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"If you cannot control your emotions, you cannot control your money." - Warren Buffet The Problem I am dangerous when i'm stressed or having issues with my self-esteem. I swipe my card and I slash my savings. Good things those moments come few and far between. But the main culprit that hinders me from attaining financial freedom is the 'upgrade' in lifestyle and that need (or more aptly - want) to 'reward' myself for a day's hard work in the form of food. Kapag na-stress - kain tayo sa masarap! Kailangan masarap. Bawal magutom, marami pa akong gagawin. I can't believe I have been spending more than 10% of my net pay on food! But my growing waistline is enough proof. I feel the need to be up-to-date when it comes to gadgets which explains the recent impulsive purchase of Samsung Galaxy S4 even though I still have an iPhone 4s that works just fine. Ewan ko ba. Then the news of iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s came out. I wanted to trade-in my S4! And I stil...

I am in a bad mood. I am sad, close to depressed. Drama queen is reporting for duty. Eh kasi naman , I accounted for my assets, liabilities, income and expenses last night to put all those preaching about personal finance into action. And I was not happy with the result.  visit Real Living magazine website It did not help that we went to the  RL Space exhibit  today and learned how much like this and like this and like this will  cost . The pressure to cut down on expenses is on.  I need to be more prudent in my spending. I should avoid going to the mall (I almost bought a camera today despite of the current state of my financial health).  I should also cut down on my food costs.  Kain kasi ng kain ng kain ng kain. Walang katapusan. :) I should continue to pray for good health for myself and my family. We have had financial setbacks from the previous years due to sickness in the family - from my laparascopic surgery to TL#1's bout with the kawasaki ...

This week, I made another slightly major purchase of a 'want'. I feel giddy and guilty. photo grabbed from Egandeula's Sari Sari's Facebook Page So I'm sitting here on top of my uncomfortable high chair, in front of a borrowed laptop (my husband's), willing myself to start on my financial plan. To be fair to myself, I am not starting with nothing. I have some savings. But to be realistic, I am an employee, part of the (hard) working middle class. I have two kids, one of school age (4 years old). The husband and I are bracing ourselves for a major borrowing commitment (his part of the commitment) and a major unavoidable expenditure (my commitment) in the next 3 to 4 months. Now if I could just win the lotto. Not that thought again. :) If you are like me, let's not despair. I have just read this article on www.brighterlife.com.ph on How an Employee Can Prepare for Retirement . Th e article says if we, ordinary Juans (and Juanas), can save 20% of our net pay co...

Fresh from the Personal Finance Session we attended last weekend, I tried to be thrifty today by spending not more than P200 on meals. Believe me, that's an accomplishment if you work in the Makati Central Business District! With P168, I had a satisfying lunch at Wee Nam Kee. We used to avoid going inside the restaurant because it looked expensive. It turns out, they offer yummy dish at a reasonable price! photo courtesy of Zomato Check out their menu and prices here . But the better part of the day is that our dinner of pizza, pasta and ice cream were free! Thanks to Bank of Philippine Islands' (BPI)  SHOP ANYWHERE and get Pizza, Tacos and Ice Cream – FREE  ! Promo Promo period is from May 15 to July 31, 2013. Redemption is until September 29, 2013. To qualify, cardholder should use his BPI Express Credit Classic or BPI Express Credit MasterCard within the promo period for a minimum single purchase transaction of P2,000, P6,000, or P12,000 at any merchant. (Transaction shoul...

The husband and I joined the Brighter Life session on Personal Finance last Saturday, September 7, at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (CBTL) at Net Lima in Bonifacio Global City. I blogged about my takeaways from the session here . Since I found the session insightful, I am sharing with you the upcoming sessions in the Personal Financial Planning series being rolled out by Sun Life Financial Plan. September 12 - Money & Career 7 pm - 9 pm, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Burgos Circle September 21 - Money Matter for Mommies 10 am - 12 nn, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Net Lima September 28 - Marriage & Money 10 am - 12 nn, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Net Lima All sessions are held in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. You can register thru brighterlife.eventbrite.com. I think the registration opens on the week of the event. The session itself is free and you will also be treated to a light breakfast and free coffee (in my case, hot chocolate). Aside from the insights, we also took home a S...

It's a good thing the husband was able to buy us (free!) 'tickets' to the Brighter Life Session on Personal Finance by Sun Life Financial. The session was held this Saturday, September 7, from 10 in the morning to 12 noon at the spacious Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Net Lima in Bonifacio Global City. We live nearby so we got to the venue early and had the chance to meet and chat with some Sun Life Financial Planners. Randell Tiongson of www.randelltiongson.com was the invited no nonsense resource speaker. It was a time well-spent and I came home with a number of takeaways. Financial Literacy As an accountant by profession, I am financially literate in theory. I mean I understand cash flows, the concept of income and loss and the analysis of which scenario would bring in more profit or savings. The problem is I don't apply those skills to my personal finances. I should. We should. Which leads me to my second takeaway... Personal Finance Personal Finance = 80% Behavior + 20%...