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EXTRAS Quick Recaps

SavingsPinay October Quick Recap + Extra Income Report

Monday, October 31, 2016
This blog already moved to www.savingspinay.ph If you want the latest tips and stories on budget, savings, investments, productivity and making extra income go HERE instead.

 Hi everyone! Today is yet another SavingsPinay Monthly Quick Recap. I know nakakabigla. It feels like yesterday when I did my September Quick Recap + Extra Income Report and now we're already done with October. 

As mentioned in my previous recap I will be publishing my Monthly Extra Income Report. This income report is devoted solely on my side hustles or the things I do outside my day job. I hope this inspires you to make extra money whether online or offline. Let's begin.


We reached 190,000++ Pageviews

Thank you for helping me reach my goal of 190,000 pageviews this month! To be honest every morning one of the first thing I do when I go on my computer is check my stats. It makes me happy to see our numbers growing. I think it is safe to say that my goal to hit 200,000 pageviews by the end of 2016 is possible. For November my target is 210,000 pageviews.

SavingsPinay Facebook Community All-Time High

I was soooooo surprised and overwhelmed by the number of new members joining the SavingsPinay Facebook Community. It really motivated me to work harder in keeping the group as active as possible. Before August ended we were about 46 members only and now it grew to 72 members in just a blink of the eye. I've always believed in the power of Facebook Groups because the communication is more intimate plus I get the chance to know each member better. If you haven't joined the SavingsPinay Community in Facebook then what are you waiting for? Its FREE plus you get access to more personal finance tips from yours truly and other members of the group! Join now.



Female Network Let's Talk About Financial Freedom! Event

I received an exclusive invite to Female Network's Let's Talk Financial Freedom 2016 event held last October 15. It was indeed an afternoon of empowering women to achieve their life upgrades through series of financial expert speakers, who are women too by the way. I really learned a lot and even shared it with the SavingsPinay Community on Facebook. 

The Invitation

The Talk

Photo during the event. Yung gift is press kit for bloggers :)

Posts from October
Extra Income Report for October

Today is the second installment of my Monthly Extra Income Report. I decided to do this to really inspire others, especially kapwa ko Pinays and Pinoys that earning money from your passions and hobbies is possible. We grew up thinking being an employee is our only chance to get rich, but this is 101% false. Read Last Month's Income Report.

Walang yumaman sa pagiging empleyado lamang.

I've learned at a young age to use my talent and time well. If you want a clear picture on the different things I've tried and I am still doing to make extra income CLICK HERE.

Doing this Monthly Extra Income Report is my way of being transparent to you. Here I share what I did, how much I earned and what my next actions will be.   Having other sources of income will change your life. You'll realize that there's more than the four corners of the office. You'll have your own identity that will make you stand out from the rest. 

Kung nagawa ko, kaya mo din! Making side money is possible and there's a massive list of ways you can earn money online or offline whether it be a job or even your own business. 

I still have a lot to learn when it comes to making money online (and offline). To this date all my extra cash are from active income meaning kailangan kumilos ako para magka-pera. My ultimate goal is to turn all my side jobs to passive income streams. This can be a long journey but I'll try to do it one step at a time and share the progress with you month after month. 


I earned 8,000pesos in October for Event Hosting alone.

I didn't achieve my goal of 12,000pesos extra income as all-around event host in the Philippines. I hosted two weddings one at Ninoy Aquino Park and Wild Life last October 8 and at CVJ Marikina on October 20. I did however successfully managed to finalize my marketing spiel for tie-ups and started sending email to potential suppliers. I even received an inquiry about my rate. Yay! READ: Becoming an Event Host for All Occasion in the Philippines.


Next Actions:
  • Target FB Page this month
  • Buy 100-pieces calling card
  • Had someone film me while hosting 
I earned $100 USD in October for Freelance Writing

Now this gig came as a surprise and I couldn't be anymore thankful. Someone asked me for a ghost writing service of 1,500 words and viola I got $100 USD on my bank account the following week. This is the biggest I earned this year doing freelance content writing and the article I did took me only 2 hours to create.

Next Actions:
  • Create a Portfolio Corner on the blog to turn visitors to potential clients (same next action as last month)
November Plans on the Blog and Side Hustles
  1. Maximize Free Time. I have a lot of free time to be honest and if only I maximize them to productive work I know I'll get a lot of stuff done. My plan for November is to go on a productive sprint and just do everything I can to finish my pending projects in personal, in blog and in my side jobs.
  2. Stick to Blog Schedule with Quality Post. I haven't been blogging that frequent both in this blog and my other blog, IzzaGlinoFull. With the current long weekend my plan is to create as many content as possible so all I have to do is edit and schedule for the coming work days. I really want to be on schedule for November and publish more than 12 posts. 
Final Notes from SavingsPinay

Overall October is still a grateful year for me and my finances. I enjoy doing the side hustle that I did and I pray for more opportunities to earn this coming month.  I hope you enjoyed this new format of monthly quick recaps. If yes then don't forget to share your thoughts on the comment section below or my contact page or simply an email at izzaglinofull@gmail.com. I also entertain reader questions in the hope that I can publish them on the blog. If you have any question please, please email me directly so I can read and answer it.

How did your month go? Are you interested in earning extra income too?

This blog already moved to www.savingspinay.ph If you want the latest tips and stories on budget, savings, investments, productivity and making extra income go HERE instead.
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EXTRAS My Finances PERSONAL FINANCE

13 Things I Do To Improve My Finances

Monday, October 24, 2016
This blog already moved to www.savingspinay.ph If you want the latest tips and stories on budget, savings, investments, productivity and making extra income go HERE instead.

 When I started this blog my goal was to only share my personal financial journey. I never thought that my posts would inspire others to create their own journey to financial freedom as well. Thank you for considering SavingsPinay is a resource blog for tips and information on budget, savings, investment, entrepreneurship, career and productivity and many more. 

I know how tough managing your money can be. Just like you, I have struggled to balance my budget and keep everything in order. But what I come to realize is that the little things and changes we do today matter a lot. Every financial decision you make can impact how your life will be in 10-20 years. And if you start strengthening your financial life and really building a strong foundation then your future self will surely thank you. Here are ways I have improved my finances and how slowly but surely I am getting on track of my ultimate goal to be a financially independent Pinay.


1. I set goals

I have always been a big fan of goal-setting ever since I was in school. I try to list the things that I want to accomplish and the next actions that can make them happen. You can refer to my 2016 Personal and Financial Goals for a list of what I've set myself up for this year. I still haven't updated it though since I am waiting for my Year-End review post. 

Anyway every end of the month I set my personal and financial goals in my bullet journal. Then I try to create a weekly goal based on my monthly goal. My monthly goal is all about numbers I want to achieve like "Earn 20,000pesos through event hosting" or "Earn $100 dollars on freelance content writing". For weekly goals most of the time they aren't number-based but really personal financial habits I want to succeed like "I will track my expenses everyday this week" or "I will read a financial book" etc.

Having goals enable me to be motivated all year, all month and all week long. I enjoy hitting my personal and financial goals especially those that involve numbers. READ: SavingsPinay September Quick Recap and Extra Income Report

2. I budget

The 50-20-30 Rule of Budgeting have helped me a lot to have a clear view on how I must use my hard earned money. Every pay day I use the template I created and really distribute my money wisely. This helped me to allot 20% of my money on savings and investments, 50% for my personal needs and essentials and 30% for extra expenses. You can read my post Where Does My Income Go for full details regarding this matter.

READ NOW
READ NOW
3. I track my expenses

One of the best personal finance lesson I learned thanks to the Internet is the importance of tracking your spending. A budget won't work that well if you miss this crucial step. Before I use a DIY Spending Tracker and then moved on a new spending tracker notebook before finally settling on my bullet journal for this activity. What I do is record where my money goes everyday and review whether I stayed within my daily budget or not. This also allowed me to understand my behavior as a consumer and my overall attitude when it comes to spending my money. 

4. I learn a lot about personal finance

I have shared a collection of my personal finance and investment books before and I am really happy that I have found deep joy in learning more about financial literacy. If you want to know my recommended personal finance blogs then click here. Also I try to share The Best of Personal Finance Tips and Must-Reads on my Weekly Notes. It's nice to learn new things about money every single day.

The thing is the more you know, the better when it comes to finances. Whenever you have time try to search for inspirations online on how others manage their money. It will definitely pump you up to start working on your own success story. Join the SavingsPinay Community on Facebook for daily dose of money inspiration.

5. I started saving for an emergency fund

Though my 52-week money challenge attempt this year is a big failure I am still happy that I got my baby emergency fund done (READ: Pinoys Guide on Dave Ramsey's Money Makeover). Currently I am adding as much money as possible to increase my baby emergency fund to a real one --- 3 months worth of my monthly expenses. 

For me it's better to save for an emergency fund now that I still have no financial responsibility and no debt to think about. Once I'm done saving up for my real emergency fund I can now focus on saving on other funds and of course my investments.

6. I invest for my retirement

My FAMI-Save and Learn Equity Fund is something I reserve as my retirement fund. I invest monthly on it hoping that in 10-15 years time it could give me a good  start up money for a business or something I can do once I decide to retire. I have envisioned an early retirement for me because I really don't see myself working all my life. 

 Below are links to my posts about FAMI-SALEF:

 My FAMI-SALEF Investment Update
A Special Guide on the New FAMI Investor's Portal
Reader's Question: What do you think are the best funds in FAMI that I should start with?
Reader's Question: How to Manually Compute for Your FAMI Earnings
How to Compute for Your FAMI Investments
Reader's Question: How does FAMI work?

7. I pay for a life plan

I know a life plan sounds a like a crazy idea for a 22-year old like me but it proved to be the best decision ever. It was my parents who encouraged me to get one when I learned that they are already done paying for their own life plan. Read the Three Reasons Why I am Convinced to Invest in a Life Plan too. To date I'm done with my first year of payment and the benefit are now effective. Four more years before I finish the payment contract and then I just have to wait for 16 years for the money-back guarantee. It maybe long pero considering I'm just in my 30's when that time comes I think it would help me a lot financially. READ: I'm Just 21 Do I Seriously Need a Life Plan?

8. I improve my income

Aside from my full-time job I do side hustles that helped me achieved my financial goals quickly. I have my event hosting career which I shared the full details of my journey last week [read here]. I also started freelancing in my spare time through content writing. Another way I earn is through my blogs and YouTube. Side jobs proved to be the best way to improve my finances and prepare for my future. 

On days when I don't have anything to do I work on finding new income streams. I have always been clear that I dream of a day when I can work freelance full-time and still satisfy my lifestyle. 


9. I try to schedule my shopping and dining out

I eliminate my temptation to spend by having a schedule when to shop and to spend money to dine out. For example I get my manicure and pedicure every first Sunday and 3rd Sunday of the week. I also do my shopping spree a day after the payday. Then I set a pamper day where I watch movie and really go on a fancy dinner only once a month. Setting a schedule help me avoid overspending and give me the right reason to spend on things. It means I only go shopping when I really have to.

10. I de-clutter most of my stuff

From clothing to makeup to skincare items I recently had a big de-cluttering and realized how much money I waste buying things I never even used. Just last week I have thrown away a pile of clothing I don't use anymore as well as a big sako-bag of expired makeup and skincare items. It made me realized a lot of things that made me improved my finances:
  • Invest on staple pieces when it comes to clothing and shoes. 
  • Invest of makeup that you actually need.
  • Only buy a new skincare item if and then:
    •  You have finished the one you are currently using.
    • Something expires already
    • Something doesn't work well for you
  • Keep everything as minimal as possible.
  • Exert effort to buy only quality products and just take good care of things.
11. I still live in my parents house

Though I give monthly monetary gift to my parents and pay for half of the bills and expenses, choosing to stay at our house now that I'm still single and still in my early 20's is something that proved to be a good financial decision. Of course I dream of one day settling down on my own but for now being at home save me a lot of money on food. Included in my long-term goal is to buy my own house and lot and move my parents and my youngest sister on my care until I get married and have my own family.

12. I invest in myself

For me the most important thing I have done to improve my finances is to really invest on myself. I continuously improve my hosting skills which then give me the right to receive a higher pay. I also use my experience to widen my reach from being host to makeup and hair stylist to wedding coordinator etc. Blogging on the other hand helped me gain exposure to brands that are willing to work with me for a reasonable price. It also opened opportunity for me to earn more than what my current day job offer. And because of the many things I do I find it easier to negotiate for a higher salary. I tried to look for a job one day and I was surprised of how much employers are willing to pay me because I have developed my knowledge and seasoned it with proper experience. READ: 7 Ways You Can Invest in Yourself.

13. I became in a relationship with my finances

Lastly I made financial independence a quest. I became in a relationship with my finances. I find time to reflect on what works and what's not working. I resolve the issues before it becomes worse. I make it my to do list to track my spending and fix my budget. It's a commitment you have to you and your future self. 

Final Notes from SavingsPinay

Two years ago I was a one-day millionaire who didn't know what she wants to do in her life. Fast forward to today I was able to declare my goal to be one-day financially independent. I don't have much but still I have my savings, my investments and my life plan secured. Again it is what you do today that matters. If I doubted investing back when I'm just 19 years old I'll never learn how stock market works. I haven't chose to use my talent as an event host for all occasion I am still living like an average person today --- doing one job Mondays-Fridays and waiting for the weekend to arrive. 

You can still improve your financial life. And the best time to do it is not tomorrow, not today but NOW!!!

Are you ready to improve your financial life?


If you want to book me for your event just email me at izzaglinofull@gmail.com | 09479666698
This blog already moved to www.savingspinay.ph If you want the latest tips and stories on budget, savings, investments, productivity and making extra income go HERE instead.
+ READ MORE
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