THE 52-WEEK MONEY CHALLENGE: A COMEBACK ENTRY

photo credit to the real owner

This is a comeback entry, finally it is happening now and I am glad I am officially back to blogging.

It has been more than two years since I last posted an entry in my personal blog. A hiatus that resulted in years is now going to have its end. And what better way to re-launch my blog by also doing a major shift – from personal blog turning into a financial blog. I am putting a category into my blog starting this year 2017.  Yes, you heard it right! I will be talking more about financial literacy and money management this time as this is where I am passionate about now.

Occasionally, I will still be posting personal entries about my journey – topics about family, raising two kids, relationship and the likes. Human-interest stories will not totally be whisked-off from my blog. However, I will just focus more on my journey into financial freedom. 

And to jumpstart this 2017 I am joining the band wagon of having this 52-Week Money Challenge. This isn't new I know but this is the first time I am going to do it. And the twist is I will involve all my family members into achieving this goal - so the four of us will be doing it - my wife Wida, Caleb, Caitlin and me.

The Unsuspecting Celebrant: Satt Cutanda

Saturnino – the name even if you haven’t met him yet signifies a tower of power. And in person, he is indeed a towering height. You’ll feel so small standing beside him that anytime he would turn into an incredible hulk he can quickly throw you away outside the window. But that’s not what he is made of- he is a GENTLE GIANT. A charming and disarming dude that was the apple of Tita Razel’s eye during our 2009 Midyear Assembly – in a Hawaiian inspired theme.  No wonder they ended-up together – haha.

I wouldn’t go back to where we had met or what’s the early memory I had with his company. What I am going to do here is to just honor this man – a brother in the community and a very dear friend. In fact, I consider him one of my best friends - if not the only one - I have here in the kingdom.

Of Winter Season, Of Life In Transit and Of Bidding Goodbye

Winter season always sets the mood where OFWs admittedly or not, experience homesickness. This is one of those days where we're frequently visited by spirit of melancholy. And what better way to write a piece of melodramatic message with its  chilling presence. Perfect indeed right!? 

Oftentimes, people exit in our lives - to chase bigger dreams, to seek greener opportunities in a far and distant places or perhaps to embark in an adventure immersing to a new culture completely different from one's comfort. The thrill of adventure sets in for these people who are always excited discovering new places. I, for one, love the idea as I have a heart of a traveler. 

But the bigger and more prompting question is - are we that ready to let go of the people closer to us that will be left behind or the people whose long term journey separate and distant from us? 

We are - to some quite extent - aren't always prepared to let go of these people in our lives. That if we could only lock them in to stay we'll do. If only we could buy things and opportunities that will make them be with us the longer we surely have rushed in to the nearest shop where we can grab one. But, in reality we cannot - even if we do have power we won't do it either. It is because at the back of our minds, even if our hearts want to make them stay, we would always think of the best for them. And if chasing their dreams elsewhere is the answer to that we completely understand.

The Fantastic Four Women In My Life

A day before the official “Mother’s Day” celebration I was so tempted and jealous seeing friends from Facebook expressing and sharing their words of love and gratitude in creative fashion to their own mothers. 

I was in the brink of expressing my celebratory remarks and way of honoring the four important women and mothers in my life – that if I finish would surely be shared in the social network I own - Twitter, Facebook & Instagram are waiting. 

Good graces – my control worked to my advantage. Before the jealousy overtook me, it deviated my focus to spending our day by going for a family bonding in the mall with my immediate family, together with my mother – who is under my care right now.

God -- You Are Sovereign!

"God – You are sovereign and all encompassing. We surrender all to You."

"My tatay had encountered a motorcycle accident yesterday night. We were stunned by the news coming from my eldest sister through FB. It was his third accident with the same vehicle. At first, we’re a bit furious because he didn’t listen to our proddings not to drive when drunk. But minutes after expressing our disgust and disappointment, it is our hearts that melted down in pity with his current situation. He’s the only person left in our house in the province since all of us are miles away from home. My eldest sister is residing in Carmona in Cavite, my two brothers are also in the Middle East ( one in UAE and the other in Western Part of Saudi Arabia). My nanay is under my care here in the Eastern Part.

We were like helpless because we cannot personally attend to him. But, we owe our great thanks and favor from our relatives who closely monitored him after the accident. I’ve been calling him from time to time, not minding the amount of money I already spent calling overseas.

10 Things I Love About "The Philippines" - Repost

Since “attack of sabaw moment” is on, I find it hard to write a new entry for the moment. Another culprit is my being busy in a lot of things. Plus I just came from “under the weather” that practically had my zest to write experiencing rough roads.

And what better way to update a blog by reposting one of the entries I love. This is the kind that sealed the “pinoy spirit” in me. Of course, with few revision and updates.

When the sure-fire hit video “20 Things I Dislike About The Philippines” came out I’ve tried to be objective at most. After all, the guy who authored it has all the freedom in terms of speech and expressing his opinions. But minutes away after I clicked it, I began to be defensive and a bit annoyed. I personally took it at heart. Maybe patriotism and loyalty took its action in me.

Of Friendship: Letting Go Of Some and Keeping Some For Life

Friendship - when started and nurtured in good faith remains for a long time and even for life.  Similar to anybody's life - friendship is tested and a few struggle can end up losing one and ending the relationship. 

I value friendship even if it’s still young – I guess this is one quality inherent in me that even if a person is just a fresh entry in my life's circle, I always treat them as if they’ve been in my life from the very beginning. This quality of mine also borders into danger because some may take advantage of the goodness.

But hey – even then what’s important is that you’ve been a nice person while you’re in the friendship.

Of Lenten Season, Of Summer, and Of Ihaw-Ihaw Sa Tag-Araw

A powerful sneeze has just exploded before I started scribbling this. And I felt like my lungs could also explode any moment. It’s painful to sneeze esp. if it’s a forced one. The urge to release is so sudden. 

I don’t have any plan to write about anything right now – I mean it’s 2AM. Who the hell would wake up at this holy hour? I should suppose to be in my sound sleep. But I was awakened by that powerful sneeze and incessant coughing. It's so disturbing that I can't even go back to sleep again. 

So, what I did was - I went to the kitchen, boiled the lemon grass. After boiling, I pour out into a mug and mixed it with a powdered ginger given to us by my sister-in-law last Friday. 

ThrowBack Thursday: The Pilgrimage to Antipolo

It was summer of 1994. I was about to enter as a college freshman in Manila. And what better way to do fasting for Holy Week than doing an Alay Lakad from Pasig City going to Antipolo Church. 

Distance didn't factor to me as I was then built for longer distance walking - coming from a remote island in Sibuyan - where I practically grew up going to school walking a total of 4 kilometers (twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon) everyday. So that night of Apirl 9, we walked at a normal pace from an assembly point somewhere in Ortigas in Pasig City heading to Antipolo City, Rizal where our last pit stop was in front of Antipolo church.

What I've Been Into Lately?

Does anyone miss me lately?

Errrrr…my posts? Haha. Well, I had been so occupied the past week. As much as I wanted to write but reading both books and stock market updates & online tools had been the culprits for failing to give this blog some worthy posts.

Also reecently, I’ve been giving more time and attention to my stock market exposure as I’m gearing towards establishing a really strong fundamental and technical knowledge about it. I’ve been doing my own financial analysis plans, working on excel on the updates of my account, computing several valuations and target prices and stuff like that. 

Plus, I have a financial exposure that if one would see will say “Oh, that amount is huge” or so I thought. Well, it’ll still depend on how one consider a huge amount. One reason why I'm so focused in monitoring over these stocks.