money problems Archives - Life in Manila

UPDATE as of January 2015: I’m back to having just one credit card now. You might want to know how I became credit card debt-free. 🙂

I used to own only one credit card. Then it became two. Currently, I own three credit cards from different banks. So far, and thank God, I’m managing all three well. But it’s not a walk in the park, you know. Like many people, there are times when I get to overspend and end up getting charged with interests and late payment fees.

Having credit cards can be stressful, too. That’s why managing your credit cards well is a must. I’m not an expert at credit card debt management but here are some things I do to make sure my credit card debts don’t balloon to alarming levels:

Continue reading “Managing Credit Cards”

We’re right on the third quarter of the year and I just realized I have yet to meet half of my savings goal. Whatever happened to me? Where did my money go? Asking myself these questions has pointed me to some big purchases and financial transactions I made in the past months. Eventually it became clear to me. Aside from the new Longchamp bag, I spent most of my money paying for the tuition fees of my siblings, our home improvement projects, birthday celebrations of family members, and preparations for our upcoming trip abroad.

If there’s one thing I didn’t spend so much on, it would be healthcare. I’m thankful that my family, especially my parents, have not acquired any serious illnesses in the past months. I hope they continue to be in good health in the years to come. We all know how healthcare can cost a lot of money and in the case of serious health problems, can deplete the family’s savings and would even make you wish you had SSDI to depend on. I don’t think I’m financially prepared for that yet.

Continue reading “Saving for the Rainy Season”