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

coming up

sorry about the complete lack of posts lately. been quite busy.  not too busy to be frugal, on the contrary in fact! just too busy to blog about it.  here's what you can expect soon:

my current projects:
since necessity is the root of all invention (or something like that), i came up with 3 new articles of clothing! the first is a modern white button-down which i turned blue, the second is a green maxi dress using fabric i already had (it's just practice for the blue one that i really intend on wearing but i'm writing it down here to make it look like i've been extra productive), and the third (my favorite) is a top inspired by an alexander mcqueen dress worn by drew barrymore.  i'm really excited to wear the last one! the first, i already have 2x, the 2nd, i can't figure out when to wear hahahha.

Christmas shopping:
so, as predicted, my dad is giving me a bit of shopping money for Christmas.  mukha na daw akong pulubi joke!  but i plan on using this wisely.  i've already spent almost a quarter of it (i'll show you on what), so i'll be listing the stuff i plan on getting too. 

Christmas gift ideas:
i didn't anticipate this, but i've all but used up my gift budget for the year--and it isn't even Christmas yet!  i have so many wonderful friends that i couldn't help but show them my appreciation earlier in the year.  so now i need to get creative (fast) for the yuletide season.

Wedding planning:
no, i am not not single anymore.  i'm referring to my ate but since i am helping her with the details, i figured i could post something about frugal weddings.  not that that's what my sister is gonna do--she can afford to go all out.  but i'm anticipating that i either won't have enough resources or won't want to spend that much on a grand event.  simple is good, but also difficult (especially when your family is as big as mine).  so we'll talk about tips and ideas on making it a fab and frugal affair all the same, without hurting anyone's feelings.

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.

shout out!

due to some unanticipated Facebook happenings, at least three more people are aware that this blog exists in cyberspace (i guess i should be happy but now i'm just feeling a bit queasy).  shout out to Jewel, Judy, and Marian!!!

anyway, i suddenly felt the urge to look at my posts and make sure i didn't write anything too stupid that can be used against me later on.  ok, so i actually need to indicate the photo credits because jewel caught me on that one. fiiiine!!!  i might even have to take my own photos. actually that's ok, i just find uploading the pics a real hassle.

also, i decided to write a bit about the things that i said i would.  these are just off the top of my tiny head and i'm pretty sure i'm still gonna miss some of them. here goes:

1) perfume:  last May 2010, i bought a bottle of perfume for the first time.  mind you, it's less than P2k, which i know is still cheap compared to other brands.  anyway, that was my first time ever (i don't even buy baby cologne although now i'm thinking i should've taken baby steps first), and what mostly convinced me to do such a thing was the Little Miss Desperate inside of me.  see, i have been told by several guys that perfume on a girl counts for extra points.  Kuya Amid was first drawn to Ate Deisen (who is now his wife) when he caught her scent as she passed by him while they were on the same boat.  my dad said that if i don't wear perfume, no guy would ever fall in love with me.  and Dudz said that even though it's not his priority, an alluring scent on a girl would be a real bonus. so, bumigay ako. haaay. kala ko pa naman feminista ako, pero napabili din ako ng pabango. darn! at wala pa rin nagkakagusto sa kin! in fairness, i still keep forgetting to put on perfume most days anyway. hahahaahha.

2) foundation:  ended up getting Ever Bilena's liquid foundation with SPF 15 in Oriental.  it's quite good, i think, although i don't really have much to compare it with.  i didn't need to mix it with other shades--it was quite a close match, thankfully.  i use a foundation brush to apply it, which i find really fun.  however, since we did filming on location and it was quite warm, i did get a bit sweaty and when i'd wipe my face, i could see that the foundation was coming off as well.  maybe i need to use primer? i don't know.  anyway, i'll try to find out one of these days, when i have an urgent need of doing so.

3) My Icon, My Hero: i didn't win. phooeeey!  but of course you know that already. i would've immediately told you and everyone within a 5km radius had the situation been the opposite. hahaha.  i just try to comfort myself with the thought that all those who did win were already accomplished writers anyway.  oh well, maybe next year, eh? darn though, i was really counting on that flat screen TV.

4) Pixie: actually, it's nearing the length of a bob right now.  and the ends are flying away in all directions! i can't wait to grow back my hair though. seriously.  there are a million styles i want to try.  and i wanna get my portrait/ headshot taken too.

5) my OC financial plan: it's late already.  somebody remind me to discuss it in my next post instead, ok?

6) the Root of Obesity: you know how i tend to judge people who overeat and call them selfish gluttons?  i'm really sorry about that.  i know that though it is true for a lot of cases, there is something much deeper underneath it all.  it could be a health thing (one of my closest friends has a thyroid problem which causes her to, among other things, gain weight).  it could also be psychiatric--there is a reason behind people overeating or overspending.  sometimes it's about wanting to take control of something in your life and, when everything else is out of our hands, we go to the things that we do have a say over.  i'll try not to stereotype and label people, promise! i'll really try.  i still think that these issues can be overcome by a realization that there are more important things than our own problems, but i also know that this is easier said than done.

that's it for now.  adios, amigos!

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?

random money matters

went to a HUGE wedding last weekend-- rumors abound that the decorations for the reception area alone amounted to half a mil already! ridunkulous, right?  but it was a really wonderful night and i truly wish the newlyweds a happy and equally amazing marriage. anyway, during the reception, my relatives in the same age group got talking about independence and marriage, specifically our age deadlines for both.  i want to be out of the house between 25 to 28 y/o--i've recently been feeling quite down, to be honest, and think that i really need to discover who I am and be the person I want to be, regardless of how other people around me are.  and i somehow feel that i can do this best by living on my own, acting the way i want to, instead of always reacting to the situations i encounter.  i also need to make something of myself and feel that living on my own will help me do that, if only so i won't have to tiredly keep explaining the choices i make.

anyway, back to topic.  i'm 22 and a half now, which means i've got about 2.5 - 5.5 years to save a ton of loot, if i am to ever live on my own (btw, normally, marriage is another option--sharing the bill with a husband would be nice haha--but i don't want to make any predictions and jinx my chances.  to be honest, the romantic future is looking a bit bleak right now.  okay, self-pity ends here). 

ideally, when i'm on my own, i should still manage to keep saving instead of having it all go to rent and survival expenses.  how, you ask? at this rate, i don't know either! haha. but i've read a few things in the past that did get me thinking.

one is to let your money work for you too.  apparently, this is one thing that the rich do.  instead of spending on something that won't contribute to your wealth (like a signature bag) or, worse, that will even subtract from it (like a fancy car), you need to put your money in a place where it will work hard to make you richer. haha. so you can use it to further a biz, invest in stocks, or even earn in a bank.  i told our maid this last night and she suddenly got the idea of buying a pig instead of a TV.  that's the spirit!

another one is a quote i just read from the King, Elvis, himself.  "Sharing money is what gives it its value."  'nuff said.

here's another beautiful quote from Henry David Thoreau (whose works i should start reading, btw): "Goodness is the only investment that never fails."

and with that, i bid y'all adieu, at least for now.  i hope these ramblings get you thinking and adjusting your lives the way they're starting to do mine :) feel free to share your favorite quotes about wealth on this post.

musings after a week of P365, my Outfit of the Day, and Roman Holiday

it's been a week since project 365 and, so far, i'm still doing fine.  my hands are itching to shop and swipe that credit card though haha.

i'm realizing that, although there are things that i do need but don't have, most of the things necessary for me to actually survive are already in my possession--i just haven't been making the most out of them.  i'm afraid the rapid modernization of society has turned me into one lazy-ass femme and, like so many people out there, i have been content to buy,buy,buy instead of working hard to accomplish or acquire something.  i do hope that, by the end of this project, i would've learned to maximize all the resources and gifts that i have.  it would be such a waste if i didn't.  not a waste of 365 days of penny-pinching but, rather, a waste of blessings and talent and time, even.  after all, we weren't born to simply survive and be couch potatoes, right?

51 weeks to go!!

today's outfit consists of:

- a blue and gray striped shirt bought for $4 at Forever21

- a navy pencil skirt which i made  from scratch myself (first project at FIP)

- white plastic chain headband worn as necklace from H&M

- a gold and white chain charm bracelet from tita Portia which i redesigned a bit to reflect my values (the components are: a heart, a cross, a book, a video camera, and other trinkets)

- my silver cross ring, of course

- beige (are these beige?) loafers from Matthews @ CMG for P2,499

**note that the newest thing i'm wearing is almost a year old. yay!

btw, i was finally able to watch Roman Holiday, which won for Audrey Hepburn her first Oscar (in her first lead role too, mind you).  i had wanted to see it for the longest time now, not only because i love love love Audrey, but also because i needed to do some research on 1950s fashion in preparation for a wedding i'm attending.  (thank goodness for surf the channel!) anyway, i've realized that i really want to be like her.  the grace, the poise, the intellect, the kindness that she epitomizes. that's the type of person i want to be like.  i don't need to be extremely fashionable or trendy; nor do i need or want to be the center of attention.  i just want to be a good person.

deadlines

sorry for the total lack of posts lately; i'm afraid i'm caught between several deadlines right now (and a few more last week):

1) i'm writing a summary matrix of the health agenda of the presidential candidates. we really need to finish asap so we can release it in time for people to actually read it and use it to help them decide on the vote on May 10

2) entries to literary contests.  i've given up on the Carlos Palanca one for now.  the deadline is tomorrow and, aside from the fact that i've only written 1 1/2 pages of the short story i planned on submitting, there are also some papers that need to be notarized, sent thru post, etc.  on the bright side, there's still hope for the Philippine Star "My Icon, My Hero" essay contest.  770 words down, 430 more to go.  it's also due tomorrow but, thanks to the internet, i think i can (and should) make it.

wish me luck!!

smart and savvy

sorry for the lack of posts! lately, i've been preoccupied with work.  besides, our internet connection at the office has been terrible the past few weeks.  the links i entered in my previous posts weren't even saved!

before we start, let's have a short quiz! (ok, i just had a vision of my 5 or so readers turning off their monitors at this instant).

anwer this: which piggybank are you?

"broken and trying to patch the situation up with a too-small band-aid" piggybank?

recession piggy-bank?

ICU piggybank?

or would you like to be this one, all shiny and well-fed?

see, i read a great article earlier today about How to be a Savvy Cheapskate. now don't be alarmed by the word "cheapskate"! we'll try to use that less often on this site to disassociate ourselves from the negative connotation. from now on, we are smart and savvy spenders, not cheapskates. repeat after me. "I am a smart and savvy spender." there, that was good! that wasn't so hard, was it?

the article is basically about something i'm also trying to emphasize here on my site: if you want to save more, it's not just about getting more for less and cutting coupons; it's about a lifestyle change. it's asking yourself "Do I really need this?" rather than "Do I want this?", and being happier and more content in the end.

to add to the author's tips, i'd like to suggest that you write down your financial goals and also write down your assets or whatever the term is for what you currently have in you piggybank. this way, you can set realistic goals and also help yourself figure out how much you need to earn, and how much you can afford to spend, towards reaching your goal of becoming independent or supporting your family, or paying for your own education, or whatever.

i gotta tell you, i am so excited about this whole project! ok, so maybe only three people have read my blog so far. that's alright!! we can all help each other become more fulfilled with our lives. and that's enough for me. til next time!! i'll post a sample of my very OC financial plan on this site soon to help the visualization process. toodles!!

spending other people's money

i got into yet another semi-heated debate with my parents last week on our way to the movies (Clash of the Titans). the reason: when to spend and when to save.

i forgot how it started; all i remember was that, all of a sudden, my dad was further corrupting my brother's set of values by saying that he should spend/buy when others are paying, but save/scrimp when he's using his own money.

naturally, i had to give everyone within a kilometer radius my two cents worth.  see, the main difference with me and my brother is the person/s who raised us.  my mother almost single-handedly raised my three older sisters and myself, whereas my dad was more hands-on when he finally had the XY offspring.  now, my dad is a good man, truly one of the best in my life.  but good men have their flaws too, and my father is no exception.  i'm afraid, now that he is nearing retirement and no longer needs to pay for the matriculation of five children (just one left), he has become lax with his spending habits.  yes, he is entitled to the fruits of his labor, God knows he has been working his ass off ever since he was a little pauper in Isabela.  but i fear that his new paradigms on money matters are not something you would want to pass onto a 16-year old. 

see, i was raised by my stingy mother and, early on, i learned the value of money and hard work if i wanted any of the former.  even as a child, i felt ashamed to ask for anything, knowing that asking my mom for that new Barbie doll in Duty Free would earn me a painful pinch in the groin, and i would have to endure the humiliation of crying like a girl AND not getting a toy, while my cousins played with theirs.

i realized that i had to work hard if i wanted anything.  my aunt told me that when i was really really young, i once tried to pass around envelopes in my father's clinic.  the envelopes were marked "Abuloy para kay Kat".  i don't even recall doing that!! i only found that out sometime in October 2008, when I was in Chicago and visited that aunt of mine.  i guess i thought abuloy was another word for donations. haha.  my dad then predicted that i would grow up to be independent.  and i did.

during early elementary, i would spend summers hanging out at my dad's clinic in Isabela, selling snacks i made with my cousins to the waiting patients.  one year, i sold perfume for my aunt and ended up spraying some on my eye when i was supposed to spritz some on my dad's nurse--i ended up with an eyepatch for three days! everybody called me "sharp shooter".  in sixth grade, i was introduced to the art of beading and jewelry making and, from then until my mid-college years, i was making trinkets and selling them, or giving them as gifts instead of buying the more expensive but less pretty ones.  when i grew tired of the beadwork, i capitalized on my knack for English by teaching Koreans to speak it, and teaching them well, if i may brag.

it was hard work, yes, but i am proud to have learned to not depend on others for material things and, even better, to have the means to help out those who aren't as financially independent yet.

well, that was how my mom raised me.  but now my dad comes in and practically tells charlie "spend all our hard-earned money; just don't waste yours!"  it's only another way of saying he had best depend on my parents instead of learning to respect how difficult it is to earn such and thereby using it wisely.  i don't want my brother to become the annoying dude who keeps asking everyone "libre" and who engages in toxic, wasteful spending, just because it isn't his money he's wasting anyway.  we already have enough of them in the government!

my motto is to only spend what's necessary, and be extra careful when spending other people's cash too (what if they're in a financial crisis right now and are just too shy to back out on a promised treat,etc.?).  and as for your own, i wouldn't recommend wasting it all either, just because it's yours and you worked hard for it, but i would say spend on what you believe is right and well-deserved.

what do you think? what's your spending paradigm? i'd love to hear from you.

GOO: Gluttony, Obesity, and the Outback

so, i guess my dad pitied me a bit and we ended up having dinner at Outback in Libis with my Tita Jona and cousin Sheina instead of at Shangri-La.  also, ate Con offered to split the bill, which was good for me! anyway, she needed to make 10 transactions on her HSBC card this month so she can get a free Timex watch. cool huh? and the best part is, there's no minimum! so i advised her to go to the grocery every now and then, and buy something worth a P100. haha.

during dinner, Charlie kept teasing me that he'd get all the expensive dishes to maximize the (rare) treat from yours truly.  good thing he didn't, although we did order a bunch of desserts. yummy!  ate Cla ordered a drink though. take note people: if you want to save on dinner, skip the shakes and other juices.  they're the items in the menu with the highest mark-ups! my dad's Coke Zero in a can cost something like P106, while ate's four seasons shake cost P150.  of course, feel free to splurge every now and then, especially if it's something you've never tried before.  denying yourself all the time is never good, trust me.  i know someone who does so, and now she either regrets it or blames everyone else for her doing so.  or both.  but remember, gluttony is a sin. hahaha. and it makes you fat and unhealthy and then that gives you low self-esteem and a bunch of other problems. moderation is key.  just think of the Spice Girls singing "Too Much" and you'll have a much easier time of keeping your intake in check.

if i have to hear people complain how fat they are one more time, i might go berserk!  i have a confession to make. one of my top pet peeves is gluttony.  i think the obesity crisis that has beset a huge part of the world is due to gluttony and selfishness. and frankly, i am annoyed that there are so many diets or exercise routines or counseling sessions devoted to this.  if people would just know when to stop and give the rest of their food to the needy, they wouldn't be having this problem anymore! they'd be helping other people and themselves in the process.  but the problem is, we live in a world that teaches us to want, want, want and to buy, buy, buy.  so, hear me out when i say "drop that 10th cookie!"

oops, sorry for the ranting.  i don't hate people who are overweight, mind you.  some of the kindest people i know are.  being overweight is not purely a problem of the gluttons too--many people experience it.  people with hormonal problems, people who were just born with those set of genes, the list goes on.  but there are some people, not all, who are overweight because they overeat.  i hope you hear me out.  the next time you're on the verge of getting that shake probably loaded with corn syrup, or the next time you order something because it looks yummy, even though you're already full, think of all the people who are starving in our country and across the globe.  your not eating surely won't do them any good, but maybe you can pool your savings and figure out a way to help them out.

i come across a lot of people everyday who say they don't have enough resources to help the impoverished.  but i believe that that is never true, not even for the lowliest and humblest of us.  we just need to ask ourselves what on earth we are here for.  are we here to have fun, to eat, play, and be merry all the time?  or are we here to lend each other a helping hand, and find happiness in that?  your stomach will only be full for some time.  but your heart and your soul can be full for a lifetime.

#1

It's my first entry on my new blog.  I just realized that I have a total of six in blogspot alone (although i mainly just post in soleil.  the rest are more akin to fossils of an ancient past, but i like to keep them anyway, just to remind myself of all the kookiness that was my adolescence.)  I don't know if it's because of Julie & Julia but, a few days ago, i figured it's high time i started a new one.   I'm not extremely talented or intelligent or anything, and my other blog was read by an insignificant number of people! why start a new one?

Life is about sharing your talents, right?  Well, i'm not extremely talented or intelligent, but I can say that if i am gifted in one thing, it's in being chintzy.  In other words, kuripot ako!  So, i figured, why not start a resource on how to be kuripot in Manila, but still live a fulfilling life? 

Honestly, i am quite appalled at all the fashion and lifestyle blogs of Manila socialites, with the wealthy buying luxury items and being completely ignorant of the fact that 1.4 billion people in the world live on $1.25 or less on a day (World Bank, 2008).  Earlier this week, i read of how all the Hermes bags in Greenbelt were snatched up immediately, including an P8.9 M one.  Now, what people do with their own money is up to them.  However, it breaks my heart to know that there are more people who choose to choke their arteries in their riches then spend the rest in unclogging them, as opposed to helping alleviate the poverty in this country.  I'm not talking about them just handing out wads of cash to a bunch of lazy hobos, but i do wish more people would invest in social enterprises rather than a diamond-studded croc bag.  

Whatever happened to the good ol' days when kids played bahay-bahayan to be happy?  Whatever happened to the days when you didn't have to worry about your purse or phone being stolen, your children being kidnapped?  Everybody's so materialistic now (i'm not immune either).  And that's the cause of the recession, of all this crime and corruption, of poverty and oppression.

I'm not gonna be all bitchy and preachy about this anymore (not most of the time, anyway), but will instead take a more proactive and positive role in this issue.  This is my response to the increasingly carnal mindset of society.   i will share my experiences on this blog  as i try to live and love prudence.  now i realize that's a very wide coverage right there.  i'll try to cover what's salient to the public in general like food, fashion, work, savings, leisure activities, philanthropy, environment, etc.  this is US saying that it is possible to truly live and give at the same time.   (check out this article about Gisele Bundchen--it's inspiring!)  there is hope!!  and yes, there is something that every one can do--we can all start with ourselves.