Part of my resolution for this year is to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water, exercise at home everyday, control my food intake, and to SAVE money. So far, I have kept  up with the rest but I have a hard time achieving the latter though. 

So to help me start, I decided to break down all my cost-causing acts. These small-time day-to-day activities might seem little in a day but if you weigh all of it at the end of every month, you would be surprised on how much you could have saved if you just earned your ways to discipline.

1) Avoid excessive taking of cabs

I am not a fan of taking cabs. Growing up, I was so used of enjoying jeepney rides no matter how far my destination is. I love the air  that  passes through my hair, I love the traffic and the people I come to cross with and most especially, I get to pay 96% less than the usual cab fare. My colleagues would even tag me as ‘the kuripot one’ and I would just laugh and shrug them off all the time.

But last year was different. I take cabs ALMOST EVERYDAY just to reach my destination on time and hassle-free. I spend too much on it without considering my budget for the whole week and it stresses me at the end of the day. So, I am putting this one on top of my list this year. Base on my calculations, I can save 750 pesos or more in a week if I try my very best to keep up on it.

2) Prepare packed lunch and snacks

I love food and I love to eat. Well, who wouldn’t? Working for eight hours straight in a four-cornered room and in front of a computer would always lead me with thoughts of food, food, food and nothing else but food. You get tempted easily to go out for a lunch or order your cravings via delivery, much more if you have your equally on the go office mates with you!  So, instead of eating out often, I will pack my own food for lunch and break time every morning to save up 50-200 pesos a day.

3) Track my expenses

It’s so easy for us to spend our hard-earned money and lose track of our expenses nowadays knowing that in just a quick click of our index fingers on the screen and a swift moving swipe on card readers, we can have everything we want in an instant. And yes, I also am a victim of it. This year, I bought my own blank-paged notebook to list down my expenses for me to be able to see where I spend my money much.

4) Prioritize my needs over wants

Since I ain’t growing any younger, I have to invest on the things that matter to me the most in the present and for my future. Back in college, my friends and classmates would usually go out and have fun on a Friday night, enjoy sumptuous set of meals on their favorite restos, weekend  getaways with barkada, and pamper themselves on a salon. But  for me, I save, spend and enjoy my money on books, workshops, trainings, contests and auditions. Food, fun, travel and all is still there but with limitations because I’m always up for the activities around my interests. I am glad that I have revolved myself this way ever since but I am writing this here to tighten my  belief that I should always prioritize my needs over my wants. Also, please bear in mind that after each success, a little reward or celebration won’t hurt that much.

These are just  a few but I hope I could stick with these resolutions.

Love you, Self!