Ang PISO Ko

Stock Market Investment Philosophy

2011-09-20T15:23:00.002+08:00

Got this from the Monthly Stock Update from Bo Sanchez for the Truly Rich Club Members. I have been so grateful to be part of this club. The Stock Updates really helped in our investments.

Here are the principles:

1. Ignore the News

Warren Buffet doesn’t bother watching CNBN (a business news channel). Can you imagine that? Warren Buffet is the richest stock investor in the world. He’d rather stick to what he studies about the specific companies he invests in. If he believes that the company is extra strong and super stable, he’ll invest in it no matter how bad the economy is. Because long term, he’ll always win.

2. Diversify Your Investments

If we’re gamblers, we’ll put all our money in one hot stock. That way, we earn more. But putting a big bet on one stock is dangerous. What if it doesn’t play out? Then we lose. Being greedy doesn’t work. Thus, we invest in five to six companies. If one or two companies don’t grow, we can live with that. Because the growth of the other three to four companies will make up for our loss.

3. Invest in Dividend-Paying Stocks

Remember that there are two ways to earn money in the stock market: capital and dividend. Capital is when the price of the stock goes up. That’s what we’re familiar with. And many of us focus on this. But don’t forget dividends. Even if the share price doesn’t go up, you gain if the company declares dividends. This will make you build wealth over time. Two of our five recommended stocks give good yearly dividends. First Philippine Holdings (FPH) gives an average of 3.5 percent a year while Aboitiz Power gives 4.4 percent a year. That’s much more than what any bank gives. There are other companies that give higher dividends (Example: PLDT gives eight percent), but we have to balance capital gains growth and dividends. We believe that our five SAM Stocks have more potential to grow than other higher dividend-paying stocks.

4. Invest Slowly Over Time

Even if you have lots of money to invest, don’t put it all in one go. I always suggest to divide their big money into 6 to 12 parts, and invest slowly, putting one part a month. So you remove the question, “Is it the right time?” Ultimately, if you invest slowly over time, the answer to that question is, “Anytime is the right time.”

5. Buy When Markets Go Down

Warren Buffett said it best: “Be greedy when others are fearful.” But people do the very opposite: Be greedy when others are greedy.” So people buy when everyone is buying and sell when everyone is selling. No wonder 85 percent of people lose money in the stock market.

Friends, today, people are fearful. Because people are losing their money. Now is the time to invest. And with the Strategic Averaging Method (SAM), I give you a Buy-Below-Price. For a couple of months now, you couldn’t buy Metrobank (MBT) because the share price went above our Buy-Below-Price. But this month, you can buy MBT because the price went below our Buy-Below-Price. This strategy will multiply your future profits, because you don’t chase a price all the way to the top.

6. Nothing Lasts Forever

For some time now, a few of our SAM Stocks are negative. Don’t worry. Nothing lasts forever. Bear markets (that’s when markets go down) don’t last. And by the way, bull markets (that’s when markets go up) don’t last either.

I have been practicing these principles together with the other truly rich club members. The updates and articles being sent by Bo helped me a lot to be on track and hands-on to our Stock Market investment.

If you want to know more about the truly rich club, click here.

To our Financial Freedom!

You are invited to NOW ATTEND the Think Rich Pinoy Seminar this Saturday, August 27, 2011!

2011-08-23T11:03:00.002+08:00

You are all invited to the next Think Rich Pinoy Wealth Seminar this Saturday, August 27, 2011, 8am to 6pm, at the L/G Skyland Plaza Bldg. Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City. The venue is very near the Makati Post Office and AXA building.

If you want to know the Theology of Money from Bo Sanchez, learn from Larry Gamboa and be inspired by the Think Rich Pinoy Team who have been investing in foreclosed properties for years in the Philippines, then this seminar is the One you’ve been looking for.

I attended this same seminar last May 15,2011. It's more than a year and here’s your chance to attend what I often refer to as a “Mindset and Life Changing” seminar. The 1st time I heard Larry Gamboa was during the Truly Rich Financial Coaching Seminar and from that time on, he already become an inspiration not just for me but also for my husband.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

1. Talk 1 - Wealth Management: Are you Financially Ready for the Future? 2. Talk 2 - The Theology of Money: Are God and Money really enemies?
3. Talk 3 - The Technology of Money: Pinoy Real Estate Riches Today and Updates
4. Talk 4 - The Legal Aspect of Real Estate Investing
5.Talk 5 - Rehabbing Real Estate Properties
6. Talks 6, 7 - Real experiences in buying and selling Pinoy Properties from the actual (young) people who did them6.The Game of Money: - Cashflow 101 and 202. Play the game for 3 hours with like-minded people, guided by seasoned experts
7. Talk 7 - The Think Rich Pinoy Franchise and Pinoy Millionaire Vision 2020

I will be one of the facilitators during the Cashflow 101 game in the afternoon. I would be more than happy to share my own experiences and answer your questions in relation to the Cashflow 101 game and how you can do it in real life.Yes, it can really be done, and it really is possible to do it all in an ethical, morally upright, and legal way! Learn all these in the seminar.

What : THINK RICH PINOY WEALTH SEMINAR
When : August 27, 2011, Saturday
Time : 8:00am - 6:00pm
Where: L/G Skyland Plaza Bldg. Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Makati
Text : 0922-810-1709 / 0917-839-5739
Email: thinkrichpinoysales@gmail.com

SEMINAR FEE:
P3,950/ US $ 89 - Early Bird Fee until July26, 2011
P 4,450/ US $ 99 - Regular Fee from July 27 - August 26, 2011
P4,950 - On the day payment (Walk-In) Fee on August 26, 2011

You can pay through Paypal or BPI bank deposit.
See payment details and additional discounts below:

Bank Deposit:
BPI Account Name: ESTI-TRP (Think Rich Pinoy)
Account No.: C/A # 8291-0083-57

PAYPAL:

Buy your seminar ticket here!

SEE YOU THERE!!!

FOCUS FOCUS

2011-02-21T16:04:00.002+08:00

Again and again. I was not able to update this blog.

I got out of FOCUS.

I wanted to do almost everything and it caused me.

Now, I wanted to focus. I need to focus.

And I will FOCUS.

I will blog about my 2010 performance and 2011 in my succeeding blog entries.

See you again!

Get Ready for Abundance Seminars this November

2010-11-02T11:10:00.002+08:00

Listed below the Seminars scheduled this Q4'10.

1.How to Become Truly Rich Seminar

by: Bo Sanchez

November 13,2010

8:30am to 12nn

Mandaluyong City

Fee: Php 497

2. Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program

by: Bo Sanchez and his Team of Financial Mentors

November 19 and 29,2010

Pasig City

Fee: Php 5,975 (inclusive of 2 meals and 2 snacks)

We're done with the first 2 seminars and we're still aiming to attend the 3rd one. I recommend all of them. I believe they are worth every cent.

Money Summit and Wealth Expo 2010 - 1st Day Only

2010-07-26T22:53:00.004+08:00

I was only able to attend the 1st day of the Summit and Expo because of prior commitments but I was able to learn a lot. I really believe that Financial Education is not expensive compared to Ignorance.

Below are the things I've noted while listening to the speakers:

A. Trace Trajano

"The Think Rich Quick System of Flipping Properties"

Why Real Estate?

I - Income or cashflow

E- Equity (loan paid by tenants)

A - Appreciation

L - Leverage

Wrong Way of making Money in RE:

1. Condo Craze

- buying on pre-selling/pre-construction

- money is tied up for 3-5 yrd and at risk w/ market fluctuations

- if rented, risk of getting a bad tenant

Affiliate Real Estate Marketing

- sell other properties first

- build buyers database

-learn how to market

- no risk of using own money

Renovations are after the ROI and Profit

How to Find Buyers

- WOM (Word of Mouth)

- COIN (Center of influence Networking)

**** Architects, Real Estate Agents, Bankers, RE investors, Contractors

- Online Ads(bahay.ph.sulit.com.ph, cariglist)

-Social Media (Facebook, LinkedIn)

Question to ask confirm a CASH Buyer ?

- What's your Financing?

B. Eden Dayrit

"Get Rich thru Rent-to-Own Properties"

Strategy: Find>Fund>Fix>Sell>Profit

How to Find Market Value

1. Zonal Value

2. Comparables

3. Income Method

Find: Auctions, Listings

Fund: Create Prospectus for Investors

Fix: Get Quotes from 3 contractors

** important is roof and bathrooms

Sell: must have a competitive price for faster sale

C. Dr. Dups delos Reyes

"Secrets of Direct Sales Superstars"

Super Sales Strategies

1. Belief - product Mastery and enthusiam

2. Listening - feel good

3. Strategy - prospects/persistence/spiritual energy

Meaning of Selling

- Oral presentation in a conversation w/ prospective purchasers to make a sale.

ABC

Negative: Attack, Blame and Complain

Positive: Adapt, Balance and Care

Advantages of Postive Attitudes:

-More Energy

-Reduced Stress

- Better REsult

Qualities of a Good Sales Person

1. Ability to close

2. Intrinsic Motivation

3. Interpersonal Skills

4. Disciplined Work Habits

Reasons why People Buy

1. They buy solutions.

2. They feel good and important (they buy good feelings).

Sales Ratio

1. You reap what you sow (1:10).

2. It takes time for a fruit to ripen (1:5th). Repeat visits

Daily Sales Plan: See,Call,Do

3 P's for Success:

Passion, Patience and Persistence = PRAYER!

D: Conrado Bate of Citisec Online

Simple Stock Market Investing: The Way to a Richer Life

Good Quality Stocks

- growing

- earnings visibility/predictability

-mgmt credibility

-superior products and services

- strong balance sheet

Good Money Mgmt:

1. Diversify stocks/industries

2. Comfy

*** Computation: 100 - AGE= MAX % of Savings to Stocks

PESO COST AVERAGING thru Income, Time, Discipline.

- available thru Citisec's EIP.

E. Malaya Laraya

"Beat the market with foreign stocks and funds"

Why Managed Time?

-to leverage on Time, Expertise and Access

Local vs. Global Managed Funds

A: Local

- Limited types and choices

- Regulatory Concerns

- Liquidity Issues

B: Global

Varied (their are funds that are based from beliefs)

Better Regulations

Very Liquid Markets

F: Butch Villamor of One Outsource Direct

"TELESALES:How to make Money Selling over the Phone"

Why Telemarketing???

1. Good Profit Margin

2. Huge Opportunities

3. Huge Market (Global)

G: Mark So of Forex Club Manila

"Fast and Furious Forex Trading"

Currencies Trading

- USD, EUR, GBP,JPY,CHF,AUD,NZD, CAN

Trading in Pairs:

EUR/USD

USD/JPY

GBP/USD

Initial Investment = US$300

Market opens = 24/5

** No approve broker yet in Phils.

** No other fees except for bank fee = US40

Important Note:

Vengeance Trading is a bad move.

The seminar ended an hour late compared to what it should be but the people didn't leave their seats until the last speaker finished his talk. They indeed value all the things that they can get from the summit. It was really a jam packed day. I wished I was able to attend the 2nd day. Nevertheless, I still recommend this summit/expo. I will surely attend the next one and invite my friends and family.

PS:

Should you have any questions with the things I wrote here, you can email me @ lovellamendoza@yahoo.com. I will be happy to answer all your queries.

Get Ready for Abundance Seminars

2010-07-26T18:01:00.001+08:00

As I mentioned on my previous blog post, i started getting back on track when we attended Bo Sanchez's How to Become Truly Rich Seminar.

And as my way of paying it forward, I have listed below the Seminars scheduled this Q3'10.

1.How to Become Truly Rich Seminar

by: Bo Sanchez

August 7,2010

8:30am to 12nn

Mandaluyong City

Fee: Php 497

2. Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program

by: Bo Sanchez and his Team of Financial Mentors

August 20-21,2010

Pasig City

Fee: Php 5,975 (inclusive of 2 meals and 2 snacks)

3. Truly Rich Internet MKTG Hands-on Workshop

by: Jomar Hilario

Sept 3-4,2010

Araneta Center Cubao,QC

Fee: Php 9,750 (inclusive of 2 meals and 2 snacks,use of computer w/ internet access)

We're done with the first 2 seminars and we're still aiming to attend the 3rd one. I recommend all of them. I believe they are worth every cent.

Outdated because I'm Working on Increasing my Piso

2010-07-19T15:03:00.004+08:00

Guilty as charged for being MIA in this blog. Pardon me for that. Since I attended the Money Summit and Wealth Expo, I been busy on making more Piso.

Don't Worry. I'll be updating this blog for the things I've learned from:
a. Money Summit and Wealth Expo
b. Fortune Forex Training
c. Others

Updates will be available in a few days. Keep coming back! I Promise your visit will be all worthwhile.

We Won in Trace Trajano's Apprentice Challenge#4

2010-06-12T12:36:00.000+08:00

I mentioned before that we joined Trace Trajano's Apprentice Challenge which started right after the seminar. There were 5 challenges. Before challenge #4. We have zero profit and zero point but we never give up. Details of the challenge and our learnings are all here in this video. We're interviewed by Trace himself.

Freebies: Unilab Promo

2010-06-12T12:15:00.001+08:00

I just blogged about Unilab's promo in Facebook and got these freebies. Thanks!!!

SPONSOR A FRIEND AND CREATE A PINOY MILLIONAIRE!

2010-06-10T14:59:00.000+08:00

SPONSOR A FRIEND AND CREATE A PINOY MILLIONAIRE!

Would you like to dispel the common notion of crab mentality among Filipinos by helping create one million Pinoy Millionaire by 2020 as envisioned by the likes of Brother Bo Sanchez(The Light of Jesus Community), Dr. Larry Gamboa(Think Rich Pinoy) and Trace Trajano(Think Rich Quick)?

How?

Sponsor a friend, a relative or a loved one to attend the first ever gigantic meeting of the minds to gain financial freedom through, real estate, internet marketing, franchising to name a few.

If you can spare a tenth of your monthly salary, or defer buying that latest ipod or ipad, or even diet by avoiding that mouth-watering doughnut that you've always craved for with your favorite coffee blend, would you do it?

Be that Good Samaritan to that wounded traveller. He just needs an opportunity to prosper so what better way to start by helping a friend or a relative to make that first step to become a Pinoy Millionaire without leaving the Philippines. He will forever be indebted to you because you are instrumental to his success.

A father need not leave his newborn son to work as a seaman overseas. A mother need not suffer under the hands of an abusive employer just so she can remit money to her family in the Philippines. A grandfather need not risk his life working in a war torn nation like Iraq or Afghanistan just so he can send his grandchild to a good school.

It will be an auspicious beginning towards helping our newly elected President, Benigno C. Aquino III, rally our nation, the Republic of the Philippines to greatness not just in Asia, but in the whole world by helping create ONE MILLION PINOY MILLIONAIRES by 2020.

Be A Sponsor and Help Create A Pinoy Millionaire!

P.S. Refer a friend and get 2% discount.

P.P.S. Refer 5 friends and get 20% discount.

P.P.P.S Refer 10 friends and get 50% discount.

P.P.P.S. Refer 20 friends and get 100% rebate!

P.P.P.S. Hurry because this offer expires in 4 days!

Now is the Best Time YOU Sponsor A Child

2010-06-10T11:59:00.003+08:00

My purpose is not to boast about the things I do on the side. However, if I can only inspire others to help other people then I believe all of us can create a good place to live in.

Anyway, I received this email from World Vision today. A CALL for sponsor. You might have some extras that you can share. Sponsoring a child to school would only cost P600/month or equivalent to 20/day. This is even cheaper than a Mcdo Sundae a day.

Just click the image to know more.

Truly Rich Seminars for Q2'10

2010-06-08T14:23:00.006+08:00

We attended the Truly Rich Seminar last Q3'09 and the Financial Coaching last quarter. It was the seminar the pushed me to start working again on our finances. It jump start me again. I am promoting this seminar as a way of paying forward. I helped me and I know it would help you too. I share the same vision with Bo to become a millionaire maker. I am not yet a multi-millionaire but I know I will be soon. It would be happier if I can walk with you to our financial freedom. God Bless all us all !!!

See details and schedule below:

A. How To Become Truly Rich Seminar

By Bo Sanchez

Bestselling Author of 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich

June 12, 2010, Saturday (8:30AM to 12:00PM)

Shaw Blvd, Mandaluyong City

Seminar Fee: ~~P8,000.00++~~ P497 only per person.

Early Bird Offer: The first 9 people who reserve will pay P397only per person!

B. Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program

By Bo Sanchez and a team of Financial Mentors

Bestselling Author of 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich

June 18-19, 2010, Friday and Saturday

Pasig City Near Ultra

Seminar Fee: ~~P220,000++~~ P 5,975 only per person. Married Couple rate is P9,975

Call up Beckie at (02) 7229562 (Tuesdays-Fridays 9am-5pm) or email at beaconlightevents+seminar@gmail.com now!

PS:

Are you out of the country and can't attend. Be updated and gain financial intelligence by being a member of Bo's Truly Rich club. Click below to join.

TO OUR FINANCIAL FREEDOM & BEYOND!!!!!

2010-06-05T00:23:00.001+08:00

YES!!!! I am very very excited to announce to YOU our dear readers that a BIG EXPO is coming to TOWN. It is like an early Christmas. It’s time to shop. But this time, you’ll be shopping without loosing money but instead you will learn how to multiply your money.

What is the Expo all about?

People have the misconception that it takes money to make money. “NOT true”. It ONLY takes a change of Mindset, Commitment and Action. It is EASY to MAKE MONEY. In this expo, you will be like standing in front of a buffet. They will show you the different options and ways to get rich. You can choose to DO ALL but you can also choose ONLY THOSE that you believe is right for you.

The expo also features experienced entrepreneurs. One of them is Trace Trajano. He is the author of the bestselling book “Think Rich Quick”. Trace is a successful Filipino real estate investor in Ohio. He has a vision of creating 1 million Filipino Millionaires through Real Estate. Do you want to be one of them?

Yes! I want to be ONE of those ONE Million Filipino Millionaires

You might be asking, “So how much will this expo cost me?” Let me you ask you this…

“What amount of money will you pay just to learn about almost everything on making millions?”

Some will say, that they need to finish college just to make money. But have you computed how much money you need to spend first before you finish college? Have you taken to account the time that you need to spend to get a masters degree? Getting rich is not directly proportional to education. There are people who are not college graduate but are more wealthy that those who have college degree. There is something with them. And they will share it with you during the expo.

Here’s another good news: once you apply the things you’ll learn from the expo, you can literally start working on your financial independence strategy.

The even better news is that you will not spend P500,000…not even P50,000…or even P10,000 for your tuition fee. The expo was made affordable….. It’s all WORTH the price compared to the things that you’ll learn.

Alright – I want to make millions…so Sign me UP NOW.

In fact, it gets even better. The expo organizers want to give people a lot more value than what they’re paying. They are not just having an exhibit but also different talks about ways of making money.

However, the attendance to this expo is limited. Why? This is to have a better interaction among the exhibitors, speakers and registrants.

The attendance is being limited to only 300 people – more than 200 have already registered so there are less than 100 slots left. This expo is being promoted by seminar promoters, wealth coaches, Trace’s students and affiliates. Literally, this sales letter is going to be read by over 100,000 people and so YOU DON’T WANT TO BE LEFT OUT.

MORE & MORE Good News:

1.Sign up before June 5 and get a 5% discount in a form of rebate which will be given on the day of the expo.

2. The first 10 signers from the link below, is entitled to a free Think Rich Quick Book.

3. If you sign up from June 1 to June 10, you are also entitled to a Raffle Ticket. Two people will have an opportunity to attend either the Think Rich Pinoy Seminar that will happen on August or Think Rich Quick Seminar that will happen on October.

4. Attend as a group and get more discount. For every group of 6, you only need to pay for 5.5 person. Aside from the 5% discount that you can get if you register before June 5,2010.

Let me IN. I don’t want to be left out.

Just realize the price of admission (which is only Php 3495 for a regular 2-Day PASS or Php 4495 for a VIP PASS) is a small fee to pay to know the different money making techniques that will put money in your pocket. Take advantage of this opportunity NOW by clicking HEREDon’t Have a PAYPAL account?
We also accept Bank Payments: CALL/TEXT US @ 0916-3969659 for the Bank Details.

{M2IB REALTY}

P.S. Sign up before June 5 and get 5% discount which will be given to you on the day of the event.

P.S.1 Sign up now to be one of the 10 people who can receive a free Think Rich Quick Book.

P.S.2 Sign up now to win a free admission to either Think Rich Pinoy or Think Rich Quick Seminar.

P.S.3 Sign up as a group and get more discount.

P.S.4 Again, only 100 more slots are open. Register NOW to get IN. Once all the slots are filled, the exhibitors will close this and you might need to wait 1 year to attend the next one!

I don’t want to wait a year so SIGN me up NOW!!!!

Are You Tired of Being Poor? Do you want to become financially independent but don't know how and where to start?

2010-05-31T23:25:00.004+08:00

I was the in the same shoes as you are 3 years ago. But I made a decision that I don't wanna be poor all my life. I need to do something different.

I started to believe that if I do the same thing over and over again, I will expect the same result over and over again.
I need to change something. I need to change my beliefs.
I started reading books, searching the net.
But I learned that I can't do it alone.
I need somebody to push me up, to cheer for me, to inspire me and give me more insights based on experience.

I started to attend seminars, conventions, trainings and expos because I believe in continuous education.
Things change. What works in the past may not work today.

A lot of expos has been done before. I attended some of them and I also learned from them. However, but there is an upcoming Money and Wealth Expo which I think is more comprehensive because it will cover all the strategies that can make you rich and wealthy.

This really excites me. Its like going to a buffet. The foods are all there. We can have it all but we can also choose what we want.

In this expo, we'll learn about investing in stock market, franchising, selling offline and online, earning on real real estate and a lot more.

It's really for everybody. Not just for you but also for me.

I'm still not there. I'm still not financially independent. But I COMMIT to become one.

If I will be there because I believe it can help me. Why shouldn't you?!
We just need to make a decision and take an ACTION.

If you're committed to become wealthy NOW, keep coming to this blog because I'll be posting the details of the expo here.

You can also leave a comment for other inquiries.

LET's GET WEALTHY TOGETHER.
Because the ultimate purpose of becoming wealthy is to help others.....

Unilab Promo - Picture of You

2010-05-31T15:32:00.004+08:00

Unilab is having a promo. We might join this one. This seems to be fun aside from the prize that we can get.

MECHANICS:
1. This promo will run for 1 week from May 29 to June 6, 2010

2. Take a picture of yourself holding any Unilab product and pose as creatively as you can.
Check out http://www.unilab.com.ph/consumer/products.asp for a list of Unilab Products

3. Upload the picture in the Unilab wall and tag one friend whom you would like to share the prize with. (To tag, simply type “@”and wait for your friend’s name to turn blue)
http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Unilab/161157060828?v=wall&ref=ts

4.The winning shot will be decided by the following criteria:
a) Most number of Likes – 50%
b)Creativity of pose – 50%

5.The winner will receive a package of Unilab premium items plus a free dinner buffet for two.

6.Only one winner will be chosen among all the entries.

Think Rich Pinoy Wealth Seminar Review

2010-05-18T23:28:00.010+08:00

As promised, this post will discuss the lessons I got from the Think Rich Pinoy Wealth Seminar.

There were a lot of speakers who shared valuable information. They were:

a. Larry Cleto from Philam
b. Larry Gamboa
c. Bo Sanchez
d. Ronald Cagape
e. Eden Dayrit
f. Victor Gamboa
g. Randy Manaloto
h. Jay McLean

LESSONS Learned from the SPEAKERs:

1. Proper Wealth Management: Accumulate, Preserve, Transfer
2. Financial Freedom is relative to lifestyle
3. Income is a source of Wealth.
4. There is WEALTH more than enough for everyone.
5. Wealth FACTOR: Discipline and Time.
6. Why Real estate investment is SAFE: Bank accepts Real Estate Properties as collateral compared to Stocks.
7. Going to PROMISE LAND:

a. Phase1: Desert Experience
b. Phase2: Desert with Manna Experience
c. Phase3:Promise Land Experience

8. We need to allow our Kids to Experience desert
9. Three Steps to Enjoy Promised Land

a. Depeat the Giants
b. Work the Land
c. Remember the Lessons of the Desert

10. Use Wealth to LOVE.
11. Be Ready for Failures.

12. Fail Quickly and Try Again.
13. If there's a Problem, Fix it! Don't wish that it will go away because it won't.
14. Pay attention to details.
15. Factors on Implementing Every RE Strategy

a. Change your Mindset
b. Pre-screen the location. Best if near were you live.
c. Do Extreme Marketing
d. Always Think of Positive Cashflow
e. Build Relationship: buyer, seller, tenant, broker, lender, bank, supplier, lender, staff, colleagues, mentors, students.
f. Leverage on Money, Time, People, Relationships, Skills, Personal Knowledge.
g. Self- Improvement: Continuous Learning. Learn from Mistakes.
h. Giving Back and Paying Forward. *** Always be grateful and SHARE your blessings!

16. FACEBOOK is one of the best channel to do your marketing.

- let your contacts: Know, Like, Respect, Trust and Invest in You.

17. Real Estate Investors Problems

- Nobody knows that they exist.
- Nobody knows the VALUE they can Provide.

After the talks and lunch, we played CASH FLOW 101 for 2 hours. It was my 2nd time playing the board game. I was happy that i got out of the rat race after 1hour and the fast track after 25mins. I believe that I could have gotten out of the Fast Track earlier if I didn't act as a banker at the same time. By the way, I was the 3rd person who got out of the rat race and also placed 3rd getting out of fast track.

My tablemates while Playing

HOW did I get out of the RAT RACE:

1. Profession: Truck Driver

2. Strategy: Build CASH enough to cover my whole expenses if I will be downsized.

3. After accumulation enough cash, did small deals.
4. Bought a Property.
5. After buying the property, the player next to me stopped on the "MARKET" and got this CARD.
6. Immediately sold my Property.
7. On my next step to the opportunity track, I selected a BIG deal, I was blessed enough to find a very GOOD DEAL that moved me out of the RAT RACE.

HOW did I get out of the FAST TRACK:

1. I acquired business which gave me a cash flow equal to the requirement.

LESSONS Learned on my 2nd time Playing CASH FLOW 101:

1. Your occupation will not make you rich. It is your MINDSET and ACTIONS=STRATEGY.
2. Build Emergency Fund before Investing.
3. CASHFLOW remains king to get out of the RAT RACE and FAST TRACK.
4. Real Estate can either bring you CASH or CASHFLOW depending on how you deal with Deal.
5. Be open for opportunities.
6. Real Estate and Businesses are the sources of your CASHFLOW. The more you have, the better.
7. Get out of the Rat Race the soonest so you can help others.
- I played the role of the banker after getting out of the Rat Race and while playing on the FAST TRACK.
- I helped the other players on the issues they encounter while they are playing.
8. Get out of the FAST Track the soonest, to help more.
- I was able to answer more of my co-players questions after getting out of the track because I already stopped working "IN" my "BUSINESS".
- By that time, I have more time helping others.

After the game, there was a sharing of the things that we learned while playing. 4 people shared. It was a very nice experience.

What I like about the seminar:

1. It started with a PRAYER.
2. It has a mission of making 1(one) Million Millionaires by 2020.
3. There are a lot of inspirations that we got from the speakers.
4. The CASH Flow game is a worthwhile experience. It's addicting.
5. The free Book (TRP or TRQ ) they gave after answering the Survey Sheet.

*** I will definitely recommend this to my family and friends.

PROMO ALERT: Get Pizza Hut Free Dish Using BPI Credit Card

2010-05-18T23:08:00.005+08:00

Just got a text message today from BPI. Below is the message:

SHOP ANYWHERE for at least P1500, 3000 or 7000 with your BPI Express Credit and get a FREE DISH at PIZZA HUT Restaurant/Bistro. May 18-July15. DTI#3191.

Got these info from another forum:
1500 - supreme buddy pan pizza or caesar salad
3000 - spaghetti bolognese or fettucine ala king
7000 - supreme family pan pizza

Sounds like a good deal? Yes. But ensure that you pay your credit card bill in full before the due date. Happy Eating!

EQ DRY Baby’s 1st Chair and Desk REDEMPTION PROMO

2010-05-13T22:36:00.006+08:00

Got this info from one of my yahoo group. I was so happy because at long last I can dispose the wrappers that I've been keeping since our baby was born. She had used EQ DRY for the longest time. I could have continued using it because of the low cost but our little girl started to get rashes few months ago. I then switched to another brand. Nevertheless, I still kept our EQ wrappers because I knew that EQ has seasonal promos.

As of today, I can get a set of chair and table because I have accumulated the exact points needed to avail of the set. I am eyeing on the Ladybug set. Hope there would be enough stock.

Tomorrow, I'll be giving my wrappers to my friend. He will ask her sister to submit our wrappers to JS unitrade office which is just near her area together with my friend's wrappers too. Thanks in Advance!

Promo Notes:

1. Promo period: May 7- July 21, 2010

2. EQ Dry with Cloth-like cover will still be accepted.

3. Points required: Chair = 26pts. , Table = 42 pts.

See more details of the promo here.

I'm attending the Think Rich Pinoy Seminar on Saturday

2010-05-13T17:56:00.010+08:00

I've been a member of the "Think Rich Pinoy" network after attending the Truly Rich Financial Coaching Seminar. This seminar is being offered every quarter normally a week after the TR Coaching. I was not able to attend last quarter due to short notice. But I ensured that I'll be able to attend the next schedule which is on Saturday.

By the way, I just got an email from Larry today that there are still available seats.

Click here to register

Details of the Seminar:

Place: Philam Life Building, UN Avenue, Manila

Date: May 15,2010, Saturday

Time: 8am to 6pm

Seminar Price: Php 2950

Payment can be made via Paypal/Bank Deposit.

Click here to know more about the Seminar.

Hope to see you there!

Free WEBINAR on REAL ESTATE

2010-05-13T14:00:00.002+08:00

I got this info from the BFB site. This is just one of the many Freebies for being a member of the site. We get information on free webinars like this.

This is a part of the email I got from Trace:

Commercial real estate - apartment buildings, retail strip malls
office buildings - are a lot more lucrative than houses. You want
proof? Donald Trump does not buy-fix and re-sell houses, right?
Robert Kiyosaki's real estate holdings are primarily apartments
and storage units. The thing is most people think commercial
real estate is too BIG for them.

Nothing can be further from the truth.

I acquired two apartment buildings - one a 36-unit and another a
133-unit complex - both for NO MONEY DOWN. And the amount
of work I do is the same in apartments vs. houses....

and here's the SWEET FACT: the cashflow from my 133-unit
apartment complex is equal to the cashflows of 50 houses!

I paid a mentor $10,000 so he can teach me how to do this and

the fee I gave him is worth it.

You are luckier than me for 2 reasons.

1. There's an impending TIDAL WAVE of foreclosures of
commercial properties in the next few months. This means
MASSIVE OPPORTUNITIES to make MASSIVE PROFITS!
(I bought buildings when the market was HOT so I overpaid
for them...you will have massive opportunities to pick up
commercial properties DIRT CHEAP!)

2. DC Fawcett and Karen Hanover are going to teach you
for free - in a webinar - how to buy commercial properties
and they will even partner with you...

- they will teach you how to do it...then...

- you go and find a good commercial property...then...

- they give you the money to buy it...then...

- you - and DC & Karen split the profit...

Find out more details by clicking HERE

I wish I had partners like DC and Karen when I started...
I would have saved that $10,000 and I would have acquired
more buildings. Take advantage of your LUCK by attending
DC's and Karen's webinar - HERE

dedicated to your success,

Trace

Buy First Deal (BFD) Site

2010-05-13T13:10:00.006+08:00

After attending the Truly Rich Financial Coaching Seminar, I take action and had been searching the net for other sources of income that we can look into.

I don't remember how I found the Buy your First Deal Site. But what I remember is that, since then I got hooked.

There are a lot of things that I've learned. There are a lot of information being shared by Trace Trajano about real estate like:
1. How to spot a GOOD DEAL.
2. How to pre-screen a seller and a buyer.
3. How to raise a capital from private investors.
4. How to purchase a house with "No Money Down".
5. How to do extreme marketing.

Actually, there are a lot more.
What I like most about the site and Trace is the fact that he's not doing it just because of money but because he has a vision of creating millions of millionaires in the Philippines. It may sound patriotic but I admit I am one too. It's not a bad idea after all.

If you want to know more, click this to go to BFD site.
http://buyfirstdeal.ning.com

ASK and You Shall Receive - Waiver of Credit Card Annual Fee

2010-05-13T10:51:00.003+08:00

YES, I did it again.

I did the same thing that I did last Year.

1. Called the Bank.
2. Asked them if my annual fee can be waived.
3. Waited while they are checking my account.
4. Smiled when I knew that it was approved.
5. Wrote the Request Reference #.
6. Checked online after 2 days.

Easy, right?
We just really need to ask and we shall receive.
A reminder though, that we just need to use the benefits of credit cards but never over use it.

Decent Lunch from Chowking for only 40 pesos

2010-04-22T13:32:00.002+08:00

Thanks to BPI and Chowking's Partnership. Last Monday we had another decent meal from Chowking for only 40pesos. It was consists of two Lauriat meal (Pork and Fish), 2 vegetable soup and 1 Large Drink for only 40 pesos. The Lauriat meal was the freebie I got from using my BPI Credit Card. I was so Happy. You too can enjoy it.

This promo runs from February to April.
For a minimum single transaction of P1,500
FREE Chorizo Chaofan or Spicy Pork Mushroom Rice

For a minimum single transaction of P3,000
FREE Breaded Fish Lauriat or Breaded Pork Lauriat or Salo Dimsum Platter or Halo-Halo Fiesta (w/o Ice Cream)

For a minimum single transaction of P6,000
FREE Chowking Sulit Salo Set (good for 3)

Redemption period is until June 15, 2010.

Now, who would thought that there is no free meal nowadays? We just need to take advantage of the promos and freebies from our credit card. But also need to ensure that we pay our purchases before the due date to avoid charges.

My 1st Time Playing the CASHFLOW 101 BOARDGAME

2010-04-22T12:39:00.004+08:00

I've been playing the CASHFLOW 101 EGAME for more than a month now. It took me more than 5 games before I won and get out of the RAT RACE. It was such an accomplishment and brought me some heavenly feeling.

Last Saturday, my group mates in Trace's Apprentice Challenge organized a CASHFLOW game. We had it in Seatlle's Best Festival Mall. We're challenged to beat the record of the Rich Dad Club in Alabang who had a player finished a RAT RACE after 30mins of playing. We started at 7:38pm and I got out of the RAT RACE 1st at exactly one hour. I got out of the FAST TRACT 10 minutes after that. I was very happy.

Things I learned:
1. Everything is manual. You really need to take responsibility of your CASHFLOW, CASH, ASSETs and LIABILITIES. It was a total DO-IT-YOURSELF process.
2. Mind your own business to be able to help others.
3. CASH is King. Ensure that you'll get your paycheck or else you'll be working for free.
4. Count your Cash on Hand to be able to leverage. Count your cash religiously and take note of it. You need this to know how to decide on DEALS either SMALL or BIG.

We finished the game at exactly 2.5 Hours since we started the game. We all enjoyed and already looking forward to the next CASH FLOW game session. By the way, I would also like to thanks Raymond for organizing and Aries for facilitating the game!

Practical Things I Learned Today

2010-04-09T00:45:00.005+08:00

I commuted from Gen. Trias to Greenbelt Makati this afternoon to attend the TAC meeting. I was not commuting for the past 3 years and here are some things I realized and learned today

1. Riding MRT can actually save you time and money compared to riding a TAXI.
*** Thanks to the lady whom I sat beside the bus. She advised that I take the MRT rather than a TAXI. I can save time due to traffic. Makati have lots of one-way streets.
*** I lot of things changed in the MRT system. I can say that it has improved a lot. They are now more systematic. There's still hope for the Philippines.

2. There are still good people around.
*** Filipinos are still accomodating. I ask for directions and I got them.
*** There are still men who offer seats to women and elders. Thanks to the man in the MRT. He gave me more space to be seated and then offer his seat when an old lady rode the MRT.

3. Walk for a GOOD talk.
*** I could have rode a taxi from Greenbelt to Pasay Rotonda but I chose to walk with my Team mate to Landmark. We had a nice talk. We're able to share feelings about the challenge and ideas on how to win in the next challenges.
*** Actually, walking can also help us lose some of those calories.

4. Keep a BOOK Handy.
*** I got bored inside the bus due to traffic. Having a book to read could have save me from boredom while on travel.

5. If you're a woman, sit beside a woman for PEACE of MIND.
*** But also try not to sleep for safety. This is just my POV.

6. Be Mindful of your Belongings. *** Better be safe than Sorry.

7. Pray for Safety and Be Blessed.
*** It's not that really bad to commute after all. I didn't had a hard time.
*** I got home early and safe.

8. Fare is now expensive.
*** My total fare expenses today:
A/C Bus from Manggahan Gen. Trias to Pasay Rotonda = 40
MRT = 14 (I bought the lowest single entry ticket available to save time)
A/C BUS from SM Makati to Alabang via SKYWAY = 35
Jeep = 20
Tricycle = 25
TOTAL : P 120
*** The fare I spent can already buy 3-5 kilos of rice.

Here are my practical learnings today. I'll share the things I have noted from the TAC meeting on my next blog entry. Have a nice weekend everyone!

1st Ever Think RICH Quick Seminar

2010-04-08T23:49:00.003+08:00

We bought 3 books about real estate after the Truly Rich Coaching Program which are:

1. Think Rich Pinoy
2. Grow Rich Pinoy
3. Think Rich, Quick

They are all good and very inspiring. I've been searching the web for the next seminars of the TRP since it is normally being done every quarter. However, the next schedule is still on May 15,2010. We missed the seminar last February 27. Then, I chanced upon the Foreclosure Philippines blog which is promoting the 1st ever Think Rich Quick seminar by Trace Trajano. Hubby and I both registered on the training and we can say that it's all worth it but it could have been better if the course was not made to fit in one day because there are lot of things and details that the participants would like to know.

Anyway, below are some of the things that we have noted during the seminar/workshop:
1. There are 5Ms to Millions (mindset, mastery, management, mentor and mastermind).
2. Extreme Marketing is needed to sell Houses fast.
3. 3Ms in Marketing a property (Media, Market and Message).
4. Requirements of a Buyer
a. Landlords = High Cashflow
b. Renovators = High Equity
5. COIN (Center of Influence Networking) could help in getting deals done.
6. We need to pre-screen sellers by answering the WOWWW questions
- Worth, Owe, What Repair, Why Selling and What minimum amount the seller is willing to take
- They should be motivated.
7. MAO = Maximum Allowable Offer (Universal Acquisition Equation).
8. We can raise money via text and phonecall.
9. We need to build a level of trust.
10. Secrets of a Successful Real Estate Investors
- Implementation
- Believes in YCDBSOA (you can't do business sitting on your ass)
11. We have a virtual mentor in www.buyfirstdeal.ning.com
12. We learn by doing.
13. Success = Right Attitude + Right Strategy
14. We need to ask for referral to borrow credibility.
- credibility = trust = business
15. Deal = Power
16. Money is Money but a DEAL is UNIQUE.
17. Real Estate vs. Stock Market
- Real Estate is Safer
- Stock Market does not guarantee gain
*** Banks doesn't loan money even if this will be used to buy their company's stocks.
18. Potential Investors
- Long Time Employees with Bank Savings
- OFWs
- Businessmen/Employees with less time and little knowledge on Real Estate
19. We can Leverage on OPR (Other People's Money) and OPT (Other People's Time).
20. Howto convince Investors
- Prospectus
- Good Track Record
- Documentation

The seminar is actually not a seminar but a workshop. We had exercises which were discussed within a group. We really learned by doing.

Trace also mentioned that he has plans of establishing a Real Estate Business here in the Philippines and is searching for business partners. He launched a "TAC - Trace Apprentice Challenge". There would be 10 teams who will be competing with each other. Each team is composed of at least 5 members which is composed of a CEO, acquisition manager, property manager, marketing manager and a sales manager. The team who scores the most after the challenges will be the winner and would be his business partners.

We are challenged and so I joined a team which we named as MIB (Millionaires to Infinity and Beyond). The 1st challenge is already done. RYP team won. It's ok. We still have a chance. GO MIB GO!!!! GO! GO! GO.

Before I forget, if you ask if I can recommend the training. Definitely YES!

ACTION is the KEY

2010-04-02T10:49:00.002+08:00

In every ACTION, there is an equal and opposite REACTION.

There could never be any reaction if you would not ACT. You LEARN while you DO things. We need to THINK IT, LEARN IT and DO IT.

PS:
I just finished reading GROW RICH PINOY. It's so INSPIRING.

Truly Rich Financial Coaching Seminar

2010-04-02T01:33:00.002+08:00

Hubby and I attended the Truly Rich Financial Coaching Seminar Last February 19-20 which is 3 months after we attended the Truly Rich Seminar. I really wanted to attend both seminars but I was hesitant to inform hubby because the coaching seminar is quite expensive. Never thought that he would also be interested in attending. Unfortunately, the coaching seminar was already fully booked during the Truly Rich Seminar. I just ensured that we get to register in the next coaching seminar.

The seminar, like Bo Sanchez mentioned, is a buffet of choices for investments. We learned about:

1. Stock Market (EIP of Citisec Online)
2. Mutual Funds
3. X-curve
4. Secrets of Businessmen
5. Real Estate Investing
6. Internet Marketing

Things that I have noted are:
1. Time is GOLD. I should have not delayed the training but it's never too late.
2. Don't be a Procrastinator.
3. Communication is the Key.
-Small Minds talk about people
-Medium Mind talk about events.
-Big Minds talk about ideas.
4. Poverty is in the Mind.
" The Moment that you think you are POOR, is the time you become POOR".
5. Give the Best even at Worst.
6. You can decide to have a GOOD day.
7. Open your eyes to opportunity.
8. A good business plan is bankable.
9. Find a business partner by chemistry not by $$$.
10. Whatever Happens, TRUST GOD.
11. If you are a generous giver, you can claim.
12. SECRET of the RICH (Passive Income > Monthly Expenses)
13. To become successful, you need to stretch out of your comfort Zone.
14. The RICH is not the 1 who has the most but the 1 who needs the least.
15. No matter how much you increase your income, maintain your lifestyle.
16. Prosperity Plan - Plan while it is EASY.
17. Financial Disaster - Starting to Plan when the problem is already there.
18. INSURANCE is like renting. HOUSE is like savings.
19. Don't mess with your CASHFLOW.
20. Don't go Mingle company and personal funds.
21. Always be closing.
22. Your SPARE TIME is the BEST TIME to BUILD your WEALTH.

After the seminar, we both think that the money we paid for the seminar is all worth it.
1. We're able to listen to the CEOs of good companies.
2.We learned a lot of new things.
** There are things that we're doing before about the stock market that were wrong.
3. We heard a lot of inspirational talk. They also shared their mistakes that could help us avoid them.

We recommend this seminar to everyone. Trust us, it's worth every cent. If only I can turn back the clock, we'll attend this training years earlier.

Levels of Authority for Everyone's Success

2010-03-31T18:19:00.001+08:00

We normally see frames containing this list inside our company. Mostly inside the conference rooms. It is only now that I realize that these could also be applied on our journey to financial freedom.

1. Do it and Don't Tell.
2. Do it and Tell after Doing.
3. Ask Permission to Do it.
4. Recommend what needs to be done.
5. Wait to be told what to do before doing.
6. #5 but don't do it.
7. #5, #6 plus complain about it.

Action is the key to success and the worst this you can do is do nothing and complain about it. At times, I belong to one of these levels but my Goal it to stay in #1 and/or 2. You, do you know where you stand?

Feast Declaration of Abundance - Novena to God's Love by Bo Sanchez

2010-03-30T12:56:00.002+08:00

Today, I receive all of God’s love for me.
Today, I open myself to the unbounded, limitless, overflowing abundance of God’s universe.
Today, I open myself to Your blessings, healing, and miracles.
Today, I open myself to God’s Word so that I become more like Jesus every day.
Today, I proclaim that I’m God’s Beloved.
I’m God’s Servant,
I’m God’s Powerful Champion,

And because I am blessed,
I will bless the world,
In Jesus’ Name.

Amen

PS:
Ask and you shall receive.
Seek and you shall find.
Knock and the door will be opened to you.

Thought on Spending

2010-03-09T17:54:00.002+08:00

"If you keep on BUYING things you DON'T NEED, you'll end up SELLING the things you NEED."

Source:
IMG in the Truly Rich Financial Coaching Seminar

Lesson from the Feast: Prosper series 2 - SERVE

2010-03-09T16:55:00.001+08:00

Just serve, even if you don't like it...
Even if you don't feel it.....
Even if you hate it.......
SERVE even when it hurts
You'll be rewarded.
May not be today but it will.... in God's Time.

Lesson from the Feast: Prosper series 2.

More than a 20 Pesos

2010-03-08T11:06:00.002+08:00

Yesterday, hubby was invited to be a sponsor of a child of of one of our colleagues. We bought our 1yo daughter with us minus our yaya. Having a toddler in tow is really hard but we want it that way since we are working and weekend is the only time we can have with her.

While I am taking care of our baby, a sampaguita boy asked me to buy from him. I told him that I will buy later. I saw a nice smile from him and said, "mamaya ha?" (It's a deal, right?).

When the ceremony ended and forgot about the boy. He approached me and reminded me of my "promise". He prepared the 10pesos worth of sampaguita. I felt guilty of forgetting my promise thus I asked him to make it 20pesos. After getting the sampaguita. I already took care of our little girl but when I turned around, the boy is still around and then said to me " Thank you, ate". I gae him a smile.

I got surprise and I still can't believe that our 20pesos can give us such a heavenly feeling. The smile and the appeciation that I saw from the boy's face is worth more than 20pesos.

Reflection/Realization:

I want to earn a lot of 20pesos to receive more smiles. Hehehe Kidding aside, this incident drives me more to become more wealthy to be able to help more. More is More.

Intelligence vs. Ignorance

2010-03-05T15:56:00.002+08:00

I encountered this quote 3x yesterday and would want to share it with you. Simple yet true.

" If you think FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE is EXPENSIVE, TRY IGNORANCE."

SOURCES:
1. Audio Book by Robert Kiyosaki
2. IMG Website
3. Grow Rich Pinoy Book by Larry Gamboa

Another Free Lunch

2010-03-04T16:22:00.001+08:00

Hubby and I had another Free lunch c/o BPI. The charged slips we got from our purchases enabled us to have fish fillet lauriat and spicy pork mushroom rice for lunch. We just bought a large drink, vegetable soup and a 3-pc siomai. All in all, we just spent 79 pesos for a decent lunch. Not bad, huh.

But remember, enjoy your credit card perks but never be a victim of their high interest rate. Be wise!

QUOTE for the day (from Robert T. Kiyosaki):

2010-03-04T11:13:00.000+08:00

Be careful with your words because it becomes flesh. And the flesh becomes your Future.

Goals for 2010 (REVB)

2010-03-02T10:49:00.001+08:00

Hubby and I attended Bo Sanchez's Truly Rich Financial Coaching Seminar 2 weeks ago and we can say that it's all worth every cent. We'll be posting our realizations and lessons learned on a separate blog entry. For the meantime, see below for some revisions we made on our REVA Goals.

1. Maintain the # of Coop Share deduction for our Emergency Fund.
REVB
a. Reduce # of Coop Share Reduction for our planned monthly investments.
b. Withdraw a portion of our Coop shares for investments and business.

2. Create other Sources of Income thru business.
- Tshirt Printing. Need to attend TRC Training (FEB or MARCH) - Backlogged.
- Personalized item/Scrapbooking Need to know how to promote/ Advertise
- Food Business Add to 2011 Goal
Additional to our list:
- Study Real Estate Investing
- Milk Retailing - started last week. Goal is to get our daughter's milk for free.
- Check for our opportunities.

3.Attend Bo Sanchez Group's Seminars
- Truly Rich Financial Coaching - Couple - DONE!
- Investing in Real Estate - Hubby
- Internet Marketing- Me

4. Minimize our Expenses - No Change
- Limit Lunch out during weekdays
- Utilities- follow tipid tips for water, electricity
- Limit consumables by having a weekly plan the dishes to cook and create a schedule for laundry and ironing of clothes.

5. Additional Investments - Complete Re-write
- Mutual fund (40% of our Coop Withdrawal)
** 35% for our Retirement
** 5% for our Daughter's Educ Plan
- Stocks (35% of our Coop Withdrawal))
Where are the other 30%?
- 10% - Tithe
- 10% - Milk Retailing Business
- 5% - 3rd Year Payment of our VUL.

6. Insurances
- Renew our Fire Insurance - Broker tbd.
- Update Beneficiaries
- Check/Revew - Life insurance
- Get an Educuational Plan for our daughter - converted to MF investment.
- Get a Retirement Plan - will not pursue. Will get our Retirement funds from the investments today.

Quote for the Day....

2010-02-26T08:55:00.003+08:00

Set Goals for your Money because others are already setting their Goals to get all your money.

- Some lessons learned from Truly Rich Finacial Coaching Program

Goals for 2010 (revA)

2010-02-24T16:31:00.002+08:00

Hubby and I set our 2010 goals 2 days before year 2009 ended but was not able to blog it. It was the RevA. After the seminar we have attended last week, we come up to our REVB. Let me show you 1st our REVA:

1. Maintain the # of Coop Share deduction for our Emergency Fund.

2. Create Other Sources of Income thru business.
- Tshirt Printing - Need to attend TRC Training (FEB or MARCH)
-. Personalized items/Scrapbooking - Need to know how to promote/ Advertise
- Food Business - Add to 2011 Goal

3.Attend Bo Sanchez Group's Seminars
- Coaching - Couple
- Real Estate - Hubby
- Internet - Me

4. Minimize our Expenses
- Limit Lunch outs during weekdays
- Utilities- follow tipid tips for water and electricity.
- Limit consumables by having a weekly plan for the dishes to cook and create a schedule for laundry and ironing of clothes"

5. Additional Investments
- 25k mutual fund (will be from our Midyear Bonuses)
- 20k Top-up for VUL (from our Coop Dividends)
- 100k for bonds if there would be offerings (will withdraw some shares from coop)
- Stocks (Amount:TBD)

6. Insurances
- Renew our Fire Insurance - might get from Philam again. BDO proposal is not as good as Philam.
- Update Beneficiaries
- Check/Review getting a Life insurance
- Get an Educuational Plan for our daughter
- Get a Retirement Plan
* Contact our new Agent and sched a meeting.

GOODBYE 2009

2010-02-24T16:03:00.003+08:00

This is a super late 2009 Goals Review. But it's better late than never. Our goal was supposed to be reviewed every quarter but was only able to do it for 2 consecutive quarter. You can see our 1st quarter review here. And here is our year end review.

1.After giving birth, transfer part of USD savings from BDO regular savings to PS Bank or China Bank TD. - GOOD: DONE. Not in PS Bank or China Bank but in Asia Trust because they have the higher interest rate.

2. Current EF is at 25%. By the end of the year, it should be more than 50%. GOOD. We initially accounted for the money we have in our regular savings account. We forgot about our savings in our coop. Combining the 2, we now have more than 50%.

3. Transfer part of our EF to either BPI Direct TD or China Bank TD (whichever have the higher interest). BAD: Not done.

4. Invest in Mutual Fund (PAMI and/or Phil EQ). BAD: Not done.

5. Increase investments in Philippine Stock Market. BAD: Not done.

6. Renew our insurances. Moderate: We renew only one of our insurances.

7. Get a HS and/or College Plan for our soon to arrive Baby or just increase our investments. Moderate: Backlogged. We haven't made up our mind if we'll get one because of the bad news that we're hearing on pre-need plan companies.

8. Keep our Company Stocks (Grants and ESPP) intact and wait for the up turn. GOOD: We're keeping them.

OUR SCORE:
Not bad at all. We have 3 good, 3 bad and 2 moderate. I will be posting our 2010 GOALs soon.

Attended " How to be Truly Rich Seminar"

2009-11-11T11:06:00.002+08:00

Last Saturday, hubby and I attended this seminar conducted by Bo Sanchez. It is a good seminar especially to those who are just starting on financial literacy. He discussed some things that we already know but we still learned a lot from him. We are planning to attend other seminars or trainings like this in the near future and be on track again on our Journey to Financial Freedom.

Lessons Learned from our Daughter's Hospitalization

2009-11-09T10:19:00.002+08:00

Here are some our lessons we learned from our daughter's hospitalization. Some would sound simple and funny but they are still lessons learned that you can also learn from.

1. Trust your instinct.
Tuesday night before she was hospitalized. I noticed a different sound on her breathing. I asked hubby to text the pedia if we can give her antibiotic. The Pedia told us that she should see our baby 1st before she can give a prescription and also advised us of her clinic schedule for the Holiday. Hubby and I already filed an advance leave of absence for the coming Friday. Hubby said that we can bring our baby on that day. I suddenly felt that she must be brought to the pedia so she can take the proper medication as soon as possible. Upon seeing my baby and hearing her breathing, the pedia told hubby that she can't let them go home. They need to stay in the hospital. Our baby has Ashma. It's good that I trust my instinct of bring her to the hospital that day. It could have gone worse and our hospital bill could have been more!

2. A Credit Card can save a Day
Since it was a different kind of emergency and we are not fond of bringing a lot cash. Hubby used our credit card for the Hospital Downpayment. The transaction is much easier. Aside from that, we're able to use the charge slips for food freebies that we had for our meals.

3. Philheath Card is a Necessity.
Our Hospital bill could have been ~20K. Thanks to Philhealth! We only pay a little more half of the total bill. So if you are not yet a member, you better enroll now. You can be an individually paying member for only 100/month or 1,200/year. This is just a little amount compared to your peace of mind.

4. We can live without a TV for 5 days.
It sounded like a joke but it's true. We stayed in a semi-private room for 2 days and a private room for 3 days. All of these rooms have no TV. There were no other rooms available. It's still an advantage because our bill could have been more. Anyway, on these days w/o a TV, we became creative on how we entertain our 9th month baby. It was all fun!

5. Blessings come unexpectedly
We could have touched our EF. But we're blessed not to have to because a long time loaned money was paid. It was even a little more than the amount that we need to pay for the hospital bill that we charged to our credit card. Thanks to Him!

You might be curious why we pay for the hospital bill and we should have a health card. Actually, we have one but our trusted pedia is not accredited. It's okay anyway, her PF was pro bono.

Loving my Credit Card

2009-11-09T09:22:00.004+08:00

I love my BPI Credit Card. Aside from getting 3% rebate for filling up our tank with Petron products, we are also getting food freebies.

Last Month, we're able to claim a lot of Jolly Hotdogs, Ice Craze, Fries and Burgers. This Month, we're able to claim a lot of Chicken Joy and Peach Mango Pies. It was a great help especially on tough time. My daughter was confined in a hospital last week. We're able to save some on food expenses by using the charge slips. We're able to have 2 free lunch for 3 people. Not bad, right?

If you have a BPI credit card or even a debit card, you can click here for the details of their food freebies this month.

By the way, this is just some of the good things that we can get from our credit card. But we also need to remember that we have to pay our purchases before the due date to avoid finance charges.

Received Some Freebies

2009-08-25T23:58:00.000+08:00

Got these cute picture frames from KiddieParty.ph by joining their promo. Check the details here.

OC Post-it Sampler Pack

2009-08-17T21:54:00.000+08:00

I got this sampler pack for FREE. I just registered at www.ocintraining.com and received an email that I can claim my sampler pack from my choosen National Bookstore outlet.This sampler pack comes with 1 pop-up Post-It with paper dispenser and 10 pcs. of Post-It flags. Not bad huh?!

Got A Free Lunch Yesterday

2009-07-22T23:05:00.000+08:00

We had free lunch yesterday using our BPI charge slips from Chowking. We had fish lauriat, pork lauriat, halo-halo with 1 scoop of ice cream and 3 siomai (3pcs each). We're not able to eat all of them and just took some of them out for our PM snacks.

Anyway, this is just one of the advantages of owning a credit card. We should enjoy the perks we're getting but we need to ensure that we're paying our bills on time to avoid paying finance charges.

2009 Goals - 2nd Quarter Review

2009-07-14T15:41:00.000+08:00

Whew. Looking at my 1st quarter review, I didn't make any progress. I need to get back on track. Hopefully, I 'll have a positive review next quarter.

2nd Wave of Waiver

2009-05-18T13:17:00.000+08:00

I have 2 BPI Credit Cards. One is a BPI Express Credit Card which can only be used locally and a BPI Petron Mastercard. I was able to waive the annual fee of my Petron Card few weeks ago (see details here) and I was, again, able to waive the annual fee of my BECC this month. Thanks to BPI as well as to PinayandMoney for the info.

Have taken a Money Personality Quiz

2009-05-18T13:08:00.003+08:00

Have learned about a money personality quiz thru Millionaire's Act website and found out that I am a balanced spender/investor.
Below is a brief description of a Balanced Spender/Investor and I believe in most of them.

Your money personality is: Balanced

People who exhibit a balanced money personality style enjoy making and managing money. They may view budgeting and investing as a game of sorts.

Money is viewed as a tool that is used to achieve ones goals.

While they often have a budget, Balanced persons do not become overly uncomfortable with the occasional unforeseen expense or in purchasing the occasional luxury item.

Balanced persons often feel that diligence, research and effort will reward them in the end.

If they invest, Balanced persons tend to have balanced portfolios and are often comfortable seeking advice from financial managers.

It's nice to know that I'm not doing bad but hope I could improve more. I wonder what is your money personality. You can take the quiz and love to hear what you got.

BLOG FIND: RECESSION OVER?

2009-05-06T18:28:00.001+08:00

According to this blog, it is likely to be over but we don't need to become very excited. There is a sign of optimism here but it's not bad at all. We just need to plan and prepare for the upturn.

Waived Credit Card Annual Fee

2009-05-02T15:44:00.001+08:00

I just want to thank PinayandMoney for the tip on waiving annual fee for BPI credit cards. I didn't know about this before. Initially, I am charging all purchases to my credit card to earn reward points that I can use to pay for my annual fee. Sayang. If I have known about it earlier, I could have use my points to get other reward items.

Nevertheless, I am still thankful that I was able to avail it this year. I just called their hotline and asked them if I can avail of the waived annual fee. After reviewing my account for some minutes, they confirmed that my request was approved and gave me the confirmation number. The reversal of the fee should reflect in 2 to 3 working days. And it did. Thanks to BPI and thanks again to PinayandMoney for this information.

BPI Trade Lowered the ADB of their Savings Account

2009-04-29T22:38:00.001+08:00

I got this mail last week and I was happy about it. Now, we can use some of the amount use to maintain our account to buy more stocks. I t will not be wasted waiting for the 1.75% interest which is being compounded quarterly. My dumdum have more power.

Dear BPI Trade clients:

Greetings!

Please be informed that the monthly maintaining Average Daily Balance (ADB) of your BPITrade settlement account with BPI Direct Savings Bank has been lowered from P5,000 to P500.00. As a non-ATM deposit account, the BPITrade settlement account will earn interest as follows:

Interest Rates (per annum)
If daily balance is:
PhP 0 - 499 0.000% p.a.
PhP 500 and above 1.750% p.a.

Please visit the FAQs on the BPITrade website for more information.

Thank you.

BPI Trade Team

2009 Goals - 1st Quarter Review

2009-04-29T22:26:00.003+08:00

We're not able to review our goals for the previous month because of our busy life. Anyway, I allocated this evening for this review.

1.After giving birth, transfer part of USD savings from BDO regular savings to PS Bank or China Bank TD. - GOOD: DONE. Not in PS Bank or China Bank but in Asia Trust because they have the higher interest rate.

2. Current EF is at 25%. By the end of the year, it should be more than 50%. BAD : It is currently at 21%, we used some of them when I gave birth instead of using all of our USD. It is still a good move because USD/PHP rate now is higher.

3. Transfer part of our EF to either BPI Direct TD or China Bank TD (whichever have the higher interest). BAD: Pending. still scouting for the best instrument.

4. Invest in Mutual Fund (PAMI and/or Phil EQ). BAD: Backlogged because I haven't studied the details of it yet

5. Increase investments in Philippine Stock Market. BAD: Backlogged. No budget. No extra.

6. Renew our insurances. Moderate: I renew one of our insurances. Supposed to increase one of our VULs but we didn't pushed thru because of the market condition.
7. Get a HS and/or College Plan for our soon to arrive Baby or just increase our investments. Moderate: Backlogged. We haven't made up our mind if we'll get one because of the bad news that we're hearing on pre-need plan companies.
8. Keep our Company Stocks (Grants and ESPP) intact and wait for the up turn. GOOD: We're keeping them.

Our Score: not bad at all. We have 2 good, 4 bad and 2 moderate. We're still on the 1st half of the year. I am targeting to have a higher score by the end of the year. Wish me luck. Hehe.

Perk $ Time Deposit of Asia Trust Bank

2009-04-29T20:58:00.005+08:00

If you are looking for a bank where to can safe keep your USD for a while, I can recommend Asia Trust Bank. They have a product named Perk $ Time Deposit. I learned about it while googling for the best USD TD account in the Philippines. I remember that I saw it from a forum but can't remember the exact forum name.

Initially, I was comparing BDO, BPI, PS Bank and China Bank. And I was already considering PS Bank. But I changed my mind after seeing the rates of Asia Trust. However, the rates in their site is not updated.

Some infos I can share:

Min Investment: $5K
Prevailing Rates as of 03/19/09 (Sorry, a little old now.):
90D = 3.00%
180D = 3.25%
270D = 3.50%
360D = 3.75%

The interest is not compounded per quarter. But it is not bad after all. You'll still get 3% if you keep them for 90 days. This is the highest interest rate for USD TD that I have seen so far.

It was Kept

2009-03-16T14:59:00.003+08:00

This is just an update on my last post whether to keep our USD or not. Well, we decided to keep part of it. We paid 50% in USD and 50% in PHP. I don't know if this is a wise move but it's like applying the rule of not putting our eggs in one basket. In our case, we are not emptying one basket.

To Keep or NOT to Keep?!

2009-01-21T09:44:00.000+08:00

We have saved some USD for my hospital delivery. Now that USD is not yet stable, we are having 2nd thought of using it. We are thinking to just use the peso that we have.

What do you think?

Goals for 2009

2009-01-16T16:13:00.001+08:00

We scored good last 2008. We hope that we can make it better this year. So far here are our goals for this year:

1.After giving birth, transfer part of USD savings from BDO regular savings to PS Bank or China Bank TD.
2. Current EF is at 25%. By the end of the year, it should be more than 50%.
3. Transfer part of our EF to either BPI Direct TD or China Bank TD (whichever have the higher interest).
4. Invest in Mutual Fund (PAMI and/or Phil EQ)
5. Increase investments in Philippine Stock Market.
6. Renew our insurances.
7. Get a HS and/or College Plan for our soon to arrive Baby or just increase our investments.
8. Keep our Company Stocks (Grants and ESPP) intact and wait for the up turn.

Goodbye 2008

2009-01-16T16:00:00.001+08:00

I was not able to update this blog for quite sometime. A lot of things already happened.

1. Late in November, our company had a RIF (Reduction In Force). Approximately 15% of our company's population was laid-off. The package was good but the thought of losing a job before the holidays was still hard to accept. Hubby and I was just lucky that we are not included in the list.

2. After the RIF, one of our company's VP released an email that there would be no salary increase for year 2008 and 2009. Sigh. However, we are still thankful that we have a job.

3. The stock market is not doing any good both in the US and Philippines.

4. Christmas came and now a memory. We're poorer by some grand. But we feel rich in love. This is talking about emotional investments.

5. Many families celebrated the coming of the New Year with a blast and bang but we celebrated it with fun. No fireworks but laughters.

And now that 16 days of 2009 already passed, I think I need to revisit our 2008 Goals and grade ourselves.

1. Pay off Debt (Zero out our Housing Loan from Pag-ibig) - DONE!

2. Increase our individual coop deduction by 500php by February this year.- DONE!

3. Get in touch with a Sunlife and Philam agent for our planned Life Insurance and Retirement Plan to study their plans.- DONE!

4. Only hubby will get a Life Insurance. We based it from the books we read.- DONE!

5. Bonuses - 10% will be kept for savings, 10% for sharing, 80% bonus for ourselves - dine out and wants.- DONE!

6. Review our goal at least once a month.- SEMI- DONE! We're not able to review it monthly due to busy schedule.

Our score is 5/6 or 83%. We think this is not bad for the 1st Yearly Goal we have set for ourselves.

How about you, we're you able to attain all your 2008 goals?

US Economy Crisis and Some Bad News

2008-11-18T20:21:00.000+08:00

I was not able to go to work yesterday because of nausea. I know this day will not be a good day for me because I have tons of email to read. I have ~ 400 new messages in my inbox.

But I never thought that more bad news will be coming in. A counterpart from the US called me and brought out a bad news.
1. One of our counterparts were terminated this morning. She was in our plant last week and just reported to our SJ office this morning. I know it it such a bad news for her. This made us all sad.
2. Latest news in Silicon Valley is about a Chinese Engineer who got fired and in return killed 3 people in their company (HR personnel, VP and CEO).

I know US is far from the Philippines but we are somehow affected because there are a lot of American companies here in the Philippines. We will be affected whether we like it or not.

Actually, rumors had been circulating lately here in the office. There would be lay-offs. They said it's about 15-20% per group/ per department. This is making us paranoids. We don't know whose on the list. Only directors know what's on the list. The announcement is taking a backseat because they still need to consult with DOLE. But according to the rumors, the announcement will be on Monday. I'm keeping my fingers cross. I'm praying really hard and trying to stop thinking about it. I don't want my baby to be affected.

Free Coupon - TREAT or TRICK?

2008-11-14T21:11:00.002+08:00

Few weeks ago, hubby and I did our grocery shopping. We are doing it twice a month in SM Hypermart near our home. Our bill reached more than 2.7K and from the receipt, we saw that we accumulated more than 500 pesos of "Buy Me" items. So I have it checked by the customer rep and I got a chance to rub a lotto ticket. Unfortunately, I didn't win anything (I already won 2 coke in can from our previous grocery shopping). But I thought we're still lucky because I got a P50 off coupon which is valid until Nov.02.

Came Nov.01, we still haven't use the coupon. But since I forgot to buy candles for the All Souls Day, we visited SM and bought some candles and some other stuffs we need for the house. All the time, I thought that I can easily use the coupon like what we did before. Unfortunately, there is a note in there that we can only use it if we accumulated a total of 500pesos worth of Buy Me products. I was disappointed because we don't have plans of buying more stuffs that day. Bottom line, we're not able to use the coupon. And thanks to SM Marketing Strategy. It was a good TRICK and not a TREAT.

2008 Performance Chart

2008-11-04T18:17:00.002+08:00

I had been religiously tracking our finances since year 2008 started. So far here is our track record. I didn't include the Gross Asset because I am more concern on the Net Asset. This is being updated bi-monthly after receiving our salary.
Our investment portfolio is somehow diversified but the proposed division by Money Smart is not yet online. The fluctuations were mostly caused by the Global crisis because we are working in an American company. We have some benefits that are given in USD. This is also the reason why sometimes I get torn by the foreign exchange changes.

Anyway, we are forecasting that there will be a big deduction of our net asset early next year because I'll be giving birth that time. The good thing is we are prepared. We just need to replenish the "loss" after that.

By the way, I am a visual person and this chart can show me how good or bad are we doing. I just don't know it this will also work for other people but it might be worth a try.

From DINK to DIwK

2008-10-29T18:55:00.002+08:00

Before I started this blog, hubby and I are DINK couple (Double Income No Kids). We've been DINK for 3 years. We've been praying for a baby after a year of marriage but it was not given to us.

As the saying goes, GOOD things happen to those who wait. This is exactly what happened to us. GOD is GOOD. He puts everything into place. We received a big blessing by end of May. We confirmed that I was pregnant 1st week of June. We're able to close our Housing Loan by mid July because of the blessing we received in May.

Everything just fell into place. Thanks to Him!

And now that some things will change because of the addition in our family, we will need to be Money Smarter. We need to plan for everything like:
1. Budget - need to add the baby necessities like diapers and Milk
2. Insurances
3. Educ Plans
4. Health plans

I know the list will go on and on. But we need to be ready. Planning plus action is still the best defense for emergencies and crisis.

Update on LBC Banks' Royal Earner Account Interest Rate (as of 10/24/08)

2008-10-27T15:45:00.002+08:00

LBC bank is one of the banks that offers high interest rate for a 5YR TD. Learned about it from PinayandMoney Blog. Hubby and I inquired last Friday and there was a slight change. The interest rate for the TAX Free 5Y TD was lowered from 9% to 8%. This is still acceptable because currently most banks offers TD with interest rate ranging from 1.5% to max of 6% (PSBank).

We just hope that they will not lower it more because hubby and I are planning to increase our savings in this bank.

Rice Price Increase

2008-10-09T18:10:00.002+08:00

Few years ago, our cafeteria is only charging us 3 pesos for a cup of rice. Just this year, they have increased it to 4 pesos. And today, we received a memo from our company that they will increase it again from 4 to 6 pesos.

The good thing is that our company will subsidize the additional 2 pesos. We will still be charged 4 pesos/cup. Thanks to the management. This is still a potential savings of 1040pesos/year for us.

We Feel it Now

2008-10-09T18:08:00.001+08:00

Hubby and I are working in an American Semicon Company. We have 5 major sites.We have San Jose CA, Minnesota and Texas in the US. We have a plant in Cavite and an office in Taguig (The Fort) here in the Philippines.

We start to feel the US crisis last month. Lay-offs happened in Minnesota. Our Texas plant is shutting down - this is an old news but we know that somehow it will affect our stock price. The recent happening was last Friday. Lay-offs happened in our San Jose site. Approximately 50-100 people lose their jobs.

This worries us because whenever layoffs happened in our major sites, something will also happen in our Philippine sites. We normally have voluntary resignation. There were benefits given but it can't sustain a lifetime. To have a business or a regular source of income is still the best option. One thing that worries me is our EF which is still way behind our target. We're only at 17% so we need to tighen our belts more. We need to revisit our expense file and check how can we improve further. We just hope and pray that it would not happen here.

Christmas Spending Tips

2008-09-29T18:05:00.007+08:00

It's now less than 100 days before Christmas. For some, including us, a big part of their bonuses will surely go to holiday expenses.

I am not in the position to give saving tips for the Holiday Season because based on my initial forecast (excel file) , i might be spending 32% of it for the expenses mentioned below. I will try to lower it down but I am finding a hard time to do it.

Anyway, below are the things that we can consider during the holidays:

1. List, List and List.
- all the people that you want to give gifts.
- what would you like to give them - money, wrapped gifts or both.
- all the parties that you may need to attend to.
- all the contributions and potlucks that these parties may incur.
- the forecasted prices of the exchange gifts that may be required to these parties.
- the amount you need to give the carolers - adults and kids.
- the amount you'll give to the security guards, carbage collectors, messengers, etc.
- your budget for the noche buena and meda noche.

2. Budget
- list down all sources of income you'll have before the holiday like bonuses, business, sidelines, etc.
- set aside 10% or more (whatever your heart desires) for tithes.
- limit item1 to less than 50% of you total income. The lower the better.
- Save the remaining either for emergency fund and/or investments.

3. Shop Early
- Prices tends to go up when holiday goes nearer.

4. Take advantage of the Bazaars
- You'll find good finds here in cheaper prices.
- You can even haggle if you buy by bulk.
- For us, we're always looking forward to St. James Bazaar.
- Some Bazaar Schedules can be seen here: http://themrsg.blogspot.com/2008/09/2008-christmas-bazaar-schedule.html

Enjoy Holiday Shopping but ensure that you'll still be Money Smart!

PS:
Did I mention that the picture above is our actual Christmas Tree. It is only 3 feet tall and have been using it for 3 years now. I decided to change the color of the decors but still didn't spend that much. The balls, ribbons and shaped decors cost less than 300php.

Did I made the Right Choice?

2008-09-23T18:47:00.000+08:00

Our company recently announced the spin off of one of our subsidiaries. Most of us employees are also shareholders because they had given us an option to buy shares thru salary deduction at 15% off the market price.

They explained to us the impact of this but I didn't make any move. Yesterday was already the start of the "BLACKOUT". Hope I did the right choice. Let's just watched and wait for the news after 2 weeks. More news here.

Sometimes it's GOOD to Procastinate

2008-09-18T19:35:00.000+08:00

When I 1st learned the meaning of procrastination, I knew it was not good. It is also not good when it comes to saving because the earlier you save, the more you'll have in the future because of the principle of compounded interest.

However, hubby and I have been practicing this lately and we learned that it is sometimes good.

One example for this is giving into our wants. We know that we should not be an impulsive buyer. We should save if we really want to buy our wants. However, when the money is already there, we are having 2nd thought of using it for our wants. We felt that it would be better if we just add it to our savings.

With this, I encourage everyone to procrastinate buying your wants. Try to save the money you'll be needing and when you completed it, think twice, thrice or more if you still want it. By then, you'll be surprise, that you'll be hearing a small voice saying that you don't really want that, you don't really need that and you can survive without it.

This works for us. I don't know if this will also work for you. But there's no pain in trying. You can either buy your want or save more.

On Emergency Fund (EF)

2008-09-18T19:28:00.002+08:00

I have read a lot about emergency fund. This is the money that would be readily available for you in case you lose in a business, lose a job or in any other cases of emergency. It should be as liquid as possible. Some say that EF should be equal to 12months of your monthly expenses/necessities. Others say 6 to 8 months would be good enough. It all depends on the kind of business or job you have and your capacity to find another source of income in times of trouble. Hope some of the infos below would be helpful.

Other things to consider in computing for your EF
- hospitalization should be included which is approximately 100K-200K
- should add about 10% to cover for inflation or price increases
- food expense should be doubled since you'll be spending most of your time at home
- Other utility bills like electricity and water consumption might increase as well.
- insurance premiums and other pre-need plans should be included.

Where to Keep it

1.Bank/Passbook w/o ATM
PROS: Short term vehicle, Easy Access
CONS: Interest is small.

2.Time Deposit (Preferably 30D only)
PROS: Interest is higher than Regular Savings Account
CONS: With charge if you withdraw prior the maturity date.

3. Mutual Fund/UITF
PROS: Potential higher return.
CONS: Not as safe as deposit accounts because it depends on market status. Liquidity - withdrawal takes 3-5 working days.

In summary, according to Sherwin, the key words would be liquidity, accessibility and safety because the objective of this fund is not for growth, but for emergencies. HTH. You can also share some thoughts here.

Q308 Performance Report

2008-09-18T19:15:00.000+08:00

I was not able to review our 2008 Goals for quiet a long time. But Hubby and I are still religiously following our saving method that we've committed.

So far, so good. Below are the updates:
1. DONE. As per my update last February, we thought that this goal is not possible. But due to hard word and God's blessing. We are able to Zero-out out Pag-ibig loan. A small part of it came from our mid-year bonus. Majority of it came from our company. Thanks to them. We don't need to shed cash. Instead, we just need to serve them for 5years. In case, we resign, we just need to pay the balance of the loan they gave us w/o any interest.

2.DONE. Since February, we already increased our deduction twice. This is to save for the premium of our VULs, our 2009 family outing, tuition fee of my sister and to deposit part of the supposed to be M.A. of our completed housing loan.

3. DONE for both Philam and Sunlife. We got some plans from Philam but not yet on Sunlife. We don't think that we need to have 2 plans at this time.

4. Same update last february.

5. Some thing came up last Q1 until the 1st month of Q2. We're not able to save the 10% from our bonuses and salary. However, by mid of Q2, we're back on track. We just considered the previous month's savings a loss.

6. I was not able to update this blog but I religiously update my excel file of A & L.

In summary, we're in good shape. But the market is not. Also, we have new set of goals which are very specific and can't be published in this blog. Hope I'll be able to complete it as per the dates I've committed and planned. Created these micro goals last 9/4/09 and so far, already completed 3 items. Keeping our fingers cross that we'll be able to do all of them.

I have also discussed this report to hubby last night and he told me that we should have a new GOAL for 2009 and this is for our Emergency Fund. We are still far from the target. And we'll be creating a plan to complete it by the end of 2009. We'll just publish it once we've finalized it.

New Blog Find

2008-09-16T21:08:00.000+08:00

I just recently found a new site which has a lots of info on Personal finance. Click link below:

Pinay and Money

2 Umbrellas and a Mop for PHP8.25

2008-08-31T22:12:00.000+08:00

We're in ACE hardware this afternoon to buy umbrellas. Hubby also bought a MOP. We're supposed to use our debit card to pay for these items but their terminals are not working. This is maybe because of the heavy rain outside. I don't want to use our cash to pay for them and so I asked the cashier to charge some of it from our SM Advantage card. Our Bill was 379.25 and to our surprise, we already accumulate a total of 371 in our card. Thanks to our Green Bags which we always use when doing our grocery.

And so we used all our points to pay part of our purchases and just pay the remaining 8.25 in cash. Pretty Cheap items huh?!

So if you don't have any SM advantage Card, go get one and use a green bag when you do your grocery shopping. You can use the points you earned when needed!

GAS Saving Tips

2008-06-09T18:26:00.000+08:00

Since GAS price nowadays is really making our head ache, I have come up with some saving tips below:

1. Gasing up car weekly or fulling your tank. It is more efficient based on our experience. We are having a longer mileage whenever we gas up with a full tank.Also, by doing this, you are shielded by the daily or weekly price hike.
2. Use your SM Advantage Card when gasing up at PETRON. We are getting 4 points for every 1000 peso worth of gas. This 4 points is equal to 4 pesos that you can use to purchase items in SM department or grocery store.
3. Use a credit card which offers a gas rebate. In our case, we are using my BPI-Petron Mastercard. This is because of the 3% rebate gas rebate we're getting. We get 30 peso rebate for a 1000 peso worth of gas.

Let's do some math:
Petron XTRA/li = 50.16
3% rebate / li = 1.51
Actual Gas Paid/li = 48.66

Our actual Gas Expense Monthly = 6K (120 liters/mo)
Gas Rebate/Month = 180
Savings per Year = 2.16K (provided that no Gas price hike within a year).

Hope you get where I am going. However, I don't know until when this rebate will be given to the consumer. But for now, we will take advantage of it.

But just word of advise, be sure to pay your CC before the due date because if not, you'll end up paying for more.

Hope you can also share some other tips?

FORECASTING an EXPENSE : SUMMER OUTING 2009

2008-05-15T17:59:00.000+08:00

This year, my family was not able to go for a summer outing because of some family financial issues. Something came up. My sister and I talked about this and decided that we should have one next year. We have decided to go somewhere in Tagaytay for an overnight stay. The estimated cost is ~ 18.5K. We decided to divide the expense between us. This means that both of us needs to shoulder 9.25K next year.

My sister suggested that we start saving this year so we did some math and here is what we have come up:

Outing Cost (Accomodation & Food for 10pax) = 18,500
Individual Commitment = 9,250
# of Paydays before the outing = 24
Need to Save every Payday = (9,250/24) = 385.42

An outright cashout of 9250 is quite heavy for our pocket vs. saving ~ 390 /payday. I salute my sister for this brilliant idea. This saving scheme is not only applicable for our summer outing but also for other future big expenses like travel, tuition fee, appliance or furniture purchase, insurance premium, etc.

Automatic Saving and Cooperative

2008-05-06T18:27:00.000+08:00

I've been MIA in this blog for quite some time. I got really busy with some stuffs in the office and our home. So what, chocnut? Nothing really. I just want to discuss something about automatic savings. I had read some stuffs regarding this in DEXTER's BLOG and just want to spread the good things about it.

Automatic savings is the a scheme or system that you may have in your company which you may or may not be aware of. Mostly this is a cooperative. The contribution is automatically deducted from your salary. I was a fan of cooperative since grade school. We have one in our school but it is just like a bank. We can deposit and withdraw anytime.

Our company cooperative is somehow different. Below are some of the details of how it works:
1.Our savings/contribution is being deducted every payday.
2. Minimum share is 2 which is equal to 200/payday.
3. We can change our share/savings anytime. We can increase or decrease it.
4. We can deposit an additional amount without going thru our payroll.
5. Annual dividend/interest is being deposited in our payroll account.
6. Past Performance dividend >10% annually. Not bad huh?
7. We can't withdraw our shares unless our savings reached 100k.
8. The excess to 100k is the only amount you can withdraw.
9. If you have a savings less that 100k and you want to withdraw,you would need to cancel your membership and just re-apply after a year.
10. You have to withdraw all your shares if you leave the company.

I like how our cooperative works. We are saving unknowingly. A 200/payday is equal to 4800 in a year. The only downside that I am seeing is that the dividend is given every year. Therefore the law of compounded interest is not applied. But still, we can play the game because we have an option to deposit an additional fund aside from our periodic deduction. Therefore,we can deposit the annual dividend back to our account. This means that we can still apply the law of compounded interest. The sad news is, I haven't done it yet. Something always come up. But we'll make sure that we'll do it next year.

Right now, we are analyzing if we should continue to save for our emergency fund in our bank account or just put our savings in our coop. Come and let's do the math.
Bank Interest = 0.75%
Coop Dividend is =10% for the past 7years

For a 200/payday savings, total savings plus interest after a year will be:

Bank = 4819.5
Coop = 5060

Coop interest will be higher but there would still be cons which I still need to think and list down before deciding.

But my point is that we should take advantage of an AUTOMATIC SAVING system in our work place if we have one. We can start saving without us knowing that we are already building up our retirement fund.

Fashion For Less

2008-05-05T18:33:00.000+08:00

Few weeks ago, Mall of Asia had a 4-Day Sale. Maybe, if I am not yet money-smart, I have taken the plunge. I would really like to go but I didn't, to avoid the crowd and the TEMPTATIONS. But, I think, we are still not too money-smart yet. We still went shopping in Market-Market. We bought lots of clothes but those were really cheap clothes. I got 4 blouses, 1 fashion necklace, a 2 inch sandals and a polo for hubby for only P1.1K all in all. The clothes in market market are almost the same with those in Greenhills.We were able to compare because we've been to Greenhills a week before that. And guess what?! I was only able to buy 1 sando there for P300. Expensive huh?

So if you are a fashionista and still want to be money smart, go check Fashion Market in Market Market.

Travel, Retirement, Wishful Thinking...ekek

2008-02-28T19:23:00.000+08:00

Today, my group had a lunch out with our visitor from the US. He did some mechanical/opto checking with our test set-up. Unfortunately... it's not yet working. It may need some program tweaks and he's not the man for it. The one responsible for the program is on a whole week vacation. Hehehe.

Anyway, he treated us in Yellow Cab Tagaytay. We ate some pizza and spicy chicken wings. While traveling (Tagaygay is abut 30-45minutes drive from our office) and talking....I found out or i think he's kinda money smart man. He stopped drinking coffee because of the effect he noticed when he don't drink coffee in a day. He then finally found the saving he can get by not drinking coffee everyday ---- about $15 a week. This is about $780 a year. Laki noh?

Then... we learned also that he had been to most of the places in my travel wish list. He'd been to New York and Europe (Paris, London, etc). We asked him about the expenses they had in Europe. They told us that his family (he, his wife and 2 kids) spent almost two weeks in Europe. Almost a week was spent in relatives' places (less expenses). And still... the trip cost them about $15K. A huge amount of money. In today's conversion rate... it is about... 600K php. My husband and I can't afford it now..... but I hope... sooner or later.... we can. Hehehe.

I would like to travel. I would like to go Singapore, NY, Dubai and Europe. I've already been to US twice just because of the trainings that was sponsored by our company. Also been to Taiwan because of a project. Hubby had been to India and Taiwan because of projects but he had never been to US. Together, we've been to Bangkok for our honeymoon and Hongkong for our 2nd year wedding anniversary. Hope we will have more travel in the future.... but for now... we still need to save and invest.....

This makes me think of our retirement plan.... when we retire... we would like to have the dumdum to spend for trips. But... with the amount we're saving right now... I am still doubting it if we can do that.. We are just keeping our fingers cross that the Philippine Economy will boom someday.... we're still wishful thinking.. hehehe.

SAVE Now or PAY Later

2008-02-22T19:11:00.000+08:00

As I was waiting for my turn in our office ATM, I was reading the post on the Bulletin Board. There are lots of campaign ads for Energy Conservation. One poster caught my attention. It says " CONSERVE ENERGY". Then there is a little caption at the bottom that says " SAVE NOW or PAY LATER".

For me.... it is not only applicable to energy. It applies to all. It can be for health, money, relationship and others. But since..this blog is about the DUM DUM. Then... I say.... we should really apply this principle.

There are a lot of celebrities we've known who are from RAGs to RICHES then RAGs again. This is because... they forgot to SAVE when they still have money to save. And Now... they are PAYing the consequences.

Saving should be practiced until it becomes a habit....

I don't know who taught me about saving... my mom does not save...shhhh.. but I can still remember that I started saving when I was a kid. I already had lots of different alikansya.. from bamboo, piggy bank, plastic bottle to fancy containers. Now I still have 2 alikansya.... a fancy looking coin bank and a Piknik Can. I save my coins there for my cravings and for New Year Tradition. Hehehe.

Saving had been a habit for me.
Investing is a different story.
I am still learning about it....

Bottomline... we have to save.
Practice Saving.
Make it a Habit.
So we'll have nothing to PAY later.
We'll just receive the interest or dividends of our savings....

And by that time.... I hope... we'll all be swimming in cash (quoted from our VP's speech. Hehehe).

Naisip ko Lang

2008-02-21T19:21:00.000+08:00

Habang naghihintay ako sa aking asawa na isa ring corporate slave, ako'y nagbasa ng mga blogs. Madami akong natutunan. Click ng links from each blogs. Yung iba, masyado technical at di ako maka-relate. Pag ganun... diko na binabasa. Tinitignan ko lang yung mga charts at sinasabing... wow..ang ganda ng trend at kulay. Hehehe...

Then....napa-isip ako. Dapat ata mag-share din ako. Baka meron din matutunan yung ibang mapapadpad sa blog ko. Sabi nga sa isang English Movie.... "PAY IT FORWARD".

So... impisahan ko na lang ang aking sharing sa mga susunog kong blog entries.

Pasensya na sa pagka-TAGLISH ng entry na ito. Mahirap pala kasing mag-ingles at mahirap din palang mag- tagalog. Hehehe.

Bagong Babasahin

2008-02-15T17:39:00.000+08:00

While waiting for my beloved husband, I thought of surfing and able to see this nice blog. I enjoy reading this blog. It has information and humor.

Go check it here.

Investment/Retirement Plan

2008-02-07T15:20:00.000+08:00

Got this info from an agent. You may want to consider them.

Updates on our 2008 GOAL

2008-02-06T18:28:00.000+08:00

As promised... we'll be reviewing our GOALs at least once a month and below is the status:

1. May not happen due to stock market recession. This may be pushed out to next year but we are still keeping our fingers cross. The fund from SLVL are still intact.

2. DONE - form Submitted last 01/28/08. Deduction will start this February.

3. DONE with Philam. Met with an agent last Saturday. We're reviewing the papers now. We are to sign-up for a retirement plan within this month. Still thinking of getting in touch with a Sunlife agent.

4. Hmmm... no comment. The retirement plan we're reviewing right now already includes a life insurance.

5. Religiously following it.

6. This blog entry is the proof. Hope I can keep my promise about it. Hehehe.

In summary, we're still in good shape except for #1. But still, according to Colayco Book, we can still consider it as a GOOD DEBT. Need not to worry much.

RECESS

2008-01-25T16:11:00.000+08:00

When I was in elementary and highschool.... i love RECESS time.

Now that I'm working... i hate RECESSION.

Waah... Recession na naman daw.
Sayang... I was not able to take advantage of the upturn.

My supposed to be sale of company stock is now down by 70%.

Lagot.... looks like our #1 2008 Financial Goal will be affected.
We need to create a back-up plan and keep our fingers cross...

Shaken

2008-01-23T19:02:00.001+08:00

Waah...
I've been shaken.... by the market...
it's so so down.. Hehehe.
I just told myself...
for now...
I am not a trader...
I am an investor.

Thanks to Sherwin for the concrete definition of these 2 terms.

Goal for 2008

2008-01-07T21:57:00.000+08:00

I've read from Money Smart and Guerrilla Investing blogs the need for a financial goal at the start of the year. These goals must be SMART as per Nina's comment in the Money Smart Blog.

S - specific
M - measurable
A - attainable/achievable
R - relevant
T - time-bounded

Hubby and I just discussed them inside the car on our way home. This is good. I just used to do it by myself and hubby juz got surprise that nothing is left for him. Hehehe. Anyway, need to write them now before I totally forget them. Here are our Goals:

1. Pay off Debt (Zero out our Housing Loan from Pag-ibig. This is doable as per our computation. Funds will be coming from: a. hubby's stock sale early this year(espp, rsu, options) - 48%, b. Hubby's espp stock sale by mid of this year - 9%, C. Monthly Amortization until end of this year - 18% , D. Apartment Rental - 21%, E. SL/VL Conversion - 6%.

2. Increase our individual coop deduction by 500php by February this year.

3. Get in touch with a Sunlife and Philam agent for our planned Life Insurance and Retirement Plan to study their plans.

4. Only hubby will get a Life Insurance. We based it from the books we read.

5. Bonuses - 10% will be kept for savings, 10% for sharing, 80% bonus for ourselves - dine out and wants.

6. Review our goal at least once a month.

New Books

2008-01-07T21:49:00.000+08:00

Bought 2 sets of these books during the promo period. Shipping was free so what more can I ask for? Got each set @ 750php. One set was given as xmas gift to my sister's bf while the other set is for us and I am now reading the 1st book.

Not bad huh?!

Peso & Stock Market

2008-01-07T11:19:00.000+08:00

Philippine peso is getting stronger but the Philippine market is going down.....
A big big sigh....

what seems to be the problem?

2007-12-14T13:38:00.000+08:00

The Market is down today. I may need to sleep more. Waah!!!!

Here I go Again

2007-12-12T18:49:00.000+08:00

The fashionista in me is striking again. I want to buy a new watch. I am trying to justify that it is not a want but a need because my old watch is already 2 YO and it is also tight (gained some weight kasi).

I don't know what brand I want as long as it tickles my fancy but ... I want it branded. Hehehe. But still... i want it cheap. Tried searching EBAY... but no success... I don't like those that were listed...

Hmmm.. need to control myself. Someone help me please.

Pepsi Cola IPO

2007-12-12T13:48:00.000+08:00

Among the IPO emails I received, the Pepsi Cola IPO caught my attention. I already emailed DH and he seems interested. However, I am having second thoughts... Can someonce enlighten me. What do you think of the Pepsi IPO? Is it overpriced @ P6.04/share?

My Journey to Financial Planning

2007-12-11T18:25:00.001+08:00

I started being aware of financial planning after I had a small chat with some officemates. We had a discussion on how they keep their money, how do they invest and how do they plan for the future.

At 1st I didn't mind them. i don't know if it is because of envy or I am guilty. Maybe, I am guilty of not thinking about the future and guilty of not saving. but i still believe that that discussion woke up something in me.

I started looking for the "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" book as per their recommendation. How unfortunate that NBS has no stocks. We're searched almost all of NBS branches, but we can't find any. But..thanks to EBAY!!! I was able to buy my 1st book. It was brand new but I sold it to my officemate for the same price including the shipping fee (wala ako tubo. she also benefited from it...mas mura sya kesa sa NBS )..because... I am buying a second hand book for a much lower price. Kuripot noh?! Hehehe.

It was my 1st book in personal finance. But to tell you the truth.... i haven't finish the book.... i don't know why.. bigla ako tinamad. But it really help me a lot. I learned to be aware of everything about money.

Then one time... I just found myself.... searching for a financial e-group. I also started reading blogs on personal finance. I learned also a lot from those e-group that I joined....kahit lurker lang ako. I can't join yet in the discussion.. . the terms are so technical. hahaha. ... ano daw yung ...equity fund..indexes... NAPV??? ..waah... still need to do a lot of researches.

Also...one day... I saw an officemate...browsing the net... she's opening the BPITrade site. i inquired about it and...... then... i just found myself again.... applying for a joint account with hubby.

Then another day.... i was buying this "PWEDE NA" book by Efren Cruz. I find this book better than Rich Dad, Poor Dad. it is based on Philippine setting. He used layman's term in this book which is beneficial to newbies like me. I was happy reading the book because I found out that even before I am on the right track. I just need more education. The 1st part of the book..challenged the reader to list down all her/his assets and liabilities. I have this few years ago and been maintaining it. However, the list in the book is more comprehensive... another learning for me. Hehehe.

Then.. one day... from another e-group (N@W).... I read about GMA-7 IPO. Got interested and PM'd Marie. I discussed this with hubby and he got excited about it too. In short.... we bought some shares. yah ... i know... the stock market is currently down but we're keeping our fingers cross..we're just a stock investor today and not yet a trader.....

Then....there was hibernation... i kept on listing all the money that come and go out of our pockets .... i do nothing... i just write them and look at them. hehehe... sometimes it is a success... we have extra... sometimes...it is a failure... we need to get some from savings... nevertheless.... we are still thankful for all our blessings. and like what i have read on all financial mags and books.... share the 10% no matter what... and the rest will follow.... this is so true. Thanks to HIM.

now.... i woke up again...just recently... here i go again... planning... counting the eggs... thinking of the future... and i do hope... i'll do better this time. ...

Sometimes... i feel the pressure... because i am the financial analyst while hubby is the World Bank :-D ... but..it's ok because he supports me. He supports my idea and my goal.... he knew that i just want a better future not just for us but for our children ( though they don't exist yet)...our family and our community.. may God continue to shower us with blessings and support us with our goal.... This is just the beginning... our 1st 1M is still a long long way to go.....

Finally

2007-12-10T18:26:00.000+08:00

Finally... I made up my mind to create a dedicated blog about my Piso. I just felt that my main blog is already like a chopseuy. Halo-halo. Hehehe.

This would be my site on personal finance but I also would like this to be informative so newbies can also benefit in reading this blog.I will also include learnings from the sites that I normally visited.

In short, this blog will discuss all about PISO...what can we do about it and how it can help me, you and us.