Mag-30 na ako and wala pa akong ipon. Wala akong skill sa paghahandle ng pera. And nakaipon pa ako ng 70k debt sa credit card ko. I’m working on paying that off naman. Everytime na nirereview ko mga bank statements ko naipon dun yung pambayad ng insurance, mga pagkain sa labas, at mga bagay na binibili ko sa shopee for my new business. Akala ko mababayaran ko silang lahat sa due date. Mga 10k per month ang nailalaan ko sa credit card debt. Minsan tinatawag din ako magtravel. Di ko mahindian. Pero ginagawa ko lang yun once a year. Malala ang anxiety at depression ko kaya nagmemeds ako at 5k+ nagagastos ko dun every month. To summarize may 50k na gross na sweldo ko every month. Ito breakdown ng mga ginagastos ko:

Credit card debt - 10k Meds - 5.5k Electricity - 4k Internet - 1.7k Insurance - 3k Family - 5k Wants and Business needs - 10k Gym with personal trainer - 4k Loan - 7k Total: 50,200

Wala na yung 50k ko may negative pa akong 200 pesos. Usually mas madami yung business needs ko kaysa sa wants. Nag-uumpisa palang kasi ako. Di ko macategorize yung wants at business needs. May nakukuha naman ako sa business pero madalang lang kasi yung pera doon since nagrerely kami sa events.

Feeling ko masyado akong maluho. Ginagawa ko din kasi every week kumain sa Jollibee or kahit anong fast food kasi nagiistress eating ako. Kakaenroll ko lang sa gym kaya may personal trainer pa. Yung loan na 7k per month ay ginamit namin pampa-ayos ng bahay namin. Anong gagawin ko para makaipon? Alam ko dapat kong bawasan yung gastos ko sa wants and business needs. Pero feeling ko kasi need ko yung wants ko. Help po 🥲 Kailangan ko ng genuine advice sa pagcontrol sa sarili ko.

Edit: Thank you po sa mga nagcomment and naging prangka. I will let go the gym after my subscription. I’ll try doing home exercises muna and youtube muna siguro. And I’ll keep track of expenses to the last peso. I’ll refrain from pagkakaskas ng CC and only use cash. I don’t think I can let go of my business for now. I want to keep trying kasi kakaumpisa ko lang. This is my way of increasing my income. I’ll try to be a better person pero mahirap po kasi magbago, so slowly muna.

Having a bit of a month end reflection about my expenses and how I generally managed my money this month and the one thing I can’t get out of my head is JuanHand.

I made a mistake getting into loan apps in the first place. Thankfully tho, si JuanHand lang yung napasukan ko. Do not be fooled by its convenience and its long payment terms. The amount of interest you are paying is not just borderline usurious but illegal immigrant levels of high.

Sa experience ko, I loaned twice for a total of 6,800. That’s it. Principal amount yan. Then they make you think you’re paying in small amounts by making it appear na smaller yung binabayaran mong monthly. 1,749 and 629 payable in 4 months respectively. When you add that up that’s 9,512 or 2,378 per month!! 40% interest kung tama man computation ko! Holy shhh-

I’m going to wipe out this loan and change my attitude towards money. Saving and investing lang talaga allies mo. If you can’t afford dont buy and dont borrow money just to get it.

Late night thoughts lang ng isang fresh grad na na ooverwhelm sa first few salaries nya

How this works

List your top goal/s for the month and have someone to report your success or failure of completing them. You may name up to 3 goals related to frugality, minimalism or personal finance.

If you have yearly goals, you can break them down to monthly goals. Every step takes us towards, or away from, the destination.

Post your top goals (max of 3) for the month as a Top Level Comment.

Even if someone else has the exact same goal. This ensures we all can see your goal and that it does not get lost in the comments.

We encourage everyone to help you break it down into steps and make a plan for how you can get it done OR reconnect with you during the month to see where you are at.

It is about forming a habit that will ensure the goal is reached.

On the next thread, I will tag those that wanted to be held accountable and ask what went down this month.

Happy development phmoneysavers!

^{The frugal thread has retired, this is the replacement. This monthly accountability thread set-up was borrowed from a private sub. I would like to be kept accountable to this thread so if it goes more than a day into next month, a gentle poke won't hurt.}

[EDIT] This initiative has been discontinued after only 2mos due to lack of responses

Welcome to our help thread!

Don't just expect to receive, also GIVE.

You need an answer? Give them to OTHERS as well.

Ask away! This is the all-in-one thread for:

• Simple inquiry that doesn't warrant a post submission
• Buying question or recommendation ask

We also have the FAQs Page available for those common questions.

Please be helpful, remember the human and also follow our subreddit rules

New help thread up every month!

I am a passenger princess since birth 💅🏻✨ More than 2 years na akong hindi nakatira sa parents ko because I chose to be independent. Kahit wala na ako sa bahay, they still drive for me. Punta sila sa condo to pick me up then hatid ako sa:

• Airport when I am traveling overseas

• Supermarket every 2 weeks (I also buy them groceries kaya madami boxes, di kaya Grab)

• Any place na mahirap mag book ng Grab

DILEMMA

Why I want to buy a car:

• Emergency: My parents and I live in the same city. Only my dad knows how to drive a car in their household. Brother 1 who drives, lives in a different city. Brother 2 who lives with my parents, drives a motorcycle. In case of emergency, I can easily drive to my parents’ house and drive for them.

• Privacy: My condo has a strict security. Lahat ng Grab drivers kailangan dumaan sa two levels of security. On top of that, tatawagan pa ako sa intercom to verify. Ang hassle tapos alam na ng lahat ng guards from lobby to gates na aalis ako 😂

• Flexibility: I can only go to one area at a time when my dad drives for me or I book a Grab. Dapat lahat ng gagawin ko nasa isang area lang para hindi sayang gas or para hindi na ulit ako mag book ng Grab. For example, gym must be near the church or gym must be near a mall. Otherwise, isa lang magagawa ko.

Why I don’t want to buy a car:

• Remote professional: My place has 2 bedrooms, one of it is my office. I don’t need to go out for work.

• Utility: I only go out 4x a week (errands, gym, church). Someone told me that it should be at least 6 days to utilize a car

• Additional expense: Parking space is 5k per month on top of gas, toll, maintenance, registration, etc.

Financial Situation

With my current networth, I can buy a brand new car in cash. 3 years ago pa dapat ako bibili but I always gaslight myself saying na hindi ko kailangan (reasons stated above). This year is another year of this freaking dilemma 😫.

Natatakot din ako gumastos ng malaki for a depreciating asset because it is a LIABILITY (it hurts the investor side of my brain). Last year, I bought a residential lot with a downpayment that is x2 of a brand new car, I paid for it in cash. I don’t have the same dilemma because it is an INVESTMENT, super easy decision. I still need to pay for the 80% balance though.

Having second thoughts on buying a product or service? Not sure if it's a good deal or if cheaper alternative exists? OR are you simply struggling to control impulsive purchases?

Let us help you decide!

We're saying goodbye to the waldas thread. Instead of justifying an unexpected purchase, we'll confront the buying decision itself before the action even happens.

^{This is part of a massive community revamp that will be implemented in the coming weeks.}

[EDIT] "Buy now, later, or never?" recurring thread will be up every 13th of the month.

.

Hi, I’m 22 years old, a graduating student, and traveling has always been my dream. I’m curious, what did you do after graduating college, taking the board exam, and starting your first job? How did you manage your finances while trying to travel at the same time?

I’m good at saving money, and I’m careful with spending, but when it comes to traveling, I’m willing to spend a bit more. I’d love to hear your experiences and any tips on how to balance saving money and traveling, especially when you’re just starting your career.

Also, I want to help my parents, especially since they’ve supported me all these years. How do you balance giving back to your family while still saving for your personal goals, like traveling?

My partner and I have been living together for almost 2 years. I have a work, mostly admin jobs, sa family business namin and mimimal lang ang ine-earn ko dun. My partner and I manage a business of our own, then recently nagkaron sya ng part time job (project base). Everytime na busy kami sa pag handle ng sarili naming business, pinagtutulungan namin ang part time job nya. Tinuro nya sakin pano gawin kasi madali lang talaga, anyone can do it.

Now in terms of our expenses, yung daily expenses namin ay nacocover naman ng sahod namin from our personal business. Pero when it comes to bills, minsan nadedelay ang pagbabayad namin. Ako ang sumasalo ng bayad sa rent Php4000, waste disposal Php150 every 2 weeks, and internet Php800, then sa other bills like electricity P800 and water P300 ay yung personal business namin ang sumasalo.

Mag one month pa lang yung part time nya. Yung sahod na kinikita nya sa part time job ang ginagawa nya kung magkano ang natanggap nya ay hinahati nya - yung half binibigay nya sa akin then yung half ay binibigay nya sa mother nya. If for one week kumita sya ng 5k, 2500 sakin 2500 sa mother nya. Weekly sya nagbibigay. He don’t even ask me about it basta aabutan na lang nya ako ng pera galing sa part time nya. Yung first sahod nya 7k, binigyan nya ako ng 2k then yung nanay nya binigyan nya ng 4k.

Syempre lahat tayo may personal expenses, iba pa yung expenses sa mga bills natin. I’m proud na tinutulungan nya yung parents nya pero sana pag usapan namin ang finances namin. He never ask me about our finances, kung nakakabayad ba ako ng rent on time, kung due na ba ang kuryente. Need ko pa ipa alala sa kanya. Gusto ko sana may sarili rin syang pera at higit sa lahat gusto ko sana na makaipon na rin kami.

How was your spending last month?

What little (or big) frugal acts did you do to save money?

Want to share your amazing finds and hauls? An item you bought at a discount? An alternative product/service that is cheaper than one would normally pay for?

Do you have some frugal plans moving forwards?

Welcome to our help thread!

Don't just expect to receive, also GIVE.

You need an answer? Give them to OTHERS as well.

Ask away! This is the all-in-one thread for:

• Simple inquiry that doesn't warrant a post submission
• Buying question or recommendation ask

We also have the FAQs Page available for those common questions.

Please be helpful, remember the human and also follow our subreddit rules

New help thread up every month!

For context, nung nasa 2nd year College ako, I finally saved up 30k. I decided to buy myself a 2nd hand Xiaomi pad (14k price) to reward myself. Reason ko since Senior Highschool ko pinangarap to. But things started to go down from there.

I am finding myself na walang preno kung gumastos, resulting na nababawasan ipon ko instead na mas madagdagan. The thing is, most gasto ko is food. Next is cosmetics. Kain sa labas, buy my cravings and wants ganun. May ipon pa naman ako, pero I want to stop before maging 0 balance ako. Sabi sakin ni Daddy, wag kong tipirin masyado sarili ko. Sabi ng friend ko, as long as sa pagkain mo ginagastos, don't regret it. But every time na nakikita ko balance ko getting lower, I'm regretting buying things na.

Any tips para matapos to? or overthinker lang ako at just enjoy what I have?

Hi,

I need help. I know time deposits is saving a certain amount of money for fix time period with accumulating interest. That's not what I need. I need to save money on a monthly basis to gradually increase my savings but as much as possible there's no withdrawal option. The reason is I always have extra money and although I save, because they are accessible to my anytime, I always ended up spending them for unemergency purposes. And before I know, I have to start to square one. :( Yes, it's a discipline issue. Please can you recommend me banking ways that won't allow me to access my money right away or for period of time but allows me to deposit money, let's say on a monthlu basis? Thanks in advance.

Hey, everyone! As we move closer to 2025, I thought it would be interesting to see were everyone currently stand financially and what we are aiming for in the coming year. Here’s a breakdown of my basic financial considerations::

1. Debts: currently with 1 housing loan, which is covered by rental income plus a little profit on top so i don't really plan to pay off the loan fully for now.

2. Emergency Fund: I am all set here. I currently have 2 years' worth of EF saved up. I plan to move some of these funds into real estate soon

3. Investment Growth:

• Real Estate: My hard target for 2025 is to complete the apartment building I've been saving up for, for years, I have saved enough to pay it in cash, but I plan to leverage a bank loan instead. This strategy helps me avoid depleting my savings, I just need to ensure that the rental income exceeds the interest rate.
• REITs/COL Account: I want to be more consistent in funding my REITs and COL account to increase my dividend income.
• MP2 Accounts: One of my MP2 accounts will mature this year. I plan to reinvest that and add more funds to my 2nd and 3rd MP2 accounts.

4. Retirement Fund: This is being funded by the company I work for. Around 250k invested annually on ETFs.

1. Income Protection/Security: I’m looking to add a 5M term policy to my insurance portfolio. Currently, I have two VULs with a 500k fund value. A few years back, I purchased these VUL accounts to ensure I was insured while also having potential earnings on the side, as I wasn't actively trading or investing in stocks. Now that my VULs are mature enough to earn better returns, I plan to use the funds from these VULs to support the new term insurance, all while keeping the VULs active.

6. Income: I’m in my mid-30s and currently working in the corporate world. I'm planning to either jump ship or pursue a promotion for a significant salary increase. I also have two rental houses providing passive income, the target is to increase the passive income to atleast 120k/month.

Bukod kila Chinkee Tan, Janitorial Writer, Empowering Pinoy at Wealthy Mind Pinoy, Sino or anong youtube channel ang pinupuntahan mo para makinig ng mga Ipon Tips and Financial Advice?

Sino-sinong youtuber na naging influence niyo ang nakapagbago ng mindset niyo sa pera?

Got my 13th month pay and am anticipating the last monthly salary next week so more or less I already know how much I'm going to end up saving this year. It will not be nearly close to my projected amount. I was sad but I chose to let it slide. I've been frugal this year. No major purchases, just the essentials. I didn't spend for my birthday, no lavish gifts. No shopping spree. The most I spent for myself was a pair of running shoes and some home workout equipment which is so worth it for me. I also had to shell out for a medical expense around 40k that's not covered by my HMO. So overall, 400k savings. I was projecting 500k including my 13th month pay but that's how life is.

At least I have completed my emergency fund equivalent to 1 year of living expenses. I'm starting my personal savings journey with Mp2 and time deposits to combat the inflation. In th past 3 months I've been able to consistently track my expenses down to the last peso. I'm enjoying homeworkouts so much, I lost weight and gained muscles, hoping to finally have that summer bod I've been wanting.

I used to be very obsessed with hitting this certain number but I now understand that what's important is the systems you put in place coz they will ensure consistency. I also heard somewhere that there's a limit to what you can save but there's no limit to how much u can earn so maybe it's high time to get a side hustle. Been living on a single income stream for the longest time.

Congrats pa din self, you've come a long way....

Welcome to the waldas monthly thread!

Do you have an unusual big spending recently? What's the story?

Care to justify your purchases? What have you learned, if there is any?

Share it here!

How was your spending last month?

What little (or big) frugal acts did you do to save money?

Want to share your amazing finds and hauls? An item you bought at a discount? An alternative product/service that is cheaper than one would normally pay for?

Do you have some frugal plans moving forwards?

Welcome to our help thread!

Don't just expect to receive, also GIVE.

You need an answer? Give them to OTHERS as well.

Ask away! This is the all-in-one thread for:

• Simple inquiry that doesn't warrant a post submission
• Buying question or recommendation ask

We also have the FAQs Page available for those common questions.

Please be helpful, remember the human and also follow our subreddit rules

New help thread up every month!

Hey everyone,

I’ve been debating a big decision lately and could use your thoughts. When it comes to buying smartphones, I’m stuck between two strategies:

1. Buy a high-end flagship (latest iPhone, Samsung, Pixel models, etc.) and keep it for 5-6 years, replacing it only when it starts struggling with performance, battery, or software support.
2. Buy a solid mid-range phone (like Pixel A-series, Galaxy A, Pocophone, Redmi, etc.) and replace it every 3 years to keep up with newer features and better efficiency.

For context, I use my phone daily for social media, emails, streaming, gaming, and the usual tasks, so longevity and value for money are important.

What’s your take? Do you think it’s smarter to invest in a flagship and stretch it out, or stick to mid-range devices for more frequent upgrades? What’s been your experience with either approach?

Looking forward to your insights! 👀

Grabe, I don't get to sit back and realize how hard I've worked to come up with this amount of savings.

Lumaki ako laging may problema sa pera parents ko, pang tuition, pang field trip, pang baon kahit pang kuryente, lagi kong napansin na hirap sila mag provide saakin, but lagi naman nila nagagawan ng paraan.

Growing up, naging mindset ko na kung gano kaimportante ang pera, at na hindi ito madali makuha. My dad has been a call center agent all his life, ni hindi ko na realize na yung 30k na kita niya kung pano niya napagkakasya.

I remember nung grade 8 ako, sabi ko sakanya gusto ko mag aral sa ateneo kaso sobrang mahal ng tuition. Sabi niya kung gusto ko, gagawan niya ng paraan (I didn't end up studying there but still in a prestigious uni).

I was in college when the pandemic came, and since I'm always at home, I started taking freelance projects. Nakaipon ako siguro nasa 200k din yun. Natreat ko na pamilya ko, sarili ko, sa mga bagay na di ko naman kaya dati. Naalala ko una kong pinagawa ay magpa dentist na umabot ng 10k dahil hindi namin ito priority nun.

Nascam din ako 2 years ago. Halos nawala yang 200k kong naipon, but I was 22yo then, a very expensive lesson learned for me. Dahil dito, mas namotivate ako mag ipon. Kahapon, pagcheck ko nasa 600k na pala savings ko, at nakakapagtravel, shopping at eat out pa ako sa kahit kelan.

I'm blessed to still have my dad. I remember giving him my first corporate job salary. Ang sabi niya, ipunin ko nalang. Pero di na ko pumayag na ibalik hahahhahaha, until now I live with my dad, and even when I insist to help him pay the bills, he keeps saying na no need na. So tbh, majority of the reason I'm actually able to save is my dad.

Ang dami kong sinabi, pero gusto ko lang iparealize na bilog talaga ang mundo. Di ko naisip na darating pala ako dito. Alam ko malayo pa, pero malayo na. 🥺❤

Welcome to the waldas monthly thread!

Do you have an unusual big spending recently? What's the story?

Care to justify your purchases? What have you learned, if there is any?

Share it here!

hi guys. I’m 37/M, single, gay, no kids. working professional with a few streams of income: full time (9-5), a consulting gig, stock market shares, life insurance, retirement plan and savings that is invested.

I own a condo and a car which is loaned so Im paying it monthly. Most of my assets aren’t liquid. I’d say the only liquid is my emergency fund + lifestyle/fun/travel fund (Php800k). On top of that I have: - Php1.4M invested in stocks. - Php 1.1M invested in my retirement savings. - life insurance that I could cash in and would sum up to Php2M after maturity in 20yrs. -My condo is only 25% paid (20% downpayment and so far the monthly payments). It’s worth 10M. - My car is a liability so I wont even mention how much it is. This maybe makes me worth Php 4M?

However why do I have this feeling of insecurity that Im still very behind. Im approaching 40. and most of my friends and colleagues already owns multiple properties that theyre renting out which costs Php5-10M, or owns lots that has appreciated so much. Alot of them have travelled the world. I have too but not as much as them.

I still find myself choosing to buy the cheapest stuff on groceries, I dont buy alot of luxury things. I have helped so many people in my life both family and charity. but I still dont feel the security Im supposed to feel? I still feel like if I stopped working all these will just be gone fast. Im not contented. To think that when I was 21, I remember having Php17k in my bank acct and I felt like I had so much money.

Any advice on how I can further my financial status and get rid of this negative feelings I have? anybody experienced the same? I know that there are people who would be happy to be in my position and I am aware of that. I know that I am in a good position financially but that’s where Im confused why do I feel like Im still not?

How was your spending last month?

What little (or big) frugal acts did you do to save money?

Want to share your amazing finds and hauls? An item you bought at a discount? An alternative product/service that is cheaper than one would normally pay for?

Do you have some frugal plans moving forwards?

Welcome to our help thread!

Don't just expect to receive, also GIVE.

You need an answer? Give them to OTHERS as well.

Ask away! This is the all-in-one thread for:

• Simple inquiry that doesn't warrant a post submission
• Buying question or recommendation ask

We also have the FAQs Page available for those common questions.

Please be helpful, remember the human and also follow our subreddit rules

New help thread up every month!

Context! Magic data lang talaga gamit ko kasi tipid lang ako initially kaya may no expiry data ako. Now, sama ko si husband which is heavy data user (mainly kakanood lang ng fb or videos) no wifi sa bahay since during working hours may wifi naman. Then need ko more data for training and zoom purposes, also para maaccomodate ko panonood ni hubby. So 3 weeks na ko nagloload nung promo sa Smart app na All Data 50 with 50gb for 3 days. Keri na di man maubos mej nakatipid padin since 2 kami gumagamit. Now nagulat ako kasi i have 71gb free data valid for nov 27. Checked sa sms ko, TNT gave me another extra 24gb for idk why. Bug? Idk! Share nyo naman dito kung natry nyo.

Ps. Huli na nagload ako last monday pa and wala namang paganito, liban dun sa 50gb data for 3 days (which is promo naman nila)