will so I scheduled him this Saturday. After work I have this migraine and I just can’t stand being in a hospital (dumb, I know) so I asked my mom to go with him. My blessed mom said they’ll go on October 1 instead, since it is a holiday and my sister with the car will be with them. Dang. Do I need a crash course on parenting?
On a personal finance note, I think I did well in minimizing my spending. Grocery bill was a little higher since I decided to get my newborn nephew a bag of disposable diapers and my dog two huge cans of Pedigree. I’m ashamed of the September goals I’ve set. They are ambitious and obviously cannot be met if the person who’s supposed to do them is as lazy as me. However, the finances part is, I should say, a rousing success. I can’t bring myself to update my NetworthIQ just yet, I am waiting for the last payday of the month. I just know my networth will still be on the upward. Thank goodness.
Like most of you, my October will be a three paychecks month. And hang on, November, too! So yeah. You could say I am very excited.
Crap. I caught cold and now my nose is running like crazy. I feel woozy, eyes are heavy, and I can’t breathe. Perfect.
I have never followed US politics before, but I am stuck with Fox & Friends and everything in it. I have my opinions about the candidates and the chosen Veeps, and about whether McCain should or should not go to Ole Miss to debate. Heck, I am even rooting for a candidate, but I’m not putting that out in a blog where the reader knows I am not an American and not even near USA!
I emphatize with what US is going through right now. Citizens have every reason to be scared and worried, what with the biggest bank failure since the Depression (Washington Mutual or WaMu) and the economic bailouts being unsupported by representatives. But it’s America. They’ve been through hell and back, but they are strong and the world just have to wait and see them bounce back.
I love my country. I love it as it is. I love it and never would have dreamed of leaving it had I not experience the big burnout. And the boredom. And the lack of independence.
I hate Philippine politicians. Dang it, they are so damn corrupt they can’t even provide a community library. *spits*
Why do people work and work and work and save and save yet they say they do not want to be rich? Are they just being modest by saying they only want enough or do they really mean it? I wonder if they have set the ‘enough’ level as an indicator for them to stop working and saving. Law of attraction works, you know.
Bed is calling me. I need a snort of Vick Vaporub first. Nightnight.
I feel a bit better. Dog allowed me to squeeze her in a hug. Hopefully a cup of steaming, instant coffee will lift my spirit a bit.
I have been ultra frugal for several months now. Almost 4 months, to be exact. I saved everything, limited my spending to bare necessities. As a result, I had the satisfaction of watching my bank accounts and net worth rise slowly.
But what’s the use of all these money if you will only spend them on medication of a beloved pet? Even more spiteful is the fact that money will not buy her the health and life that she needs. My dog has a lump on her leg that has grown really big and one on the side of her ribcage which has also grown even more. I called up her vet, inquired about it, and said with the way things are, it is nearly impossible to remove the lumps without amputating the leg, and risking the i-dont-want-to-name it to spread. The second he said it the tears just came pouring and hell if I cared about my staff right behind me. He advised me to bring the dog over so he can have a look. It was raining cats and dogs when I got home so I decided to postpone it for weekend.
My dog dutifully and happily bounded up and down the door and licked my nose when I reached home. We spent a good 2 hours wrestling at the couch and playing tug-o’-war over a perfectly good hanky my sister left this morning. Mom was furious but she knows she really can’t do anything to stop us.
I’d happily go broke if only for my dog to be i-dont-want-to-name-it – free.
to take your money out of your pockets.
Some weeks ago, Banco de Oro sent me a credit card with a note that it was already activated and my ‘old’ card was cancelled. I did not apply for any Banco de Oro card so I was surprised, although I didn’t act on it immediately.
Yesterday, after contemplating if I should hook our utilities to my credit card, I thought of the BDO card I have in my wallet. I thought, why not? Maybe they will offer better rewards and minimal annual fee. So I called them up, asked about the status of the card, and they confirmed it is already active and the annual fee of P900 (about $20) will be posted on November. I said, how come? Isn’t it that the first year’s annual fee is always waived? The customer rep on the phone told me that yes, the first year’s fee was waived and that the card’s anniversary is on November 08. I nearly screeched while telling her that I never received any ‘old’ card and that I never even applied for one. Rep said I was endorsed by SM Supermarket (where I shop) November last year and that the card was not sent and eventually replaced. The replacement is the one that reached my hands and they are poised to charge me P75 a month starting November or P900 a year. I asked how I can have that waived, rep said I need to spend at least P3,000 ($64) A MONTH. Dang. Also asked if I don’t use the card, how can I have the annual fee waived? They want me to call back once the fee is posted and they’ll SEE if they can waive it. Dang again.
Now, since electricity bill (meralco) cannot be applied to my HSBC card, I was thinking of hooking it up to this BDO. If ever I will, that P75 a month will be waived if I call them. But then, do I really want to talk to them on a monthly basis?
Yesterday, I shopped for at least a month’s supply of personal stuff. At the checkout counter, a posted sign caught my eyes and inquired. The cashier referred me to their customer service booth and off I went.
The sign said that the mall will add 5% for 25-centavo coins the person will bring in exchange for paper bills for a minimum of P10; and 2% for 1-peso coins for a minimum of P100.00. Imagine that? I bet my eyes were mirroring what my mind was screaming at that time: Free money! Free money! Free money!!!
Now how often do super malls do that? Almost never! They are all set to go after our money and not give anything back. But now, tables were turned and due to their need of small denominated coins for change, they have cooked up this very nice incentive scheme. Hey, it’s free money. Can’t complain.
Morning was spent gathering up all coins lying around, counted and bagged them according to denomination. I have gathered P100 worth of 1-peso coin and P130 of 0.25-centavo. That should give me extra P8.50 just for gathering those coins, bagging it, and hauling them to the mall.
Now that’s the only setback I see about all this. I don’t have a car and I only go to the mall during Saturdays after office to save on fare. To be able to take advantage of the scheme I will have to haul those heavy coins to the office then to the mall. Oh well. I can do it on a piecemeal basis.
How much do I expect to gain from this, I don’t know. All I know is I have a good source of coins and I intend to milk those giant malls for as long as they allow me to.
Spread the word!
I did it! Finally, I had convinced myself to get the SM Advantage card after reading a post from a fellow blogger. SM Advantage card is supposed to earn you some points from your shopping and later on exchange those points for some other items or additional discount. It is also tied up with other establishments outside the mall and will give you discounts for several items, or better, freebies.
I have been hearing and reading a lot of rants and negative reviews about this particular rewards card: the cost of card is not worth it, you’ll need more than two years to get back the cost, customer service sucks, etcetera, etcetera. With all that, I had previously decided not to get the card even if I was itching to have one. Ladies at the checkout counters consistently heard that no, I don’t have it and I won’t buy one, thank-you-very-much.
But yesterday, before I timed out of the office, I stumbled upon a blog and made me rethink my decision. I did some more research and parallelled it with my short term goals, and decided to get it. So off I went to the supermarket, shopped for about a month’s supply of stuff and included the SMAC in my purchase. Cost of the card is P150.00 (about $3.19…at 47:1). I filled up the member info sheet and was told to claim the permanent card with my name on it after 3 weeks. Until then, I can use the temporary card to earn points and avail freebies.
What made me change my mind, you say. Well, in my previous post I lamented about my lack of appropriate clothes for work (or lack of clothes, for that matter) and the upcoming Christmas season. I can buy clothes and gift items at some thrift shops or flea market, but at this point I know I will want to buy something that is of high quality, and maybe a little pricey (but within budget) stuff. Might as well get something back, right?
I have added a tab in my worksheet exclusively for this SMAC and I will try to track the actual discounts and freebies I will get and post again if it is an advantage card for real!
98 days before Christmas!!!
Where did 2008 go? My goodness. Understand, please, that Philippines celebrate Christmas the longest (or one of the longest), and that’s all over the world. It’s wonderful, it’s crazy, it’s tiring and draining, I love it, and it is VERY UNHEALTHY for my, make that, our budget.
I can’t believe it is less than a hundred days before the big day. Of course, people from other side of the world have several big days coming before Christmas, but here in the Philippines, nothing’s more important and bigger than Christmas.
What does this mean to me? Christmas list, what else?! I thought it was still too early to make the list but then, Christmas is everywhere and refuses to be ignored. If there is one thing I do not adore about Christmas, it’s the consumerism and the tightly packed malls. Even the quaint, little shops that I love are packed with shoppers!
Enough whining. I need to get to that list. F.A.S.T.!
They sent me some lovin'