DIY Gifts for Ninongs and Ninangs

Few more days to go and it's Christmas! And Christmas is the spirit of giving. Most kids anticipate load of gifts from their godparents since this merry season is for them. When my son was 3, we started to give simple Christmas tokens as presents to his Ninongs and Ninangs. That was the time when he already knew how to write. The purpose of it is for him to know who are his godparents and have a special communication with them, that gifts need not to be too expensive and let him understand (little by little) the meaning of "giving"- expecting nothing in return. Yes, not expecting in return. You see, my son has Ninongs and Ninangs who are in tight budget, no work or money are just enough for their own families. We know these things, they're our friends. But their status is not a problem when we chose them as our son's second parents. You may check again my previous post about them. 

Investments Under In-Trust For (ITF) Account

On my previous post, I have written about opening a mutual fund in-trust for (ITF) accounts for kiddos as Christmas present. As I browse my FB account this morning, I came across a financial group who previously discussed about ITF accounts. 

Opening question: Paano po mangyayari if namatay si parent tapos ka-OR sa account ang anak, would the funds also be included in the estate? Madali lang ba to transfer the account to the child if nag legal age na? 

Books Are Man's Other Best Friend

Oh, thank you Lord for giving back our connection. Line wasn't disconnected due to late payment but limbo started due to series of brown-outs here in our area - this excuse said by PLDT. It took us almost 2 weeks of continuous follow-ups.  Now I understand that in some point (as most people think), Abraham Maslow had included the web/internet part of man's hierarchy of needs. 

However, I'd better thought of a good alternative this time rather than confined myself with negative thoughts. So while waiting,  I just invested my time reading old books. And I even read my son's children books. I just went back to the basic. Old-school reading still remains a delightful experience for me. 

Books are obviously man's best friend with no ability to bark but gives him the best company. ",)

Book: 8 Simple Secrets To Raising Entrepreneurs

I basically invest my time and money on books. Novels, self-help, financial and parenting are my kind of selections. Books are my best friends.  They are most helpful whenever I need a little push to sleep. One of my best possessions is the GoNegosyo: 8 Simple Secrets to Raising Entrepreneurs. I got it as a birthday gift from Dear Hubby. He really knows me. I would rather get food or a book as a gift.

Mandatory Philhealth Coverage of Senior Citizens

I was at my parents' house this morning when their senior citizen barangay coordinator came to update them of their contributions. I heard them discussing about the mandatory Philhealth coverage of senior citizens. Lola Coordinator (I forgot her name) said that all senior citizens are automatically enrolled as members. They only have to show an ID that will prove they are senior citizens, and they can receive from the hospital the corresponding benefits due PhilHealth members. This is good news that they'll have their own health insurance. Malaking tulong. No need to go to Philhealth office. However, I'm not quite satisfied with this bahala na remark that at the hospital they just have to show up with their ID and no need to formally register at Philhealth. It will be more prone to fraudulence if without a master list of certified members. According to reports, there are approximately 6.1 million senior citizens in the country. On the second thought, nadadaya rin naman ng mga kurakot kahit sa anong paraan. 

Walk The Talk

Last Friday morning on my way home,  I chanced upon talking to a friend. She is quite worried on what to wear for their Christmas party. Their company's theme for this year is anime. I told her that there are trendy shops where she can rent costumes. She may get a costume for as low as Php300 to thousands depending on the complexity of the design. Or if she's creative enough, she may just searched online tutorials on DIY costumes. Yet, she is more worried because their boss is asking their department to customize their costumes with their boss' friend mananahi. I told her that's a nice idea so they'll fit their costumes well. However, customizing with their boss' friend mananahi costs Php3,500. What Php3500???? 

Just A Matter Of Choice

My old keyboard and I were "partners" for years. However, some keys weren't functioning well so keeping it was a hassle. Last week we were issued  new keyboards. At last! I requested for a new one last year but only got it this time. 

On the Brighter Side

True

Photo credit: ANC on the Money

Sori Papa

Last Wednesday night before I left the house, my son was playing with his building blocks. Blocks were scattered all over the floor. I heard Dear Hubby always reminded him to fix up his toys or he'll step on them and might cause accident. Busy playing and at full attention on his toys, he didn't care to move or follow what his dad told him to do. Still, Dear Hubby kept on saying " Anak, mga laruan mo ayusin please..." as politely as ever. Dear Hubby's nature is always to speak diplomatically. He always believes that lahat ng tao (o bagay) ay nadadaan sa magandang usapan. He's not an Ilonggo, he's from Cavite actually. In this case, I didn't intervene (or I'll be late for work.). I just allowed Dear Hubby to do his way. 

Amen.

A Different Kind of Gift For Your Child

Photo credit: pbs.org

We can now feel the cool breeze of Christmas. This also means cash blessings on the way. Almost all are very excited to receive (and some just did) their bonuses and 13th month pays. I just heard from the news this morning that half of the 13th month pay of government employees will be given this week. Yahoo!  But before you think of spending your bonuses right there and there for parties, gadgets, travels and appliances, why not "spend" them wisely for the betterment of your future. Specially for parents, this is the perfect time to give a different kind of gift to your kids. Way better than giving out toys, clothes or gadgets (Ipad, newest cellphone model...), why not give your kids something that will benefit them in the future. Let this be the start of their exciting financial journey.  

When My Son Learns Most

Last week, I promised my son that I'll cook carbonara for him this weekend. Since it's payday, I set a budget for his request. But I had to bring him with me to the supermarket 'coz Dear Hubby wasn't available yesterday morning to look after him. Then I thought, it will also be a good opportunity for him to put into practice his lessons in kindergarten about reading, place value and greater than / less than. Before we left, I reminded him of our rule: no buying of toys since our primary purpose was just to buy groceries. Of course as a kid who's still into toys, " Ma, tingin lang po ng toys. Promise no buying." 

To Work Abroad Is Not For Me

Two months ago, I bumped into someone on my way to my son’s school. He was my seatmate in second year high school. I hardly recognized him ‘coz he gained much weight. His nephew also studies in the same school where my son is. Actually, I’m a bit hesitant to stop for a small talk ‘coz of the feeling that he might offer me a MLM business. I am off with networking since selling is not my forte plus I had a bad experience before with a MLM “guru”. I politely declined an offer but on the same night after the meet-up, I saw that person’s post at FB- “ dami talaga mga taong walang pangarap, ayaw umasenso…basta ako, GO POWER!” I have no time to deal with such egocentric person. That person’s red car really didn’t add appeal either. A sick kind of marketing blah-blah for me. If  that person’s mission was to help uplift the economic status of an average worker like me then thank you. However, it’s  unprofessional to say any dead duck remarks if you got a NO.  

Prayer for Financial Blessing

A  former colleague from my first work  10 years ago shared it to me and I just want to share the same to others.

God bless everyone!

A Simple Advice of Sir Kiko

Baby Next

My girlfriend and I got the chance to chat online this morning. She's the one I mentioned who will have a baby next year. This will be her third baby. Her eldest is 7 years old and second is 5 years old. The third baby on the way is really unexpected. She thought that her 5yo was the last. She and her husband had difficulty conceiving (again). Thank God for this coming blessing. She then asked when will we our next. My son is already 5yo and pwedeng-pwede nga naman na masundan. She's right actually and I know for the fact that it is lonely to be an only child. 

Note to Self

Panda Eyes

To work in a graveyard shift has been a way of life (I guess) for me. I can freely do some errands like go to the market for fresh food, pay utility bills and attend my son’s school activities or simply help him out with his homeworks without the thought of taking (and exhausting all) leaves from work. At the time of this writing, my son's homework were completed and we already finished our lunch. And in few minutes, I will be Sleeping Beauty. ;P 

The Week That Was

Last week was a blast when I took our department's quarterly shift rotation. Being a nocturnal, dealing with the shenanigans of broad daylight really means big adjustment. From waking up at 530am to catch the early ride to work to sleeping early at 8pm (target time) to avoid looking like a zombie in the morning. I often felt restless having a day shift schedule. I can only prepare dinner and scan my son's notes. On my regular graveyard schedule, I work at 9pm til 8am. I can still do errands once I got home then sleep at 1pm. I wake up at 6 or 7pm for dinner and help my son to review his lessons. 

However, the past week was a blessing as a whole. I got to meet the other day shifters (newly hired) and seemed like new acquaintances with those old souls. There were mixtures of giggles and dramas. 

Good vibe Monday :)

" The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Thank you Lord for our families.

G.G.S.S.

I encountered a group of high school students on my way home from work. We were all seated very close to each other inside the jeepney that I heard their talkings. "G.G.S.S. talaga yang si XXX. Palpak naman.Kakainis!",said one of the girls. The others also commented on how they felt irritated with XXX. I was so clueless to what G.G.S.S meant. I felt that I was too old to know what was this new term then I texted Dear Hubby for help :)

Nanay is In!

Yes, Nanay is now into investing. 

In my previous post, I have shared how Nanay manage her funds through jar system. All her cash and coins are orderly distributed per use. Yesterday when I visited her and Tatay, she told me to "invest" (she used this term) her allotted savings of my son for his education. I asked her to where? I just want to clarify if she's referring to a specific bank or an investment vehicle she knows. She then answered mutual fund. Wow! Si Nanay alam ang mutual fund. Honestly, I was surprised. I asked her how did she know about investing in mutual fund. Whenever I share to her about it before, she just say "ok". She didn't even care to ask what was it all about or even said something in contrast. " Nabasa ko un Sun Life ni Piolo at naikwento ng Auntie mo maganda ito." So, thank you Papa P for opening Nanay's mind about investing. My aunt is her eldest sister living in the US whom I mentioned sending her monetary gifts. Auntie has insurance and mutual funds with Sunlife in the US. She had explained most probably to Nanay how investing goes when she called a few days ago. 

Inspiration from the Human Exclamation Point*

*http://www.joyamartin.com/zig-ziglar/

I don't Take NO for an Answer ( My BDO-UITF experience)

I won't discuss much about the step by step procedures on how to open a UITF account with BDO. There are already countless blogs and sites that you can search on the net regarding those procedures. I would just love to share my experience on how I did open one. 

Today is Monday.Monday is today.

Challenge: Kids on spending and saving

It is a basic principle in personal finance to know what you really need and what you just want. True enough in adults, it takes a lot of effort enable to distinguish which is which. Things that are important and what are those we can live without. Knowing the proper concept of spending comes savings. And this challenge becomes harder when you have kid(s). 

Inspiration for the day

Tofu Thursday: Tofu in Oyster Sauce

Dear Hubby requested for this dish. A very good alternative for meaty meals. Luckily, an officemate mentioned that a magtataho always delivers taho and tofu to their house.  Yes, Manong's tofu is really fresh and smells good. Three blocks cost Php 100 or Php35 if you'll buy only one block .This dish only costs less than Php100 and is good for sharing with 4 people.

On Savings

In personal finance, it has always been a requirement to have savings. Save funds for future use. We name them as our emergency fund, health fund, travel fund, charity fund....  name it in any way you would want it to be called. The fact that you are into saving is really a big plus. 

When I was younger, there are only 2 options that I know on how to save. Either save it through banks ( if you have the cash to meet the minimum deposit requirement) or save in a piggy bank. Actually, I never had a piggy bank. I only had old milk cans or old Alaska milk boxes. I even had made my own passbook from old notebooks so as to monitor my cash , I mean my "baryas". 

My Financial Journey

I was 6 years old when Nanay opened me an account with Prudential Bank. I still remember the 1x1 picture I had that time was in black and white. I had no idea why the guy at the green table asked for my name to be written on the white cardboard. Life went on then came emergencies. I was in high school when I needed to withdraw my savings to help pay our electricity bills, for Nanay's medicine when she was hospitalized, school projects and so many more. Every time I went to the bank to make withdrawals, that same guy at the green table would say " Baby ka pa sa picture mo dito."  He was referring to my old photo on the passbook. It had been just an old memory of my savings account because before I graduated high school, there was nothing left in my fund. My passbook got two punched holes that simply meant " CLOSED ACCOUNT". Sad it may seem but that was life then. 

A Thought from RichDad :)

DIY Fabric Bouquet

It was a lovely friend's bridal shower and her farewell party a few months ago. Everyone was effervescent to throw a party for her. And any bridal shower will never be complete without a gift to the bride-to-be. I volunteered then to make a keepsake for her. But since she had to fly for the US to get married there, a keepsake that will last forever was an idea. 

I had been checking some sites for the best gift and found a fabric bouquet.Very unique and very creative. 

I had found an old dress in my closet and whole kindheartedly decided  to use it for the project. No regrets actually. And the best of it was the dress was made of 3 hues- baby pink, purple and off-white. So timely for my idea. Then I got some spare net fabric and pearls as well. Everything was so meant to be. I just bought a pomelo-colored thick ribbon and some jewels. Total cost for this project? Php35 only. Here was the tutorial that helped me a lot. 

So glad that she not only liked it but loved it. 

Congratulations again dear sis! Hope to see you again :)

Take down some notes

I found this meme hilarious. Guilty as I may seem, I am currently doing this whenever I fetch my son from school . Gone were the days when the parent or someone who was tasked to fetch the child in school will stay inside the classroom to take down notes. This usually  happens whenever the child was not able to take down notes because he was so excited to leave or just simple lazy that day. I remember back then when Nanay will fetch me in school and before we leave the classroom she’ll check my notebooks one by one so as to know if I did write or take down notes. And if I did not, she will ask permission from my teacher to copy the lessons of the day and even asked her how it was done especially in Math. Nanay is really one-of-a kind. Now with my son in kindergarten , it is very important to check their lessons for the day. My son’s penmanship itself is still a work in progress. Instead of me writing those what were on the board, I just simply take photos of them.

Baptismal Anniv

I believe all of us knows when our birthdays are. Either celebrate it pompously or simply, celebrations are part of our culture. But if asked, do you still know when were you baptized?

We never celebrated this in my home when I was little. But when I started to have a family of my own, we do celebrate it. Both Dear Hubby and I were baptized on December 30^th. This was when baptismal rites has been free of charge ( even today) because it's the city’s fiesta. We both hail from the same place by the way.  My sonny’s baptismal date was September 20^th. He was 3 months old  then.

Last month, we celebrated my son’s 5th baptismal anniversary. It was just a simple close family gathering.  He thought that it was his birthday again with carbonara, fried chicken and cake served. We were not able to invite guests but still some friends and his godparents who remembered sent their greetings. We attended the mass to start the day.  He was not given any material gift unlike during his birthdays.Good thing he did not look  for one.  We just blessed him with our prayers. As naive as ever, he just simply said “ Wow, love naman ako ni Papa God. Dalawa birthdays ko.”

My Start

                                                                                                              https://www.startmona.ph/

Ano'ng matagal mo nang gustong simulan?

It all started here. 

I am inspired by this Nescafe's newest ad campaign. It really gave me a hit. I thought of reading a new novel then I read a mystery one. I finished it in two days . Found a new recipe and tried it. Dear hubby and sonny loved it. Thank God for it passed their palates' standard. What else? Then I thought, why not start a blog for myself since I do love reading blogs. It would be nice to share my ideas and experiences with others. Hope to give inspirations to others as well. I used to have this bit of mañana habit attitude before wherein I tend to delay a certain task and ended up not doing it at all. Then I will hear myself uttered the most common dreaded expression - sayang!.  But now that I'm more mature ( I should be!) and knows to control myself, I have stop procrastinating on the things that will make me feel happy. Learning to know what to prioritize is very important. Determine what to do first, the next and so on. If a certain thing did not come up as productive as I thought it would be, then at least I have tried it. No sayangs. 

I have been thinking on what will be the best title for my blog and kazzam! momYnvestor best suited my ideals. I am a mom and also an investor. I googled the definition and got these:

Wikipedia says investment is time, energy, or matter spent in the hope of future benefits actualized within a specified date or time frame. Investment has different meanings in economics andfinance.

Investopedia says that investment is an asset or item that is purchased with the hope that it will generate income or appreciate in the future.

For me, investment is not all about money. It is about spending or giving out my time on things that will make me happy. This is the purpose of this blog. It is not much about stocks or mutual funds or insurances. I am still a student on this field. What most interest me is about life itself. I invest my time to give the best of myself to others, trying out a new product that will help me, checking out a new book,movie or recipe or just simply checking my FB account and know what's new with my friends. Spending quality with my family is already a BIG investment. I also have a friend that whenever she comes home from Manila to visit her parents, she'll post their photos and just simply label them " ang sayang hindi napapalitan ng pera". Priceless. Very.

Life is so wonderful if not explored. Just like a cute poster from our local ice cream parlor," Life is like an ice cream. Enjoy it before it melts." Makes sense.