What Having a Clear Vision Did For Me and What It Can Do For You in 2022

 

As we approach 2022 in the coming weeks, I encourage you to have a clear vision for your life. Here is why.

Above is a photo with my very young kids, taken few years ago, as I came home from work. I was then working as a medical representative for a top pharmaceutical company. Because I was assigned in Pampanga, while my kids stay with my parents in Tarlac, I spend very little time with them.

My vision was, I wanted to quit employment so I can spend more time with my growing kids.

When you send out a message, the universe conspires to give you what you want.

But you have to let that wish go. And as I look back now, everything that had happened to me over the past years, which did not seem to make sense at that time, led me towards the fulfillment of my wish which I live today.

As Steve Jobs said it, "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust the dots will somehow connect in the future."

I sent out that vision late in 2012. Because I was living paycheck to paycheck, the only way I can quit my job is to grow myself financially.

I met Bro. Bo Sanchez in the most unexpected way on February 3, 2013.

I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when I saw an invitation to an event, "How to Heal Yourself Naturally." The speaker was Bro. Bo Sanchez who I have only known at that time through his books which I saw at National Bookstore. 

Knowing that my mother and my aunt will learn from this talk, I bought three tickets for us. Incidentally, the seminar was even held at Unilab Bayanihan Hall. Unilab was my employer! Below is our photo.

The following day, I signed up at the Truly Rich Club, his membership site for financials. It was exactly what I needed at that time. 

The following Sunday, I attended The Feast at PICC for the first time. I was led to a spiritual family which I did not think I needed at that time. 

The birth of this blog came about after attending TRC's Wealth Summit

During this time, I was already improving financially as I have begun investing in the stock market through the guidance of the Truly Rich Club. As a bonus, I have also found my spiritual home through The Feast.

In March 2013, I attended TRC's Wealth Summit. One of the speakers was Mr. Jomar Hilario, who introduced online marketing. I then enrolled to his course, which gave birth to this blog, my eight year old baby, Financial Planning for Pinoys. This blog made me realize that I have a gift for writing, which I never knew I had. I was the person who would always take so much time to answer everytime the question "What is your talent?" is being raised! Who would have thought that the young girl who enjoyed writing in her diary as a kid will be able to send out a message to the world that has been read by more than 100,000 people and counting? God indeed works in wonder!

This blog is my way of serving others as I share my journey through my posts. And this blog is God's way of blessing me. How?

Because I was slowly growing financially and investing in the stock market, I was offered to become an InLife Financial Advisor!

I have been in sales almost all my life. Growing up, my mother would take me with her during her "client calls" while she sells vitamins, appliances, RTW from Bangkok, and many others. When I was in elementary until college, we have a sari sari store in front of a school. When I began working, I tried being a bank teller but resigned after a year. I then became a medical representative, which was my job for 13 years.

Although I have always been in sales, I am an introvert. I would not talk unless spoken to. During a conversation, I enjoy listening 70% of the time. 

And I get to share my message to the world, and to my future clients through this blog. 80% of my InLife clients came from this blog. 20% are from referrals.

Yes, this blog is God's way of blessing me financially.

And fast forward to 2019, I met Mr. Jomar Hilario for the second time when during ,y paper presentation for Registered Financial Planner (RFP). Surprisingly, he was the one who approached me! Below is our selfie.

I also met my first business partner through the Wealth Summit.

The attendees of the Wealth Summit created a Facebook group. I gained a friend -- and eventually a business partner -- through this group. With only Php20,000 as capital, I had my first small business, partnered with a Graduate School Professor from Davao, distributing organic liniment in Tarlac City! Yes, you can actually eat it! Today, my mother handles this business.

One reseller introduced me to agriculture investments.

Being present on Facebook, I had one reseller who works as an OFW at that time. He conducts agricultural tours, which I joined, and from which I began investing in agriculture. I also became a part of his team, organizing agri tours here in the North.

In 2016, I was already earning from multiple income streams.

I was employed.

On the side, I was an affiliate marketer.

I was distributing organic liniment.

I organize agricultural tours.

I was earning from the stock market.

I was earning from the agriculture investment.

I was earning as an InLife Financial Advisor.

And in May 2018, my vision came true. I was able to quit employment and spend more time with my growing kids!

My kids have grown! And I am very happy that I am here growing with them. From being with them only during Wednesday nights, Friday nights until Monday morning, I now spend every single day with them. If they need my help with school activities, I have the time and energy to be there for them. I spend so much time with them that I know everything about them -- and they know everything about me, too! We even know one another's thoughts even before we say anything! Most important of all, I can mold them and guide them to grow into the children my husband and I dream them to be.

This is the beauty of putting your financial house in order and having multiple income streams. It is not simply about having more money, but having more options in life. 

Today, I continue writing blogs as my way of using and developing my talent.

I work as an InLife Financial Advisor. And because I have learned about the value of risk management, I also offer health (HMO) insurance and non-life insurance. These are my active income sources.

On the passive side, I have stock market investments and agriculture investments. I also earn as an affiliate marketer. And also earn a bonus for referring recruits to join Insular Life.

Final Note

The health seminar I attended back in 2013 was not intended for me. Now I realize that things do not happen at random. We are exactly where God wants us to be. Whatever situation you may be in right now, have a clear vision in alignment to God's plan for your life. Stop worrying because God has it all figured out. Allow God to be this big God in your life!

Be very blessed!

P.S. Inspired by this post? Share it in the comments below or you can email me at financialplanningforpinoys@gmail.com. 

P.S2. Want to begin your financial journey to cap off 2021? Join the Truly Rich Club. Click HERE.

P.S3. Are you looking for a side hustle? Join us and become an InLife Financial Advisor. To know more, you can send me a message at Financial Planning for Pinoys

Break or Bounce by Bo Sanchez

 

I finished reading this book in one day and with a lot of key takeaways!

In the ending, it says,..

"Perhaps you didn't get that job you prayed for. Perhaps you didn't get the guy you wanted. Perhaps you didn't get the project you prayed for. God sees the future. He saw that if you got what you wanted, you would be swallowed up by the enemy. So he pulled you back. You got hurt. You got denied. You got rejected. Yes, you have scars -- but these are scars of God's love for you. Trials have a way of bringing you closer to God. Dear friend, bounce from your trials."

Be very blessed!

God is Bigger Than Your Biggest Problems by Bo Sanchez

 

Recently, I read a book and shared snippets of it on my social media. A few days later, I received a message from a client friend thanking me for sharing about that book, which she eventually bought and was inspired by it.

With that, I thought of sharing this and other books I will be reading in the future, as it may be a message that someone needs to hear at the moment.

One of my favorite pages says,..

"Bottom line, leaders are lovers. God wants to build a relationship with you. He doesn't want to intimidate you so you'll follow Him. He doesn't want to dominate you into submission. He doesn't want to terrify you into obedience.

Instead, He'll spend time with you.

He'll win your trust.

He'll expose His own heart to you.

He'll pour His life into you.

In other words, He'll love you.

That is His brand of leadership."

Through this book, you will discover a very big God. Specifically, you'll discover God as a Father, Leader, Provider, Healer and Protector. As we build a deeper relationship with Him, we come to realize and experience first hand that He is indeed bigger than our biggest problems.

Be very blessed!

This One Thing That Can Change Your Life's Perspective. It Sure Changed Mine!

As I write this, it's 3:05 am, on a Sunday. 

I cannot sleep, and I am not sure why. While I lie in bed, I kept thinking, "God gave me this gift of writing." 

How can I say so? Because God blessed me with clients through my blog. And I was able to serve Him back as a writer at The Feast PICC, my spiritual community.

And as this thought repeats in my head, I decided to get up, have a cup of iced latte with my Oreo cookies, and create a new blog (not just a new blog post)!

Anyways, about the topic, have you ever heard what many people say, "having a near death experience changes your life?"

Fortunately, what I experienced recently was not really "near death" but it did change my life and how I look and see things. It has given me a whole new perspective of life!

Ten days ago, I underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In layman's term, I had my gallbladder removed because of gallstones. A week prior to that, I have been experiencing pain in the upper mid abdomen. My husband, who is a surgeon, told me to undergo a whole abdomen ultrasound. And then there they were -- 2 gallstones with 0.9 cm and 0.5 cm in size. My husband told me to let him know as soon as I find someone who can accompany me to the hospital. It was October 12, Tuesday, at 5pm when our house helper said yes. After texting this to my husband, he immediately scheduled my operation the following day, October 13, at 4pm, at a private hospital in San Fernando, Pampanga.

This being my fourth operation to date, I was nervous. Who wouldn't be? Prior to this, I had two caesarian section with our two kids, and a ruptured appendix. Hubby even said, "dahil may peklat ka, baka nagdikit dikit na bituka mo." Who wouldn't be nervous hearing those words?

At the hospital, I have been exchanging messages with my daughter. She even texted, "Bakit parang hindi ka kinakabahan?" (Why does it seem like you are not nervous at all?) Being a mom, I had to be as calm as possible -- or appear to be calm, the very least.

At 9pm, I was back to my room.

The following day, we were already on our way back to Tarlac, as I was already feeling okay. Or so I thought.

The next day, Friday, I was in so much pain. I woke up past 3am, wanting to move because my back was really painful, but I cannot. I wanted to pee but I cannot get up from the bed. The pain was excruciating that I was crying as my mother and Ate Elvie help me get up. I do not want to go into details of how sick I felt, but it was by far, the most pain I have ever experienced in my life.

I Learned and Realized that I have So Much to be Grateful For

I am grateful for my husband and our kids, who have always been my happy and safe place. My husband was my main Surgeon. He told me not to worry about anything. 

I am grateful for the doctors, nurses, attendants and staff of VL Makabali Hospital. They really took care of me.

I am grateful for our house helper who was with me at the hospital. 

I am grateful for my mother who took care of me, especially that Friday. She has been preparing our healthy meals, too, every single day.

I am grateful for the ability to sleep comfortably on my side again, to move without pain, and simply being able to do the things I used to do.

I am grateful for the first client I had, five days after the operation, while I work from home.

I am grateful for Insular Life, that even though I am not an employee, I have hospitalization benefits.

I am grateful for my admin friend who processed my claim. It was approved in one day!

And I am grateful for God, that He was with me the entire time and for the valuable lesson that this experience taught me.

Final Note

I remember what I read from one of Bo Sanchez' book, Is Your Love Tank Empty? It says, "Life has become so complicated for so many people, the win is no longer obvious. Life has become so discombobulated. It is almost impossible to define the win." He adds, "Your win is in your relationship."

My experience going through physical pain, and recovering from it, taught me that among all other things, relationships are indeed the most important. 

Take care of your relationships. Value the people you have in your life. Appreciate them even for the small things. And let them know how much they mean to you every single day.

Be very blessed!

Secrets on How to Multiply Time and Increase Productivity Which I Learned from Bo Sanchez

 

Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to learn from my spiritual mentor, Bro. Bo Sanchez, through his FREE webinar on Facebook. You may watch his webinar in full in the video below.

Everyday, for the past two months, I have developed this habit of watching his Fulltank talks on Facebook at 8am, while I get my regular dose of Vitamin D outside our home. This has provided me with the positivity that I need to get through each day.

He is also an author, a motivational speaker, a preacher at The Feast, have built various mercy ministries, a business owner, a husband and a father. Because of his many roles and because I have seen him in so many places -- aside from watching him everyday on Fulltank, I also read his books, listen to him at The Feast, attend his seminars and even support his ministries -- I believe that it is best to learn about increasing productivity from him.

The purpose of his webinar is to invite us to a kind of lifestyle that has direction, organized and productive.

According to him, you cannot manage time as you cannot manage the minutes and the hours in a day, but you can manage yourself. He calls this self-leadership as you need to lead yourself, so that you cannot be lead by video games, by kdramas, or by the things you want to do in a particular time just because you feel like it. You have to be your own leader.

He added that the problem is LACK OF STRUCTURE. And that the solution is CREATING INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STRUCTURES IN YOUR LIFE.

How?

Step #1. Create internal structures

Think of a Ferrari. This Ferrari would be like the planning, the scheduling, the to-do-lists. But what can you do with this beautiful Ferrari if the gas tank is empty? Internal structures is compared to the fuel of the car. 

The Three Big Questions for your Internal Structures

1. Values

Do you love yourself? Take note. Binge watching in Netflix for six hours does not count if you love yourself. Because if you do, you would rather spend those hours exercising, spending time with your family, playing with your kids, meditating, or do something productive that will give you the results you want in the long run. 

Do you love others? Go deeper and discover your emotional why. 

Do you love God? Do you see Him loving you? If your answer is yes, then you would want to love God back through being a blessing to other people. Be God's love to the people around you.

2. Vision

Do you see where you are going? As Tony Robbins said, "People are not lazy, they just have impotent goals." You need to have a clear vision of where you want to go and have a long-term perspective. These will add fuel to your Ferrari.

3. Vehicle

Do you know how to get there? Your vehicle is your core gift. You feel excited, you have passion, you will alive when you do your core gift. Embrace and celebrate your core gift. Develop it further so you can achieve your vision.

Personally, my core gift is writing, which brought about this blog. 

Step #2. Create external structures

10 Tools for creating external structures

Tool #1 Make time to ask big questions. After reading this post, spend time answering the big questions above on values, vision and vehicle.

Tool #2 Make a list of short-term goals. Put it down on paper.

Tool #3 Make time to plan for each week. This is a game changer. Allot 30 mins of your time on a Sunday night, and you will be surprised at the end of the week how much you have accomplished.

Tool #4 Make a to do list for the week. 

Tool #5 Make a weekly calendar. 

Tool #6 Make a list of your "Pareto" activities. Focus on your top 20 activities that give you your 80 percent impact.

Tool #7 Make Four Quadrants (Stephen Covey). Focus on Quadrant Two -- not urgent but important -- which according to Bo, is the secret sauce of Champions. 

Tool #8 Make a to do list with A B C D E (Brian Tracy). Prioritize your long list of to do's based on the following: A - Must, B - Should, C - Nice, D - Delegate and E - Eliminate.

Tool #9 Make a focus funnel (Rory Vaden). You've got tasks, then look which ones you could eliminate, automate and delegate. Then the remaining tasks, you can either concentrate on doing them now, or procrastinate on purpose and do them later. 

Tool #10 Make a roles list (Stephen Covey). You write down all your roles, prioritize and plan the things you have to do for the week based on your roles.

Final Word

I watched his webinar last Sunday. I answered my big questions for internal structure and made my list for external structure on Sunday night. I am writing this today, on a Wednesday, and I can say that my productivity has significantly increased! I have stopped having those days when I say, "tinatamad ako" because I can't be "tamad" since I love myself, I love others and I love God -- and making the most of my time is the simplest way to show it.

I also have a clear picture now of how I want to see myself in the next 5, 10 and 20 years. And I know that my vehicle to get there is through my core gift, which is writing.

I hope you find this post helpful. If you do, kindly share this post to your family and friends, too.

Try these secrets on multiplying time and increasing productivity, and share your experience in the comments below or you can email me at financialplanningforpinoys@gmail.com.

Be very blessed!

7 Habits of Women Who Always Have Money

 

Women who are wise with money have mastered that it is not always about how much you make, but how much you spend and how much you keep. Being careful with your money -- from your monthly grocery shopping to regular Shopee budol, all that can have an impact in your finances.

Let us uncover the 7 Habits of Women Who Always Have Money:

1. She Budgets for Everything -- and Sticks to this Budget

If you want to always have money, you need to accumulate it. Read that again. Every time paycheck comes in, you must spend less than what you earn.

I have learned about the 10-20-70 rule when I began reading financial books back in 2013. Every time money comes in, you set aside 10% for tithes, 20% for savings and investments and live on 70%.

But later I realized that the above rule can be very difficult for most of us, regardless of how much we want to tithe, save and invest, because a sudden 30% cut on our current lifestyle can be close to impossible, especially if we are already struggling to make ends meet.

But we can always start somewhere. And for a start, you can set up your budget to live on 90% of your income and set aside the 10% to build your emergency fund and savings. When you have already saved enough, you can message your trusted Financial Advisor so you can start on protecting your future income, too, through getting a life insurance policy and automated savings plan. As for tithes, you can support your spiritual community by devoting your time to do volunteer work, or give in kind.

2. She is a Cash Back Queen

What cash back apps do you use? Personally, I double check if I have ticked off all available vouchers before I check out on Shopee, including the ones that give the highest cash back percentage.

Take advantage of cash back apps as this is an easy way to earn free money.

3. She Lowers Her Bills

Other ways of accumulating money is by making more and spending less. And one way of spending less is by lowering your bills. 

I cancelled subscriptions from apps I do not make the most of, and have availed of my favorite apps annually as they are cheaper compared to paying monthly.

4. She Uses Rewards Cards

Take the leap. Try earning cash back with a credit card. They are not dangerous as long as you intentionally spend less than you earn, and always pay your total amount due. That means no debt, no interest payments and no late fees. It becomes no different to spending cash, except that you earn points every time you use your credit card. These points can be converted to air miles, shopping vouchers, credited back to your card, or credited to your savings account.

5. She Automates Her Savings

You can't spend money you can't see. Good thing that there are companies that have set up an automated savings plan for their employees. If your employer has this, take advantage of it. You may also want to consider increasing your savings every time you get a salary increase. 

As for me, because I am not employed, my Insular Life policy does that through an auto debit arrangement (ADA) for my monthly premiums. Because this policy has an investment component, my amount saved grows over time, too.

6. She is Insured on All Fronts

If you are a  breadwinner and brings income to the family, insurance is a definite must. Your life insurance policy protects an insured's income from critical illness, hospitalization, disability and sudden demise. It makes sure that a breadwinner's family will not suffer financially in case he or she is no longer around or unable to work.

But if you are a stay-at-home mom, do you know that you also need to be insured? Believe it or not, you have tremendous value! Have you ever considered the cost of hiring out the work you do everyday? From child care to food preparation, to keeping the home clean, plus all of the errands. That costs a lot! And because of this, your life needs to be insured, too.

Protect yourself and your loved ones with an affordable life insurance plan. To ask for a quotation, click here.

7. She Tries

If you want to accumulate money, you cannot just sit around waiting for it to happen. You have to try. Try setting up a budget. Try earning cash back. Try lowering your bills. Try using a credit card with rewards. You can also try earning more by becoming an InLife Financial Advisor to increase your income. 

Final Word

These are all ways to accumulate money. But don't just read about it. Take action. Stay focused on your goal. Start planting these habits today, nurture them, and your harvest will come.

Be very blessed!

P.S. Got money habits to share? Post them in the comments below or you can email me at financialplanningforpinoys@gmail.com.

P.S.2. I hope you find this post useful. Thank you in advance for sharing this post!

What To Do When You Lack Motivation?

 

Have you ever felt like you lost that fire in your belly?

Or have days when you wake up and you do not know what to do?

You feel lazy and just want to stay in bed the whole day?

Honestly, I have days like that. As crazy as this may sound, it even reached that point when I Googled "what to do when you don't know what to do." Unfortunately, Google only gave me song lyrics of a particular song on the search results! 

And as I share my feeling of being lost with a workmate, she wonders because she knows that I have achieved the goals I have set for myself when I was still employed. These goals were that I wanted to quit employment at the age of 35, pursue my passion of being a full time InLife Financial Advisor, and do all these because I want to spend time with my very young kids. 

With God's grace, a simple financial plan (which has been a journey that I share through this blog), and my big emotional why which I shared in my blog Find a Strong Emotional Why, I was able to tick off those goals back in 2018, as planned, a month before my 36th birthday. 

But because I have always believed that there is more to life than ticking off short and medium term goals, I ask myself, "What now? What else?" These were the questions that have been going through my head for the past months now.

And as always, God has better ways of answering our life questions than Google! Because two days ago, I came across Bo Sanchez's Fulltank Video, and it was very timely. According to him, you need to have a BIGGER EMOTIONAL WHY that would last through your entire life, not just short term or medium term goals. And that discovering this will give you two gifts: DRIVE and DIRECTION. 

He also shared the story of Maves Angeles, his friend who lived in the slums for 9 years, and moved from one house to another 19 times! Today, Maves has a home of her own, and is now a real estate developer -- helping more people have their own houses. She discovered her bigger emotional why through her pain and her trials.

Another example he shared was Edward Lee, Founder of COL Financial, the biggest online stockbroker in the country today. Because his strong emotional why is that he believes that everyone ought to be rich, he builds businesses and teaches financial literacy aiming to achieve this goal.

And as for Bo Sanchez, his bigger emotional why is that he wants to help more people experience God's abundance spiritually, emotionally, relationally and even financially. This is the reason why he uses his gift of communication through writing books and preaching, and builds ministries to help the poorest of the poor.

Final Word

Watching Bo's video made me realize that my bigger emotional why is to help other working moms pursue their passion as a profession, while having the time to spend with their growing kids. Believe it or not, I do not only watch my kids grow, but I also grow with them. I do not only get to know them more, but they also get to know me! There are even times when they would mimic the way I talk, or know what I was thinking even before I say it. 

I may have lost the perks (the company car was my favorite!) when I quit my job, and the journey leaving the comfort zone was not easy, but my kids having that assurance that I am always here for them, literally and figuratively, makes taking that risk all worth it.

And my way of achieving this bigger emotional why I can do this by using my gift of writing in sharing what I have learned about money through this blog, and continuously learning so I can share more.

If you haven't found it yet, I pray that God reveals to you your bigger emotional why. Today, after a long while, writing this blog post is the first thing that I did this morning -- even before having my coffee! And from not knowing what to do for the day, I know exactly how to run the next days! 

Having a bigger emotional why is indeed a gift and that powerful! I thank God for creating me with a beautiful purpose. And I know that He has created you for one, too.

Be very blessed!

P.S. Do you know your bigger emotional why? Share it in the comments below or email it to me at financialplanningforpinoys@gmail.com.

Thank you and keep safe!

Even in Silence, Trust that God is Working

 

The first thing I check when I open my Facebook every morning is the MEMORIES. It is a daily reminder of the kind of person I was in the past, how far I have come, and the people who have been with me in that journey.

And exactly three years ago today, what I saw in my memory brought back goosebumps I have never felt in a while -- it was the day when I received an email from our HR stating that my RESIGNATION has been APPROVED.

Just to give you a not-so-brief background. I graduated from college with a course of BS Computer Science from Tarlac State University in 2003. Immediately after graduation, I went to Clark with my friends to apply as a Call Center Agent (which was an in demand job at that time). I got accepted and on my first week of training, I quit. Why? It was a 12nn to 9pm job which became a work - travel - sleep - travel - work routine and I did not like it.

Less than a month after, I got hired as a bank teller in Tarlac City. For the work load, I felt I was not compensated enough as money was just passing through my hands, literally. I met a client who works a medical representative and he told me to give that work a try. And so I did. A written exam and three interviews later, I was for training at the #1 Pharmaceutical Company Worldwide -- then I resigned from my bank job. I was there for a year.

As a medical rep, I was assigned at my hometown, Tarlac. I was working with the best counterparts, but being my first job in sales, it was never easy. After a year, I resigned. But unlike previous resignations, I didn't have a fall back or a back up plan at that time. 

I was idle for four excruciating months, going through one interview after another. And then finally, in April 2006, I was hired as a medical rep at the #1 Pharmaceutical Company in the country. I love everything about my job -- the pay, the perks, the challenges. I have loved it so much that I have always thought this is the company I am growing old with -- working in the same company until I retire at 60.

Side Hustles and Passive Income

When I decided to give my financial life an overhaul in 2013, I began doing side hustles on weekends and after work hours, while I was employed. I sold ukay-ukay clothes, I sold brandnew clothes which I personally bought from Bangkok (I have spent weekends there alone), I organized farm tours, I distributed organic liniment from Davao, and I work as an InLife Financial Advisor. The last is my favorite as it led me to continuous learning, made me enjoy reading books, and brought about the birth of this blog as I wanted to teach more people about the value of being financially literate.

To further grow my income, I invested in the stock market directly and indirectly, and I made investments in corn, mushroom and sheep, among others.

Everything was going quite well.

Until Shift Happens

Every year since 2013, I would attend Bo Sanchez' Kerygma Conference. This is the biggest inspirational event in the country happening every third Thursday to Sunday of November. Because I wanted to attend the whole four days, I filed my leave for this as early as June. But because I no longer have VLs left, I used my leaves without pay. The week before the event, my leaves were DISAPPROVED.

And so I just attended the Saturday and Sunday sessions. 

While waiting for the plenary to start, I prayed to God to send me signs if it was already time for me to quit my job. It was not just because of my disapproved leave (that would be very childish, lol!), but because I felt I was meant to do something else and something more with my life. Since 2013, I have been financially preparing myself to quit my job when the need for it arises. Remember that money buys freedom. 

God Answered My Prayer FOUR Times

I still remember it clearly, the very first words that came out of the first preacher were, "Quit your job, and serve me full time."

Followed by another preacher saying, "Walk on water." Quitting employment was definitely a step out of my comfort zone and into my courage zone. A walk on water indeed.

Then Bo Sanchez said, "Use your gift."

The final song's lyrics were, "I believe You'll reveal Your plans that I can't yet see."

And my response to all these? "Lord, give me SIX MONTHS to prepare."

Came January, I Had a New Boss and a New Territory

At that time, resignation approvals took longer than the usual 30 days. By mid January, I told my new Boss then that I am resigning. And to give the company enough time for my clearance and to find a replacement, I included in my resignation letter that its effectivity will be on June 15, 2018. Incidentally, that was my 36th birthday.

Pray Expecting

On May 22, 2018, the unexpected happens. I received an email from HR stating that my resignation has been approved. My Boss then texted me asking if I would want that to take effect ASAP or wait until June 15.

I did not know what to say. Honestly, I did not know what to do.

And so I drove to Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan (which was part of my territory), and prayed to God. 

Then I had that eureka moment -- remembered my prayer back at Kerygma Conference when I said, "Lord, give me six months to prepare." THAT DAY WAS THE SIXTH MONTH!

With goosebumps and very much overwhelmed, I texted my boss saying that I will not be going to work the next day. I felt like something heavy was lifted off my chest, and that this is all God's will for my life.

We Are Exactly Where God Wants Us To Be

Oftentimes, we do not get what we want, or things do not go as we planned. A best friend may disappoint us. A client may change his/her mind without us knowing exactly why. We may not reach the goals we've always worked hard for.

And while there are many uncertainties, one thing is for sure: 

GOD HAS A GREAT PLAN FOR US, AND ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS SAY YES.

I have been the happiest since I became unemployed. I pursued my passion by being an InLifer full time, working with the largest Filipino owned insurance company today. I love my career, and it has loved me back a hundred times back, compensating me based on the effort I put into work.

My kids are very happy, too, as I get to spend so much time with them. Doing this not only allowed me to get to know them really well, but they got to know me very well, too. My 12-year old daughter can even imitate the different ways I speak to different people on the phone! Lol!

And my husband, every time I share with him stories about our kids, he is smiling. I now have the time to be with him every time he needs me, like going with him to my brother-in-law in Gapan, Nueva Ecija for lunch, or help him with his errands, or take care of our dogs, etc.

And for all these, I am grateful.

I hope you find this post helpful. If you do, kindly click the SHARE buttons below. I would love to hear from you. Email me at financialplanningforpinoys@gmail.com.

Be very blessed!

My Starting Monthly Salary Was Php6,500 -- and I Survived!

Yes, Php6500.

I remember this was my monthly salary when I started training with a pharmaceutical company back in 2005. I shared a room with a co-trainee at the back of SM Sta. Mesa and rode the G Liner bus everyday to Bonaventure. Our office is located in front of Greenhills, San Juan.

Php6,500 net, plus free lunch, no more and no less. 

Looking back now, I can hardly imagine how I was able to survive city living with such a small amount for two months before we were deployed. 

Now let me cite a few of my super tipid tips during that time:

1. I went home to our province only once a month. No matter how much I miss my family, and since that was my first time to be away from them, this was one sacrifice I had to make.
2. I shared a small room, which was rented, with a co-trainee to save on household cost.
3. We took the bus everyday to and from work. It was not very convenient, but it was the cheaper alternative compared to taking the taxi.
4. I stayed at my aunt's house in Kamuning on weekends to save on food.
5. No shopping. No signature coffee. And minimal dining out.

As the Tagalog saying goes, "Habang maiksi ang kumot, matutong mamaluktot." And because I have no credit card then, I lived within my means.

And as Robert Kiyosaki says, "If your pattern is to spend everything you get, an increase in cash will just result in an increase in spending."

I cannot agree more to this. Yesterday, I was exchanging messages with a client. He told me that he wants to look for a job with a higher pay. Right now, he earns a six-digit salary. I told him to be cautious when his income increases, because that may result to an increase in spending.

This happened to me last year pre-covid. My business was doing very well that I earned my biggest income by far since I began working in 2003. And because I list down all my expenses up to the smallest detail, I realized that a big chunk of my money went to miscellaneous (read: UNNECESSARY) spending. 

Then covid came, my productivity went down and so did my income. Although I have my emergency fund and passive income sources that sustain me, I wish I knew better then and made wiser money decisions. 

This pandemic taught me that anything can happen. And it is always best the we are prepared for the worst.

How did this crisis affect you? Share them with me in the comments below or you can email me at financialplanningforpinoys@gmail.com.

Sixteen years later after my Php6,500 salary, I am now married, with two kids, 30+ lovebirds, two dogs, and supporting my retired parents. I am part of the so-called "sandwich generation." And with all these expenses, I also need to save and invest money for my retirement years. I made a decision that the sandwich generation in our family will end with me. I build my golden nest egg through my Insular Life insurance + investment policy.

Today, I no longer list down all of my expenses in detail. Every time income comes in, 10% goes to tithes and 20% for my retirement. I now use an envelope system wherein I allocate a certain amount per expense. Believe it or not, this pandemic has decreased my spending significantly! 

How?

Because I have been working from home, my usual Php15,000 monthly allocation for gas and toll before is now down to Php6,000. 

I used to have my car's maintenance check every 5,000 kms which happens every other month. Now, my car has not even reached 5,000 kms since its last PMS almost a year ago! 

Also, we used to go to the mall every weekend and enjoy dining out. Now, I have began home cooking and I am amazed with the savings from this new habit. One meal for our family of four at our favorite resto costs Php1,000 more or less. We went to the market last weekend and spent only Php4,000 for our meals for 5 days!

And with this increase in savings means an increase in investments. I encourage to keep increasing in financial knowledge and continue seeking opportunities to grow your hard-earned money. Look for an instrument that will teach you the discipline to set aside of your income every paycheck. That is what my InLife policy does. Talk to your trusted Financial Advisor and do some serious financial planning with him/her.

 

Be very blessed!

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