an end and a beginning

so the year is about to end and i figured we had better give it a proper tribute on this site as well. hmm, i'm not sure if this will be a worthy end-of-the-year post but here goes!

i did my financial accounting voodoo yesterday. mind you, i never took an accounting subject so i kept it pretty simple and just added and subtracted a few digits.  the verdict?

i went overbudget!!! by around 3k. considering all my expenses and my income (sidelines included), i saved just a little little less than half of my salary.  oh well, i'm still learning, you know? and some people might say that i was unnecessarily generous at several occasions, which isn't entirely a terrible thing, right? i'll just need to compensate for that.

this coming year, my contract will end at my current place of employment.  i have 2 months of (somewhat) predictably stable income before i have to get a new job, a better one!  and having decided that the compensation does not solely determine what constitutes as a great job, i am facing the possibility of earning even less (read: minimum wage), especially should i choose to work for an NGO or the like.  and what does this mean, exactly? new New Year financial resolutions!

now, i'm not doing this to try to compensate for some guilt of overspending.  i admit that i did overspend a bit during the past year but, guess what, it was worth it in one way or another.  i either helped someone or learned a lesson as a result.  money well-spent, if you ask me.  but for this year, it's time to apply what i've learned and what i believe in.  i believe it is possible to live contentedly, even with very little.  and i also believe that you are never too poor to help someone out. 

this year, after having analyzed my every expense, i'm resolving to:

1. buy less clothes and shoes.  and if i do buy, they have to be practical needs.

2. reuse and recycle even more.  that means more DIYs too, and more garage sales.

3. lessen my dependency on material objects.  even more garage sales then! and i'll be giving away "presents" to friends who want them, i guess :)

4. make my money work for me.  i'll be spending (both time and money), albeit still wisely, on three things: fostering relationships and helping those in need, further learning, pursuing my dream/mission

i'm really excited for the new year!!!! the possibilities will be even more exiting than they were in 2010, i just know it :D

btw, i made my first New Year/Bday/Dream purchase (yes, this will be placed in the 2011 report :P ) i sure hope to make the most out of this one.

Merry Christmas and a Happy Happy New Year to you all!

am i an idiot?!

"Wise people live in wealth and luxury, but stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it."  --Proverbs 21:20 (TEV)

nagpaparinig sa akin ang Panginoon! haha. but seriously.  this past week, i've been acting like an animal cut loose from the zoo--shopping (almost) like there's no tomorrow.  It's almost Christmas and, instead of getting us gifts, Dad usually just gives us some spending money, on the condition that we spend it on apparel so we have something to wear during the holidays.

so, i bought a lot, trying to maximize my break from retail therapy fasting.  but afterwards i kind of felt sick and realized that i had somehow returned to my old ways.  even though i did try to think of what i could really use, i did get side tracked at times, and also bought some things which i'm sure would not last that long. 

so, for the next year, i have set some new shopping, or non-shopping, rules (after my Project 365):

1. DIY to death! and using existing materials first, rather than buying new fabrics, etc.  I'm not allowed to buy any more tops or yardage of fabric until i've completely exhausted all my existing resources (pieces i bought or stole from my mom's closet, telling myself i'd alter them to make like new)

2. stick to the list!  i'm going to write a very specific list of things that i can buy, and that's it.

3.  wait, then think.  i was very tempted to buy this pair of wedges at CMG on sale for P999. so sexy and seems versatile enough.  heaven knows i need variety in my shoe rack (they're all neutral, mostly black *sigh*).  but even though i relly wanted to buy those shoes, i've decided to put off buying footwear until i have a clearer picture of what i'll be doing next year, after my contract at UPM ends.  will i be going to school? will i be working for a broadcasting company or publication and, if so, will i be on the field or at the office?  will i be starting my travel show project with my friends?  will i be starting my own business?  will i be acting more (and in need of options for wardrobe)?

4.  NEED versus want.

5.  prioritize! and make your money work for you.  so looking good would be nice and i might need it if i'm gonna act more.  but i might not need it as much as tuition for school.  i may not need it as much as children need schoolbooks.  i really need to remember what's most important in my life and how i can use my little wealth to accomplish my goals and to help others.

Today I Am

"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ." (Phil 3:7-8)

I got this from a devotional email about a totally different topic (single blessedness), but i  think it can also be applied more literally. 

this last weekend, i got to do a lot of things, one of which was eat and just hang out with my huge family at Agno (yet again).  at one point, all the girls were talking about shoes--ate Aflie had just bought two pretty pairs of sandals for P 250 each at St. Francis--while ninang Elvie was showing off her nude pumps from Liliw.  of course, i got all excited at the great buys before remembering that i had more than 200 days to go.  I told my relatives about it and they all exclaimed that 365 days was a bit much to abstain from shopping (note that i cracked on the 119th day).

here at the office, i'm the only one without my own netbook/laptop which i think my boss and peers see as somewhat of a setback in case we have meetings, etc.  however, i personally relish this fact because i know that it isn't absolutely essential for me to have one yet, and people tend to take advantae if they know you have these things anyway.  if they want me to work on a machine during a conference, then they should provide me with means to do so.  am i being stubborn? probably.  but i work to live, not the other way around.  at least not with this career.  and i have better plans for that money than to do more of the work i don't really love doing in the first place anyway.  ok, ranting stops here.  but do you get my point?  half of the time, the people are unable to focus on the task at hand exactly because of their laptops, when it should be the other way around.

i think we really are too attached to material things these days.  we can't imagine not having or using our toys and gadgets.  before, i was immune to the FB crae, only checking my account once or twice a month--now i have to sign in daily.  and in the end, all we have are our toys, our accounts, but we're not really living the life we want to.  everything is done or made for the sake of having something to show your online friends! people die for things, others kill and sin for the same.  it's just not right.  what is happening to us?

this is motivating me to come up with some sort of pact that will help me better appreciate the simple joys that life brings, the intangible but oh-so essential things.  because, when i think about it, there are only two things i want in this world, and neither can be bought or paid for with currency--to have good and loving relationships with the people around me; and to do some good for this world.

speaking of simple joys, i would just LOVE to spend half a day lying on a field of flowers (kahit grass, papatulan ko na siguro), without worrying about anything or having to rush off to a meeting or to beat a deadline. i really need to find the time and place to do this.

yet another venture

rode the bus home with jacq and rex today.  it was pretty funny because rex was in between the two of us and he fell asleep halfway along the trip.  can you imagine him with his eyes closed and mouth half-open, involuntarily leaning towards jacq every time the bus would come to a halt?!?! hilarious!  i should've taken a video, or at least a picture. oh well, maybe next time.

anyway, i'm beginning to think i should try to take more bus rides with jacq--the ideas just come spewing out of our brains in the same manner that magma comes out from volcanoes.  there's TUWA, which i still want to continue one of these days, there's our postgraduate studies, writing, preschool teaching or teaching religion or just teaching...and now there's our coffee shop/art haven/boutique! we already have a prospect for the venue (jacq's current house in QC, which they'll be evacuating in 3 years).  we have all sorts of ideas already, like hosting film showings, open mic nights, exhibits for up-and-coming artists, painting workshops, etc.  

i figured it would be nice to put up our quaint little cafe in a residential area that's also accessible to those outside the neighborhood.  for the residents, it can be their local hangout place.  and for the rest, it can be a place that would be worth the trip--just for the food, the events, the ambience.  it also goes with my move-out-by-25 plan since i can just live in one of the rooms in the bungalow; wouldn't even have to commute to get to work! now that's the life. heeheehee. i'm so excited!  what do you think? any future patrons out there?  don't worry, we'll leave the cooking to an expert :)

jacq said that, out of all the things we were planning, we should really try to pursue at least one of them.  i agree--and i can't wait!

speaking of moving out, i was at Kultura a while ago, window shopping while our German guest at work did some real shopping.  i found some amazing pieces which i'd love to have in my own place (once i get one).  here's a few of them. btw, i bet you can find several of these items in divisoria or even in dapitan so you ought to try those places first before heading to Kultura in SM.

i would use this chair to stack some books probably, and put it next to the door so i can hang a cardigan on the back or something that i might need in a jiffy.

for my accessories! then i'l just put them on top of the dresser, assuming i had enough to buy one.  i'm actually imagining a spare unit with a daybed and a breakfast nook.  those are my essentials, see.  then everything else will just be lying around on the floor.

those are the pics! well, i thought i took more of them! sorry! hahahaha.  i was supposed to add a thick wooden bowl where you can put all sorts of found objects, instead of leaving them lying around the house.  there were some great picture frames too, and native rugs, and more capiz items.

now i really can't wait to move out :D 

less is more (and a side comment on The Rider)

once again, i read a wonderful article yesterday about a couple who decided to wean themselves from most of their material possessions after having realized that they weren't taking much satisfaction and happiness from these.  i'm finding more and more of these stories during these times.  i especially enjoyed the one about people living in ridiculously small but adorable houses.

these days, we work our asses off just so we can afford that next new thing--whether it's yet another hi-tech gadget that you don't even really need, an incredibly wonderful pair of shoes that would just get ruined in the rain anyway, or even a lavish trip (which, more often than not, is wholly aimed at gaining extra bragging points on Facebook).  we're trying to plug this emptiness in our lives with as many possessions as we can.  but it ain't the right fix, so that giant hole is never truly covered and we end up wanting and wanting, buying and buying, trying to hide and camouflage all the things that are wrong in our lives.

they say that the consumers are wisening up, learning to really plan their purchases, discerning which ones will give them more value--not just in terms of money, but also in terms of the experiences they will gain through the purchases being made and the relationships being formed.  i say, this is still a tiny percentage of the population.  maybe it's because the financial meltdown hasn't made that much of a difference in our lives here in the Philippines (we were already messed up even before the 2008 recession).  maybe the problem needs a greater intervention.  i don't know.  i'm neither well-read in Psychology nor in Economics.

well, as you all know, i have my Project 365, right?  and the very existence of this blog is based on the belief that there are more important things in life than money; that you can be happy with less; that money should be used to bring joy and goodness to this earth and its inhabitants, rather than destroy it.  i'm really grateful for having read this article at a time when i'm itching to buy yet another pair of shoes (100 days down, 265 days to go) because it reaffirms my convictions.  even if it is hard to control the flight of the plastic card, i know it'll pay off in the long run.

this weekend, i will start sorting my clothes and shoes and bags yet again.  i'll be donating them to a friend's garage sale, the proceeds of which will be used to pay for the expenses incurred due to her dad's funeral.  my under-used and under-appreciated belongings will be better off there, helping a family get back on its feet after the death of its patriarch.  i plan on slowly cleaning out my wardrobe until i have 100 or less items in it (excluding underwear though).  maybe i could organize a garage sale on September too, to get rid of all the stuff we have in our aunt's store.  we'll use the proceeds for our room's renovation :)  or a really good cause--maybe sustainable education or livelihood, a library, or even an arts program for the youth--which i have yet to find (please help me with this one, if you can).

it all comes down to this: will it make you truly happy?

**on a side note (totally unrelated), i saw a female driving a motorbike today.  she had a scarf under her helmet, probably to keep her hair nice, and she was wearing 4-inch heels!!! gawd! how did she do it? no idea.  but it got me thinking, if i can't buy a car, would i rather continue commuting or get a motorbike instead (provided that i knew how to ride one--i can't even ride a bike)?? what would you choose?

spending on what matters

whoa, it's been a while since a serious post on this site, huh? i've been so busy that writing about frugality has completely left my mind.  although this is so, i like to think that i managed to maintain my xprodigal philosophy amidst the chaos.

that being said, i must admit that i've spent so much in the recent month! huhuhu.  but i am proud to say, nevertheless, that all those expenses more or less were on things and events that really matter to me and my goal.  i think there are many types of frugality--one of which is really just about spending as little money as possible, but the other being about watching what you spend on and only shelling out on things that really matter to you.

for me, what matters right now is helping other people (and not just spoonfeeding them, but helping them help themselves), spending time with my family and friends and letting them know i care about them, and achieving my dream and mission of spreading His word through art.  so when it's a really good cause that i know will go a long way, when it's a little something something that will enable me to have quality bonding time with my loved ones, or when it's for my artistic/evangelistic pursuits, that's when i spend.  because that is the entire purpose of money anyway--not to be stored in a bank to earn interest or used to buy stocks in the market.  it's not even to buy a perfect pair of comfortable yet oh-so-beautiful shoes.  simply put, money is just supposed to make this world a better place.

so, what matters to you?!?  and how can your wad of cash benefit this universe?