budget cut

on my way to work today, i noticed a tarpaulin hanging in front of the College of Pharmacy.  it read:

No to P1.3B UP Budget cut!

It got me to criticize once again the current administration and all the frustrating, almost laughably half-witted decisions they have been making, the most recent of which would be changing the Tourism slogan from WOW Philippines to Pilipinas Kay Ganda!  but then i decided it was unhealthy of me to do so.  after all, the more i think about how my own countrymen are trying to bring us down to the dumps, the more i might consider selling out my dreams and integrity just so i don't end up stuck in a country that's headed for the same state as Somalia.

So we focus on the idea of a budget cut itself.  now, i'm no economist.  in fact, the lesson i most remember back in Economy was that, in the Philippines, you could get something like a tax break for up to four of your children.  which means my dad gets tax deductions courtesy of me and my sisters, but not my younger brother (magastos talaga maging anak si Charlie).  But i digress.

Budget cuts are necessary, dear readers.  We're always advised to live within or even below our means; otherwise you'll end up in debt forever.  case in point: PH aka the Philippines.  i think, realistically speaking, the end of the world will come before we can pay off our debts and the interest it has incurred.  which is why it is important to stick to a budget.  just because our country can't do it, doesn't mean we have an excuse not to do so individually as well.  I'm no money guru and, admittedly, i still have trouble sticking to my budget every now and then (which is why my mom often calls me a hypocrite.  well, not to my face, but i know she thinks it).  But i do have some ideas nonetheless, which i try to live by. 

1) I try to estimate my annual income (make it a modest or low estimate, people!)

2) Then identify all the areas of my life that i spend on.  i try to think of my priorities and use that as a means to rationalize how big or small my budget for certain categories are.  of course, that's not always applicable.  like, i say looks don't matter that much but i still had some difficulty laying off the shoes.

3) I keep track of my expenses and revise my budget as necessary.  if I end up spending too much on clothes, i might compensate for that by cutting down on gifts (sorry friends!)

4) Evaluate if there is a need for a budget cut, or an increase in income, or both--then do something about it!!  ever since i was a kid, i've always tried to be creative so i can earn some spending money instead of merely complaining that i don't have enough.  it feels really good!  but at the same time, i'm slowly learning to live on less and just save the money i earn or use it for something that will help me or someone else (i.e. education, outreach)

So, my point is really that the Aquino Administration should not rely on budget cuts (imposed unfairly on sectors that need it most), but also do more to increase the GDP per capita of our country.  after all, you don't tell a poor family  who can only afford 1 fish a day to keep living on that for the rest of their lives!  everyone in the household can probably contribute to help increase that number, so why not do something? :D