money matters Archives

Money Matters: 5 Simple Ways to Stretch Your Budget

February 1, 2023 4 Comments

Finding simple ways to stretch your budget especially in this trying times is a must. Inflation is going up and prices of basic commodities and services are rising along with it. Soon it would be a challenge to live on one’s paycheck alone. Therefore, it is imperative to find simple and easy ways to stretch your monthly budget.

There are numerous ways that we can stretch our monthly budget. Here are a few ideas that you might want to try this month:

Plan and cook your meals

With the alarming rate prices of food items are increasing these days, one simple way to cut down on your monthly budget is making a meal plan. Plan your weekly or monthly meals and work your grocery list around these meals. This way you will not only avoid over-budgeting when you do the grocery, but will also help you avoid ordering food. You will not only be hitting budge t goals doing this, but will also enable you to serve more delicious and healthier home-cooked meals to your family.

Earn from you passion

Our passions can also take a good chunk of our budget. If you are a plant mumma like myself, you allot a portion of budget each month to buy plants or gardening-related items. If you are into arts and crafts, you set aside a portion of your salary each month to purchase supplies and materials. But what if you can actually find ways to also earn from these passions? If you are a fledgling writer, you can offer writing services to your blogger or online influencer friends. As a plant-loving mum, you can propagate your plants and sell the propagations to other fellow plant lovers. As an arts and crafts enthusiasts, you can earn extra by selling your crafts or making crafts for other people.

tips and tricks, money talks, money matters, budget and finance, budget and saving tips, money saving tips, budget saving tips form the family — Photo by Katie Harp on Unsplash

Money Matter, Tips and Tricks

Tips + Tricks: 8 Ways To Save Up This Holiday Season

November 10, 2022 No Comments

The Christmas holidays may very well be one of the most expensive season of the year. It is very easy to go over-budget with all the parties to attend and the gifts to buy. I did not even mention the funds you need to set aside for the food you and your family will consume during the most festive of months.

Fortunately, you do not need to break the bank that much to have an unforgettable Christmas holidays. Here are a few money tips and tricks you may want to consider to make the most of the yuletide and still save up this holiday season:

Create a budget

It is very easy to lose track of your holiday spending if you will not create a budget. Make sure that you prepare a list of all your holiday spending. Include in your list everything you will need to make a budget for. This may include your Christmas gift shopping list and your December grocery list. You may very well throw in your airfare or transportation expenses for your holiday travel into your list. You should also include tips for delivery crews or parking lot attendants in your list.

Stick to your budget

Of course, it does not end with just creating a holiday budget. The second and most important part of it to make it effective is that you need to stick to your budget. You may go a little over your designated budget for each item on the list, but make sure you are still near the ball park figure to avoid going bankrupt, or worse, in depth of debt, after the holidays.

money saving tips, money talks, money matter, tips and tricks, budget and finance, budget saving tips, money saving tips for families, Christmas gift ideas, budget and finance — *Photo by Ben White on Unsplash*

Finish your holiday shopping ahead of time

Announcement, mum shares

Mum Shares: Journalist + Now Entrepreneur + Farmer Ces Oreňa-Drilon ~ ‘It’s Really Passion That Moves You Forward.’

November 3, 2022 No Comments

Ces Oreňa-Drilon has never met a story she wasn’t passionate about pursuing or a challenge she didn’t face head-on with a positive spirit.

When the former reporter and Bandila anchor lost her job when ABS-CBN’s franchise was not renewed at the height of the pandemic in 2020, Ces turned to farming and entrepreneurship to sustain her. Out of the newsroom, she also explored digital platforms to reach her audiences.

Ces, who was also former Content Acquisition Head of ABS-CBN Lifestyle Ecosystem Group, says, “Leaving the anchor’s chair was my own decision because I wanted to leave my comfort zone and try new things like digital. So, I took the plunge and tried my hand at livestreaming. I was very nervous at first because I was communicating to a younger audience, which I was not used to. But to my surprise it became one of the best things I did during the pandemic. I was so happy, and my fear of having dead air and talking to 20-year-olds was unfounded. It was also a new way of generating income during the pandemic.”

Ces Drilon leaves her comfort zone to try new things like digital, farming, and starting her own business

The award-winning broadcast journalist who, for over 30 years, was on our TV sets chasing hard news and feature stories found that there was a whole new world away from the newsroom. It may be a cliché but it’s true that when a door closes, a window opens.

For Ces, it was becoming an entrepreneur, content creator, and a farmer. She founded and launched Provenciana, which produces smudge sticks or bundles of dried herbs that you burn to produce a cleansing cloud of smoke for positive energy; soaps; and other natural home products.

“I learned to adapt and try new things because the road to success is never a straight line. For me the secret to success is enjoying what you do, and also to savor life’s little pleasures. Don’t forget to celebrate living.”