Long Holiday Ahead

It will be a holiday for most people starting December 25 to January 01. That's a total of 8 straight days. I don't know about you, but personally, I'm "scared" of long holidays. Although it's very good to have time to rest and be with the family, long holidays mean for me temptation to be lazy (waking up late, lounging around at home doing nothing, neglecting to pray, etc., etc.). It also means temptation to spend too much.

Long holidays may be financially draining, really. It means that payday is advanced (for us, it will be on December 24) but you won't be receiving your next one until 3 weeks after. Tough luck. This means that I could already foresee my budget to be in temporary chaos by New Year's Day. If only I can avail of a hassle-free and no teletrack cash advance online. If so, it won't be so hard to budget during the holidays and I do not have to worry about where to get the cash for our regular grocery shopping which, by the way, stays the same regardless if it's Christmas or not. A mother and home manager like me should be wiser in spending especially during the holidays. Otherwise, the family might start the year in lots of financial problems and debt.

Perfect Christmas Gifts

Hello everyone! How are you doing with your Christmas shopping? Well as for me, I started kind of late already. Normally, I would be scouring for great buys as early as October when the malls start to have their weekend sales. However, this year, due to budget and time concerns, I delayed exploring the stores and buying gifts to fill up my Christmas list. in fact, I only printed out my Christmas list from the computer only last week.

As a start, I asked Hubby to accompany me last Sunday. We went around the mall to buy some generic Christmas gifts. We already bought many of the gifts in Rustan's and we had it all wrapped there. That takes care of our gifts (plus wrapping) for about 30 people. Whew! It was such a tiring day. I didn't realize how hard it can be to be going around the whole of the Shangri-La Mall trying to search for Christmas gifts. But it doesn't end there just yet! I still have a couple of dozens of people in my list. I've already crossed out the idea of going to Divisoria and Tutuban because by now, there will be swarms of people there during the weekends. What I'm thinking of just doing some online shopping to save me time and energy. This may even be a cheaper way to tackle my list!

Anyway, for the rest of the people I still have no gifts planned for, it was a good thing I came across this UK-based store which offers beautiful Sterling Silver Jewellery. And since most of the people I need to give gifts to this Christmas are women, I am thinking of making a bulk order of Sterling Silver Bracelets. I'm sure they will all appreciate receiving this kind of gift since many of them love wearing silver accessories. For the girls (teenagers) to whom I also would be giving gifts, a great gift idea would be giving them Silver Bangles. I just love the colors that they offer that I might as well buy some pieces for myself! Don't you think this is a great idea?

Happy Christmas shopping to everyone!

Need Help?

Many people are talking about and are interested in personal finance these days. I wonder if this because a lot of people need serious debt help. As you see and hear in the news now, things in the financial realm are somewhat unpredictable. One day you're up, the next day you're down. Even big banks crumble and file for bankruptcy. Well, that's really an eye-opener for companies and individuals. We really need to place all the safety nets to help prevent incurring high interest rates from credit card and other past due loans.

Here are tips can I share with regard to removing debt from your life:

1. Get debt consolidation help from reliable loan companies.
2. Pay more than the minimum of your credit card bill total.
3. Try snow-balling your credit card repayments.
4. Prioritize credit card payments before cash savings.
5. Get a loan from your Mom and Dad. Hahaha!

Actually, I've broken the bank and gone beyond my budget too many times before. But when I became a parent, I became more budget-conscious and try to be a good money manager. Now, every single day, I resolve to be more controlled in my spending (and it's very hard I tell you). If only all our debts will be paid off tomorrow!

Control, Control

Well, what do you know, we're almost halfway through the weekend and we have somehow managed to go to the mall but not spend anything on credit. I purposely left my credit card at home so that when we had to go and do our weekly grocery, our cash in hand will be enough to cover for our total grocery bill. At first, it was really hard because we weren't used to being so conscious of what we picked up along the aisles. We both know that what we needed to buy should only be the essentials so we tried to check each other first if we really "needed" to buy that extra kilo of beef or that box of biscuits. Sometimes, it felt painful, even somewhat heroic, to get over our wants and just stick to our grocery list and weekly menu. Good thing, we supported each other very well.

My husband and I both know that we have used our credit cards too much in the past already and it's now high time to pay for all our debts. We plan to get a non profit debt consolidation loan soon. This is on top of our combined 13th month pay and Christmas bonus that is due this mid-November. I read somewhere that using your credit card and then not paying for the whole amount due the following month is a simple way of saying that you are living beyond your means. If you do not clear your debt right away, you pay a huge amount of interest that should have been better put on your savings account. I would have to raise my hand there and say "guilty as charged" when it comes to credit card debts. No excuses, really. I really lacked control in the past. But I am definitely trying to reform. My first step is really to avail of that debt consolidation and get that much needed rehabilitation from this addiction of mine. Well, good luck to me. I'm sure it will get tougher this coming holiday season.

Money Matters

Just a short anecdote.

We started last week with some extra money in our bank account and I was looking forward to saving it up. However, there were many unexpected expenses that came during the week (my Dad's MIL passed away, Zoe got sick, Francis' dad asked for fin. help). To make the long story short, there goes our extra money!

In this regard, my husband told me something that made me laugh and think which I want to put down here in Filipino - "Ang pera parang COKE, kung hindi SAKTO, ZERO."

How true! Don't worry, be happy! :-)

Make a Wise Move

These times are truly hard times. Having been working for a big financial institution in the country for more than a decade makes me more aware of that sad reality. The recent economic difficulties are often reflected in the number of car and home loans that the company approves monthly. Indeed, the trend is going downhill and I guess this is really because the disposable income of each family is slowly being eaten up by expenses of more important commodities such as food, electricity and education. This means that many families now do not have the 'extra' income to allocate for a new car or to buy new properties. And if there are any existing loans for the car or the house, many are looking for better options such as lower interest spreads or fixed rates that are not affected by inflationary increases.

Good thing that there is available online advice regarding mortgage and remortgage of properties. This is particularly fantastic news for ordinary and non-financially savvy people who are looking for the best consumer loans in the market. With the valuable advice that is given, many of the causes of bad or past-due loans will be avoided because you are made more aware of the economic trends and your own financial capability. This means that you can clearly predict your capacity to pay for a certain vehicle or property, revealing all the possible scenarios during the period of the mortgage. And if along the way you do encounter any of these scenarios, you are knowledgeable of the moves that you can take to manage your loan. You are also made aware of the available solutions for repayment of your loan.

Thus, if you are planning to avail of a consumer loan in the near future, be sure to avail of the free advice from a professional advisor on your mortgage needs.

Paying Debts

I have been using my own credit card ever since I started to work. It all began when we were offered our bank's credit card which has a special low interest rate for us employees. After that, I also got several cards from other credit card companies. These I used for my MBA studies, for some shopping, trips abroad, my mom's hospitalization (which sank me into real debt), my caesarean operation (yes, I used my card to alleviate us from bringing so much cash in the hospital), etc. etc. I guess I really need to have a debt consolidation but I'm just chicken to really face the difficult reality of my many purchases paid on debt!

So, every single payday, I try to convince myself that I need to be debt-free soon! I always try to tell myself that I need to stop using my cards for unnecessary items. But then, another month passes and I find myself having trouble managing my finances. It's really a challenge and a sad challenge at that. Good thing I received a hefty bonus yesterday and I was able to get a debt settlement and pay in full one of my credit cards. Yahoo!

Anyway, here are some of the other things that can be done to improve your finances:

1. Think positive - "You have enough salary, thus, you are very well able to pay in cash!"

2. Leave your credit cards at home or in the vault!

3. Stay at home during weekends and enjoy the sunshine from your backyard.

4. Once you have paid for all your debts, call your credit card company to cancel that card immediately. If you can't settle your debts in full, considering calling a non profit debt company to help you out.

5. Say no to midnight madness sales and the like. (This is going to be hard!)

Good luck to all who want to be debt-free!

Half Way Thru the Long Weekend

Well, it's Aug. 17 and we're already past half-way thru the long weekend. It's just been too busy around here to really be able to sleep more and rest more. Among other things, my mother in law has not been well and had to be confined in the cardiovascular unit in UST hospital. We're really praying very hard for her quick recovery. Help on prayers pls!

We also have an ongoing rummage sale at home till Monday. My two friends and I merged our goods together. All those shoes, bags and clothes which we used to drool over and use are now being let go and put away for a good cause. :-) Pics to follow!

Money-Related Tips

During hard times like these days, even middle class families are sometimes having problems managing their finances and keeping up to date with their regular bills and payables. There will always be rising college tuition fees, gasoline prices, amortization costs and many other expenses in the future. Even with a regular job, it still is a matter of good money management (and organizations skills too) to be able to hurdle all these challenges in life.

Here are some financial-related and organization tips that I can share with you:

1. Keep all financial-related papers (budget, bills, current living expenses, bank statements, credit card information, savings and debt, insurance, etc.) on the top drawer so that it's easy to get.

2. On check balancing, try to do it the day the checks come in so that it takes a few minutes and you don't have to sweat on checks. Better yet, maximize the potential of your online banking facility to monitor your current accounts.

3. Make sure you properly file all papers regarding big purchases, warranties, instructional manuals to help you avoid paying for unnecessary costs of repairs.

4. If you are someone who is in urgent need of fast cash for emergency or unexpected situations, then I suggest you can easily apply online for a Payday Advance. Rather than walking in to just any money lender just around the corner, wait for long lines and pay exorbitant interest rates, I guess this is your better option. The loan facility is quite easy to acquire. You can apply from any where you are, be it your home or in the office. It offers State Licensed Cash Advances.

5. If you are the traditional type, you can start a budget notebook where you can list down every single purchase you make for the day. Then towards the end of the week, you will realize the things you had used your money for and then make resolutions to improve your expense attitude.

Planning Is Key

As I have learned in business, planning is one of the major functions that a manager should know about. Without proper planning, things will be in chaos. I learned that lesson lately, from my being the manager of the family budget, that is.

I'm just glad that our financial woes are more or less over. Somehow, we have managed to surpass our difficulties. But of course, the problems don't end just yet because we still have several obligations that are still due. We still have a payday loan and some credit card dues. But I guess everything is already manageable compared to last month.

Anyway, I also think part of planning is making lists. For example, it would be good to be listing all our regular monthly financial obligations so that we won't end up surprised and unprepared for the things we need to pay for. And in case we don't measure up to our obligations, it's good to know about other alternatives we can take. I think we just underwent a period of adjustment last month since we had to take on the other expenses which my Dad would shoulder before. In short, I guess I wasn't ready for the change and was caught off-guard that's why we had such a hard time.

Writing about this makes me feel so much better now. I'm feeling more positive now and that's good for starters.

Thank God It's Payday!

I just received a text from my husband today which says "Thank God it's payday". Well, what do you know, another two weeks had just passed since the last payday and thank you to God, we survived it! Just to give you an idea, June and July were like financial hell months for us. I really should blame only myself for not saving in the past. Anyway, good thing my husband can now settle his recent payday loans today. Yipee!

Seriously, I think being parents is no joke these days. Day in and day out, we are being swarmed by financial obligations. There are just so many bills to pay. Just today, I checked my online payroll account and began to pay for my credit card bills, phone bill, insurance premiums, water bill, electric bill, etc. etc. And in a matter of minutes, most of my salary is gone! It's such as sad state. And to think we still need to set aside money for groceries, marketing expense, baby's vaccine expenses, the salaries of our helpers, and for the school allowance for the boys in the house. Sometimes, I really think that as a short-term solution, it's best to get an easy cash advance to be able to bridge our funds. Lucky for us, it's readily available anytime.

Monthly Expenses

Grabbed this one from N@W:

How many sq meters is your place, and how many people live there?

We have about 300sqm floor area standing on a 200+sqm lot. There now just 7 of us here. My Dad and new step are now living in Batangas. So its hubby, me, Zoe, yaya, Francis, helper and her son.

How much is your electricity bill monthly? Water?

Electricity -Normally 6,000 a month. Gosh! That's high in my opinion. Never had a prob with this before since it was my dad who was paying for it before he re-married. Now, I'm adjusting my budget to be able to pay on time. LOL.

Water - 1,500 or more

Dues - my dad pays for it

Other utilities?

House Rent - we own the house

Internet - none; sometimes use my Smart connection during weekends

Mobile Phone Plans - 1,200 for me, 1,800 for hubby

Landline -PLDT - 850 a month

Drinking Water - 1,800 a month

Cable - paid for the whole year na

Fuel/Gas - Gosh, it's rising!!! good thing, hubby has 12k worth of gas allowance. We now seldom use the 2 other cars since gas is so expensive. I'd rather commute or take MRT on color coding days.

LPG - 680 a month x 2.

Maids - Helper at 3,600, Yaya - 3,000, Weekly labandera - 1,200

Helper’s daily allowance for snacks - about 500 a month.

Groceries? Market?

Groceries - around 12,000-15,000 a month. Need to learn bring down this amount -- and soon!

Wet Market - around 7,000 a month

So that is where all my/our salaries are going! Insurance, educational fund, car repairs & maintenance expense, clothes, shoes and other expenses are not even on the list yet! Whaaa! Super tipid na talaga dapat.

Getting Out of the Rabbit Hole

I admit that I've felt pretty pessimistic for the last couple of days. It's bad because even my husband could sense my worried feeling (maybe because of my glum face). May and June had been so financially-toxic since our birthdays (plus my Dad's wedding) fell on these months. Now, I'm feeling broke and in a rabbit hole once again.

Not only that, I've been having a hard time managing our household. F has been so 'tigas-ulo' lately and then our househelp has also been testing my patience (chicken with ginata is DIFFERENT from chicken adobo!!). On top of that, one of our cars broke down without any warning and we had to shell out precious money for the mechanic and car parts. Whew! It's been tough.

Anyway, my husband and I talked about it last night. We decided that we ain't gonna add more burden to our situation by complaining. How positive my husband is! Sometimes, I wonder how come my faith is so weak compared to his. Because come to think of it, we've hurdled bigger problems before (i.e. my mom's huge huge hospital and burial expense, my MIL's hospitalization) and much much more! Somehow, thank God we got through all of it.

As part of my thrift plan, I've done the following:

1. Made a grocery list.
2. Made a weekly menu and brought this to the market.
3. Summarized my outstanding credit card balances
4. Stayed at home the whole weekend (except for a trip to the grocery)!
5. Unplugged all appliances when not in use especially during the night.
6. Took advantage of bonus packs in the grocery.
7. Placed F and R's school allowance in envelopes and in exact amounts.
8. Prepared merienda from what's available in the pantry instead of calling 911-1111.
9. Bought Zoe's supplies in bulk.
10. Withdrew just enough money for the day or for the week.
11. SMILE even when the going gets tough.

Hopefully by next month, all of these efforts will make a difference.