Finding Alternatives -Back to Basic

The good thing about most Filipinos is that they are very responsible to their families.
But the bad thing is - sometimes their family members become too dependent.
Being a breadwinner is not bad but being trapped in that position is very difficult.

Being the only girl in the family molds me into thinking that I dont have to earn more.(Maybe that's one of my regrets - I didnt focus on self improvement). I shouldn't be the one to provide for family needs, it's a man's job to be a good provider. And I still have three brothers to assume the responsibility. But having an alcoholic jobless father, a jobless brother & a mother who's making rugs as the only main source of income in the family before pushes me to work hard.

For almost 18 years of being a minimum wage earner I was able to help my brother finish college & provide a small house for my family (the lot is not yet ours I just paid for the right for 75,000 - 15 yrs ago-its a long story). It's been my goal to have a small house since renting a house, the advance & deposit payments everytime we move to another house always drains all my savings before.

But things don't turn out the way I thought it would be. Life is more comfortable now but harder on my side. My eldest brother is still jobless, my younger brother already has his own family & my youngest brother has a job already but you know boys prioritize their gf first. I thought I am done with my obligations but nope, I am still on the same loop. I guess I just have to accept it, I can't bear seeing my mother handles all the problems at home. She has done so many sacrifices for the family.

But this situation will not prevent me from fulfilling all my goals this 2014.
Even if living below my means is really hard since almost 50 % of my income goes to the family's household expenses, I must save. But If I can't save for my mutual fund then I must find alternatives:

*First alternative - making rugs @ home
Making rugs is what my mother & I do during weekends this prevents us from going to the malls.This was also my first source of income before & this is what I do while watching TV @ home.
And yesterday I did two bundles of it, just one more & I'll finally have one thousand pesos for my mutual fund this August, yehey.....

If you can't adjust your means then you have to live below your means.
If you can't live below your means then you have to adjust your means.

Everything is Up!

Jeepney Fares are up (by 50 centavo) last June.
Prices of basic commodities continue to go up.
The price of rice I bought last week is 45/kilo.
It was only 39/kilo last January.
Meralco announced that there will be 3 centavo per kilowatt increase this July.

Oh well, what can I do. Living below your means for a minimum wage earner is sometimes an impossible task for me. Since 45%-50% of my salary goes to my family's household expenses, 35%-40% is allocated on my transportation & food allowance & the remaining 10% of my salary is - hmmm, that remains to be seen. Just kidding, everything is written in my black book and the result is still deficit.

But I'm still happy today because I was able get my pawned earrings at cebuana lhuiller. I just need a little more sacrifice & some adjustments and I'll be able to finally hit my personal goals.

As I have promised myself - no more negativity.
When sometimes things are not doing well, I just look up!
Look at the clouds then look around.
People are still smiling even after typhoon glenda badly hits metro manila.
Even if there's still no electricity after the typhoon, well atleast it saves eletricity consumption, hahah.
Thank GOD, our house is not damaged, our roofs are still intact.
Thank GOD, I still have job, still working today.
& most importantly Thank GOD, we are all good & alive in the family.

I'm always thankful my mother is okay despite of all the health concerns she is suffering.
I guess I'm still dependent to her even if I'm turning 40 next year, Iba talaga ang nanay sa pamilya.
Thankful my father is still okay after he had stroke.
Thankful my kuya is there to assist them kahit di ko maasahan financially.
Thankful my two younger brothers still assist my mother financially even if the other already has a family of his own.
Just pray to God that my brothers have financial discipline too, sobrang addict kasi sa sapatos at gadget e.
Just counting all my blessings today.......

July 7, 2014

I went to Philcare to get my transvi ultrasound result and have it interpret by my ob.
I am so happy today that my endemetriosis cysts got smaller again without any medicine or pills intake.

Although I was not able to completely follow the routine that I have set during these past few months and once in a while I cant resist the temptation of drinking softdrinks, eating pasta & pizza but I still make it a point to drink not less than 2 liters of water a day, to walk at least 20 to 30 minutes a day and to eat veggies & fruits as much as possible everyday. Hopefully my cysts disappears next year. I will be more focused & I will make more adjustments to have a healthy routine everyday.

Today, I got my cervical vaccine shot as part of my additional midyear goal.

Then afterwards I went to FAMI office to open my "Save & Learn Balanced Fund".
I'll be posting my confirmation from FAMI here after 10 days.

Having a good result with my transvi ultrasound & completed my 2 goals today makes me feel so happy & blessed today.

MIDYEAR GOALS

MY 2014 MIDYEAR

ADDITIONAL SET OF GOALS:

1)  Read & write 365 bible verses. 

2)  Read  Ten (10) ebooks on my cellphone. (done 7-10)
Some of this books are just short motivational books I really need this to battle my negativity.

3)  Read Three (3) Inspirational Books.

4)  Read Two (2) Spy Books.

5)  Have a cervical vaccine. ( first shot done 7-7)
(next - sept 8, last jan. 8) 

6)  Open FAMI SALEF Account or Philequity fund.

7)  Open FAMI SALBF Account.(done 7-7)

8)  Open a time dep or UITF.

9)  Open another coop account at vab.

10) Invite atleast 5 person to a financial seminar as I promised my friend.


Oohh, I accidentally erase this blog today so I rewrite it again.

BUDGET ADJUSTMENT

My Budget Adjustment

                                                  (calculator is always my bestfriend every payday)

EXPENSES SUMMARY
 
SALARY BRACKET -From 5,000.00 to 5,500.00

Every 15th:
Rice/Mama/groceries                  =   1,500.00 (1,000-rice, 500-mama)
Groceries                                     =      500.00
15-day work allowance               =   2,000.00+++
Personal Hygiene & Vitamins      =      300.00
EW Cash Loan (Inv)                    =      467.00
Savings                                         =      365.00
Others                                           =       168.00

TOTAL  EXPENSES                =   5,300.00


SALARY BRACKET= From 5,000.00 to 5,500.00 plus house rent = 2,000.00
Total Income = P 7,000.00 - P 7,500.00

Every 30th:
Electric/Water/PLDT/
St.Peter Plan/                            =     2,000.00
(1,250.00 (electric/water), 200-pldt, 550-st.peter)
Mama                                        =    1,000.00
Groceries                                   =       500.00
15-day work allowance             =   2,000.00+++
BPI C Loans                             =      365.00
Personal Hygiene & Vitamins  =      300.00
Savings                                     =      365.00
Credit Card Bills                      =      1,200.00


TOTAL                                        =   7,730.00

 

Looking at my budget its clear that I have a deficit allowance these past few months.
That's the reason also why I was not able to control my credit card expenditures too.
Due to unexpected turnarounds, transportation & price increase my budgeting was reformatted.
I needed to help my mother with her budgeting & medications.
I needed to start my emergency fund again since it was all used up.
Hopefully I can surpass this challenge & re-aligned my saving structure since I want to start my mutual fund this July 2014.


Life is getting harder but I will continue to finish my goals this 2014 no matter what,....focus, focus, focus!!!!!!!!