If you notice, I have distanced myself from the turbulent goings-on now rocking the Philippines. Politics is after all not my business. But it doesn’t mean that I do not feel for the rest of my countrymen who must once again suffer the follies of their duly-elected leaders.
The painful fact is that life has not become better for those of us who chose to stick it out in our country of birth, pay our taxes and obey the laws . I don’t know who is to blame more: our officials who flaunt their power (and abuse of it) with impunity, or the people who never to learn their lessons and elect the same nincompoops/ego trippers to public office again and again. We are definitely going to the dogs when wages have not increased and yet the prices of petroleum, services and commodities have shot up by as much as 300 hundred per cent. It is mind-boggling how laborers and ordinary salary earners can cope with it.
Those among us who don’t consider going abroad as an option can adopt the motto: “work hard, live smart.” Extravagance is out, frugality is in. Time-tested ways to do this are the following:
– Use public transport whenever possible. The MRT and LRT can get you there in due time sans the traffic and high gas prices. If you must use the car, think about car-pooling.
– Car pooling is not the only option because you and your friends can also share books, DVDs, CDs and other possessions among yourselves. The few hundred pesos you can save buying these products can be better spent somewhere else.
– Brownbag your lunch. If you spend a hundred bucks in the cafeteria for a meal, you can cut that in half by just bothering to pack. When you do, steer clear of culinary boredom by preparing the usual tapa, hotdog, corned beef and tocino. There are healthier, creative ways of dishing out office meals other than those which scream “sodium nitrite!”
– By all means, go to the mall…but only to exercise and (sigh) window-shop. Traversing Megamall’s Building A and B equates to a 30-minute treadmill workout.
– Dine in instead of dine out. Because dining out these days will cost you more VAT, and fat.
– Get a second, third job.
– Think twice about buying high-ticket items that easily depreciate in value, such as cellphones.
– Don’t rush to the nearest midnight sale. Because overloading on sale items can also cost you lots.
– Get rid of stuff you have not used in years. Conduct a garage sale, advertise it or auction it on eBay.ph
– Ditch the credit card, pay cash whenever possible.
– Draw up a budget and stick to it.
– Rediscover places where you don’t have to shell out oodles of moolah. Example: smell the breeze in Baywalk and Luneta.
– During your spare time, use your brain..instead of your wallet. Blogging and surfing the net is certainly much cheaper than shopping.
More tips on Frugal Homemaker. Care to share your proven money-saving technique?
I agree that by using cash only, you won’t spend too much, BUT, it’s quite hard to build credit just by paying your bills ontime. That’s been my problem lately- I never use my card, and my credit isn’t so great, but I have no debt either. Weird.
Anyway, love the new design 🙂
cool. happy new
Congrats! Gravatars and Favatars plugin have been installed. 😉
wonderful blog again Ajay! thanks…
and Ajay, wow! I like your new setting. Really nice!
oppss sorry out of topic. Ajay andito na po me. When tayo meet?..
I will email you kaya. OK?
*hugs*
heya. it’s not easy to remain uninvolved
wow… your site has a new look! better! 🙂
nice layout!
Hi Ajay!
I just wanted to drop a note to let you know I really like your blog’s new look. Very clean, crisp, and fresh. 🙂 Really nice!
Great tips. We sure can use some savings these days. It may go a long way.
An advice which even the rich should listen to.
Your site looks great, Ajay!
Thanks for your greetings, folks.The re-design is not yet complete but i hope it will do for now:)God bless..
Thanks Yuga..you deserve a separate blog post
Paying cash is a good philosophy JR..your parents certainly taught u well:)
Siena, I already emailed you..hope you got it!
Tito Rol, you lost your cell? what’s the new #? give me, give me
Don’t eat if you’re not hungry? :p Keeps you thin too!
I love the new WP look!!! 🙂
AnP..thanks for dropping by again. Gee, you’re getting to be one of my greatest motivators, haha..
Toni, that’s a good advice and applies to Pinoys..coz we eat even if we don’t get hungry..
Puro WordPress na tayo, aray. Share your WP tips naman oh..hehe
congrats! congrats! you’re finally on WP!
Great tips. Now we need a charismatic leader who can motivate others to raise Philippines from this depth of despair its now in.
Good morning Ajay! Your new site is very cool. I like your chosen colour.
More power!
Luchie, Christine, Tin..thanks for your greetings:)
good afternoon Ajay 😛 i like your new site and the color. green or any kind of color green is my favorite color. keep up the good work.
the problem for me is, its much more easier for me to control myself from spending money with credit card at hand than having cash. . . . i have more discipline to prevent myself on spending having the card itself than paying cash.. i dont know.. maybe its just me.. im quite a weird spender.. tend to look things in quite different way..
selling goods at ebay is really a neat idea, but its quite addicting though.. hihi
great post, keep it up…
Thanks Mandy;)
haha.if paying through card suits you, frances, nothing wrong with it. I agree with you, nakaka-addict mag-surf sa ebay. i have to restrain myself from placing bids. maybe selling my unused items would be a better idea;)
inday medyo lami ug fresko kaayo ni imo page karon.
Medro KLARO KAAYO… kaysa atong brownish.
I reason I have credit cards ok i admit plural because I travel alot. I need the cards for the hotels, planes etc but I did sit down how much the bank makes from that… the sum is scary!!!!
I did try ebay once.. for some copper antiques naku I was beaten for a sec lang I was willing to pay the amount pa naman..
I am still checking may ebay ba sa greece. di kasi uso ang second shops dito not like in UK france grabe ang mga 2nd hand..
day … mura ko buang nipilit sa ako computer waiting for emails.. I cant call London coz of the explosions
my sis is ok she arrived in one piece.. but I cant find my friends… scary
am back in athens but soon going again….
daghang salamat, sha. it sucks when we are outbidded in ebay, no? but i have to agree that credit cards are a must for travel, yun nga lang kinahanglan nimo ug self-control. Ngano ma’y wala second hand shops sa Greece? Good luck with your touring life and take care:)
ei, 1 year ka na pala nasa blogspace. how do you plan to celebrate? 🙂
Gee Notty, am amazed that you noticed it..i thought guys didn’t notice anything,hehehe. Sige, swap blow-outs tayo..one for your bday and another for my blog anniv. Akala mo nakalusot ka ha….;)