Commitment: Take care of family.... and money.

I admire parents who raised their kids educating them about finances. I know some friends who have always been more than responsible in handling money. There are some of them who started early - savings, mutual funds, time deposits, small businesses, insurance, real estate, etc.

I was one of those who lived from paycheck to paycheck. I only began looking into it seriously when I got pregnant with Gab. I started to really look into the details of budgeting and tried to find ways on how I can catch up with the lost years when I should have been "building".

I read from financial websites and heard from videos of experts that it is never too early to start. I'm telling myself, it is never too late. When I was having lots of troubles about money, I thought I'd never get out of it. But I was certain that my family deserves MORE. So, we had to START and had to little by little DO IT.

The first step was to make a list. Monitoring the INs and OUTs really works! Then, I literally cut the plastic cards and cancelled them from the banks as soon as I finished paying up the debts. And in the process, we actually lived below our means. We had to do that to zero out all the nightmares.

We now got ourselves insurance protection and (partially ready) emergency fund. And so we are presently thinking of investing in mutual funds and/or stock market. In my effort to try and understand how it works, I came across a very useful website PESOS AND SENSE and I am so glad I saw the videos of Aya Laraya in YouTube (actually it's more like how come I am only watching this now?). I still got a lot of episodes to see but so far I learned a lot already.

"If you are going to take care of your money, it's really a commitment." - Aya Laraya

I cannot agree more. There are still a lot of things that I need to learn. And for sure the way will be, let's say long and (I want to think) happy. But for sure, we will get there. Maybe not as far as my other friends can reach, but will sure get somewhere.

The Serenity Prayer

There has been a lot of things running in my mind lately. It's as if it will soon reach the maximum gauge.

I should pause...
I should pause...
I should pause...



The Serenity Prayer

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

First 40

Once I read from a friend's Facebook post: "during the first 40 years of our lives, we are busy working and earning as much money as we could... and the next 40, spending all the money to keep ourselves healthy."

I think that there's much truth to that even if I am not even close to the first half of the years the author was talking about. Well, at least that is how I'd like to count my age.

As convinced as I am, there has been a lot of attempts to keep myself healthy for the last 10 years. It is good to know that there were times when I almost got there but really they did not last long enough to make me spend the first 40 years of my life staying healthy.

Right now, I am sitting on a bench watching people who are working hard jogging, running, biking and walking. Some of them look less than 40 and some way beyond 40. I'd like to think that whether they are on the first half or second, they are doing this to not spend all the hard earned money for the health related expenses. That's the same reason I am watching them now. I am resting and spending a bit of "me time" before I head back home from a 45 minutes jog-walk. I hope I can do this more often and be able to say my own version of that Facebook post later.

Madagascar 3, now showing!

I can't wait to see the Madagascar 3! Gab couldn't stop watching the first two movies and he's sure having fun. Sometimes he pretends that he's Alex; he calls us "steak"!! Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted will surely be another great movie date for our family.

Next step: book tickets!

Taste Buds Satisfied!

It's sinful (in a health sinful way) but it was so good ,alright?! I have been craving for Tokwa't Baboy for weeks now and today I just could not resist it any longer.

Tokwa't Baboy is one of the family's favorite and I wish to share the simple recipe and easy steps for those who might want to indulge once in a while.

1 kg pork belly (some people like it with pig's ears but pork belly is sinful enough for me)
4-6 pcs firm tofu
1 tsp whole pepper corn
salt to taste

1 1/2 cups vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp sugar
green onions
onion
chili (for those who like it spicy)

1. Put water, pork belly, pepper corn and salt in a cooking pot. Boil meat until tender. Slice into bite-sized pieces.
2. Deep fry tofu until color turns golden brown and outer texture is somewhat crispy. Cut into cubes.
3. Mix vinegar and soy sauce and let it boil. Add sugar. Let it cool down for a bit and add chopped onions and chili.
4. Serve with rice or arroz caldo. Enjoy!

I wonder what will tickle my craving taste buds next.

I want to grow the seeds

I just finished reading the article "Are You A Beggar Or A Farmer?" and I once again felt guilty of not doing enough. Time to move. Time to put some gas to the car that has been left idle in the garage. I got to work and come up with results. I don't want to be a beggar. I want to be a farmer who "receive and grow" my blessing. God ha been very generous to m and to my husband and I'm sure God wants us to grow the seeds and have "more than enough" so we can share and b a blessing to others.

I am thankful that God sends us people and materials that awaken us when we become too lazy and sleepy to realize we should be going.

*Are You A Beggar Or A Farmer by Bo Sanchez

Jake and the Never land Pirates

In one of the sources I read, a child age 4 may know a whopping 1,500 words or more though he may still mispronounce many words. In Gab's case, he mispronounces a lot of words specifically in song lyrics. Well, I guess it's not more of mispronouncing the words but unfamiliarity of the lyrics. One of the favorite theme songs he likes to sing recently is Jake and the Never land Pirates. My husband and I would laugh our hearts out each time we hear him sing this song. We wonder how he came up with his own lyrics.

Just now, I searched YouTube for this song and Google for the lyrics. For the past couple of hours, I have been playing the video and trying to sing the lyrics. It is very difficult, I realized. No wonder Gab is mumbling and faltering when singing this song.

I will master this and the next step is to make Gab familiar with the lyrics as well. I'm sure we will enjoy it more if Gab can sing this song with the right words.