10 Money Habits to Leave Behind in 2015

Background image from exchangeratecalculator.com

Last time, I wrote about the things that I intend to not take with me in the new year. One of the things I wrote is this:

6. The mentality that being financially ignorant is cool
I've written personal finance posts for a year, but being the human that I am, I still succumb to temptation and forego saving and spend on unnecessary things. Looking at my account, which should've contained more, I learned that it is uncool.

But it is a little vague, isn't it? I thought about it yesterday and figured I should remind myself (and you) of the things we should stop doing if we care to have a financially independent lifestyle in the future. Here they are:

1. The One-Day Millionaire attitude

WHY: Because I've been like this and it has always led to buyer's remorse. Also, you won't have any money left for an emergency.

SOLUTION: Pay yourself (savings) first and give to the church or the community. Then pay all of your bills next. Invest some amount, and divide the remaining into categories of your budget. With the amount remaining, I doubt you'll still be in the mood to spend.

Source: popsugar.com

2. Disregarding emergency funds

WHY: Because so many people are unprepared for real emergencies, and this is the reason why so many people get buried in debt.

SOLUTION: Build an emergency fund by making an account (preferably without ATM) and depositing a certain amount monthly.

3. Spending so much to maintain an image or make an impression

Food Photos and Fail Stories from New Year's Eve

I'm currently working on tracking my food intake again and incorporating workouts into my daily routine. Why? Because I just checked my weight on the scale: I'm now 10 kilos heavier than last year and around 15 kilos heavier than my breastfeeding-peak weight. Ugh!

So now, as I'm depriving myself, please indulge me by joining me in looking at these food photos from New Year's Eve:

The story behind the M&Ms: I just picked it up from the grocery store. Upon arriving home, we discovered that it expires on January 4, 2015 (that was December 30th). So we hurriedly ate everything. When we were down to our last pack, we discovered that the expiration date was actually April 1, 2015. #FAIL

Waiting

Woken up before midnight

My version of May's No-Bake Choco Banana Cream Pie (recipe from Fully Housewifed)

Above is the uppermost layer, right below the crushed graham topping. By that time, I only had a few banana slices left while the lower layers had banana overload!

All covered up

Not-yet-baked macaroni

Our humble spread

We couldn't find our corkscrew so this happened #FAIL (We did find it the next morning though.)

That's all, folks. Have a great year ahead!

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11 Things to Leave Behind in 2015

It's finally the first Monday of 2015. Back to the daily grind! I can't say I didn't enjoy my mini, unofficial break, but I'm looking forward to gaining back a regular routine and schedule and, of course, regular income. Hee hee.

With that said, I'm sure all of us hopes for a good year. The best year even. But for me, to accomplish a good year, aside from making resolutions - and actually following them - I think it is best to also leave behind those that weigh us down.

Good bye. It was good while it lasted.

In my case, here are the things that I resolve to leave behind in the new year:

1. Other people's unfulfilled promises

It's simple; if they truly meant to do something, they would've done it a long time ago.

2. Toxic relationships

My criterion in evaluating a relationship (any kind) is that it should be contributing to my health and well-being: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. If a relationship (any kind) does not only neglect any of the aspects but also damage it, let go.

3. Clothes that don't fit

The Joys and Sorrows of 2014

I didn't have a year-ender post ready. In fact, I have not been up to blogging lately; I "forced" myself to write posts just so that my blog gets updated. It's not because I lost my mojo; it's because of the fact that this is the first Christmas season I faced as a yaya-less mother.

And I had been so busy.

I planned to just write something over the weekend to post on Monday, but last night (or early this morning, as I didn't get to sleep after Media Noche), I came across the post of one of my sorority sisters, which inspired me to write a similar one.

Can you, like, read it? Haha. Happy new year! 🎆🎉🎇🎊

A photo posted by Marie Angeli Laxa (@maanlaxa) on Dec 12, 2014 at 3:15am PST

2014 was certainly a rollercoaster ride for most of us. I can only speak for myself, though. I experienced many joys and sorrows, and I now realize that both are testimonies to the goodness and sovereignty of God. He is in charge. No matter what mistakes and wrong decisions we make, if we repent, God can still use them for his glory.

With this realization in mind, here are the joys and sorrows that God used in 2014 for His glory:

FAITH

SORROW: I very recently backslid - a little - in faith. I underwent a spiritual attack, and this is one of the reasons why I didn't have the drive to write. I don't know; suddenly, I couldn't pray and I kept doing this specific thing that I had already rebuked when I became a Christian years ago. It was a low moment.

JOY: But God helped (helps) me overcome the weakness. It was a struggle but God sent trials along the way to shake me up. There were warnings after warnings and finally, I stopped doing the sin that I kept on doing. Just like that. Some of you may be skeptical, but that's always the way God works in my life: perfectly.

LOVE

SORROW: Well, I'm still not with Job - physically. My family is still technically incomplete, and there are times when I question whether we should keep waiting or not.

JOY: But the strength of our relationship is a testimony to how faithful God is. Everyday, it reminds me that we just have to wait for God's perfect timing. For the record, I can't count how many astonished glances I've seen whenever I mention that we are in a long-distance relationship. We had been in an LDR for 3 years. Frankly, I know we can't do it alone; I would have been astonished, too. But we need to completely depend on God for this relationship to work, and I have to tell you that because of the dependence, the relationship is a lot easier and smoother to manage.

Source: biblia.com

STRENGTH

Oplan Balik Alindog / Paandar 2014

Most, if not all, New Year's resolutions include losing weight. Mine usually did except for two years: the year when I was about to give birth (2012) and the year before Yuri turned 1 (2013).

The first year was a no-brainer because I was about to pop. Losing weight was the farthest thing from my mind. In fact, if I remember it correctly, that was the month I was beginning to gain a lot of weight due to pregnancy. I was 7 months pregnant then, and before that, I think I only gained around 15 pounds. By my 7th month, tuloy-tuloy na ang pag-gain.

On the other hand, the second year was a Godsend for me. I honestly thought I won't lose all the pregnancy weight because I've been fat chubby all my life. To my surprise, I did not only lose weight but also went back to my highschool weight. All thanks to breastfeeding! What a God-designed wonder.

So I felt smug. I could eat like a construction worker and not gain a pound - at all! I even lost pounds just by lying or sitting down and feeding Yuri. Here's a photo; I think Yuri was 8 months here:

Pardon the kagigising-lang-face. Just look at those arms.

I weighed just a little over 50 kilos then, which was a lot less than my pre-pregnancy weight. It may be heavy for some people, but I certainly felt lightest! That time was heaven because I was losing even more weight each month for the first year of Yuri's life. I was even scared I'd go too thin so I ate a lot. Ong yobong yobong.

Until one day, I hit a plateau. I didn't lose weight anymore. I thought to myself, okay, let's just keep it steady at 50 kilos. I know the reason I wasn't losing weight anymore was that Yuri was eating table foods already. Still, I didn't make any conscious lifestyle changes. I still didn't lessen my food intake nor did I do decent exercise. I tried to depend on what was left of my breastfeeding to keep me from gaining too much, which I thought was fine.

Isang araw, nagising nalang ako sa katotohanan.

The past year, I knew I was fatter than I was the year before, but I wasn't bothered. Okay, I might have been in denial. As long as my clothes still fit me, I was still fine.

A few weeks ago, Yuri and I went to his pedia to have his last shot. The secretary had to get his weight. Since Yuri wasn't cooperating, what we did was we were both weighed first then I was weighed, and the results were subtracted. Alas, I already weighed 56 kilos!

Uh-oh.

What troubled me was that my pre-pregnancy weight was 62 kilos. I'm so near to achieving that weight again, which I don't like! Also, Job only weighs 58 kilos, so no no no no way! So just very recently, nagising ako sa katotohanan that breastfeeding just isn't cutting it for me anymore. Gone are the perfect days; now, it's time to work it.

The gameplan: Count calories and exercise daily.

Mapping Out 2014

Background image: http://pxwallpaper.com/

Last year, I mentioned that I am not into resolutions. I still am not. What I am very into, though, is planning and goal-setting. I think there is a vast difference between vaguely wanting to achieve something and actually jotting it down in something concrete like a to-do list.

I have the A-type personality so I pretty much like everything organized and written, and this helps me achieve my goals. However, there are some goals I just couldn't do because they fall off my priority list. This happens often.

For example, in my goal list last year, I found that as the months flew by, those "goals" went down lower and lower in my priority list. For instance, I had the goal of being team leader in my job (which I don't really know how to achieve), but soon enough, I realized that I'm not yet qualified to be one. Also, I don't want to be even busier than I am today! I also mentioned that I needed to "declutter," but that was before I realized how much I need to do to raise a toddler on my own. I'm not saying I don't like it; it's fun, really!

This made me realize that all the goal-planning I will do this beginning of the year won't decide what I will do for the rest of the year. God will always be in charge. However, I also know God is pleased with a person who plans and is intentional about her direction, so I pray He blesses my plans and "to-dos." Now, here is my "To-Do List" for 2014:

1. Continue reading the Bible everyday.

I used to have a daily devotional time every morning right after I wake up. However, I backslid, but that's a long story. Last November, I recommitted myself to the Lord and began reading the Bible every night (my free time) since December 1. This time, I pray it becomes a lifelong habit. That's the reason why I'm incorporating Bible verses into my blog posts almost every time now. I'm just so blessed with what I read that I'm compelled to share it with you!

2. Continue tithing, saving, and investing.

The three pillars of financial wisdom. We began tithing and saving early last year, but we only got to invest recently. I pray that we get blessed with enough provisions to consistently tithe, save, and invest every month. I also pray for more wisdom about spending and shopping. Actually, I don't have problems controlling my buying habits for my own stuff, but when it comes to things for Yuri, I can't seem to muster enough self-control! #momproblems

3. Begin homeschooling Yuri.

No, I don't plan on making him memorize letters and numbers. He's just 21 months old! Though he could recognize a handful of letters and numbers, in no means am I going to pressure him into knowing how to use them. I refuse to take the fun out of learning!

Instead, I plan to allot daily reading time. Maybe we can start from just 15 minutes. Then, it increases as his attention span increases. My primary goal is to expose Yuri to a FUN and exciting world of literature. I'm sure there would be a lot of cuddling during those reading sessions! I will also focus on making him play with open-ended (as opposed to electronic) toys, such as blocks and play dough, to encourage his imagination.

4. Know how to cook.

For real this time! So help me God. Heehee.

5. IF Yuri weans from breastfeeding, THEN I will go to the gym.

This is a conditional that depends on Yuri's unpredictableness. I have planned to go to the gym for years now, but honestly, I couldn't because of Yuri. Aside from his clinginess, he also remains to be a voracious nurses. I read that rigorous exercise creates a bad taste in milk due to amino acids, I think.

Another thing is that I'm still not very pressured to lose weight because breastfeeding still does it for me. I still burn a lot of calories lying down. Okay maybe that's just me being lazy. Not good!

6. Be slow to anger, slow to speak (and yell), and slow to judge.

I am a very flawed person, and some of my worst flaws are my quick temper, my quick (and sharp) tongue, and my quick judgment. I burnt a lot of bridges due to these flaws. I know part of this is because I am raised by unemotional and critical parents, which hardened my heart, but at the end of the day, it is my fault. It is me speaking. It is me getting angry, it is me yelling, and it is me judging, and I can't blame anyone for these faults. It is me hurting another person's feelings, and I pray that with God's grace, I'll be able to make the 180 degree change.

8. Get closer to God and make a lot of beautiful memories with my loved ones.

I'm sure these two most important "to-dos" are on your list, too. :-)

Photo: spiritualinspiration.tumblr.com

What an exciting year there is ahead of us!

PS:

Yesterday is my dear friend Teena's birthday. Happy birthday, mwre! I'm so happy you are still a constant figure in my life. We've been friends for so long, and I honestly pray we'll stay friends for many, many years. I pray that God blesses you with perfect health, better and stronger relationships, a stable career, a start-up to wealth, wisdom to know whom to trust and whom not to, courage to walk on raging waters, love to always see the positive side of things, and an unwavering faith - your beacon - that will guide you through life. I love you. Mwaaaah!

Photos grabbed from Teena's Facebook account. Hirap mong hanapan ng solo pic na ikaw ang content. :P

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Snapshots of New Year's Eve

Happy New Year! I'm writing this post in bed next to Yuri. I'm on full-out holiday mode today since Yuri's yaya isn't bound to come back until this afternoon or evening. She's been on (unplanned) leave since Saturday afternoon, and it has been a real tiring almost-5 days for me. But let's save that for another post.

Our New Year's Eve didn't begin on a good note. My mom and dad had a little fight and weren't speaking by dinnertime. I thought we wouldn't eat Media Noche anymore, so I changed Yuri into a pajama outfit (I dressed him up for NYE) and went to bed. To cut the long story short, by midnight, my sister came up to tell me we were eating Media Noche, and everything was fine after that. Even Yuri who hates being woken up was in good spirits. Whew!

Without much ado, here are some photos I took of our New Year's Eve:

Our first time to make lasagna: success!

We only bought a little more than a couple of kilos of Lechon Baboy - because highblood. Heehee.

The parentals went to Digos City a day before New Year's Eve and bought a lot of kakanin from Mer's. The suman moron was love!

Due to insistent public demand (from Yuri and my sister), I made mango float again. This time, I topped it with lots and lots of mangoes!

Some of the lechon were made into paksiw. Honestly, I prefer the paksiw over the original lechon. Always!

And some caldereta, as my sister requested.

I wasn't able to take photos of the other foods my mom prepared because it was time for Yuri to take a nap. And when Yuri takes a nap, I take a nap, too. Heehee. Hindi madali maging mom 24/7!

After Yuri woke up from his nap, he resumed playing tirelessly. I had to pull him back for a second to take this pitiful selfie. :D

Our humble Media Noche spread

Looking Back: My Favorite Blog Posts from 2013

It's finally the last day of the year! I can't believe it! (If you're concerned that I'm spending the day blogging on my computer instead of cooking and helping in the kitchen, don't worry - this is a scheduled post. This means the feelings I mustered about the end of the year are just simulated hahaha.)

Anyway, I really could not believe how this year flew so fast. It has never happened to me when I was not a mom yet! I mean, seriously! Didn't my little boy just turned 1 early this year? Now, he's about to turn 2! Oh no! Also, I still remember very vividly the feelings of anticipation and apprehension waiting for Yuri to take his first steps. Now, I have to worry about him not climbing upstairs. Time doesn't fly when you're having fun; time flies when you're watching a little person's life unfold in front of your eyes!

I need to steady myself, and I think remembering this year will help. To recap what happened this year, as well as the highlights of my blogging, here are my favorite posts from 2013:

January

I remember that it was early last year, when Yuri was just around 9 months old, when he first fell down from our bed. That single accident led me to rearrange the bedroom's furniture (single-handedly) to find an arrangement that is safer and would work for us. After consulting Google and some mom blogs, I decided to have a side-car crib arrangement, and we still have the same arrangement now!

Our Sleeping Arrangement - Sidecar Crib

February

By the end of February, when Yuri was already 11 months, he still did not have any teeth. I didn't really fret about it because I was scared he would bite me while breastfeeding. I was really surprised when a small tooth erupted on the 28th! I didn't think he would have teeth soon because he didn't demonstrate the signs of teething. He did not fret at all, but he did keep chewing on stuff.

News Flash!

March

Of course, the highlight of this month was Yuri's first birthday! I only got to spend weeks preparing for his birthday, and while it wasn't perfect, the real essence of it was how people around us care for Yuri and how extremely blessed we are to have him in our lives.

Y Turns 1

April

April this year, I did the unthinkable and decided to pursue a little online business. By that time, students from the US were about to go on summer vacation, so the number of essays I review grew considerably less. I needed to augment my income, so I cleaned up my closet and sold some of my clothes. The clothes were quickly sold, but I stopped selling immediately because of a certain problem.

Business Blues

May

Unlike me and my siblings and Job, Yuri didn't walk before his first birthday. I was eagerly awaiting his first steps, and I didn't worry (at all) because I knew they would come soon. Other people were commenting (some with accusatory tones) why a 1-year old wouldn't walk yet, but I know different children had different timelines. Alas, on May 15, it happened! He stood up on his own and took his first steps!

Y Can Walk! (And Other Updates)

June

June is my birth month, and I would always anticipate the coming of June no matter how old I get. Hey, I have an old soul but I have a young heart! For my birthday, I did a lot of "special" birthday posts - heehee - but this gratitude post is my favorite:

Birthday Post: 23 Things I'm Thankful For

June was not all fun and lightheartedness, though, as by the end of the month, I encountered news of a premature child whose mother died in childbirth. She needed breastmilk and a lot of help, and while moms in the city did their best to help, God took her back to heaven, too, to be together with her mother.

Knocking On Your Kind Hearts

July

In line with PNoy's State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July, I did a fun twist to it: a State of the Baby Address (SOBA)! While political commentators might not be impressed, I surely enjoyed putting together bits and pieces of Yuri's life in a tongue-in-cheek blogpost. Yuri turned 16 months then. :-)

State of the Baby Address! (SOBA)

I also got (unexpectedly) invited by Jollibee to take part in their blogger contest. If I remember it correctly, there were only 6 of us mom bloggers who were invited to join: 2 from Luzon, 2 from Visayas, and 2 from Mindanao. Jollibee sent me a cool Instax camera, and my family and I had fun going to different places in the city to take snapshots (my favorite thing to do)! I didn't know who won the contest, but I am forever grateful to the experience.

10 Instax Shots, 4 Places, 1 Jolly Family!

August

I also received another blessing in August this year. I was one of the winners of Rinadesign's giveaway! Though I didn't win first prize (a fellow blogger did!), I was sooo happy I got the chance to have Rinadesign's beautiful creations for free. While I chose some for my mom and sister, the rest was for Yuri. Hence, at just 17 months, we already have a complete study table! Haha!

Yuri's Study Table is All Set - Thanks to Rinadesign! 

September

The first highlight of September was my mad baking skillz! Haha, I'm kidding. I don't know how to bake in the oven, but I did try baking using the microwave. Here's what I was able to do:

Noob Baker: 5-Minute Peanut Butter Chocolate-Chip Cake

Another blog milestone also happened last September. Davao Mommy got featured in an international website, Mommy Hotspot! I didn't expect it at all, and when I read the email in the morning, I jolted up from bed! I try not to bask in self-centeredness, but I still feel honored.

Davao Mommy is featured in Mommy HotSpot!

Finally, Yuri turned 18 months during this month, which marked the beginning of his "toddler-hood." I was very excited and a bit apprehensive at the same time! However, I could not deny that I enjoy his company more and more as he grows older. I would forever treasure my memories of Yuri as a newborn, but I prefer his toddler self! Haha!

Lessons from an 18-month Old

October

I wrote a post on October about getting rich, which might have garnered mixed reactions. I couldn't blame some because like them, I was raised to think of "poverty" as a "noble sacrifice." However, when I became a Christian and started reading the Bible daily, I really could not see anything biblical about the mindset. On the contrary, God promises prosperity for us (Jeremiah 29:11). Please keep in mind, though, that prosperity doesn't mean amassing riches but acting as stewards to bless others.

Finance Fridays: Why I'm Deadset on Being Rich

On a lighter note, October also marked the anniversary of my blog! Yay! (Okay, the actual anniversary of my blog actually falls on September 22, but I didn't have time to write a blog-versary post until October.) Until now, I still couldn't believe I was able to blog regularly for a long time. I didn't think I would be able to achieve it. For my blog-versary post, I wrote about the reasons why I blog, which are also the reasons why I persevere doing it without any concrete returns.

Why I Blog (My Blog Anniversary Post)

November 

November saw me unleashing my inner photographer. Haha! Okay, so before you get the wrong idea, while I took a photography class back in college, I never had the "talent" to make pictures. I was just an avid "picture-taker." However, when Yuri began walking more and more independently, I suddenly had the desire to take beautiful photos of him. It is hard to do this, since I only have a cheap Samsung camera and my toddler never stays still, but I do try!

Yuri Through My Lens

December

December of 2013 is special to me because I truly opened up to God for the first time in 2 years. I rekindled my relationship with him, which faded for some reasons. In return, God sent me beautiful messages, helpful warnings, and delightful promises. I pray to obey him always and trust in his plan.

The Season I am in: Planting

Job and I also made the choice to follow God's order and create a major change in our current lives. I haven't blogged about it yet, but this also happened in December.

Lastly, we took the first step to investing. Finally! After a year of studying about it and preparing for it, the time has finally come to concretely commit to creating a financially independent life.

Finance Friday: The First Step in Investment

Whew, that's a lot of posts! I didn't realize I wrote so much this year! Well, I actually realized that when I was browsing through my 2013 posts and choosing which were my favorite. Haha! Writing this post made me realize that God truly and faithfully blessed me this year despite my sinful ways. It also made me realize that while I encounter problems, they were very few in comparison to the blessings. I shouldn't have worried so much about these problems when they were just minor bumps in the road!

The good thing about looking back is being able to thank God for the year he has given us. Thank you, God, for everything. I'm seriously looking forward to a rocking new year!

Happy new year to all of you!!!

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