Do You Have a Budget for Dining Out?

One random day, I bumped into an old friend at the mall and we got to chat for a few minutes. She mentioned how she gets updated on my married life thru Facebook. She also made a remark on how the hubby and I get to dine out twice, and sometimes even thrice a week. It sounded like she was amazed with our love for food, and at the same time, how easy we get to finance those food trips. I replied to her with a smile, “Paminsan minsan lang yun, pag may extra money.” That conversation made me think about our budget for dining out. Do I even have a separate budget for that purpose in the first place?

dining out
Image Source: http://money.cnn.com

To be honest, we love to try out new restaurants but we don’t set aside money for it. A dining out fund? No, nada, zilch. The money we spend for eating out comes from our weekly budget. (The hubby and I both receive our salary on a weekly basis so a weekly budget is a must for us.) It covers our daily needs: food, toiletries and other miscellaneous expenses. So if sometimes, we don’t have extra bath soap or toothpaste in our Bacoor home or we’re eating canned goods on a weekend, that’s because we’ve already spent our money on a nice dinner at some inexpensive restaurant. Funny, but true. Haha.

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Weekend Story: MOA Date and Homebody Activities

Last weekend, the hubby and I spent Saturday night at Mall of Asia (MOA) for some couple time. We already had dinner at my in-laws’ place (we couldn’t resist my MIL’s chicken and pork adobo!) so we just had late night snacks there: DQ ice cream in our fave flavors, Jamaican patties, and cheesy corn kernels in a cup. Yummy!

Untitled
our MOA view last Saturday night

When Sunday came, we practically stayed home. We went out for the usual trip to the wet market, but that was all. While I’m more of a homebody than the hubby, he also enjoys the warmth, joy and pleasures of being at home on occasions like this.

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Road to Financial Freedom: A Constant Practice in Patience

When I’m committed to doing something, I can get very impatient. In my quest for financial freedom, for instance, I can’t wait to achieve my financial goals. I think I’ve had an overdose of personal finance articles and blogs online because I suddenly had this urge to open new investment accounts right away. But of course, it’s impossible for me to do so due to insufficient funds at present.

waiting_game
I’ve never been good at this! (Image Source: http://avidinvestorgroup.com)

Talking to self: Slow down, Edel! Breathe. Inhale, exhale. You can’t do everything at the same time. You have to wait for your money to arrive, unless you can make money appear by magic. Remember, patience is key here. And a lot of thinking and re-thinking. You don’t just invest your money in one instrument just because you learned from somebody it’s a good investment. You have to do your own research, decide based on your needs and future plans, prepare your money and invest at the right time.

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Weekend Story: Surprise Visit, Food Trip, and Lotsa Talking

Last weekend was terrific and extra fun. My mom and my cousin Ate Hazel joined the hubby and me for the weekend at our Bacoor home. We did a lot of eating and talking. We also paid a surprise visit to an uncle whom we hadn’t seen for a long time.

I think the hubby and I are having a great time welcoming guests to our humble abode. Financially speaking, it translates to additional expenses, but the happy memories we create with these wonderful people are definitely worth it. Not only do we get to strengthen our ties with our family and friends, but we also learn and experience new things with them that make us appreciate our married life better. It’s actually a win-win situation for us.

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Shopping Fast: August Report

Note: I started my self-imposed shopping ban on January 1, 2014. I made it official online through this post, and called it a “shopping fast.” I also shared there the reasons why I took the challenge and laid down some rules to guide me while on it.

Shopping Fast: January Report
Shopping Fast: February Report
Shopping Fast: March Report
Shopping Fast: April Report
Shopping Fast: May Report
Shopping Fast: June Report
Shopping Fast: July Report

Hello, September! I can’t believe I’m just three months away from finishing this no-shopping challenge! 🙂

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