Feeling Like a Steam Wand

I just made my first cup of cappuccino - hence the metaphor. Anyway, after a good night's (or morning's, actually) rest, the implications of my activities yesterday are starting to overwhelm me again. Worries about our finances are starting to flood my mind. The fact that we have to move in 2 weeks is not a very comfortable thought. I never imagined that this little space could hold so much stuff! I wish we had affordable services like movers New York so that we would not have to deal with the packing and moving ourselves. Even if we just have to go one floor down, it is not a very easy task...*sigh*

Going back to the metaphor, I need the steam valve to be released. I need an infusion of positivity today, before I go back to work tomorrow!

Our Marikina Experience

We went to Marikina City today to look for furniture for the new apartment. Before that, we went to get some paint - it cost more than I thought! Livi told us to go eat at Luyong's Restaurant, where they serve pancit (noodles) with lechon (roast pork). We got lost for a while but we finally found it. I have to say, it was pretty good for the prices that they charged.

After we ate, we went to look for Ana's, the furniture shop that Livi goes to. Yup, she is the strongest advocate of this city. Anyhow, it was so funny because we were crawling along the main street, looking for a sign that said Ana's when this woman in a bright blue shirt flagged us down. She turned out to be Ana!

Her store is 3 stories high - packed to the brim with all sorts of furniture. It was really cool because we had so many choices and she gave us really good prices. There are more that we want to get in the future but we were not sure if they would fit in the new apartment so we had to settle for a wardrobe and a kitchen stand. On our way out - with 2 tiny jade buddhas and a golden bull, Ana's free gifts - when we saw a tall narrow stand with a mirror. It would be perfect for the hallway so we just had to get it.

All in all, I'd say it was a pretty good trip. I am broke like anything and I have no more energy left but I am feeling pretty ok. Now we're off the the company party.

Amazed at Prices

We just got home from doing our bi-weekly grocery shopping. We usually alternate between Shopwise and SM Hypermart. Shopwise is nearer and I normally like their selection of meat better. They also have the imported soups, snacks, and other items that we buy from time to time. SM Hypermart, on the other hand, is a bit farther but has better vegetables. The prices there are also cheaper.

Or so I thought.

I was amazed - I am amazed - at how much we spent on relatively few things. Since we still had a lot of meat in the freezer, I bought less than half of what we usually buy. I didn't even get beef. My grocery list today was about half of what it usually is.

So I was waiting for my turn at the counter, thinking happily that the bill wouldn't be so much. I was wrong. We went over the grocery budget by more than a thousand. If that wasn't bad enough already, the stuff we got was fewer than usual.

Now I really am feeling the crunch of the times...

Aching Arms: The Wii Works?

My arms are killing me. I think it's because of the few minutes that I spent boxing on the Wii. I think this thing might actually be a good substitute for exercise. All the more reason to buy one, right?

I have decided - when we buy the Wii, we'll be using cash. This means sticking closer to the budget and saving up for this purchase. I can't wait!

But first, Jerry's visa.

Struggling with the Budget

When we decided to come up with a budget and implement it, we knew that it would not be an easy thing. However, I didn't really realize how hard it can be. It seems to me that the moment we came up with the budget, extra expenses just started pouring in!

I am not blaming anyone - it is all my responsibility. I might as well pay for what needs to be paid for and get it over with.

Some examples...Dad has been on a home improvement streak - roof repairs,fence installation, and the like. These things are totally reasonable - they are needs, in fact.

How about this - I ordered a skin for Koryu and made a mess of the measurements and now I had to order a new one. Kinda stupid, no?

This budget thing is hard!!!

Grocery Shopping: I Stuck To Our Budget!

This afternoon was the first test for our budget. We do our grocery shopping every other week and more often than not, we would overshoot our limits. Today, though, I am proud to say that we passed!

We made a list together yesterday so that we could prioritize what we wanted and what we needed. That really made things so much easier for me although I have to admit, I still got a few things that were not on the list. Still, I was a couple of hundred below my allotted amount.

If there weren't so many people at the supermarket, I would have enjoyed myself more. Another good was that I didn't have any trouble with the cab driver at all! In fact, he was so nice and even helped me with the bags without my asking. I realized that sometimes, being without Jerry is a good thing (sorry, Jer).

Anyhow, let's see how we do this week with regard to the budget.

Tough Luck

Sometimes I really think that I have the worst luck in the world - at least when it comes to customer service. You know how I have been whinging about my Internet connection for the past weeks. I thought that my troubles were over when the guys from Globe came over yesterday and hooked us up. The connection was great.

Until around 4:30 this afternoon, that is.

The connection went down. I called customer service. They did basic trouble shooting which I already did before I called them. They couldn't fix it. They said the cabinet was probably down. They will file a report. Follow it up.

I called again a few minutes ago. Same thing. Tech will work on it and it should be up in 24 hours, 5 days max.

I don't believe this, really. Why does it always happen to us? I am on the slooow Smart Bro now. Should I keep it as back up?

On a positive note, we worked on our budget and it looks pretty good. We just need to stick to it and we're already running into rough waters. ;)

Learning to Budget

My Mom was a stickler for budgets. When I was a child and I asked her for something, she would oftentimes tell me, "It's not in our budget." Way up till I was in college, I didn't really understand that sentence. The way I saw it, if you have the money, why not use it if you found something that you wanted?

Little did I realize that it was her budgeting that got my sister and I through the long years of college. Now that I earn money and am responsible for what I earn, I understand better the concept of budgeting. Realizing and taking action are two different things, though.

Though I have a rough idea about how much I earn and how much I spend (and should spend) I never really sat down and listed these things down. It's about time I did. That's why later today, Jerry and I are going to do just that.

We're going to try to create a budget. This part's easy - it's the sticking to the budget that's going to be excruciating.

Wish us luck!

Another Step Towards Financial Stability

I wrote about insurance yesterday and I am proud to say that I am taking other concrete steps towards financial stability. Believe it or not, I am starting with something quite simple and sometimes overlooked - budgeting and planning.

My mom always talked about budgets - creating them and sticking to them. I know all about the theory, believe me, but putting one into action is not as easy as it seems. It takes will power and the determination to stick to your plan. Then again, this is the first step and I am taking it one day at a time.