Wanna be rich

Nats is still wondering how to be rich. She likes watching Urban Zone in TFC and everytime she watches that show, she wonders what on earth did these people do to have that kind of life. Definitely, being an employee will not make her rich. She wishes that she will have one bright idea one day and that she can go into business.

Money Smart

Being in the 30s is so much different from being in the 20s for me. Maybe, I'm just a late bloomer but I'm feeling the need to be smart with money. I wish I realized this earlier in life so that by now, I should have been enjoying the fruit of my labor. I was so stubborn before to even look into long term investment and my excuse was always my uncertainty in the States. Well, it has been almost five years and I'm still here. Five years is definitely long term. So tonight, I have decided that I should start to learn how stocks and mutual funds work. My professors in college would hate me if they found out that I did not really retain in my head what they taught me. I'm embarassed that I'm an MFI (Management of Financial Institutions) graduate and I worked for almost 6 years in HSBC and I did not pay attention to what's going on in the financial market. I guess, it's never too late to learn and refresh myself.

Shopping is the worst investment. No matter how many times I count my shoes, my purses, my jeans, my shirts and any type of clothing I have, I don't think those are even worth 5% of what I spent on those. Huhuhu but shopping is so tempting. My 5 times visit to Vegas in a span of 10 months was again a big loss and of course, I still want to go back to Vegas. The only money smart thing I ever did is to fully pay my car 2 years before the end of its term. Thanks to Matt, I finally did something right. Thanks to him again that I'm trying to meet a monthly savings goal and finally wanting to learn on how to invest it wisely. Let's see.

My next goal maybe is to buy a house or whatever I can afford. Hopefully this is possible in two years time. I hope that would still be a good time to buy. Let's see.

Wow, I'm starting to have plans in life... which means I'm really getting old, yuck!

Are You Happy?

Whenever I am asked this question, "Are you happy?", It really makes me pause first before I answer but normally I end up saying I'm happy. I am happy and I'm normally a happy person too although when I am sad, I am really sad.

According to my dad, my emotions are extremes, either peaks or valleys and no "in betweens." He is somewhat right about that but I don't know if I have really felt extreme happiness in my life and let's forget about sadness since of course, everybody wants to avoid that kind of feeling.

So again going back to the question, Are you happy?

Yes, I am happy. I am happy that... (definitely not in any order)

1. I still have a job despite the never ending layoffs going on in the States and everywhere. It might not be the perfect job and I have been really working long hours lately but I'm glad I still have a job that pays me fine for now. With this job, I know my worth and importance in the company and I hope it continues to be that way wherever I am at.
2. I have my family who love me and I feel that even when I am so far away from them. Actually, I feel that even more here than when I was back home. I long to be with them. I long to see Elisha. I long to be home and just enjoy Mom's cooking and kulitan with siblings and cousins.
3. I have a boyfriend who may not say the right words but makes me feel important and loved. Life here in the States has certainly become easier with him around. It's not that I am dependent on him or we are dependent to one another but it's just good to know that at the end of the day, there's someone who is there to listen and be with you. Of course, we get into each other's nerves from time to time but we know when to say sorry and we know how to compromise. I hope this relationship continues to be good.
4. I have friends... I have few here that I can really call friends but I am grateful that they are true friends. This year, I gained some more. I have a lot of friends too at home that I maintain the friendship despite the distance. It's actually funny coz I feel like I'm even closer to some of my friends at home than I have ever been with them back then.
5. I know myself more and that I learned a lot in my life.... that States has made me realized a lot of things... that it made me a better person at least in my point of view. I learned to see the real world and not the ideal world that a lot of people are still dreaming of and forever wanting that leads them to being unhappy.
6. I can buy for now the material things that I need and want at times. Call me materialistic but it's true, it gives me happiness be it temporary or not. Anyway, nothing in life is constant, hahaha. Take note I only buy and learn to like the things that I can afford.

I am sure there are other stuff that make me happy but at the end of day, happiness is a state of mind. Each person has different ways and extent to be happy. What satisfies me might not be satisfying enough for someone or what I take no care of might be so important to someone. There is nothing wrong in aiming high but we should still be realistic and not shoot for something impossible. We should find happiness in what we have and work on getting what we still want to have.

Errrrrrrr, I am not happy that I'm turning 31!

Consciously Dreaming

I found myself surfing the net for condo units within my area and Culver City. Hmmm... how I wish I can afford one and how I wish I know my stability in US. They are nice to look at but dang, I can't afford one even if the real estate market is down right now. Reality check Nats and one at a time, okay?

There's really an advantage for married people since they've got combined income to look at and I guess it's easier to make decisons with someone.

I wish I could be so lucky and win the lottery or the jackpot in a casino.

Realizations at 30

I've got some new realizations at 30...

1. I do not know anymore how to bike or I'm too scared to even try it in front of a lot of people. Gosh, it has been so long ever since I got this nervous again and I acted like a child completely.
2. I think I want to buy a bike and face my fear of falling, hurting myself and other people, and getting scars. I used to know how to bike and I was biking until maybe around 8 or 9 years old.
3. I never lost a phone and I just lost one... and it was never found. It was ironic though that I lost a phone and it got stolen by someone here in the States when I left my phone one time in Pizza Hut in Makati and I still found it.
4. Most filipinos who grew up back home are really pampered and sheltered. Sometimes I wish I grew up here so that I know the basic things more.
5. I do not feel or act 30... and it has its advantages and disadvantages. Errr, I do not know when will it really hit me. Maybe 30 is the new 20!
6. I've been in the States for 4 years but it feels like it is way longer than that. And wow, I spent half of my years in the States with Matt. It seems like a lot of things happened in my life here too.
7. I still have a lot of uncertainties in life. I guess, change is the only constant in life anyway.

Artworks

I still love cross-stitching but it is such a lot of work. It took me quite a while (maybe a little over a year) to finish the floral one. The frames that I used are nice but I could not perfect framing my work of art. Maybe, I should invest in custom framing or I should wait for me to go home and have these framed there.

I've got another small one to finish but I'm still so into the The Chronicles of Narnia book and of course work always keeps me busy.




Oh a little trivia, I won first place in a Beginner's Competition for Cross-Stitchers in my little hometown maybe in 1995. I received P1,500 and my sister won second place. The exhibit was actually organized by my aunt, hahaha but the judges did not know who own the different artworks.

Shopping No More

My new year's resolution is to minimize or even stop shopping. I think I've been pretty good and the last time I bought something for myself was still in January when everything was on sale. Matt thinks it's funny that I really have to resist myself whenever we go to the mall. I'm telling you it's so tempting every weekend especially since 3rd Street Promenade is just walking distance to Matt's place.

It's depressing that everytime I am in my car and tuning in to NPR, they always talk about the recession and how US might be in this state already but it also helps me fulfill my resolution since they always say that sales of the malls/retails have dropped significantly. That means I am not the only one doing this. It's actually sad everytime I walk to the mall and even around my area to notice that a lot of shops have closed already and are still closing. I also heard that even big stores like Anne Taylor, JC Penny and even Macy's are reducing theirs numbers of stores. Awww, I hope the economy gets better soon but I also hope that would not stop me from my "shopping no more" mindset.

I know most men would not understand this but it seems like women and shopping are inseparable... and this is equivalent to men and basketball or men and game consoles but there is always an exception. With my goals all set, I can definitely achieve this. They say it only takes 21 days to form a habit and I'm way past that and not shopping becomes one of my habits now.