If there is one thing we cannot ignore in our monthly roster of bills, it is the electricity bill — Meralco bill, for us who are based in Manila. Trying to ignore it is really not an option. Else you will find your family literally walk in the dark. I have mentioned in a few of my previous posts that I have a mom who is very prudent. I would like to think that this is one of the few values I acquired from her through my growing years.
Meralco AppCal (Meralco Appliance Calculator)
I grew up being conscious of our Meralco bill/electricity consumption. Hence, it is a default for me to not just turn off but unplug appliances that are not in use. My 6 year old son is benefiting as well even as I see him doing the same. It was during an event by Meralco last week that I learned that the Meralco AppCal is now available for download via our gadgets - iPhone, Blackberry and Android. Talk about giving us zero excuse to not be informed when it comes to us being able to take control of our electricity consumption. Thank you, Meralco! My mom will really love this App! I will have to get her an Android unit though. Wait, did I mention that one of her routines during the day (aside from blogging and her soap operas) is checking the electric meters and jotting the readings on her notebook? It used to really annoy me. But then again, it’s the OC in her that we all can actually learn from. Maybe to help us become better stewards of things that are given us. :-)
If there is one credit card issuer I am happy with, it is RCBC Bankard. I’ve been a subscriber since 1999 and we never had any major issues with them. I have 4 cards with them to date. I wish I can say the same for other credit card companies. First off, we have to remember that credit cards are not for everyone. If you do not have self-discipline, then use cash or debit card instead. I am happy to report that every single cent on our billing statement gets paid in full every month. It is the only way you can do to make the interest rate NOT work against you. This works for us even as we get away from having to pay annual fees because of our good credit standing with them.
Being frugal is not exactly popular whether it comes to the homestead or just one’s regular daily activities. Consumers’ minds are directed towards the “need” to acquire things as these numerous brands and products create that urgency for us to. And it is plain to see that the advertising world is very effective at it. Now here is another attempt to share how our family is able to afford some random luxuries because of our being frugal about regular things, activities in the house.
Merriam-Webster defines frugal as “characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources.” And it is exactly that. I have to thank my mom for raising me well especially in this arena. Two sentences that will sum up this topic:
Prioritizing is the key.
Living within our means.
Like using theselaundry balls, for instance. They do not just keep clothes from bunching together while inside the washer. They also reduce drying time by 15%. Not only will your clothes be at their best shape, you also get considerable amount of savings when you sum up all your laundry time in a year. Read the rest of this entry »
My original ArtsCow.com collection of photos that I uploaded for printing contained, give or take, 400 photos. I decided to trim it down to the online promo I am entitled to, as a new member. A hundred prints of 4R photos for only $5.99. Free shipping! That, more or less amounts to P2.70/photo or $0.06ea. Sweet!
Paying was fuss free via PayPal. I just had to try this 100pcs of 4R prints for $5.99 before I indulge to getting more photos printed. Most of which are replacements of those we lost during typhoon Ondoy, which you can read about here, here and here.
The most inconvenient it got was the waiting part. I had to wait for 23 full days before I got a notice from our local post office that I have a package waiting for me. I thought it was another book sent by Navpress or Thomas Nelson. The wait took longer than I expected. So when the package was handed to me, I was thrilled.
I feel so blessed. The Lord has definitely made Himself known to me and my family several times over, all these years. There is truth in His promises. I am mighty proud of the hubby especially for keeping to God’s calling of Him to pastor SBC-Makati, despite some odds along the way. And when I say odds, they were not just minor ones. They were huge enough that we would cry over them in prayer for years! But God saw us through. He saw our hearts. My husband who has always been the diplomatic type would always choose to step back and have the Lord fight for us and that He did!
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the LORD upholds him with His hand.
Psalm 37:23-24
If there is anything about the ministry, it is definitely NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED. Although there were challenges, everything will be bearable when your calling is clear and your purpose is set before you. Despite my being driven person, I found grace in the Lord for me to be able to submit to my husband despite the many hardships. I have several thoughts on this but I’d rather not spill everything because I know my God is bigger than all the imperfect things in this world.
This video started off the Sun Life Financial It’s Time Bloggers Event that the hubby and I were invited to, held at Buenissimo (By Café Ysabel) at the Eastwood Mall last Saturday. Although the statistics is not really new to me, it can still be pretty overwhelming when you get to the grips of how real it is.
I can say that I am blessed when it comes the influence my mother has on me. She is one prudent woman who has made sure she took care of things ahead of time. If it was not for her investing on my educational plan for college, it would have been an a challenge for my folks to send me to college, a reputable one at that. Given the tumultuous time our family was going through during that time.
Without her probably meaning to, my mom handed down this virtue to me. I figured that out when I got a hold for myself a Pension/Life Insurance plan during my first year in the bank where I was previously employed right after college. As someone who has benefited from these type of pre need plans, I was able to appreciate it as young as I was. I was probably around 22 years old then and I paid off the entire plan 5 years after.
with fellow mommy blogger Mauie
Pia Magalona and Bam Aquino shared their thoughts and experiences on insurance and financial investments. The hubby and I happen to believe that it is just right to be good stewards of whatever riches that were given to us. Even the Bible is keen about this thata good man should leave an inheritance to his children (Proverbs 13:22). If there is anything that we could do now to prepare for the future, then we should be at it.
my husband Jeff with Bam Aquino
If we should at all look at things, even young professionals could easily afford to invest, if they would just go easy on patronizing consumerism.
Wanting more or the desire to have more causes a great amount of conflict in families. George Gallup says that the number one cause of arguments in families is family finances. Sixty-five percent of all marriages argue about money.
Why do we always want more? It isn’t the money itself. It’s what we think the money will bring. We think money will bring three things.
LIES:
1. More satisfaction. All the advertisements tell us that. If you have more, you’re going to be more happy. The problem is your yearning will always exceed your earning.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.”The desire to acquire just keeps on growing. So it doesn’t bring more satisfaction.
2. More significance. We think, “If I have more then I’ll be more important. I’ll be more respected. I’ll be more powerful. I’ll be more admired. I may even be more famous. I can afford all those status symbols that prop up my ego.”
During the first year of our marriage, we started off with the hubby taking care of our finances. Everything was jotted down. A checking account was opened for better monitoring. We were idealistic. An influence of what I have picked up from Fascinating Womanhood. It teaches about the importance of the husband take control of the family finances so that the burden will be upon him like it is designed to be.
As years went on, the hubby became overwhelmed with several things that he had to take care of and he had me take over the financial management. We were better off from then. He stays on as the provider, but had me take care of monitoring alongside every single household concern. Finances have been a major part of concern in marriage. An executive director of Evansville nonprofit community of Marriage Builders said, “Finances are certainly one of the top five, if not top three, problems that marriage faces.”
It is true that money can be a major cause of discord between couples and this is the very thing that we refuse to take over our marriage. Having both come from family of origins that did not exactly practice the biblical way of handling finances, we chose to do it God’s way. We’re still not perfect but we are happy to report that with God’s help, we are able to pull through the challenges that were thrown our way. Having each other to be accountable to for every financial concern keeps us from wavering. Even as simple as the purchase of the last Adidas shoes the hubby bought, was planned. Athletic shoes can be very pricey these, so we do not just buy without considering our budget. We make sure not to mindlessly indulge and continue be good stewards of what is given us.
Personally, I give it to my mother to have instilled upon me a prudent way of living. I would honestly go for discount shoes than the pricier brands. Of course I still go for comfort so that could be a challenge but not impossible.
Money matters in marriage. In fact, it could easily cause friction if issues are not immediately resolved. Open line of communication between spouses is important to be able to talk freely about several matters, including the finances. Security in the relationship is very important. Without this, financial talk about marriage could just about be looked upon as an issue of control.
The issue of finances weighs heavily as one of the major concerns in a marriage. Even statistics have it that a lot of marriages break apart because of financial problems. As for our marriage, we have decided right from the beginning that we will keep a unified account that will represent what’s ours. Nothing like what we had when we were still dating. Marriage binds us as one and whatever we both earn separately goes to a single account — defined as ours. This is our stand and believe it is but biblical. It is included in the premise that we are not two but one. We have seen a handful of marriages crumble and it all leads back to how they handle their finances. This is especially true that majority of households all over the world are double income ones.
After having made the big switch and now that we are two months in, we are definitely satisfied with the service of our current internet provider. There really is no reason to be stuck if there’s an alternative that will provide better service. Except that in the previous years there was really no other option for us from the internet offers and we refused to go back to a dial up connection.
Do you own any regular payments coming from structured settlements, annuities, lottery winnings, government and commercial contracts and other secured future payment obligations? I you are, I encourage you to visit SetCap.com. This website is managed by Settlement Capital Corporation and its affiliates. They are committed to providing liquidity to those who own or hold periodic payment contracts like structured settlement annuities, royalties commercial contracts, etc.
Â
This financial service highly recommend its reliability, high quality service, flexibility, competence and diversity of products. The leaders of this investment company and are very credible in the jobs they hold, promoting revenue and growth and great reliability in treasury, planning and budget functions. Read the rest of this entry »
Two days ago, I called up my life insurance provider with the intention to have my account terminated for the reason that it was hooked to my credit card and I was set on canceling all my credit cards save for one, for emergency purposes. The first thing I did was check with them if there were other ways I could pay the premium aside from the automatic charge that they make via my credit card. They don’t.
To make the long story short, I was left with no other choice but keep this card that was hooked to my life insurance and that of my little guy. I know it can be very convenient, because I need not worry about forgetting to pay the monthly premium. But then again, it would have been better if they had other options for clients to pay for the premiums aside from what they solely offer.
After having paid of the hubby’s life insurance during the third year of our marriage, it was but prudent to get mine and then our son’s.
With the current global economic crisis, people cannot help but think of ways to cope and rise in the situation. As a work from home mom, I have personally felt its sting this past couple of months. Even the trivial amount we placed on a diversified investment recently sent us a report that to date we have lost 37 percent. It was more than three years ago that we gained more than 50 percent of what we invested before we had it liquidated. Everything around us tells of a crisis.
I personally look up to people who see through beyond the surface. More specifically to those who take risks despite the odds. If I only have the means, I will prayerfully look into franchises. Read the rest of this entry »
During the first few years of our marriage, the hubby and I maintained a checking account wherein we kept track of every expense our household income went to. We both found it very convenient. It allowed us to see the balance between our income and expenses, or even the lack of it. After sometime, we decided to terminate our account with our former bank because of the sudden hike of the balance we had to maintain, considering the fact that it is a non-interest earning checking account. Having been employees of banks ourselves, the hubby and I knew better. We transferred to another bank but soon after it was bought by the first bank we were with. So we really did not have the choice but to close our account. Read the rest of this entry »
I am glad to report that we are definitely seeing the light at the end of the tunnel from where we are at. We have completely paid off the outstanding balance of one of our credit cards. The hubby and I collectively have a total of four credit cards, minus the supplementary card, which generates one bill with its primary.
When I went to check with EliminateDebt.org I was encouraged to press on to eliminate debt and be more vigilant against accumulating them back. Their site reports that most adults have a minimum of two credit cards – sadly, we fall under this category. That is also one of the reasons why we paid off the aforementioned credit card balance. Before the next cycle of renewal, I would have to call them to terminate my account. That Citibank Visa was a pre-approved one awarded to me for having had a good credit standing with them the previous years. Now I know better than to accept extra cards when they come calling to bug me with another. Read the rest of this entry »
