On Saving

With the inflation rate soaring high, we would want every single penny we earn to be well utilized for our expenses. I admire those people who can discipline themselves on spending and saving. It takes a lot of effort and perseverance to balance the “needs” versus the “wants”. I am still on that phase of identifying how much money do I need to spare for my expenditures, may it be on food, bills fare and even on my budget for dates.I know I always end up splurging a lot on my wants rather than the needs. Saving is inevitably easy saying than doing, always.

Money management is a daily dilemma every one of us is whining about. There is only one simple rule, do not to spend more than what you can earn except for basic and emergency needs. True enough, why would someone be as luxurious if only beyond his/her means. If there is an emergency especially when it comes to health, the need for money is justifiable.

What if someone can not make both ends meet? That is when credit comes along. It has its own advantages and disadvantages depending on the purpose of the purchase. Is it for investment or for plainly leisure? If to be invested, better, but, if for leisure, think twice. Just in case you really need credit, a good credit score can help you. It provides career and advice on personal finance. But, no matter how much you read and learned, the way you handle your finances is all up to you.

Job Fair Schedule 2012

I know how hard it is to have a job. Aside from online jobs searching sites, I hope this job fair schedules can help you out. Goodluck!

Job Fair (The Quest For Jobs) by JobQuest.ph
January 20-21, 2012
SM Cubao Cyberzone

15th Metro Job Fair 2012 by AdExhibit Inc.
January 24-25, 2012
Market! Market! Activity Center

Job Fair (The Quest For Jobs) by JobQuest.ph
January 26-27, 2012
Robinsons Galleria

Immediate Hiring Part 5 by Island Exhibit Link
February 7-8, 2012
Trinoma Activity Center

City Job Fair by JobQuest.ph
February 9-10, 2012
Starmall EDSA-Shaw

Magnus Eventus Inc. Jobs 2012
March 1-2, 2012
Victory Central Mall

Magnus Eventus Inc. Jobs 2012
March 19-20, 2012
Starmall EDSA-Shaw

3rd Manila Bulletin Classified Ads Fair
Mar 20, 2012 - Mar 21, 2012
10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Activity Center, Trinoma Mall, EDSA Quezon City.

Magnus Eventus Inc. Jobs 2012
June 20-22, 2012
Alimall

Magnus Eventus Inc. Jobs 2012
August 16-17, 2012
Starmall EDSA-Shaw

Magnus Eventus Inc. Jobs 2012
September 26-27, 2012
Glorietta Activity Center

Magnus Eventus Inc. Jobs 2012
October 2012
Smart Araneta Coliseum

Magnus Eventus Inc. Jobs 2012
November 7-8, 2012
Trinoma Mall

Don't Be Serious, Be Sincere

Facebook has been a distraction for students, a market strategy for business people and a hobby for the unemployed. It has been a common use on the internet for today's generation. I am not going to weigh its advantages and disadvantages. I would like to share this quote I have read on my friend's wall. Its inspiring and realistic.

Don't just have a career or academic goals. set goals to give you a balanced successful life. i use the word balanced before successful. balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order. There's no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. there is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

Life is one of those races in nursery school where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. if the marble falls, there is no point coming first. same is with life where health and relationships are the marbles. your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.

One thing about nurturing the spark - Don't take life seriously. Life is not meant to be taken seriously, as we all are really temporary here. we are like a prepaid card with limited validity. if we are lucky, we may last another 50 years and 50 years is just 2500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up?

It's ok, bunk a few classes, scoring low in couple of papers, goof up a few interviews, take leave from work, enjoy with your friends, fall in love, little fights with your loved ones. We are people , not programmed devices.

"Don't be Serious, Be Sincere"
- Chetan Bhagat

I can relate to this. I remember my cousin who has been promoted and got the salary he dreamed of for his age. He was happy and yet, more than sad. During those times, his father, my uncle, is in the hospital struggling for his life. My cousin could only pay rare visits due to his commitment to his work. When my uncle died, my cousin told us that there is more to life than just money and career. He might have improved on them sooner without sacrificing his time with his father. We can never buy back time but we can still have a job and earn money.

What had happened to me is the opposite of my cousin. I did not regret it. When my father died by 2009, I was there almost all the time. I may be on struggle for my career now, but I can move forward easily as I have not wasted time during the last moments of my father's life. For every this we miss, we gain something else.

Quality Goals for 2012

Since I was blogging from 2008, I have not made any written goals forNew Year. The thing is, I am afraid of failing to do them. I feel like being pressured in fulfilling my goals . However, this year, I just realized that I should not have been intimidated by my fear of failure. It is important to have a goal because it gives clarity to end our vision. Who would want to be wandering around in life?

I feel like lost already. A traveler without direction would probably lost in track. One has to have an end in mind to plan and prepare in order to reach a destination. Goal setting is a just a part of the whole process. I wanted to start things right that’s why I will be having athis list to drive me forward.

1. Shift career – I believe I can do so much more. I have more to prove to myself than what I am in now. I am currently searching for avenues to shift career to IT. When I know I can do it, I will, whatever it takes. Life is too short to spend on something I do not want. As the saying goes, you will regret not for the things you did, but for things you could have done in the past. The shift should be this year, and I’ll start this month. I am happy I have my support group that wishes well for my career.

2. Buff Up – Remain slim, get fat, diet a little, shape up a bit. I have never been contented with my figure. I always wanted to be what I’m not. I am slim mer now than I was a year ago. Well, I have already decided to buff up again and just maintain 112 lbs.

3. Boost business – I do not have an idea how to do this. My computer shop is still on operation. My next target is having an online business and my ultimate plan for this is year is to buy a car to start up a taxi business. The investment is quite big for me but I hope it would turn out good.

4. Spend less, save more – Easy to say, but difficult to do. From now on, I will be alloting a certain amount of my salary every payday for savings. I will not also use my computer shop’s earnings to splurge for shopping.

5. Spare time to blog – I have only a few posts last year. Again, to do this, I will be having a single day every week to blog. I can do it in the office or at home. There would be no excuse this time.

6. Make time to read – I have unfinished books at home. Once I got bored of the story, I start to read a new one leaving a few books uncompleted. I already have a list of books to read this year. But before starting with them, I will get done with the old ones.

7. Spend more time with family – I stay here in Manila for work on weekdays. On weekends, when I don’t have any activity in particular, I go home to Bulacan and spend the day with family. But more often than not, I spend a bigger portion of my weekend with my boyfriend. This is what I wanted to lessen since we still both have to catch up time with our families.

8. Improve my social life – My social life has taken its backseat for a while now. Three of my college friends have children already which hinders us to see each other in addition to tight schedules of some. Since I graduated from high school, I rarely see my friends back then. I am still thankful that even with some years apart, we got to see each other occasionally. We even plan to travel some time this year. I am smelling some imrpovement already.

9. Be a bitch – Not literally. I am looking forward for Sherry Argov’s Why Men Love Bitches book. I have read a part of it and I am pretty sure it would help my relationship with my man. I long to change the unselfish part of me that demands him to center his life on me. We both have our own lives to improve. At some part, its not advisable to just depend on us no matter how much deeply in love we are.

10. Get things more organized, value time– Oh, make that ALL things in general, all the smallest details, from the time I wake up to sun down, I should plan my day productively. Goodbye to my, “do-it-later” habit, hello “do-it-now” whenever possible. I have wasted a lot of time already and I can’t afford to lose more this time.

I am positive that I can live up with my list. Some are difficult, but not impossible. From now on, I will banish negativity. At the end of the year, I am hoping, I am so much different from what I am today. Hello 2012! Please be the best, I will too okay?