Lessons from the Bees at Work

We were fortunate to see some few hundred gigantic sunflowers in the University of the Philippines – Diliman Campus. They were so enormous that the circumference of palm, including my fingers can fit into the core of the flower.

What caught my eyes were the bees buzzing from flower to flower doing their chores to balance nature.

Pollination is 80% done by bees while the other 20% is done by butterflies and other insects.

Looking at the bees, I was able to learn three things from them.

1. Bees get out of their comfort zone.

Their hive can be a few hundred kilometres away from the sun flowers. Despite the distance they go to the campus to get some nectar for their queen. They didn’t mind travelling that far. They didn’t mind the pollution. Once they get there, they work as hard as they could.

2. Bees work until the job is done.

Bees can be called one of the hard-working insects. They gather nectar or pollen depending on the demand. They go from flower to flower until they are full and ready to go home.

3. They don’t mind distractions.

Bees have extreme focus. I, myself, am a distraction when I took pictures of them. They didn’t mind me. They went on. If they got irritated by my perseverance they move on to the next flower away from me. They didn’t lose focus. They knew what they have to do and did exactly as what the job requires.

~Till then

Money and Happiness

Financial literacy is important to all and I think should be taught in school, not just in the house.

One of the questions I always encounter when teaching about personal finance is, “Are you still enjoying your life?”

Many would agree that their view on saving money is equivalent to giving up nicest things in their lives. It means they will live with lower budget, lower-end life style, no more clubbing or expensive vacations and the like.

I always tell them, “I enjoy the best things in life and at the same time not sacrificing my future.”

Enjoying doesn't mean you have the latest fashion statements in your wardrobe, the latest gadget from Apple, going to the latest club nor having an expensive vacation in a secluded island.

Enjoying life for me means I get the best of nature with a fraction of the cost – that’s why we have a mountaineering club in the office. It means communicating with my family and friends all over the world and cherishing every moment with them – that’s why we have cell phones and social networking sites. It means laughing out loud when the situation permits. It means crying my heart out at times when I am upset. It means meeting my goals physically, emotionally, financially and most important of all spiritually. These kinds of enjoyment don’t require a lot of money. They don’t rob me like a bandit.

Yes, money is important. But if you put a price tag in your happiness then something is wrong with your mindset. The happiest people in the world don’t have the “best” things. They simply enjoy the things they have and make the most out of them. Simplicity is the key.

~Till then

Membership Rewards

I have recently claimed my Globe reward points and converted it to SM Advantage Card (SMAC) points. My Globe reward points reached 652 points - more than enough to convert it to 500 SMAC points.

Well 500 points is not easy to accumulate. For members to have a point, 200Php must be spent at their establishments and partners. I only earn an average of 5 points a month since we are keeping our grocery expenses low. We don’t buy a lot of things and most of the time we go to the market (palengke) first before going to the mall lowering our overall cost. Another reward I get is if I use my eco-friendly bag, I can get additional two points. Sweet huh? J

My 500 SMAC points is equivalent to 500Php and can buy me goods worth the same amount. I am saving it for Christmas so that we can have a good meal for the festive season.

~Till then.

5 Simple Ways to Put Yourself in a Deep Financial Mess

There are practically 5 so sickening simple ways to put oneself into a deep financial mess. Follow these and you’ll find yourself in trouble in no time.

1. Spending more than you earn

People fall into a deep financial trouble when they start to spend more that what is earned. This is what I call the credit card dilemma. Credit card companies want to entice you by saying “You can borrow money from us and pay as little as this amount every month.” People who don’t compute fall on the bait and start spending on credit.

The solution:

Unless you pay your credit card bill in full every month no interest will be charged. Practice living below your means.

2. Not planning ahead

When a person says “God will provide” he is actually strengthening his faith that God is the source of everything. But he should also realize that God will not provide unless he works for it.

A plan is laid before a goal is achieved. No man ever achieved anything without it. The simple task of going to a place has a plan. For example you want to go to Makati City from Quezon City. You envision yourself riding on a jeepney going to the MRT Station then from MRT Station you will ride the train going to Ayala Station. From there you can walk around Makati City. Another option is to ride a bus going to Makati City. Depending on your goal (time of arrival), you will arrive at your destination because you plan how to get there.

Same is true in your finances. No plan simply means that your goal is not a goal. It is just a dream.

The Solution:

If you don’t know how to plan financial goals, sit with your friend who knows. It only takes a little bit of courage to say the words, “Can you help me?” Analyze the goal and plan the path. Don’t worry it will not require algebra or trigonometry. Simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division will do.

3. Buying wants over needs

Do you really need 20 bath towels stocked in your cabinet?

Do you really need 20 rolls of tissue paper seated in your stock room?

Do you really need 10 rags lying on the floor every single day?

Do you really need 2 cars even if you use only 1 car going to work?

Do you really need a large house even if there’s just the two of you inside?

Do you really need 10 boxes of cereal stocked and rotting in your pantry?

Do you really need to shop for 5 pants and 5 blouses/shirts every month?

Do you really need to buy a pair of shoes every pay day?

Do you really need that expensive coffee fix everyday?

Do you? Really now!

Think!

The Solution:

A want is something you can live without while a need is something you cannot live without. Differentiate the two and you’ll go far.

4. Not having proper insurance/Canceling an insurance policy without replacement

Seldom do people think about the importance of having an insurance. To know more about the benefits of having an insurance please click here.

The Solution:

Get yourself insured especially when you are the provider of the family. The rule of thumb is multiplying your annual income by 10 and you’ll get how much insurance coverage you need. I always recommend term insurance.

If you have an existing policy, analyze it first before deciding to get rid of it. Moreover, talk to your agent and ask further questions. I’m sure he will be willing to help you. If you are not satisfied, research and do the math.

5. Not having time for financial education

Financial education is more important than the basketball game, more important than the drama series, more important than idling on Facebook or Twitter. But people are so fond of doing the opposite because they are not aware with what they are losing every time they postpone learning about their finances.

The solution:

Make it a habit to listen to business news instead of celebrity news. Celebrities will just make you feel inferior because they display high social status which makes you want to spend more to “be like them.” Read at least one financial literacy book every month. Apply the concepts learned. Attend financial workshops. There are so many free financial seminars and workshops in the Philippines. Not attending one can actually loose you millions after a few years. Talk to people who are financially literate. If you want to be like them mingle with them. Ask for guidance. Believe it when the Bible says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)

~Till then.

Lessons I Learned from Employment and Networking Sites

Social networking sites are at the top of their careers, no questions asked. I bet 1 out of 10 Filipinos has an account in Facebook alone which has more than 640 Million registered users world wide. (March 2011)

Networking sites such as Twitter, Plurk, Tumblr, Flickr and Friendster has also gained their fair share of popularity in the social networking community.

It has become a standard that employers take a look at your social networking sites for background checking. I was told by my friend, that during her interview with one of her prospective employers, one of the panel Googled her name and found her Facebook site. Lucky for her because she has always been a fan of making her personal things as private as possible. All they saw was her profile picture and not so much information relevant to the employment process.

I wrote down here some things all of us must make to make us more worthy of the positions we are applying for or will be applying for in the future. And of course to make us more pleasing to the eyes of our current employer.

1. Never post a profile picture (or any picture) that suggests obscenity.

You don’t want your employee and your co-workers to see you as a high class whore, do you? Be as professional as possible and have a quality check before hitting the upload button.

2. Never say bad words about your current employer.

This includes: “I’m sick and tired of my job. I want to resign.”

“My employer doesn’t pay me well.”

“I have a low salary. I must work 4 hours to compensate.”

These are bad attitudes and should be avoided.

3. Never say something bad about the other person.

Bad personality is often reflected in social networking sites. Some people tend to think that they have all the rights to post anything on his wall. Be cautious because the world sees and hears you. You don’t want to end up in jail just because of your wall post, do you?

4. Always say what you mean and mean what you say.

Some people crumble when confronted. If you don’t like this to happen to you, always say what you mean and be tactful.

5. Maintain a positive attitude.

Employers don’t want to hire people with negative attitude. They know that if they hire them, they have the risk of contaminating their company with social viruses. Always maintain a positive attitude in every post. Anyway, positivity attracts positivity.

Now, if you don’t want these suggestions, go to the privacy settings of your social networking site and hit the “for friends only” choice. Or better yet make yourself unsearchable.

~Till then.