Showing posts with label Money Matters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Money Matters. Show all posts

Oct 25, 2015

Money Matters: Organizing Bills

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Back when I was single, organising bills was a pretty much a non-issue, since the only bills I paid were my credit card bills. Things get a little complicated when I got married (not only finances hahaha!), and at first I was able to cope with my bills payment by just remembering them. Thanks to age, kids, and additional bills, I had to resort to organising my bills payment. Thank goodness for the Internet, where people share their tips and tricks (and tools) to make life easier to manage.

I have been using this Annual Bill Schedule printable from Organizing Home Life, and I must say that I love, love love this (among her other printables, which are must-prints!).



Not only do I get to track what expenses are due for the month, but I could tick them off once I paid them already. Believe me, with the number of bills I needed to pay every month, this printable comes in really handy. The year is almost ending, so it is about time for me to edit and print it out. This is seriously a must-have. :)


Aug 27, 2013

Investment Roller Coaster Ride

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Just to tame me and get my mind off that dang Mulberry bag, I updated my investment portfolio, and *sigh*

Things are a bit dismal, really.


I've no shame in showing my stock picks, as I think these are good investments anyways. However, the stock market being the stock market, one can never really tell. Yes, people got millions out of trading, and there was a time when I profited (a decade ago!) before trading again this year. However, due to economic conditions, other Asian markets down, plus fears over the US Fed Tapering, our own stock market, amid being one of the best performers, is expected to go down. And down it did go.

I still feel that my stock picks will pick up again. Just a few weeks ago, they were profiting by more than 10%! I even profited by 15% when I sold my Jollibee shares. :)

I guess I'm a risk taker and for me, it's still better than putting my money in a bank with what, almost 0% interest per annum!

Currently my total portfolio is 5.05% down, and it's composed of the following:

  • Peso Bond Mutual Funds - 31%
  • Equity Mutual Funds - 35%
  • Balanced Fund - 14%
  • Stocks - 20% (the one above)
I will still continue regularly putting in monthly investments in my mutual funds, but probably halt first in stock trading and remain as is until market picks up a bit. :)

Jun 22, 2013

Time To Invest?

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For weeks now, I've been obsessing about investing in funds, bonds, and equities. Yes, it's that time of one's life. Hahaha.

Well, investments and trading are not foreign to me. My first job was being a financial analyst in a holding firm. Along with that was being a certified stock broker. Yep, I passed that one, and had a license, which unfortunately I failed to renew.

Anyways, I'm still a little scared right now with the market, considering it has been very bullish, reaching highs and all. Lately though it has been crashing, and I don't know if it really is a time to buy, or it will further crash. Argh. But being the aggressive person that I am (hahahaha), I invested in some UITF's: Equity Funds, Peso Bond Funds, and Balanced Funds. Nope, don't be deceived. I only invested tiny amounts per fund, but I'm hoping I'd have enough courage to add more to them. Besides, I can do that by enrolling in their automatic investment programs (online, yay!).

What I'm dying to go back to is to trade in the stock market. I'm thinking of opening an account in COL or in BPI Trade as they have online DIY facilities for me to do so. Or course them through my friend who is connected to a securities broker. Still, I'm a bit hesitant to go full speed ahead, because apart from the market jitters, my day job is preventing me to study further and closely monitor the market.

We'll see.

What I do know though is that I've finally traded fashion for finance. Hahahaha.

Time to save. Finally. I'm so sold.

Jan 13, 2011

Of Buying Stuff Now

I must admit that other than having more savings and personal fulfillment, part of the reason why I went back to work is to reward myself without the guilt of using the husband's moolah. Yes, my dear lover has no issues about this whatsoever, but I know that at the back of my head I shouldn't be spending that much because it's only him who earns income.

And so in my one year of being a housewife I have curbed all (ok fine, most) of my appetite for big ticket stuff and lived simpler. Believe me, I didn't have a hard time -- maybe because I never lived beyond my means in the first place.

Zoom now, I'm back to work and of course, earn a couple of bucks. I rewarded my little daughter, my "secretaries" at home, and planned to reward the hubby when he's back (shoes or htc desire 2.2 perhaps). Then of course, I want to reward myself as well.

Yet here's the problem. Much as I want to get something I have longed for since early last year, I couldn't bring myself to click the "Purchase Now" button. I already typed in my credit card details, because this is really a once in a lifetime moment where I get this chance to purchase it, but no... I chickened out.

My thoughts? It's expensive. It's more than the little girl's tuition already. You know, those guilty-feeling thoughts.

Did one year of being a housewife truly altered my spending habits? I mean even while doing the groceries, I'm still very conscious unlike back then when I was working (before I stopped).

Is this is a good thing?

My husband must be sighing with relief.

Oh well. We'll see.

Sep 30, 2010

Car Insurance Renewal

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The husband is leaving in probably a week's time and I've been worrying about our bills that needed to be attended to before he leaves for work (and be away for 4-5 months!). One of this is our car insurance which is supposed to be renewed this first week of November.

We had two options, our existing one and this new one suggested by the bank. My husband reminded me that we better get the old one as they have offered us a a good, nay - great, deal! We can pay our insurance by installment for 12 months without any interest. We have to confirm though if this is by PDC's or credit card. I just hope it's the former!

Anyway, for those interested, this is where I got mine: Mapfre Insular Insurance Corp.

Jun 29, 2010

Uncluttering Your Finances

Just want to share these tips on uncluttering your finances. I got this from one of my favorite sites: Unclutterer
  1. Be clear on your goals as a family. Open and honest communication with all family members is important because if one person is not convinced of the family’s financial plan, those plans can be sabotaged by overspending and ignoring the budget.
  2. Avoid social competition. As you make your budget for the extras your family would like, consider why you want what you want. Make sure you are not making spending choices based on what you think someone in your income bracket and your neighborhood should have, but choose extras you want and would enjoy. As soon as you start spending to keep up with your friends and neighbors, you have stopped focusing on your family’s needs and wants
  3. Consider your family before making a purchase. Always keep your family budget in mind before you make a purchase that has not been accommodated for in the budgeted. This also goes back to the previous point about why you are making the purchase — is it a purchase that is good for the whole family? Consider the impact of an impulse off-budget purchase on your family’s savings and goals (I mean, do you really need that Orlando vacation?).
  4. Hold regular family budget meetings. It is not enough to create a family budget, you have to also maintain and monitor it to make sure it is achievable and accurate. This can be done at a regular family meeting, where you also discuss how each member feels about the budget and the spending, and whether they can see room for improvement, or suggest a change of direction.

Read the comments also since there are a couple of good suggestions as well. Hope you learn something!

May 27, 2010

Readbud $50 Request for Payout!

Finally, after agonizing over the fact that I am 2 cents away from the $50 payout level and the website has given me only 2 articles to read and rate yesterday (usually it's more like 20+), I reached the payout level of Readbud.com today, and I am anxiously awaiting for them to pay me!


When I do receive the funds I will post the proof of payment here!

On a different note, I am nearing the $10 payout level of MyLot.com so I'm expecting to receive my very first payout from them in a month's time I hope?

I've received a couple of insurance quotes and hopefully my regular flow of earnings online will help me pay those bills!

May 13, 2010

Insurance Bills

I got a letter from the bank informing us of the renewal of our home insurance. I was pleasantly relieved that the amount went down, though I'm not sure if the terms are the same. In this new one, Acts of God are not included in the "fire and lightning" insurance. This reminded me of the time when I was checking on car insurance reviews last year and our provided told us that Acts of god are no longer included. I had to battle it out with them because their billing and terms included it, and they shouldn't change it when I'm about to pay already.

Now I'm just waiting for the next insurance bill, which is the Mortgage Redemption Insurance. I hope the amount is lower too than last year, hehehe. Then late this year, car insurance again.

Apr 27, 2010

PINT: All About Money

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All About Money

All About Money 2 All About Money 3


But Seriously...

All About Money

Mar 23, 2010

Tempted To Max

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I've been into blog hopping this morning, and honestly I'm a little tempted to fully utilize my blog, i.e. maximize blog earnings by putting ads and be all out and active in links swaps, adgitize, entrecard, etc. Blame it on the blog post I read, where the blogger earns more than US$ 500 a month through blogging. That's quite enough to push through with Orlando vacations plans! Hahaha.

But much as I want to, I am still not fully convinced and up for it. I prefer that my blog is still a simple one, where all my thoughts, ramblings, and musings on the joys of living are, well, blogged.

Mar 21, 2010

Small Bump Ahead


Didn't realize the Holy Week schedule will cause some complications in our budget. It's just a small bump and I know things will fall into place. But still, I feel a little anxious. Don't want to say stressed.

Breathe.

Mar 15, 2010

And So I Must Save

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It is a funny thing that I did not include purchasing a new laptop in our budget. Maybe it's because I have always assumed that the husband will give in to me and let his laptop stay with me. Alas, he really wanted to bring it, and of course, I could not say no. After all, it is his laptop.

So now, I have revised our budget. A considerable dent, I must say (hehe) but it's ok. Since I now stay at home, I have more time to research on how to be a more frugal person in times like these. Sure, I had time to do this, but maybe there are more tips out there, especially on how to deal with bills and keeping them at bay. It is very nice that Meralco has done its part by having this tool to compute the electricity usage of one's household. But how about other bills, right?

I came across this website, called Billshrink.com, a personalized savings tool that gives people options when looking for services such as mobile phone subscriptions, credit cards, and the like. For example, credit cards.

Each credit card company (for example, Mastercard) have different things to offer: lower interest rates, points, annual fees, etc. With Billshrink, consumers are given the opportunity to compare credit cards and determine what among the various choices would suit them best, according to their lifestyle, spending habits, or what have you. What's nice is that this web-based tool gives you updates should there be any changes in Billshrink CD rates and all.

I for one am also concerned about the rising oil prices. With Billshrink, one would know at what the best gas stations are based on one's individual profile. Now isn't that amazing? Not to mention that it also offers to give comparison for wireless carriers.

This website actually focuses three of the major bills that we face every month. Wouldn't it be nice if a tool could help us to determine which one is the best for us?

Unfortunately though this is only applicable to US residents. I'm still hoping that one day, there will be a similar savings tool for us here. But do check it out!

Feb 22, 2010

Query on Canyon Woods

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I received a query on Canyon Woods when I posted THIS blog entry a few weeks back...

To answer...

Hi Roy! Thanks for dropping by my blog...

1. On Using the Free Accommodation
I havent used my free accommodation because we are still thinking on whether we use it locally (Bora or Batangas) or internationally (Malaysia). Using it in Canyon Cove (Nasugbu, Batangas), one of their establishments, is possible - it really is a nice place. I hope though that when we use our free accommodations itnernationally, we will not be disappointed!

2. On the Membership
Sayang, you didnt get the investment (i call it that). We went to Canyon Woods over the weekend and I was finally convinced that the investment we made was well worth it. The facilities were good, and there are a lot of activities you can do while you're staying there, even just for the day. What got me more interested was the clause to convert the membership to be a downpayment when we decide to buy a property there. The place is really nice and we have decided that when budget permits, we will get a property of our own there, even without relinquishing our membership. I just hope that the place will be maintained and further expand (I'm sure it will on both accounts since Canyon woods has been operational for quite some time already).

Let me know if you are still interested in it, maybe I can try to convince our agent. The cost depends on what membership you get, but it is relatively cheaper compared to others, given the scope and privileges you get out of it. Can't really say how much because they said the price changes and the one I got might be cheaper than the price now. And there is no hassle when it comes to requirements - no need for an online credit report for you to be eligible for membership.

Hope this helps, and you guys, let me know if you are interested. There's no harm in hearing them out.

Jan 28, 2010

Insurance / Healthcard Concerns

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One of my benefits in my previous company is to be covered by life insurance. I am fortunate enough that when I resigned, my insurance was not canceled, which means I am still covered. However, this package will expire this year, July to be exact. After that, I am no longer covered by it. Don't know though if I can continue because it is part of a corporate package, and if ever this can be done, I have yet to ask for the new life insurance quotes because I'm quite sure it will be more expensive. Good thing though is that I got myself an insurance package a few years back, but I feel that the amount is too small, hehehe.

Same goes for our health card. Our cards weren't canceled, but they are also expiring this end-Feb. Hubby's company will provide us health cards too but I don't know when they will be activated. He has been haggling with his office for quite some time but there's still no final word on this. Argh.

Maybe while waiting i should really really take care of our family and pray hard that no major illnesses will come our way.

Jan 13, 2010

Canyon Woods Vacation Club

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Last night we went to the office of Canyon Woods to claim our prize (3 days 2 nights trip to Boracay, Malaysia, Thailand, or Indonesia) after being picked in one of their raffle draws. The catch was for us to just listen to what they had to offer. And did we listen.

You see, there are two things I wish we could have without spending much: travel and a place of our own in Tagaytay. God knows how many times we have scouted for a space in that lovely vacation city, which we could call our own.

Turns out Canyon Woods has what you call the Vacation Club which gives us an opportunity to travel and at the same time avail of accommodation and facilities in any exclusive Canyon Woods place (Canyon Woods, Canyon Cove). AT A MUCH CHEAPER COST. No need to worry about accommodation in other countries. Just your travel fare hehehe. What's more, if we tire of taking holidays, we can choose to convert our share into either a house and lot or a unit in any of their place (just pay for the balance - less the prevailing price of the share).





There's so much more but we signed up on the spot. Talk about impulse purchase right?

Hahaha.

But seriously, we consider this an investment, and the terms of payment are not that taxing. A dent in our savings budget, but I'm sure (and I hope so!) that signing up is well worth it.

If you are interested to know more about it, just PM me.

Jan 11, 2010

Aligning Budgets: Insurance

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The OC in me strikes me again, so now I am in this process of re-aligning our budget with our projected expenses and savings for the year. Ever since I became a SAHM I have been very mindful of our expenses, and so far, I can say that I succeeded in some cases, and in some I didn't. Hehehe.

The expenses that most likely will increase this year are the insurances both for our condo and for our car. Although I am still praying that these will either maintain their levels like last year or even be lower, I should also anticipate an increase. We have no control over the insurance for our condo but maybe for the car we can scout for discount auto insurance packages. This is if our current insurance provider will change the terms of our previous policy, where "Acts of God" is covered. You see it used to be part of the policy and last year they informed me that they will charge 25% more for it to be covered. Talk about them "taking" advantage of the Ondoy incident! Hahahah.

Oh well. We're still within budget but our savings will be lessened a bit.

Oct 24, 2009

What to Get?

It's that time of the year when car maintenance and renewal of auto insurance is a must-do/have, and though I am ok with me bringing the car to the casa and wait for a couple of hours (hello High Street!), I feel a bit glum about paying auto insurance. I didn't know it was that expensive! Hahaha. Anyway, I got a quotation from my current insurance provider, and it's a pleasant surprise that I received another quotation from a different company. The new one is way cheaper but then I realized that the terms are a bit inferior too. So I went to their website and asked for a quotation of an upgraded insurance online but no reply.

Unfazed, I called up the company and informed them I received their offer but I wanted something that is similar to our current one. Turns out that price was the same for both, so I guess I'll just get from our current provider.

Bills, bills, bills. Ack. Hahaha!

Oct 6, 2009

Practical, Low-Cost Work at Home Business Ideas

Just want to share this article for all you WAHMs or SAHMs out there (that will include me!)

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Looking for a way to earn some extra cash? Want to eventually earn a nice income and perhaps even quit your job? Without first quitting your present job or spending a fortune? Check out the following ideas and see if any one interests you.

This list is neither complete nor exhaustive, and shall continue to be up-dated.

1. Garage cleaning: Most garages need cleaning or complete overhaul. It is a task that many people will gladly pay someone else to do for them. You could be that someone else. Offer your services to home owners, especially in medium to high income brackets.

2. Commercial cleaning: Residential or business (office) cleaning is in demand, and some people are cashing in and making nice incomes. Offer business and/or upper income residents to do their office/home cleaning work. You choose to be paid room, square foot or hourly.

3. Concierge/Corporate Concierge: Help with tasks like picking up dry cleaning, returning videos, finding limousine services, event planning, taking cars for oil change etc.

4. Child Day Care: A child day care in your home if you have a basement or extra room/space. You need to purchase small chairs and tables, games, toys, and outdoor play items. Prices vary with area or neighborhood. Most states require a license and some training, especially 1st Aid and Child CPR.

5. Information Abstractor: You sum up an article into a paragraph or two, without losing the essence. You have to be fast and knowledgeable in your chosen field.

6. Errand Service: You charge hourly to perform a wide variety of errands for clients. Busy moms, single parents, executives and seniors are good targets.

7. Web Writer: Track down articles on certain subjects. A genuine interest or knowledge in the subject helps a great deal here. You put the pieces together to make one tasty snack.

8. Relocation Consultant/Specialist: Your work is to help new people moving into a city find a home/apartment, job, schools etc. according to need. This works best in high-population cities.

9. Perfumer: Play around with different combos of essences until you come up with a fragrance that's pleasant and unique.

10. Personal Shopper: Not to be mistaken with Mystery Shopping (below). Your job is to shop for busy executives. You charge hourly, and might include gift wrapping.

11. Mystery/Secret Shopper: You get paid to pose as a customer and shop at department stores or malls. Your work is to report back to the company about service, cleanliness etc. You get paid hourly or by gift certificates, and in most cases you keep your purchases.

12. Personal Chef: Requires great culinary skills or you be a trained chef. As a personal chef, your work is to create and prepare great-tasting customized meals for individuals and families (that can afford the service, of course). Farther info: United States Personal Chef Association.

13. Bed & Breakfast: You need an extra room or two that you can rent out. You don't need an extra bath but highly recommended. Best around tourist attractions. Breakfast can be simply coffee and/or juice and a bowl of cereal.

14. Computer Tutor: If you have a knack for working with computers you can earn some extra cash helping newbies to learn how to operate systems.

15. Export Agent: Learn the basics of exporting (the better if you've worked with exporting firms). Offer exporting services to small-medium companies/manufacturers for a commission.

16. Resume Writer: Many people find resume writing scary and would gladly pay someone else to do it for them. You can make a full-time living in Resume writing- some resume writers make six-figure incomes!

17. Hair Care: If you're good at cutting/styling hair, offer to cut or style at home or at work. Charge slightly lower than the barbershop/salon. This saves busy people time and money. You could arrange to do this on regular basis, so they get their hair done regularly and you have a steady income.

18. Lunch/Dinner Delivery: Most people would like a nice home-cooked meal, but don't want or have no time to do the cooking. If you're a good cook you can offer to deliver home cooked meals for lunch, dinner or both. You could also specialize in ethnic dishes if you have a large population of a certain community in your area.

19. Drop Shipping: Sell products that you don't have to ever store, ship or even touch. Buy on wholesale price and sell on retail. Better still, you get to use your customers' money to buy the products that you've already sold. This is the beauty of something called Drop Shipping. The drop shipper packs and ships the products to your customer in your name. How sweet is that?

20. Candle Making: People, women especially, love candles for themselves or as gifts. They would especially love unique handcrafted, scented candles. This could be both fun and financially rewarding for you.

21. Crocheting: If you're good at or are interested in crocheting, you can make some extra cash from this. Better still, this is something that can be done at odd moments-what's better than to earn some money utilizing time that would have gone to waste, while doing something you love?

22. Photography: Banks, insurance and advertising companies need up to date and accurate photographs of cars, boats and properties. It's impractical to have company representative in all areas and will gladly pay someone to do this. You could be that someone.

23. Online Auctions: People are making handsome incomes from home through online auctions, especially eBay™. And no, it's not about emptying your garage (what happens when your garage runs out of stuff?). Also works well with Drop Shipping (#19 above).

Remember, you need very little money to start a work at home or home business venture, and you can start in your spare time.

Oct 3, 2009

Good Decision 6 Years Ago

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Yesterday all of us in the office has received a Memo telling us to update our dependent's information regarding our life insurance. I don't know but I felt a little sad that I will no longer enjoy this benefit, given that I have already resigned and is less than a month away from being a full-pledged SAHM. It comforts me though that a few years back, I got myself a "not so" cheap term life insurance when it was the craze in our office back then. At that time I really felt it was very expensive for me, but I still went ahead and got one. At least aside from the insurance, the policy also includes living benefits such as medical/hospitalization assistance and money-back guarantee.

I have been meaning to get hubby a life insurance too, even if he has one when he is onboard. You know, just to be on the safer side. Well, maybe i should push for it and add it in our budget. We'll see.

But for now, I am just really glad that I made a right decision to get one. I just hope that the company where I got my insurance is still sound! Cross fingers!

Oct 1, 2009

Finance 101: Having Your Cake and Eating It Too!

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I was busy cleaning up my yahoo email account when i stumbled across this article I made five years ago. See I used to be the How-To Girl in a local community website for women, and now I want to share what I have written before.

Gash, I can't believe I wrote this, hahaha. I think my target audience was single women with thriving careers. I didn't edit it so read on, learn, and laugh!

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Finance 101: How to Have your Cake and Eat It Too!


After being barraged by three credit card balance statements all at once almost two years ago, I had a sudden realization: My debt amounted to something similar to the cost of a simple Bulgari watch, and my savings? The shoes I was wearing that time even had a higher cash equivalent. Yes, after three years of work, I had no savings, no investments, no security for rainy days. I decided back then to do something about it, and was really obsessed with sorting my finances properly and build my nest egg.


Two years later, thanks to Quicken Software, Excel, and the book “Three Black Skirts”, I am glad that I have found the right techniques on how to budget and save, yet still enjoy the fruits of my labor. Read on to find out my tried, tested, and successful techniques!


Set up a Budget


  1. Know your net worth. Net worth means the total amount of money you have against the total debt you owe. This will gauge whether you are down on the reds, barely afloat, or financially sound (if this is the case, good for you girl!).
  2. Check your balances. Enumerate the amount of money you receive every month (monthly income, receivables, interests earned from your investments, if any) and find the total. Then list all your expenses. If you want more realistic figures rather than mere approximations, file all your expenses for one month, then put together similar expenses. Segregate these whether they are fixed (meaning those expenses you can’t avoid, such as groceries, rent, debt payments, insurances, etc) or variable (entertainment, dining, clothes, cosmetics, salon trips, etc). Get the total of each type of expense, and subtract them from your total monthly income. The resulting figure is the amount that’s left for you to either save or splurge.
  3. Set your goals. Take a hard look at what you scribbled in #2 and then determine how much money you want to save, either for the whole year, or per month. They say save at least 10% of your take-home pay, but of course, you can do more than that. Keep this in mind and incorporate this in the next step.
  4. Set up a budget. This is simple really. Determine first the period of your budget – monthly, every 15th day. Then, based on your actual expenses, look on what areas you can save, then set limits on how much you will only spend on a particular category, i.e. PhP 1,000 a month for clothes, PhP 500 for entertainment. At this point, incorporate your savings goal. Or you can do the reverse. What I did first was to subtract my fixed expenses AND my savings goal, then budget the remaining amount to the different splurges I incur. Remember, be austere but be realistic.
  5. Keep track of your progress. I know this will sound tedious, but make an account of your daily expenses. It is best to use a program such as Quicken (thank God for this!) or make a simple accounting using Excel. I use both, the former for more extensive scrutiny of my financial dealings, the latter for easier overview of my progress. This part is very important, as this tells you whether you are within your budget or totally way off.
  6. Stick to your budget. Every quarter however, check if your budget is still working for you or if you need to adjust some parts, like adding more to your savings if your income increases or if you have spare money because you already zeroed-out your credit card debt.


How to deal with Credit Card Debt


  1. Pay more than the minimum amount. Whatever happens, always remember this rule. In your budgeting process, set an amount for paying off your credit card debts, then stick to this until your debt balance states “0.00.” Never sacrifice however the amount you want to save – you may reduce this a bit for a certain amount, but never let a month go by without you putting something to your savings. And lastly, always pay before your due dates. Late payment fees are a pain in the neck.
  2. Know yourself. Use your credit card with diligence and control. Two years ago having my credit cards is a big temptation. After setting my goals, I now bring them around for emergency purposes and without having the itch to swipe. If you are not that confident though, leave your credit cards behind or cut them! Minimize use of your credit card by using debit cards instead. These cards subtract your expenses from your account the day itself (thank God for BPI Express Payment!). As much as possible, pay your bills in full, as they may incur interests (ouch). If however you have outstanding balances, pay your usual amounted budget PLUS all other additional charges you have made.
  3. Consolidate debt into just one credit card. Many credit card companies offer this option and give you lower rates. Plus, it is easier to pay and lower the risk of you forgetting to pay other credit card accounts.

Pay Yourself: Saving and Investing for the Future


  1. Pre-need and insurance plans. There is a difference between the two, although some insurance plans incorporate living benefits similar to pre-need plans. Pre-need plans include pension plans, education plans, and memorial plans. Insurance plans are those that give money to those who you will leave behind when you pass away. When it comes to all these, know the details of each plan and benchmark. Be practical and get a plan that fits your lifestyle and your wallet. Remember to incorporate this as part of your budget, and consider this as one of your savings and investments.
  2. Window shop. Not the usual exercise we do at the malls, silly! What I mean is check out the different products and services banks offer to their clients. Place your idle or excess money in either time deposit accounts or special savings account. These accounts can at least be left untouched for specific time periods, and even though the rates aren’t that inspiring, just think that at least your money earns something. Lastly, add more to it every month and make this grow!
  3. High risks, high rewards. For those who are more adventurous when it comes to investing, remember that high rewards often entail high risks. You can invest your money on stocks, government bonds, or in trust funds. Do not neglect these investments. Monitor them and be aware of the factors that can raise or lower your investment’s worth. Seek advice from a financial asset manager, befriend your stock broker, and keep abreast of the latest scoop on the financial world.
  4. Find other means of generating income. If you are talented in the arts, do some freelance work! Some teach in universities at night or every Saturdays. Some do graphics and photography. Look into yourself and check what else you can do, I’m sure you’ll find one! Note however that what you get out of your sidelines, allot some or all of it to your savings.



Don’t be too stressed when it comes to trying to be financially sound. Tracking your money should be fun, entertaining, exciting, and a learning and disciplining experience. What is important is for you to enjoy your hard-earned money today, but also to prepare yourself for the future and unforeseen emergencies. This should not stop you from buying the shoes you’ve been eyeing or spending time with your best friend over a couple of martinis! Discipline, control, and prioritizing are the key elements to be a winner in letting your nest egg grow.

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