Holiday Rush Gift Guides

With the holidays fast approaching, most of us surely are again into our own moment of listing down gifts and must-buy things we want to give away as christmas presents to our friends and loved ones.

Of course, with the holiday rush comes the difficulties of selecting what could be the best present. Here I listed some gift-buying-ideas you could follow to lessen out your anxiety.

If you're dying to give someone something they would not just stash in their closet, get or know their wish list. Scope some information from his/her friends or colleagues. Or you could get what he/she wanted straight from him/her. You don't have to ask directly. A little instinct and thoughtfulness will help you achieve that surprise look on his/her face when you finally handed out the gift.

If still you don't have no idea on what to give, follow these simple guides:

1. For that very special someone, be alert when you both go shopping. Your companion might have spotted thing he/she is dying to have but could not afford to buy it for a reason. Take that us a hint. Next time you go shopping (of course make sure you're alone so as not to spoil the surprise), you can just drop by the same store and get the thing. Your special someone will be surprised and will surely appreciate your thoughtfulness and effort.

2. For the always stressed out office mate, you can get a mini-massager that he/she can store in his/her office drawer.

3. For a workmate who always bring baon, get a hip lunch kit.

4. For the kikay friend make up fan, get her a vanity mirror, perfect for her dolling up.

5. For the shopaholic babe, a cute shopping bag will help her lug all her great fab finds during her shopping spree.

6. For a friend who collects bags, totes and purses, get her the ultimate organizer that will keep her precious position in prime conditions. I know there is one kikay bag organizer available in Avon and it only costs PHP299.00. Sometimes it is offered on a discounted price. Friends you can drop me a message if you are interested of buying this must-have :)

7. For the out-going-never-to-carry-big-wallet-type, give her a magic wallet that he/she could stash his/her cards and bills. I bought one last year that only costs PHP100.00. It's very hip.

8. For the beach bum, a catch-all-you-can-carry beach bag is perfect. Or you could for a kikay flip-flops. No need to be so extravagant but if you have money, you could opt to buy Havs or Ipanema.

9. For a fashionista friend, a practical holder for her baubles will be greatly appreciated. Get her an accessory organizer to make it easy for her to store and locate her precious trinkets. Again, this is also available in Avon. You can send me message if you like to own one.

I hope you find these simple guides helpful. So what are you waiting for, avoid the holiday rush, start your list and go for a shop. Remember to be practical when buying things. Make sure to buy something useful. After all, it is always the thoughts that count (not the price).

Happy holiday shopping!!!

You might also like these:

• Stop Throwing Away your Money
• Wildlife in the City
• A Trip on a Budget

Stop Throwing Away Your Money

I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I was born in a middle class family where both my parents were wage-earner. My mother was very good in handling the family budget. She was able to stretch out the money handed to her by our father. The money which supposedly will last for only a week lasted for over two weeks. Of course, it could not be avoided having debts in sari-sari store but unlike other families in our neighborhood, we were considered as the best-paying debtor.

I remember when I was in grade school, I am used to having 2 pesos as my 'baon'. With that amount of money in my pocket, I was able to buy one orange flavored ice candy or a chocolate one paired with a 50-cent worth of junk food, not a very healthy one (pero solved na ako nun). Everyday, I usually have 50 cents left in my pocket. I collected it for a week and earned 3-5 pesos which I used to buy toys in school (rubber bands, cards, paper dolls, jolens, chinese garter, yoyo, etc). Or sometimes, instead of asking money from my mother I used it to buy school materials like bond papers, writing pad or pencil.

My mother never lectured me with words on how to spend every penny but seeing her actions taught me otherwise. I was young but then I already have this young urge to be frugal. And what drives me? Because I want to help my parents in some little ways I could.

What do I want to point out here anyway?

I heard it usually from elders. I often read it in financial advise forum. That most of the rich people now were not born rich, they are made.

How do they become rich?

They are in action to save up. They value every penny. They stop throwing away their money. They spend it on investments. They plan their budget. They do not splurge themselves with unnecessary things. They cut down credit cards. They have goals. And they have the drive to reach that goal.

When it comes to saving, the hardest part is getting started. Being one that earn thousands a month but got tons of monthly expenses, it is very hard for me to start earning. Honestly speaking, I have a personal account (apart from the payroll account I have) but I wasn't able to maintain the required ADB for that. Very ironic for someone who talks about spending wisely, huh! Here, at least I spent my money on important things and in what ways, that's a different story.

You are not a big time earner but you want to save up a little? Here are some ways you can adapt:

1. Make a list of your monthly expenses. Or better if you cut it down to two-week expenses if you have bi-monthly salary to come up with a realistic list.

2. Set a budget amount. Say your expenses should not exceed 60% of your income. If it exceeds, check out your list then erase those that you can do away.

3. Make sure to include in your budget list at least the 10% of your monthly earnings. When you include the savings into your expenses list, it feels like this is just another expense and not savings.

4. If your budget is tight and you cannot afford to save up the 10%, then develop a habit of going piggy bank. Make sure you always feed your piggy bank any amount each day. Just set the minimum to PHP5.00. Or you can also stash away your crisp 100 peso bill somewhere in your wardrobe or have it pile in between your books or notebook. Before you know it you have already earned an amount which you could use for future purposes or emergency situation.

5. Find ways to make extra money. There are lots of networking out there that will not require you to put up capital. All you could do is register your name, pay for an ID and a brochure then develop a selling skills. You may not earn big time from this especially if you're not that dedicated to their marketing strategies but you could earn 500 to 1000 pesos a month. That's already an add up to your finances.

6. Try to cut down grocery and food budget. Plan your meals in advance. Whenever you go for a shop, make your grocery list and shop with the list. This way, you can avoid buying things not on your list. Buy things on sale but make sure you buy things that you need. It is also good to buy household things (such as laundry powder, fabric conditioner, toothpaste, feminine wash, etc) in bigger sizes. It would save you time and money in the long run.

Always bear in mind that in buying you have to think of two things: Wants and Needs. Ask yourself, do you really need it? Otherwise, do not buy it. Go for things that you really need and not because you only want it.

7. You want to travel? Travel during off season. You can avail lower rates and discounted offers and still get the same excitement and enjoyment of going places. You can also go camping instead of staying in hotels - more fun, more thrill and much more adventurous.

8. Lots of old clothes but still wearable? You can have it on garage sale. Who says you cannot earn money from old stuff?

9. Trim away credit cards. One credit card and you can still survive. Select a credit card that offers great deals yet lower annual fee. If you want gadgets, opt for items that can be bought using your credit card's installment mode. For BPI, they have S.I.P (Special Installment Plan), for HSBC, they H.I.P (HSBC Installment Plan). I advice to transfer your regular balance to your installment balance (I guess applicable only in BPI). This way you don't need to spend big amount at once plus your regular purchases will be controlled.

10. Have a goal. Why do you want to save? Work out and reach that goal.

With these tips, I am not saying you have to tighten your belt, starve yourself to death or deprive yourself. It is good to splurge yourself once in a while but make sure not to over do it. When you've accomplished something and you feel like congratualating yourself, go out sometime, shop for things you want, celebrate and still be in controlled.

Here is a frugal thought from Benjamin Franklin:

The way to wealth is as plain as the way to market. It depends chiefly on two words, industry and frugality: that is, waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality nothing will do, and with them everything.

Wildlife in the City

To continue our last week's jaunt, we went to Malabon Zoo for another nature fun-trip particularly looking for an animalistic appeal we had found in 'Duma', an orphaned cheetah in a 2005 drama/adventure film we had recently watched. We were expecting to pay 50 pesos only for the entrance, but to our surprise the lady in charge of admission asks for 120 pesos as an entrance fee to the park. Since we were already there, there's no used in backing out, we'd just grabbed our purse and collect the amount our of our pocket with a heavy heart.

At the instance that we set our feet inside the part, we were greeted by this foul odor. At the entrance is a a large, black Burmese Python confined in a glass cage. Few steps further infront of us were acquariums of different fishes, large fishes! As we were nearing the cage of a Grizzly Bear (a few yards on the left side of the aquarium), the foul smell intensifies. In front of Grizzly Bear cage are cages for Lion and Tigers.

I can't help but pity the lion who seems so alone (he has no mate). We were so much trying to catch his attention but I think he is very used to people trying every trick to have him stand, face his audience and growl. He was just there, lying, facing the tiger's cage that I suddenly forumated several theories: either he was looking at each tigers as his prey or he was longing for a companion himself. The look on his eyes, so distant and gloomy I can't help but be sentimental. I'm an avid viewer of the disney animated film 'The Lion King' and I can't help comparing him to 'Simba' and 'Mufasa'. How a lion seems so proud, strong, a king of the wilderness. But seeing this lion, alone in the city, inside a cage, in his old age, all the splendors are gone. In his eyes I see how he long for the wild, to be free and untamed. On the other hand, I was thinking he's lucky to live a secure life, out of dangers of fighting over rivalries, of being hunted by a man (oppss... he was hunted by a man that's why he ended up in that cage!).

There were also a pair of orangutan and their baby named 'Marimar', very intelligent and affectionate. Some of the parents had took a picture of their children hugging the ape. When one of the spectator was munching a food, 'Marimar' was extending his hand and asking for food. She also knows how to appreciate person's appearance. When one of the viewer, a guy foreigner, sits beside her for a shot, she was like looking straight into the guy's face without a blink as if admiring the physical look on the foreigner's face - everyone was laughing!

Check out our laugh trip and posing moments here.

A Trip on a Budget

Considering the skyrocketing prices of basic commodities, planning on an extravagant trip is out of the context when one is wearing a tight belt around her waist and trying to spend every penny on a very practical way possible.

We at 'bahay ni ate' (it's how we called our boarding house, a place where we shared our life's experiences - bitter and sweet) are bunch of single, family-committed, breadwinner girls. Despite our own family obligations, we aim to fill our young years with colorful memories to look back to when we already gain age. Our 'gimik' is not the usual Friday girl's night out or Saturday's bar hopping or summer getaway in Boracay or a summer trip to Pagudpod.

We always have a budget to consider. We had came up with this idea of going nature tripping in Eco Park. So eager, on August 22, we'd packed our lunch, took a cab, trudge our way thru murky sidewalks (it was raining hard the night before), take some good shots, wander on the mini-forest and we're done! Simpleng paglalakwatsa lang =)

Click here to view my shared memories.