3 Money Tips for Parents

This is a rather informative post here in my blog. I believe that the direct audience of my blog are women in their 20's  who are just starting their career. But, i also havfe a gut feel that there are those who view financial blogs who are starting their family life and making researches on how to budget effectively. Anyways, this post is dedicated to parents out there or soon-to-be parents.

As you know i am a wedding coordinator so i actually talk a lot to couples and i find out that some have lesser knowledge in what to expect ones they start the family life financially. For me, prevention is better than cure so it is as always a good thing to start early and be ready to anything.

1st Tip is to Build an Emergency Fund

• Well, it's actually a tip for everyone. Having an emergency fund will assure that there will be enough money that  the family can use in case emergency situation happens. Unwanted accident, sickness or if and then one of the parents will suddenly lost his or her job. Emergency Fund should be about 6-months of the monthly expenses of the couple.You can easily start this by putting the money you receive from the wedding or the traditional money dance in the program. A lot of my couples do that because and i recommend it too because it will truly help in the financial security of the couple.

2nd Tip is to Save for the Future Kid's Education

• You can either buy an educational plan which is quiet risky or you can have another savings account where you will invest money monthly. I suggest to invest this in stock market so it can yield a lot of interest once the baby will be entering college. The good side about this is that when the time your kid or kids will study in high school upto college, you will rest assured that there will be enough sources of money. You can then invest to other paper assets of properties the money that you save.

3rd Tip is to have a Fun Fund as a Couple

• Of course not because you now have the kids does that mean you and your hubby should limit yourselves at home. Save an amount for out of town travels or simple dinner and movie nights. This will strengthen the relationship and keep the focus of love in the family. Having fun as a couple should always be present at all times.

Hope you have fun reading this article. Don't forget to subscribe in my blog!

How I Opened my FAMI Mutual Account ( STEP by STEP GUIDE w/ PICTURES)

Last Wednesday i made a big decision in my life. I opened a FAMI MUTUAL FUND!!! Yes, and it is my very first step towards financial security. My first mutual fund will be my retirement fund. I plan not to take any money from it but just invest and invest as long as i could.

For those who are clueless what mutual fund is and what FAMI is all about i might introduce the said terms in a separate blogpost just because i don't to want too many ideas in this post. Just as the title states, this will ONLY be a STEP BY STEP GUIDE in opening a FAMI MUTUAL FUND account.

STEP 1. Download all documents needed HERE, print and fill in. The only form that you not fill in is the refund form which is in red texts. The rest you need to answer.

The AOF or Account Opening Form

These are all the forms you need to print out and fill in.

Do Not Answer This Form

STEP 2. Photocopy your 2 valid IDs. Mine is a TIN and Postal ID. FAMI is not that strict with the ID as long as the photo and signature is given. 

Take note: Photocopy and not the original.

STEP 3. Deposit your initial 5000pesos at the nearest Metrobank to you. The account name and account number will be based on what type of FAMI account you will be opening. I opened the First Metro Save and Learn Equity. 

Account Name: First Metro Save and Learn Equity

Account Number: 016306251497

For complete account name and account numbers click here.

Make sure to have the deposit slip with you as you go out the bank.

STEP 4. Scan all the answered forms and the photocopy of the ID (I scanned my IDs though and not the photocopy) as well as the deposit slip. Send this to FAMI@firstmetro.com.ph. Send everything. Make sure you scanned your deposit slip as well as ID.

STEP 5. Photocopy the deposit slip and together with the original forms that you answered either send it personally to FAMI's office or just like what i did, send it thourgh courier like LBC, Air 21 and so on. 

I sent mine to the following address:

To: First Metro Asset Management, Inc.

Address: 18th floor PS Bank Center 777 Paseo de Roxas Avenue corner Sedeño Street Salcedo Village, Makati City

Contant number: 8912860-65

If you have time go personally to the office but if you think that it will cost too much time and effort on your side you can do the step that i did. 

STEP 6. Wait for your confirmation email that will be sent the following day. FAMI will email you once they received the scanned copy. Then they will ask you to send the hard copy via email and all you have to do is verify to them that you already sent it.

Thant's it! You just have to wait once the FAMI already got the hard copy. Since i just opened yesterday   It is just this afternoon that the FAMI will receive my hard copy documents. I got the email that they received the scanned copy this morning.

I will blog for my FAMI updates and experience, no worries. I will keep you posted. I hope you cans end your email address and subscribe to my blog so you will get the updates on time. Comment below for any questions and concerns. I would like to help you in any way i can. Thank you for dropping by my humble blog.

Love,

Izza

savingspinay.blogspot.com

FAMI or COL Financial??? (Beginner's Alert!!!)

Good day! As of this writing i just had accomplished one of my biggest decision so far in my financial life. I also crossed out one item from my Personal Goals linked here.

Well Ladies and Gentlemen, i applied for my very first portfolio account, the FAMI Save and Learn Equity Fund! Yehey!!! I just feel so happy for the fact that i was able to do this decision at a young age. Financial education is really something everyone should learn. Save and Invest. I am hoping that my decision will be great though.

Anyways there's a reason for my title. I have been battling whether to choose to invest on FAMI or COL Financial when i first reached the initial amount needed to open an account. It is a choice between Mutual Fund or Stocks.

FAMI won over for the past week that i have been researching and asking other financial experts around.

1. I don't have any investment background so for a NEWBIE like me, i have to go with a lesser risk.
2. There are minimal requirements. 2 valid ID's and initial deposit and your good to go. Whereas, in COL Financial aside from ID i have to give a billing statement. 
3. No need for personal application on the office. I will write next the blogpost on how i opened my account in ONE-DAY PROCESSING!!! YAHOO!!!

I have nothing against COL Financial. Opening an account to them will be my next target. It is just that for beginners i highly recommend to open a mutual fund first especially if you don't have any experience in investing.

Hope you'll check out my blog post in how to open a FAMI account! Submit your email so you can receive FREE UPDATES on my BLOG. COMMENT BELOW and tell me your experience with FAMI and if you think i made the right decision.

God bless!!!

3 Business Ideas You can Easily Start- Philippines

Hi everyone!!! Thank you for visiting my blog. I am in love with the idea of business and being an entrepreneur at a young age. For me, talent is a beautiful investment and it could even earn you more than a 9-5pm job will give.

I started earning with zero capital when i entered the world of event hosting.

Do you see me? 

If you have good communication skills and you are confident enough to speak in public then you can do this too. The job is based per event and an event will only take you 3-4hours. The basic pay is 2500pesos per event. See? Isn't that a pleasing amount?!

After i became equipped in hosting i also did hair and makeup alongside. I am happy with this because i can share again my talent. The investment in makeup and hairstyling will be 5,000-10,000pesos depending on the type of tools you will use. The basic page here is 1,500per person.

Next is event coordination. This is another zero-capital business idea. If you love events and you have a team with you who love assisting and has good communication skills then this is a great business to start. You will have to work with the bride and groom during the preparation, ceremony andon the   reception. My fee for this is 8,500pesos for on the day with free event hosting from yours truly. 

The above business ideas are tried and tested. If you have the capabilities then why not try, right?? Goodluck!

Subscribe to my blog by submitting your email address on upper right side. Thank you.

Saving is Not About Being Selfish

I believe in the power of SAVING!!! Imagine at the start of this month i sticked to my monthly budget and though i have my payment for the final cut off of the month i still have money left with me!!! Enough for me to finish the month of January without even using the new money that was sent in my BPI account.

Saving doesn't mean you are depriving yourself. Saving means you are paying yourself first before anything else. You should actually save now, dear before emergency comes and regrets haunt you all along.

I met a friend last night while i was waiting for a jeepney ride home in Pasay Rotonda. We were talking and suddenly the topic went to me asking him, "Nag-iipon ka ba?" He genuinely replied na "Hinde eh, kasi ako half binibigay ko kay Mama." 

That my dear is OK. Paying your family and helping them after all these years that they sacrificed for your studies to get the career you have now. Pero naisip ko parang may mali. Though giving back to the family is good, BUT without saving even a tiny amount for yourself then everything will be put to waste. 

I replied "Hala, dapat nagse-save ka kahit papaano kasi paano pag ikaw naman nangailangan edi wala na." I really mean wahat i said. Saving is not being selfish but being prepared. "Kahit 500 per cut-off malaki na yan. Isipin if you save 1000 a month in 10 years my 120,000 ka na." (Pero syempre may iba pang paraan para lumago yan).

I am happy because this friend of mine realized the value of saving. And the value of starting as early as now. It all starts with learning and sharing what you know. Save Now and Buy Later. You need to pay yourself first. Para in the end you are ready for anything.

Happy Saturday everyone!!!

Entrepreneur: IT'S YOUR MONEY BOOK REVIEW

Title of the Book: It's Your Money (Spend it, Save it, Invest it and Lead a Debt-free Life

Author: Entrepreneur Magazine

No. of Pages: 114

Hi everyone!!!! Today's post is another financial book review. I hope you read the last book that i reviewed. 

Before 2013 ends i purchased the book It's Your Money (Spend it, Save it, Invest it and Lead a Debt-free Life. I know, i know that the title is a bit long but i am telling you that you will finish this book in one-seating. It's written in full English but the way that it is narrated is clear, simple and easy to understand. It speaks in the secon-person point of view so there's a lot of "YOU" which helps being engage to the book. You will definitely feel that book is talking to you.

The book doesn't reply on personal experience but it is more of a book appeal. I mean, unlike the other 

book that i reviewed, It's Your Money is more on defining terms, explaining financial facts and giving expert insights. There are a financial professional who gives quotes about a certain topic.

One of my favorite part is the table presented above wherein you will know what personality you have in terms of managing your finances. 

There is also the Basic Personal Finance Calculators in the end chapter that will help you get started in budgeting your money. 

Every chapter has a Summary page which also has a short quiz that will let determine what you understood in the topic. 

I love this book so much for i learned a lot of things. It's a book filled with financial knowledge. Every chapter has something to say and they inserted bonus pages with great tips too. You won't actually feel bored reading though there are no humor stories included in the book.

So that's that for my review. I hope you will grab one. It's available in all National Bookstore nationwide. I bought mine in Robinson's Galleria National Bookstore.

How To Effectively Budget Your Money

Trust me, any budget adviser will tell you that the one thing you need to accomplish first and foremost before saving and investing is to learn how to budget effectively.

Budgeting is the process of allocating your time, money or any other resources to a desired plan over a given period of time. In terms of financial management, your budget should focus on the total amount of money you receive over certain amount of time. Your budget can either be daily, monthly or annually but one thing's sure--- no matter what type of budget you will do, you should be able to create an equation.

=

I have made two previous posts about how i budget my money. First is the Envelope Style and the second one is the Notebook Style. Both styles worked for me and until now i alternately use the said styles in budgeting my money.

With that being said this post will help you find tips on how YOU can budget your money effectively. I know how hard sticking to a plan is so today i will be sharing to you the things that helped me in a lot of ways.

• SET YOUR MIND, SET YOUR HEART AND SET YOUR SOUL

I know it sound cheesy and a little cliche but it makes a huge difference once you set not just your mind, your heart but also your soul in your budget. Right attitude and right mentality, ika nga. Always note in yourself that you have a budget to stick with. That this time you are making a change in your financial capabilities.

• CREATE GOALS

Goals will help you be motivated in the budget you just created. It will serve as an inspiration so better list down a goal in every budget that you do. Make sure to create goals that are attainable and are within your interest. If you really wanted that out of town trip then right on top of your budget plan with all capital letters para mas lalo kang ganahan.

•  DON'T GIVE UP

The foremost reason why a person fails to budget effectively is the lack of strong will to hold on and accomplish the budget. Not because you failed the first time does it mean that you are already a failure. Only those who quit easily are justified to be called a failure. If the budget for the month of January didn't work out well then try to do another one by the month of February. Do not stop until you found out a budget that works perfectly for your needs.

 I will be making more posts about budget in the coming days so i do hope you can be updated by submitting your email address in the top right box or you can easily ask a question or email me anything at izza.savingspinay@yahoo.com

Thank you so much!

So I Entered the wrong BPI Pin THRICE!!!!

So yes, I ENTERED THE WRONG PIN ON MY BPI EXPRESS TELLER ATM THRICE!!!
And i am telling you that the experience is so frusrating. I have no idea how come i got incorect pin and i keep on asking myself how did it happened to me. (Insert sad face here).

I am in the 5th and 20th day of the month pay-roll so since its January 5 i was in full smile early this morning to withdraw at the nearest BPI ATM but yeah, the worst happened to me and i got to the maximum try of pin that got my card disabled. I went home sad and empty-handed.

Anyways i immediately called the hotline of BPI which is 89-100 and pressed "0" to be directed to the phone banker. She then assisted me and went on straight with her set of verification questions after i explained what happened.

Two things to take note:

1. You can choose to wait for 24hours or meaning the next day and try again. Every day you have three maximum trice.
2. If you really can't remember your pin and you wonder why it became incorrect and you feel like you already tried all the possible pins you remembered then the phone banker will recommend for you to apply for a card replacement.

I choose option 2 because i don't want to try and try and try and feel the same frustration as to why i can't remember my PIN. She assited me very friendly with this one so i am really glad. Just like my tip in my recent post, call in the morning and be patient in waiting and answering. They are friendly, promise!!! 

Anyways here are the facts about the card replacement.

• You will have the same account number and only the card will be replaced. You will be given a temporary pin and then change this to your desired PIN at the nearest BPI ATM.
• You have to pick up the replacement card at the branch you nominated. As for me i chose the bank to where i applied the card because it is super near to where i work.
• A replacement fee of 100pesos will be deducted to your account but please prepare cash too for the said amount just in case. 
• You have to wait for three (3) banking days before you can get the replacement card at your nominated branch. The phone banker will give you the contact numbers though so you can verify if the card is ready for pick-up.
• While waiting for your replacement card then you can withdraw over the counter at the nearest BPI bank to you. You need to show valid ID for this but no pin will be required for you.

So i feel lighter while i am blogging this because by Wednesday i can already have my new card. Yehey!!! I also am happy because i can withdraw over the counter tomorrow. Fortunately, i still have some amount left to use for transportation as i go to work. Yay!!!

PS. Share your story. Comment below your questions. Do you have a BPI account? Did the wrong PIN happened to you? 

Submit your email address on the top right corner for more updates. Thank you.

How to Retrieve Your BPI Express Online Account Name and Password.

I love BPI. I mean when i found out that having a BPI account is easier and faster than what i experienced with BDO i fell in love at first try. I just opened my BPI Express Teller and it automatically gives me the convenience of having my own BPI Express Online account that enables me to access my account via online anytime i want.

But i had a problem just last week with my enrollment. Right after i receieved my physical ATM i already enrolled with the online banking through logging in at http://www.bpiexpressonline.com/ Upon erollment i went to the nearest BPI ATM machine and activate my account. I received an email that my account is ready to use after 24 hours but sadly, the online portal tells me that i entered the wrong username and password and to my shock, my account has been disabled.

Now how did i retrieved my BPI Express Online Account Name and Password?

First, call BPI hotline 89-100. You will hear first a voice message and then just click in "0" to talk with a phone banker. Be ready with your account number and be ready too to answer the verification questions of the phone banker.

Next the phone banker will transfer you to an electronic bank officer who will ask you another set of verification questions and you will the have your account name retrieved though your password won't be. The electronic bamk officer will give you a temporary password. Five minutes after the phone conversation you can now log-in to http://www.bpiexpressonline.com/  and you will have the option to enter your new password. Wait for another 5 minutes before you can now log-in to your account.

         Tips!!!

         

        Call in the morning preferably 8am-10am because based on experience they answer faster in the morning.

        Be patient because it may take 2-3 "sorry, all of our account officers are busy" before you can actually talk to a phone banker. Be patient too in answering the questions of the phone banker for verification.

        Talk nicely and if you can't express that well in English then use the Filipino language. The most important thing is that the person on the other line will understand what you wanted to say.

Goodluck!!!

If this post helped you then don't forget to comment below your experience and submit your email address in the box located at the right top most of my blog for free updates. Thank you so much and please be a member of Savingspinay.blogspot.com

My Story, My Tips on Financial Management

MY STORY

My journey towards financial success and financial freedom started when I had my first experience of earning from scratch. That was year 2011 and the month of October. Out of nowhere I started a Sulit advertisement about my hosting services with just mere courage and “kapal ng mukha” as my investment.

 No capital at all, I was able to garner one- two events a month and then little by little I was being booked almost every Saturdays and Sunday’s of each week. I experienced multiple events in a day such as baptismal in the morning, wedding in the afternoon and debut in the evening. I then learn to value the money I earned for I worked hard for it.

              

           You will easily find me in National Bookstore because I always stay on the business and investment section. I read books from Filipino authors as well as foreign authors that appeal to my taste. I am in search for simple techniques that are doable and that are attainable especially for a female beginner like me. This knowledge contributes to who I am now on financial management aspect. These are also the foundation of why I decided to put up my own financial blog. I want to take you to a journey with me and share with you almost anything and everything in relation to how I manage my money.

                MY TIPS

·         Start Early

Who you will be tomorrow depends on who you are today. Start early with your journey towards financial freedom. Let this article inspire you to take full responsibility with how you allot your money on your needs and wants.

·         Take baby steps

As a beginner take one step at a time. Do not be misled by impulse decision. Think more than twice in every decision you make. Do not invest one time big time just because you have learned about it from someone else. Research more and be proactive in the financial community. It is your money so be careful follow a slowly but surely manner.

·         Share what you know

As the saying goes, no man is an island and so is the reason why sharing your knowledge is important. Tell to others about the information you learned in the field of finances and together let us build a country that is surrounded by people who manages their money effectively. Imagine how prosperous Philippines will be if there more room on financial education will be opened.

                Now that I am not just relying on my hosting jobs but also with my daily jobs, I believe that I can define more the importance of financial management. If you think this post had helped you in some way comment below and share you experience. You can also share your blog link so I can learn more about you in return. Don’t forget to submit your email address on the box located on the upper right corner of this site so you will be updated freely about my entries.

                Good luck!