Ok, you might wonder... "Why are you writing this when you do not have kids?" Saw this topic somewhere and I thought I might share some helpful information that is practical for all. Even for singles like me. In June 2018, the Philippine’s household debt hit $29.9 billion, according to CEIC Data. Compared to the GDP and external debt, this statistic means that almost every Filipino is living in debt. It is even worse for families with teenagers. This self-discovery journey may be hectic for such teenagers, and expensive for you as a parent. It gets worse if they have this sudden urge to travel, eat, or meet friends or family. But you owe it to them to let them have the best support they can. Nonetheless, do not compromise your financial security. Start by understanding some of the ways you can organize your budget as a family with teenage children. Start With a Comprehensive Budget Plan Creating a comprehensive budget will let you know exactly where every coin is going. To put your family finances in order, start by adding up all your monthly income and subtract recurring expenses such as utilities and credit card debts. The difference should dictate what you…
Category: interesting sites and blogs
Life is so Full of… [Follow Friday]
I did not type in the entire blog title because well, I just did not want to. I want to start off this series with a feature on one of the blogs I really enjoy ready. And because for the remaining weeks of March, I will be featuring women. (Like there's a lot more Fridays left in March.) My introduction has been too long now so let me proceed to what this is really about. I will be featuring blogs, video channels, social media accounts, online series, and other stuff online you should follow. I do not know if people still do Follow Friday but I wanna so I'm gonna. And my first #FollowFriday feature is the blog Life is so Full of... (sarwriters.com) by Sarah Andres. Sarah is my top pick for bloggers to follow simply because she writes so well. I wrote a feature on her last year. She was one of the finalists for Davao Blogger of the Year and I quote myself: She rarely speaks but when she does, she does so with conviction. Be it in her blogs or in her personal online spaces, Sarah shares her opinions and ideas clearly and with levity. But…
Pablo’s Effects Still Felt by Survivors
It has been one year since Typhoon Pablo (Bopha) hit the provinces of Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, and Davao del Norte but its effects are still greatly felt by survivors. Classified as a Category 5 Typhoon, Typhoon Pablo struck on December 4, 2013. It affected over 6 million Filipinos and over 2,000 were left dead or are still missing. Kinablangan, Baganga, Davao OrientalImage by Anj Nacorda of AnjNacorda.com. Save the Children is an organization focused on giving children "what every child deserves – a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm." They have been on site for many months now and they assert that there has to be an increase in support to help families fully recover the impact of Typhoon Pablo on their livelihood. Below is an excerpt from their press release regarding the Typhoon Bopha anniversary: The storm caused widespread damage to agriculture, which account for the livelihoods of 80 per cent of the residents in the affected area. The Filipino government’s disaster agency estimates a loss of over US$700 million in agricultural damage, including bananas, coconuts, rice and maize. “The job that aid agencies need to fulfil shouldn’t stop at immediate relief,” said Tom…
My Top Mobile Games
Life can be boring, yes? If you have a short attention span like me, you need a little distraction even when occupied. Good thing we now have smartphones and tablets to drive away boredom. To take away my boredom or to keep me busy as a bee I like to download and play games on my Smartphone. Here are my top pick games for your smartphone and tablets. Bakery Story by Lava Games Available on iTunes and the Android Play Store. Build your Own Cake and Bread Empire with Bakery Story Game on iOS First off, pardon the busy, disorganized look of my "bakery." Bakery Story is similar to the usual restaurant/cafe games that were popularized on Facebook. The goal of the game is to maintain your virtual bakery business by cooking up recipes, buying equipment and decorations, and selling promotional items. It’s one of the first games I downloaded on my iPad 2 and I have been playing it for over a year. The app developer, Lava Games, updates Bakery Story game where every month, there are new challenges and goals, new ovens, and new recipes to bake. On some occasions such as Valentine's Day or the Olympics, they…
FoodSpotting in Boracay
Have you ever wandered off to an unknown place and thought... "how would I know where to go? Where should I eat? WHAT should I eat?" FoodSpotting Boracay Map Various social media apps and sites would be helpful for tourists or traveling businessmen. Some of these are Fouraquare and Trip Advisor. A lot of social media savvy people get a helpful travel tips from these apps. My favorite among these apps is FoodSpotting. Why? Because my favorite thing to do is eat. During our recent family vacation to Boracay, some of us already had a few restaurants in mind. And Google was also very helpful in suggesting restaurants. The problem really was in knowing what dishes to order from those restaurants. This is where FoodSpotting is helpful. Check out the FoodSpotting map of Boracay above. And this one below that screen captured from the FoodSpotting Android App, using my Samsung Galaxy SIII Mini: FoodSpotting Android App Boracay Map FoodSpotting doesn't just recommend restaurants, it recommends dishes. FoodSpotting not only recommends restaurants, it also recommends dishes. It gives users the opportunity to recommend specific dishes in restaurants by uploading a photo the dish, naming it, naming where it can be ordered…
Business Cards
There was a time when I didn't like bringing calling cards (or business cards) to events and meet ups. I tried to avoid giving away my contact information to random people to avoid being contacted by annoying or stalker-y people. But I have realized that having a business card handy is advisable for people who freelance like me, or who like networking with a lot of people. After all, I get a lot of opportunities just by giving away my card and making that distinct impression on people when I give away my card. My new set of calling cards is by April of Artisan Design Studio. I had her print a two-sided card for me. On one side are my credentials as a member of Junior Chamber International Davaoeña Daba Daba along with my relevant contact information, my photo, and our organization's website. It uses a generic JCI business card template. On the flip side, I have a bit of my credentials as a professional blogger, as a social media consultant and marketing officer, and as a lifestyle columnist. Under each specialization, I put in the organization where I am associated with and the link to that organization's blog…