Hi everyone ^^
Today it's a special post made related to money and how to manage it. Euuhhh!!! Oh I heard you, I am like most women out there who loves to splurge and enjoy life to the fullest, I meant come on!!! The beauty product is calling and every season there are new, adorable and super duper cute products that has my name on them. And don't forget about fashion and the accessories too. Any fashionista and socialites alike want to be a trend setter, right?!
So we love the tag: work hard, play hard!
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So we all work hard. I know I do, I work around 12 hours per day and that doesn't include side jobs and anything I can do to make money. Even if it means staying up all night long behind my laptop. It can be demanding, depriving my health and difficult at times, but I'm the kind of person that love to maintain my lifestyle and to support that, I'm working myself out.
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And now, as I get older and hopefully wiser, I began to think it through, does those very expensive hair care from Germany really worth every penny? Do I need another set of perfumes when the whole dresser still full of dozens of fragrances? Is it really necessary to have the "it' bag at this moment? Why am I starting to think? I'm starting a family. I got a husband and a kid. My husband doesn't need me to provide his with financial aids, but he is an eye opener alright. He start talking about buying a house so we wont have to stay at our parent's anymore. Or insurance, savings, child education, pension, and arghhh there's really so many things I have to think about instead just wasting money.
I don't know where to begin. At first, I was really taken back with everything, my husband is like my reality check. I need to get my life in the right track and no more consumptive lifestyle. I start listening to financial advices I saw on TV during a very famous talkshow and morning time when I'm in my car with the radio. Now, there's a website called www.liveolive.com that gives simple and practical tips for everyday use.
The best thing about Live Olive is that they understood women really well, we want life to the fullest and they help us doing so responsibly. So it's about careful planning and having the time of our lives without risking it. As read on the website, they help us in having vacation, celebrate milestones in our life, help us calculate personal to household finance and investing as well.
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(did you noticed my green eyes?)
Now, how do I manage my money?
I start by doing the simplest thing in life, by stop wasting. I re-used the papers at home, plastic bags, and clothing too, I did turn off all the electricity, gas and water when not in used. Anything that operate with electricity even if it's turn off needs to be unplugged from the socket, the difference can be around 30% off the bill.
For clothing, accessories including shoes, mix and match is the key to stay updated ^^. For food, I cook more at home and packed lunch even when I'm going out. If I'm not cooking I always start ordering food less than before, since most restaurant nowadays do gives bigger portion enough for 2 persons. Bring drinking water from home also help spending less, plain h2o is not just healthier but way cheaper. Does this means it's about cheaper things? No, it's about quality. A good quality product is not always expensive.
After stop wasting, I try to spend less, I make a budget each month and refrain myself anywhere near a place with the word 'sale'. I am a sale-addict. It's not that I'm avoiding sale but sometime I do find them to be misdirect. The exact same product may cost 3x in this department store compared to the one on the marketplace. So I did do my homework by researching, it did cost me more time but as time flies my eagerness to buy things also reduced. This is really helpful to fight my compulsive behavior on buying things. I ask myself, do I really need it? When will I use it? Will I still need it for the next 6-12 months? What can I do if I don't need it anymore? Is it a good investment? Is it more important than (I try to compare it with another needs at the moment)? Etc. And usually by the time I was answering myself, the impulse just stop and I did walk away for the scene of crime.
Is it really that easy? Nope! It took me a lot of practicing. And the one that really work, is by setting a side the money for saving in advance. If I don't have the money, what can I spend ^^?! It really works for me.
How about credit cards? That can be a source of problem and solution at once. The key is our own determination on how to use it. I use my credit card for buying things online related to traveling, since I do know most traveling need time in planning and a lot of deals usually involved months of purchasing prior to departure. So the same ticket may cause 5x their prices if bought too close to the D date. Budget airlines is one example alright, just be careful on the add-ons. The baggage can be really tricky, purchase accordingly as you can save around 30%. However budget airlines are not always cheaper, like for all deals, do the market research first, a commercial plane may seems pricey at first, but when we added the baggage, meals, and another comfort things, it might be the same or even cheaper.
I also like to hide my moneys in the wallet too. It's like an accidental habit since I was a kid. If I don't see it then I don't have it. When I see the money on my wallet, I tend to spend it. Same goes with credit card, two is max, that's my number. And I always decline a loan, extra credit, and anything that means more tax, more t&c, more fees, and more problems. I know there are many credit card that offer Rp.0,- fee but I do read the t&c as sometime it's just the first year and the following is quite high. I tend to use credit card that gives me more benefits like points that can be used to pay annual fee. I do avoid credit card that gives discounts at restaurants or deals, since I will spend more to fulfill that discount that I ended up spending more.
Seeing my self save more, I become happier and feels like my life is fuller with a more meaningful things. I don't have the latest gadget but I know I can give my kid an education until university, I may not carry the 'it' bag but our apartment is fully paid, I can't travel as much as I want it to but next year we'll start paying the installment with our landed house as the DP is paid 30% by last quarter of this year. I have insurance and investments too. It's all began with a simple budget arrangement, plannings, researching, and knowing my self better. I try to fulfill myself not with things anymore but with real meaningful relationship with my family and friends.
There are more things which are so simple yet save money so I can manage it for another purpose:
-Instead of going to the movies, we watch TV at home, make our own popcorn
Now, how do I manage my money?
I start by doing the simplest thing in life, by stop wasting. I re-used the papers at home, plastic bags, and clothing too, I did turn off all the electricity, gas and water when not in used. Anything that operate with electricity even if it's turn off needs to be unplugged from the socket, the difference can be around 30% off the bill.
For clothing, accessories including shoes, mix and match is the key to stay updated ^^. For food, I cook more at home and packed lunch even when I'm going out. If I'm not cooking I always start ordering food less than before, since most restaurant nowadays do gives bigger portion enough for 2 persons. Bring drinking water from home also help spending less, plain h2o is not just healthier but way cheaper. Does this means it's about cheaper things? No, it's about quality. A good quality product is not always expensive.
After stop wasting, I try to spend less, I make a budget each month and refrain myself anywhere near a place with the word 'sale'. I am a sale-addict. It's not that I'm avoiding sale but sometime I do find them to be misdirect. The exact same product may cost 3x in this department store compared to the one on the marketplace. So I did do my homework by researching, it did cost me more time but as time flies my eagerness to buy things also reduced. This is really helpful to fight my compulsive behavior on buying things. I ask myself, do I really need it? When will I use it? Will I still need it for the next 6-12 months? What can I do if I don't need it anymore? Is it a good investment? Is it more important than (I try to compare it with another needs at the moment)? Etc. And usually by the time I was answering myself, the impulse just stop and I did walk away for the scene of crime.
Is it really that easy? Nope! It took me a lot of practicing. And the one that really work, is by setting a side the money for saving in advance. If I don't have the money, what can I spend ^^?! It really works for me.
How about credit cards? That can be a source of problem and solution at once. The key is our own determination on how to use it. I use my credit card for buying things online related to traveling, since I do know most traveling need time in planning and a lot of deals usually involved months of purchasing prior to departure. So the same ticket may cause 5x their prices if bought too close to the D date. Budget airlines is one example alright, just be careful on the add-ons. The baggage can be really tricky, purchase accordingly as you can save around 30%. However budget airlines are not always cheaper, like for all deals, do the market research first, a commercial plane may seems pricey at first, but when we added the baggage, meals, and another comfort things, it might be the same or even cheaper.
I also like to hide my moneys in the wallet too. It's like an accidental habit since I was a kid. If I don't see it then I don't have it. When I see the money on my wallet, I tend to spend it. Same goes with credit card, two is max, that's my number. And I always decline a loan, extra credit, and anything that means more tax, more t&c, more fees, and more problems. I know there are many credit card that offer Rp.0,- fee but I do read the t&c as sometime it's just the first year and the following is quite high. I tend to use credit card that gives me more benefits like points that can be used to pay annual fee. I do avoid credit card that gives discounts at restaurants or deals, since I will spend more to fulfill that discount that I ended up spending more.
Seeing my self save more, I become happier and feels like my life is fuller with a more meaningful things. I don't have the latest gadget but I know I can give my kid an education until university, I may not carry the 'it' bag but our apartment is fully paid, I can't travel as much as I want it to but next year we'll start paying the installment with our landed house as the DP is paid 30% by last quarter of this year. I have insurance and investments too. It's all began with a simple budget arrangement, plannings, researching, and knowing my self better. I try to fulfill myself not with things anymore but with real meaningful relationship with my family and friends.
There are more things which are so simple yet save money so I can manage it for another purpose:
-Instead of going to the movies, we watch TV at home, make our own popcorn
-Sell things I don't need than just be a hoarder.
-buy things online may be cheaper, but careful it might be fake (cosmetics, bags, etc), not really the same items shown (clothing), or worst it's a scam, so careful and only buy for a trusted website.
-investing is not gambling when doing it right. Research well and it is okay to think twice or even to the hundreds of times. Never rush to spend money.
-try to do things by yourself if it's possible, like hiring a helper, nanny, etc does cost money.
-when going out, try to do more things at once, it save transportation fee and time as well
-buy things online may be cheaper, but careful it might be fake (cosmetics, bags, etc), not really the same items shown (clothing), or worst it's a scam, so careful and only buy for a trusted website.
-investing is not gambling when doing it right. Research well and it is okay to think twice or even to the hundreds of times. Never rush to spend money.
-try to do things by yourself if it's possible, like hiring a helper, nanny, etc does cost money.
-when going out, try to do more things at once, it save transportation fee and time as well
-stay healthy by eating right, exercise and a healthy lifestyle, I know for sure a healthy life style when doing it right cost less than hospital bills. It does include no smoking, no drinking liquors, and staying home more than hanging out heehee
- and many more.
There it goes, they are may not be a big things but I try to do things little by little and not to overwhelmed myself. The beautiful thing about managing money is that it can be as personalized as possible and it's about knowing my self well. I still do traveling and having the best skincare or beauty products I can get. So I spend on things that matter the most to me and cut off on the things that I don't really feel the needs or not my passion. So I still pretty much enjoying my life but how do I say this, I'm enjoying my life with a more focused and refined way possible, so I can extend the blessings I have until I'm old and for my children's children too.
Thank you for reading this and ...
Don't for get to ”Like” Facebook Fan page https://www.facebook.com/MyLiveOlive | “Follow” twitter : https://twitter.com/MyLiveOlive | “Follow” Google+ Page : https://plus.google.com/b/109724956281090737591 | and “Subscribe” to channel YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/user/MyLiveOlive
- and many more.
There it goes, they are may not be a big things but I try to do things little by little and not to overwhelmed myself. The beautiful thing about managing money is that it can be as personalized as possible and it's about knowing my self well. I still do traveling and having the best skincare or beauty products I can get. So I spend on things that matter the most to me and cut off on the things that I don't really feel the needs or not my passion. So I still pretty much enjoying my life but how do I say this, I'm enjoying my life with a more focused and refined way possible, so I can extend the blessings I have until I'm old and for my children's children too.
Thank you for reading this and ...
Don't for get to ”Like” Facebook Fan page https://www.facebook.com/MyLiveOlive | “Follow” twitter : https://twitter.com/MyLiveOlive | “Follow” Google+ Page : https://plus.google.com/b/109724956281090737591 | and “Subscribe” to channel YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/user/MyLiveOlive
Thank you for this post, I think I really need it LOL
ReplyDeleteHeehee, glad I can help ^^
ReplyDeletehuaaa emak2 bangetttss *tunjuk diri sendiri juga*... ternyata ada teman hihihi.. agree with all your statements :)
ReplyDeleteHahahaha ^0^
ReplyDeleteSayang deh mulai manage keuangannya pas udah berkeluarga, harusnya mulai dr dulu ya, biar not a thing waste.
hihihihi lucu banget c foto yg pertamanya
ReplyDeletesemoga dari sekarang bisa belajar manage keuangan, <3 this post ^^
Thank you Lyne ^^
ReplyDeleteIya semoga membantu :)