Cash Plans 101: The Label System

At long last, payday has come! After 2 months of no salary due to transition of government from Arroyo's to Aquino's, I have received a bundle of cash today.

I first read about the Budget Your Money Through the Envelope System article of co-blogger Fitz Villafuerte years ago. The idea of budgeting your finances through the envelope system helped me a lot to manage my expenses. However, I find it unnecessary to buy envelopes to separate the paper bills, so I had my own version: the Label System.

I use scratch papers, cut into strips, to label my finances. In this way, I am able to schedule where my money should be spent and how much can I save from the month's earnings, especially at this point in time when hard-earned money should be spent wisely.

I just have to suggest that when you are budgeting, 1) prioritize to pay your debts that run with interest, so as to avoid additonal charges for the late payment and interest percentage. Loans with more than 5% interest should be first in your to-pay list; 2) pay your bills on or before the due date to avoid inconvenience: falling in line to beat the due date, supplies and lines being cut (electricity, water, phone, internet, credit cards), and reconnection fees; 3) and lastly, when you borrow money from your savings account, charge yourself with interest. For the past months that I was not receiving my salary, I borrowed P10,000.00 from my savings so I charged myself with a 5% interest rate, giving me additional earning of P500.00. By doing so, you will be able to save more than what you expect.

We all have our own way of budgeting our finances. We may have different means, but we share the same goal, and that is to pay what we should and save what we can. But most importantly, we should spend less than what we earn. Overspending is a bad habit, so let us not buy it.
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The 1st National Orchestra Festival on our 7th Monthsary

The 1st National Orchestra Festival was just in time for our 7th monthsary. Yobs and I were more than overwhelmed as we were seated at the first row of the orchestra center, with no other people at both sides (but looking back at us, the theater was almost full).

The performing group was composed of the FILharmoniKA, the Manila Symphony Orchestra, the UST Symphony Orchestra, the UP Orchestra and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. The programme had 6 sets conducted by four of the most sought after musical directors in the country:

1. Three Dance Episodes from On The Town (Leonard Bernstein, 1918-1990), conducted by Gerard Salonga
2. Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral from Lohengrin (Richard Wagner, 1813-1833), conducted by Herminigildo Ranera
3. Academic Festival Overture (Johannes Brahms, 1833-1897), conducted by Edna Marcil Martinez
4. Overture to William Tell (Gioacchino Rossini, 1792-1868), conducted by Olivier Ochanine
5. Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1872-1958), conducted by Olivier Ochanine
6. Russian Easter Overture (Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, 1844-1908), conducted by Olivier Ochanine

I enjoyed the concert as much as Yobs did, except at times when he could not help but close his eyes because he lacked sleep (he had work the whole day and came right straight from the office just to grant my invite - how sweet!). I was engrossed by how well these artists played their instruments, especially the last set when they performed "My Favorite Things," a song which I used to memorize and sing when I was like 8 or 9 years old. I found myself singing the lyrics with much pride and confidence.

As the concert ended, I could see the audience standing one by one - with smiles on their faces, their hands clapping endlessly, and their eyes twinkling with great admiration. For both of us, it was indeed a memorable experience.

I would like to thank Arvin Ello for holding his Win a Pair of Tickets to the 1st National Orchestra Festival Concerts blog contest, where I earned 2 tickets to the September 25 schedule. We really enjoyed the concert and we are looking forward to more of your blog updates! Congratulations for your success, Vin!
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What I Learned from the Canon Photoeskwela

Last September 25, I attended the Canon Photoeskwela at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran conducted by international photographer, Del Benson. He was spontaneous, hands-on, and interactive the whole session, making us feel more interested as he focused on "Lighting." I was not jotting down notes as paper and pen were unavailable so here are the things that he taught us, according to my memory.

Mr. Benson tackled the basic elements of light in photography namely "light source," "specular" and "shadow." He also told us something about diffused spot, or as I understood it, the part that is neither the specular nor the shadow. Specular is the mirror-like reflection of light from a surface, while Shadow is an area where direct light from a source of light cannot reach due to obstruction by an object, which is the cue ball itself, as referred to the photo below.

The light source can be a natural light (sun, window, outdoor), an artificial light (electric bulb, lamp, candle, etc.), or a reflector (something that reflects the original source of light). He even demonstrated how to make an immediate photo studio by just using a window as the source of light, three student volunteers wearing white shirt as reflector, and a chair where the subject could take a pose. The demo also showed us the difference between a photo with a reflector and a photo without one.

More than the basics, Mr. Benson taught us how to capture emotions by taking pictures of people as our subject; that there is no better way to preserve a family's history than to take actual photos - candid, carefree, and unobstrusive. He also said that online photos (uploaded through social networking sites such as Facebook) are not creating a legacy. Files can be corrupted at any time and it is all gone forever. We have to print photos to make history; to make memories last; and to create a legacy.

Interested to see my sample photos? Wait till I upload all of them. Internet connection at home has been cut. Sorry.

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The Diary of Anne Frank, A Movie Review

Before anything else, I want to make a confession: I am obsessed with Anne Frank. I have read the book and watched the film, and am still wanting for more. But for now, I want to share some insights I came up with while and after watching The Diary of Anne Frank.

The Diary of Anne Frank is a moving film. It tells about the story of a Jewish girl named Anne who lived with her family in a secret annex to save themselves from the terrors of the Nazi government. This hiding place had been the family's comfort zone for two years. All the people in the Secret Annex were not allowed to go out in the open, and were prohibited to make any noise that would draw attention from the outside.

I love this teenage girl's high level of profound thinking and critical reasoning. Even at a young age, she comes up with ideas better than adults', which sometimes gives her an out-of-the-norms, Bad Girl image. The film also describes her relationship with her family, composed of Otto (father), Edith (mother), and Margot (sister): something that is both real and ideal. Real in the sense that arguments, debates, and problems in the family existed; and ideal in the sense that they were able to surmount the challenges together.

Young love is also one of the main ingredients that added spice to the story. Peter Van Daan played a great role in Anne Frank's life as the apple of her eye and as a source of her worldly desires. I can relate to their story as I, too, was once a curious, hard-headed, little lady who fell in love with someone like Peter: exciting, manly, spontaneous, and sensible.

I recommend this movie because it is indeed a beautiful craft. Aside from its first-hand historical content, you will be able to see the reality of life and learn lessons that you can use for further reference. For me, the movie The Diary of Anne Frank is 10/10.

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All You Have To Do is WikiShop

Shopping for clothes is one of women’s greatest addictions. When you go to the mall, almost 80% of the people you see inside are ladies, and you can see them window shopping and shopping limitlessly with great joy and excitement on their faces. Guess what? I am one of them.

However, for the past two months, time and budget constrain me from buying new stuffs. I have yet received my salary for almost two months because I am still waiting for my appointment. Good news is there is ShopWiki where I can shop for new clothes in affordable prices via PayPal (Thanks to my blog tasks I can support my online shopping expenses).

My most favorite part in ShopWiki is that they are a one-stop shop offering a complete women’s wardrobe. They have clothing for tall women, plus-sized women, petite women, and pregnant mommies, too. You can also check out their Women’s Guide to Holiday Dressing for you to be more than fashionable this Christmas season.

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Online Tutoring Services: In or Out?

I remember when we used to live in Paco and my Mom, a Mathematics high school teacher, also worked as a part-time tutor for our neighbors’ kids. I’d loved to go with her during her one-on-one tutoring classes because in that way, I know I was also learning.

I am in favor of enrolling children in tutor classes because students get to learn in advance and cope with difficult subjects. Hiring a competent tutor is okay, but if you do not know somebody whom you can trust your children with, there are online tutoring websites that can help. One of these is TutorVista, the leading online tutoring company in the world that offers affordable packages per month for all subjects with unlimited access and 24/7 service for K-12 and college students.



With the help of online tutoring services, no parent should worry about their children’s assignments on balancing equations, ionic compounds, Nitric acid, homogeneous mixture and heterogeneous mixture. Science and other subjects would not be a pain in the neck anymore. By simply asking for Science homework help, kids and parents alike can immediately get the answers they need.

However, I still suggest that parents allot quality time to help their children with their assignments and school projects because this is an opportune time for you to bond and make the best out of bonding moments.
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"Almost There" by Yobs Mendoza

This photo was taken during our unplanned trip to Talisay, Batangas. This is a snap shot from Tantiongco's Resort, one of the jump-off resorts for tourists going to Taal Volcano.

"Almost There"

by Yobs Mendoza

I am so proud and happy that Yobs is learning to love photography. And look at his shot: this shot. Don't you think, this is really good? He's an eye of a photographer, hasn't he?

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Sunsilk Co-Creations: An Expert in Every Bottle

Honestly, I have been using Sunsilk – the orange one in particular – since first year high school; that was the time I became aware of how important my hair is to how others see and appreciate me as a person. That’s why up to now, Sunsilk is the only shampoo I trust; the brand that treats my hair right and gives all the tender loving care that my hair truly deserves.

I am glad to hear that Sunsilk has innovated through the Sunsilk Co-Creations campaign to satisfy the needs of its consumers. Under this concept, “two parties with complementary expertise and a shared vision work together to create something new, different and better.” This innovation combines Sunsilk’s cutting-edge hair technology with the experts’ in-depth hair knowledge.

Sunsilk has recently partnered with Teddy Charles (the shape and length expert), Yuko Yamashita (the smooth expert), Thomas Taw (the damage expert) and Dr. Francisca Fusco (the hairfall expert) – four of the biggest names in the hair care arena who style and care for the tresses of top models and celebrities from all over the globe – to produce improved, premium products for amazing, beautiful, expert-touched hair accessible to all.

My hair has undergone numerous relax and rebond treatments. I thought of trying Sunsilk Straight and Sway last Wednesday and in just two days, I already noticed the difference. My hair looks straighter and more alive it bounces with my every toss and turn. Maybe because it has Amino Collagen Complex that cleanses straight hair and gently relaxes hair bonds, providing softness and suppleness to give natural movement to artificially straightened hair. It is really amazing that with a SRP of P89.00/200mL bottle, I get to experience the magical touch of hair expert Teddy Charles.

And for best results, I never fail to use Creamsilk conditioner (pink or blue) on my hair. The pink one (Standout Straight) helps my hair get up to 4x straighter while the blue one (Damage Control) provides my hair with 97% damage protection. With these as my hair’s bestfriends, I am confident that each and every angle puts my crowning glory at its best.

Special thanks to Media Contacts for the package :D

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Cash Plans 101: Hired Help

The past long weekend has made me very productive. I had no out-of-town trips but I made sure I would be of great use. I bought a gallon of avocado green- colored paint for my room's concrete wall. This complements the plum-colored paint I used on the wooden wall few weeks ago.

I love to do men's work. Maybe it is because when I was a child, my Daddy were always out of town for work so Mom and I needed to do some chores which were supposed to be men's tasks. I find carpentry a fun job so I thought of doing it over the long weekend. While seriously accomplishing my mission, I thought of paying myself as a reward for a job well done. I worked for one day and a half (from Saturday afternoon until Sunday night; with breaks in between, of course!) so in a P300/day basis, I accumulated P450 from doing the chores myself.

The next day, which was Sunday, I alone finished my two-week load of dirty laundry instead of hiring a laundrywoman. In other words, I again earned P300 that day. It was really fun to earn money knowing that you were making good use of your idle time. Let's give that credit to my Mom because she's the one who taught me to value time, money and effort.
I also had my pedicure done by my personal pedicurist called "self." If I go to a salon or call my neighbor Madi for a pedicure service, it would cost me P50. I took it as a challenge to clean my own nails and guess what? I succeeded.
All in all, I earned P800 for my hard work and productivity just within three non-working days. I congratulate myself for the accomplishments. Now I can tell myself, "Balato naman diyan!"

Photo Credits:
Paint
Laundry
Pedicure

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