Category Archives: Urban Living

Shop Till You Drop

I’ve often wondered how much others earn.

Why?

Because they can afford to shop till they drop whereas we only shop when there is a need: broken school shoe sole, tight jeans and shirt, school performance and a school/family event where clothes we don’t have in the closets should be worn.

New bag? I still have bags I haven’t used yet. Unbranded. So what? The budget for a new bag which was a birthday gift from the hubby is still untouched.

New shoes? The pairs I use are still decent except my running shoes where one has the sole detached. I got a running event in three weeks so I think I need to get a new pair.

New clothes? As long as there are no big holes and clothes don’t look too shabby, I can hold off getting new clothes. The kids wear uniforms most of the time so we just make do with what they have except when it’s too awkward to wear jeans and shirts that are too tight.

One thing though, we don’t shop if we can’t afford because the thought of having to think about payday loans is something I don’t particularly want to be stressed with.

And yes, groupon sites are sites I’d look into again and again. Who knows, I might get good deals there. I already did and in fact, I still have to blog about it.

Paano Ba Magtipid

Paano nga ba magtipid, kung wala ka namang perang titipirin?

Naalala ko dati yung isang article na nabasa ko, inilista kung paano ang isang tao ay nakakapagtipid sa kabila ng pagiging penniless niya. Maabilidad kasi siya kaya ganun. Meron din namang mga taong di halata ng walang pangkain pero nakakakain sa mga mamahaling kainan ng libre kasi sila ay… huwag na nga lang baka awayin nila ako.

Paano ba magtipid? Narito ang ilan sa mga paraan para makatipid:

  • Sabi ng anak kong 9 years old nung mabasa niya ang titulong “Paano Ba Magtipid?” dapat daw “hindi bibili ng mga bagay ng hindi kailangan”. Sa palagay ko may punto siya dun. Agree ka ba?
  • Kapag nasa restoran, lalo na sa fast food na may value meals, magpadagdag ng ketchup packets kahit isang burjer lang ang inorder para may magagamit ka sa bahay.
  • Tutal humingi ka na ng ketchup packets, dagdagan mo na din ng tissue, sayang din yun, pamunas ng pawis o ng dumi sa mukha o kaya maaaring gamitin “in times of emergency” at wala kang ganun
  • Huwag na huwag mong gagamitin ang credit card kung hindi ka sigurado na mayroon kang pambayad pagdating ng bill. At para mas sigurado, huwag ka na lang kumuha ng credit baka lalo ka lang mapagastos ng perang wala ka naman in the first place
  • Bago bumili ng kung anong bagay, bag o sapatos o kaya ng isang supot ng tsokolate, isiping mabuti at maging honest sa sarili: “Kailangan ko ba talaga ito ngayon? Kapag ba hindi ko ito binili ngayon at binilikan ko sa isang araw, ganun pa din kaya ang pagnanasa ko na maging akin ito?”
  • Huwag magpapadala sa mga SALE signs dahil kapag nakakita ka ng blouse na 70% off, manghihinayang ka sa diskwento at malamang bibilhin mo, kahit na hindi mo kailangan ang blouse na yun. O sige huwag na nga ang blouse, yung table top oven na lang na 50% off, sayang din ang savings, malay mo, baka matutunan mo din mag-bake balang araw di ba? Sana nga paano kung hindi ka matutuo magbake?
  • Matutong magluto ng pagkain. Walang oras? Mag-set ng isang araw upang gawin ito, magluto ng 2 o 3 o higit pang bilang ng ulam at ilagay sa mga lalagyan at i-freeze. Oo nga’t nakakasawa pero nakatipid ka naman, sigurado pa ka pa sa pagkain dahil ikaw mismo ang nagprepare nito. At least, umuwi ka man ng gabing-gabi na at pagod na pagod pa, meron kang makakain sa bahay na iinitin na lang.
  • Kung mabilis ang internet connection mo, huwag ka na magsubscribe ng cable tv. Mas una pa nga mapapanood sa internet yung mga palabas kesa sa catv, basta lang alam mo maghanap kung paano.
  • Para hindi maging green with envy sa ibang may magagarang gadgets, mabuti pa, huwag na magbasa o tumingin sa mga gadgets site. Maiinis ka lang, lalo na kapag wala ka namang pambili.

Pasensiya na po sa bullets, tama naman pag tinignan sa dashboard pero sa published post, di pantay-pantay, grrr…

Tipid tips para sa mga homemakers.

Konting tips sa pagtitipid sa panahon ng summer.

Tipid tips para sa Time and Energy.

Napakarami pang tips na pwede i-share pero hanggang dito na lang muna ako kasi may nanggugulo na maglalaro ng Gardens of Time. Basta ang importante, maging satisfied sa kung ano ang meron ka at magstrive, pero huwag maging sobrang trying hard na nagkandarapa na magkaroon ng mga bagay ng minimithi na alam mong kailangan mo, hindi dahil sa gusto mo lang.

Not Impressive Enough

Do you have an “impressive” address where you can proudly display address plaques?

We don’t because the name of our place is a vernacular term for… never mind.

Yes, if it’s economically possible, we would have a different address by now, not because we don’t love the home but because we are not fond of the neighborhood. I’ve written about this a lot of times. If only we can bring the house if in case we have an opportunity to move, we’ll probably do so but that’s impossible of course.

Just the other day, the small retail or sari-sari store across us had been robbed: teenagers went in and got three mobile phones and a PSP. They were apparently staying under one of the trees near the water meter with a metal cage beside our home before they “attacked”. These teenagers are from the slum area a block or two away from us.

Scary isn’t it?

Goodbye Summer

The country is currently being bashed by the third (not sure but since the typhoon’s name starts with a C, maybe it’s the third) typhoon to hit the area. So yes, typhoon or not, we are officially saying “Goodbye Summer”. Swimsuits, swim gears, equestrian boots, sports uniforms and art materials are taking a back seat now for school supplies, books, uniforms, and yes, the dreaded HW: homework.

Schools are opening two weeks from now. The children are not ready yet to go back to school such as I’m not yet ready to go back to my 4am wake-up call to cook for packed lunch.

Time to go back to saving time and energy which for me means taking afternoon naps when I can.

So, students and parents alike, are you ready for the new school year?

 

College Challenge

I’m happy for two of my former students who are college-bound. One is going to take up a course called MultiMedia while the other one is taking up something which currently slipped my feeble memory. Who would have thought several months ago, we were thinking of even getting online degree programs. There isn’t anything wrong with these online degree programs, in fact I even find these more convenient when it comes to no-commute through rush hour traffic part of learning.

But still, college is more fun with new found friends, newer and bigger challenges and more difficult school work.