After months of searching online looking for the best travel deals, we have finally found a place to call home for our 7-day trip to Bohol.
Dao Diamond Hotel is a quaint hotel in Tagbilaran city. We decided to stay in a hotel in the middle of the city compared to a resort accommodation near the beach for these reasons:
Dao Diamond Hotel and Restaurant
1. Cheaper Bohol accommodation. We can save as much as 30% on accommodations if we stay in a hotel in the city. They even gave us a 10% discount because we’ll be staying there for a week. Yey!
2. Closer to convenience. Dao Diamond offers a free ride to the nearest mall. We have a 1 year old with us and we feel better knowing we can rush to the mall whenever he needs something (or when we miss the city. haha!) Staying in Panglao beaches will not provide you with these luxuries.
3. Free airport transfers. Panglao beach resorts can charge you up to P1000 for airport transfers alone. Since Dao Diamond Hotel is near the airport, they can afford to pick you up for free.
4. Hot shower and no salty water from the faucet! I heard some Panglao beaches have salty water coming out from their faucets. Uh-oh, I’m definitely not prepared to deal with that for a whole week.
5. 100% of their profit will benefit the deaf. This was a surprise for us. Dao Diamond is owned and operated by International Deaf Education Organization. Most of their employees are deaf/mute people. Maybe Z and I can learn a few words in sign language before going. It makes us happy that we can help them somehow by patronizing their hotel.
Aside from these five reasons, there are also other important things like back up generator (very important just in case!) and free use of swimming pool. Their rate includes free breakfast which we can have delivered to our room. I really am looking forward to eating in their lovely room while being seated on window seat cushions. Who wants to wake up early and get dressed just to go out for breakfast anyway?
We will be visiting the famous beaches during the day. We plan to see the famous Bohol Beach Club and Panglao Island Nature Resort. I’m hoping we can rent a car instead of going on a tour. It will be more convenient in the long run because we have a baby who won’t follow any schedule!
Unfortunately hubby’s hesitant to drive in unfamiliar roads. I assured him it’ll surely be easier compared to the roads in Metro Manila. Anyway, we will decide on this after we get to go around the city on our first day.
What do you think? Do you think it’ll be easy for us to find the tourist spots in Bohol all by ourselves?
Warning: This post contains 1900+ words. So before you continue I advise you take a break, grab a coffee, sit down, and come learn with me to save, invest, and be TrulyRich.
When I was a little girl one of my favorite stories was The Hare and the Turtle. I’m sure you are already familiar with it but let me tell you the gist of it again. The hare and the turtle decided to go on a race one day. They want to find out who would finish first. The hare was confident he would win. Unfortunately, he lost his focus in the middle of the race and fell asleep. Meanwhile, the turtle was inching slowly but surely and in the end made it to the finish line first.
The Hare and the Turtle and What They can Teach You about Saving
This story is so innocent and so simple and yet I didn’t realize how powerful its message is until just a few days ago.
You see, I am an impatient person. I am just like the hare. I want everything fast. When it comes to saving I also adopt this approach. I want to save a huge chunk of our money every month so that we can save more and reach our goal sooner. But just like the hare in the story, I lose focus easily. After a month or two I find some “emergency” expenses and – there goes our savings. They say, Easy Come, Easy Go. So true.
So after being disappointed seeing our savings wiped out every now and then I would not be too keen on saving money again. I would neglect our budget and our finances. I would lose the desire to save. This cycle goes on and on. I’m sure a lot of you are familiar with this.
How many of you have been working for five years now, or maybe ten, or maybe twenty years? How many of you have saved money and have something to show for all the years that you have been working? If the statistics are correct then I know that not many people are saving money month after month. Just like me, you might be acting like the hare and didn’t even know it. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. More importantly, now that you know about it you can do something to change that bad habit.
This Year I Will Be More Like the Turtle
Or more specifically, I will start saving like a turtle. I have actually started saving slowly a few months before 2011 ended. Little by little a portion of our income goes to savings. And since our savings is automatically transferred to a separate account every payday we don’t feel that we’re missing anything. Sometime ago, I checked our account and I can’t believe I have already saved that amount.
You know why it makes more sense to save little by little every month than setting aside a big chunk of your money all at once but not on a month to month basis? Here I’ll tell you a true story.
Two years ago, I would save a huge chunk of my online income. I would deprive myself just so I can save. Before long I already have a nice sum of money (that’s according to my standard.LOL!) in my bank account. Then something happened. Months of depriving myself has taken its toll. When an opportunity presented itself to buy something “important” I didn’t give a second thought and spent all my money. Do you recognize the hare in me back then?
Now, as I’ve been telling you I have reformed my ways and saved a more realistic amount little by little each month for a few months now. I am now emulating the turtle’s way. So slowly but surely our savings is growing. Unfortunately, there are temptations in life. My husband and I have been thinking of buying something that we label as “must have.” Anyway, we can easily buy it if we use our savings. But you know what. We’re saying no this time. And surprisingly, it’s so much easier to say NO to indulgence when it took you a long time to save it. If we use all of our savings now we think about how long we’ll be able to save that amount again. It would take months! We would be back to square one. If we think about it that way the desire to spend becomes less and it’s easier to say no. We have a goal to reach and we’re doing it slowly but surely. Just like Mr. Turtle.
Where should you put your money this 2012?
I really want to make 2012 different. So aside from saving regularly for emergency expenses I also want to invest another portion of our money in the stock market. Why the stock market? Two reasons. First, because banks will only give you 1% interest (and most of the time even less!) and if you keep your money there it will be eaten up by inflation. Second, investing your money in stocks can give you greater return in the long run.
But I Know Nothing about the Stock Market…
Okay, let me put something straight first. I know nothing about the stock market. I didn’t take any finance subjects in college.
Five years ago, it would be impossible for a stay-at-home mom like me to invest in the stock market. The situation is now different. Technology has made our lives easier including investing in stocks. Now, you can buy stocks online through a website called Citiseconline. Citiseconline.com empowers ordinary people like you and me to invest in stocks. You can open up an account with by going through their office and depositing an initial amount as low as P5000. You can buy stocks through their website and do it online at the comfort of your home.
Even though Citiseconline makes it easier for you and me to buy stocks I am still a little wary. I want to take advantage of the greater returns in the stock market but I don’t want to lose money. A word of caution. You can easily lose money in stocks if you don’t know what you’re doing.
So thank God I stumbled upon Bo Sanchez.
Who is Bo Sanchez?
Bo Sanchez is the author of the best-selling book, My Maid Invests in the Stock Market. In his book he told the inspiring story of how he taught his driver and his maids to save a portion of their salary and invest it in the stock market. Now you know that the salary of helpers are not that big. Bo’s maids earn P7,000 because he is a generous boss. Out of the P7,000 they set aside P2,000 every month to put in stocks. I don’t know how long they’ve been investing in stocks but the last time I heard their money has grown to P120,000! Wow, their 2k every month has really come a long way don’t you think?
I Want to Invest in the Stock Market too!
I also want to invest in the stock market just like Bo’s maids. Thankfully, I don’t have to apply as one of Bo’s maid to learn how to invest! Because Bo is generous and would like to help more Filipinos manage their income he created a club called TrulyRichClub. At the TrulyRichClub, he will teach you specifically where to put your money in the stock market. Amazing isn’t it?
Now since Bo will be dispensing some truly important and life changing advice in this exclusive club, membership is not free. In only costs P997 pesos every month to become a SuperGold member or P497 to be a Gold member.
Here are the gems you will get once you become a SuperGoldmember:
- Receive My Stocks Update. –FREE
- Receive 2 PowerTalks every month (instant access via MP3)
- Receive Bo’s Success Mentors Collection every 3 months–FREE
- Receive 4 WealthStrategies newsletters every month–FREE
- Receive Daily GodWhispers Email–FREE
- Receive How To Be Truly Rich Seminar–FREE
- Receive How To Conquer Your Goliath Ebook–FREE
- Receive How To Turn Thoughts Into Things Ebook–FREE
- Earn Passive Income by being Bo’s Affiliate in the TrulyRichClub
- Earn Passive Income with Bo’s other Internet Work
- Receive My Very Practical Ebook, My Maid Invests In The Stock Market…And Why You Should Too.–FREE
- PLUS the following bonuses
BONUS #1:
Bo’s How To Be Truly Rich Seminar In DVD Version!
BONUS #2:
Bo’s Success Mentor Collection in a DVD Too!
My Experience as a TrulyRichClub Member
I have been a member of Bo’s Club for a month and I tell you I really look forward to his emails. I have read his two books, How To Conquer Your Goliath and My Maid Invests In The Stock Market…And Why You Should Too. My husband and I listened to his How To Be Truly Rich Seminar together. It was the first time we heard him give a talk. We found out he gives 40% of his income to the poor and plans to give more in the future. He is happily married to his wife who thinks he is the best husband. We heard how he increased his income over the years in order to help more and more people. We learned he built a house for the poor called Anawim. He is earning significantly more now but he is still living a simple life just because he decided to. I tell you, he is the walking example of a man who is Truly Rich!
Among the things that he gives his members regularly, there is one email that I look forward the most – the StocksUpdate email. He only sends the StocksUpdate once every two weeks and as of now I have read two. The StocksUpdate he sends you is easy to understand. He will tell you what specific stocks to buy. He will tell when to buy and when to sell your stocks. In short, he will help you invest in the stock market and not get burned in the process. Now, where does he get this information? Bo himself said he has mentors of his own who gives him advice. These people have made millions themselves in the stock market.
I don’t know about you but I think this kind of information is worth way more than P997!
How much do you think it costs to hire a financial consultant? P4,000?
Now, how much do you think it costs to hire a millionaire to guide you and teach you where to invest your money? On second thought, do you think they’ll even give you the time of the day to teach their secrets? Of course, not!
That’s why I think Bo’s TrulyRichClub is being generous by opening its membership for only P997 a month.
If you think you can’t afford it then think about the shoes you bought or the new phone you got. If you were able to spend money for things that depreciate in value then why can’t you spend some too for your financial literacy, to help you make more money in the future? When I think about the money I mismanaged last year it gives me more resolve to do it right this year.
So my plans this year is to continue being TrulyRich Club member, open an account at Citiseconline, and buy the stocks recommended by Bo.
I’m happy Bo is there to teach me, hold my hand, and cheer me on throughout the whole year. If only I learned about TrulyRichClub last year then I think would have done better financially.
If you too want to start investing in the stock market, grow your money and become Truly Rich then click here to join the TrulyRichClub.
They say some people spend more time planning for their vacation than for their life and I agree. We’ll be having a vacation this January and I have been planning for it since last year! I have emailed countless resorts for their rates, inquired at GotBriefcases.com leather briefcases for their luggage bags, and booked our plane tickets months in advanced. In the meantime, I have only thought of doing our family plan in the last few days!
So yesterday, husband and I had a meeting to plan our family goals for 2012. We have been married for eight years but as I’ve said this is the first time we’ve done this. I don’t know how we survived the past years without having one but I’m glad we have finally taken this first step.
I want to let you take a peek at our goals. It’s nothing really out of this world. I’m sure we might have been thinking of the same goals. But by actually making the time to write it down and plan together as a husband and wife, we hope that it will make a ton of difference and make our plans more concrete.
Our Family Goals for 2012
1. To have a God Centered Family.
2. To have a healthy and physically active family
3. To have three streams of income.
4. To reach our financial goals in budgeting, savings and investments.
5. To launch Sander’s EP Demo.
6. To help Z improve his concentration and confidence.
7. To help Zack improve in his development.
Planning our goals only took an hour. Aside from the 7 items we listed, we also broke it down into smaller steps that we can do every day or every week in order to accomplish those goals. Like for Goal #1, we will be having a daily Bible reading and story telling after dinner. We will also do a family exercise three times a week for Goal #2. My eldest and I will do something different this year and that includes going to museums and historical places twice a month for his homeschooling. That’s for Goal #6.
I am using Cozi’s Calendar and To Do list.What I like about Cozi is that it’s online so I can access it anytime using my laptop or the iPad. What I don’t like about it is apparently, they experience some down time (it lasts only a few minutes though). Anyway, it’s still highly recommended for me so if you’re planning to do this too head over to Cozi.com. I didn’t receive any compensation from Cozi but I like them so much I don’t mind telling people about them.
Take a look at what Cozi’s calendar looks like with our schedule. I can set it so that we will receive individual email reminders for each task. Just ignore the FlyLady logo on the lower right. I signed up through them that’s why my account has that logo.
2012
By admin | January 2, 2012
This morning was really weird. I promised I’ll wake up early everyday but the ringing of the alarm clock at 4:30 in the morning was brutal. So I ignored it. haha
But someone else woke up.
Kuya Z.
I was still in dreamland when I heard his voice. You know when you’re a mom once you hear the sound of your child’s voice calling you, it doesn’t matter how deep you are in your sleep, it doesn’t matter if you have just dozed off an hour ago. Once you hear that small voice calling you you will wake up. So I did. I forced my eyes to open to check on him.
He said, “Mom, I’m going to do my PACES (homeschooling workbooks) early so that I can finish it early.”
If I was in my normal state of mind I would have said, “But anak, it’s 4:30 AM! Go back to sleep.”
Kuya Z doing his Paces
Since I was still sleepy I said, “Sure!” just so I can go back to sleep.
When I opened my eyes at I thought it was all a dream. But when saw him still at his desk writing then I realized it was all real.
I immediately felt guilty. That alarm clock was supposed to be for me and not my 6 year old.
I wanted to start the new year right. So I declared we will go out for a walk. It was one of those things we really wanted to do but we never got around doing the whole year of 2011. I know it’s really a shame but we have been lazy. I don’t want that to happen again this year so I gathered my sleeping baby and woke up my sleeping husband.
Poor hubby. Today was pretty rare for him. It’s one of those few days he doesn’t have to work and can sleep in but here I was waking him up at 6:30. He protested saying something like it’s dangerous outside blah, blah, blah!
But he knew this walk was long overdue. So in a few minutes me, my hubby, our two kids, Bam, and our little dog were strolling outside. It was a small victory. Hurray!
Later this afternoon, my husband and I will have a meeting. We will start planning our whole year. We will write there our activities for each month and brainstorm on what we plan to accomplish this year.
If you want to know what I use to plan you can check out Cozi. Cozi is an online planner for the whole family. It has the Calendar, To Do, Shopping, Meals, and Journal sections all in one place.
For our Yearly Planning activity, I will put in our activities in the calendar. Every week, all our family members will receive an email on our schedule for the coming week. So cool!
It’s free to use so do check it out. It can make planning easier for the homemaker. 
Salt used to be such a precious commodity that it was unlikely one would consume 26 ounces in their entire lifetime outside of the natural occurring sodium in the foods they water. This lack of sodium led to deficiencies and disease. But today the reverse is the problem: those blessed to live in industrialized societies have more salt than they know what to do with. Too much salt in your diet is unquestionably unhealthy and can lead to increased chance of heart attack or stroke. Blame the advent of water softener all you want, but at the end of the day it all comes down to daily dietary decisions.
The following are five steps towards reducing the level of salt you and your family consumes on a daily basis:
Opt for low sodium alternatives: Low or no sodium versions of soups and packaged foods can significantly reduce your salt intake. “What about the bland taste?”, you might ask. Well, even if you add your own dash of salt to improve flavor, chances are it will be much less than what would otherwise have been packaged for you in the full flavor alternative.
Make requests: For the sake of flavor, most restaurant chefs don’t skimp on the salt. When eating out, take advantage of your freshly prepared meal by requesting that they go easy on the salt.
Give other seasonings a chance: Salt provides an unmatchable flavor sensation, but so does pepper, dill, lemon, and a whole host of other ways to add some allure to your food. Opt for these alternatives as much as possible, to either help reduce or completely eliminate salt from a particular dish.
Skip store bought in favor of from scratch: If you remain in control of how the food you eat is made, then you can always count on being in control of your salt intake. It may take an extra hour out of your night, but what’s that worth as opposed to the years of your life too much salt could take?
Rinse canned items: For preservation purposes, canned goods are almost always packed in water that’s saturated with salt. Reduce this unnecessary addition of sodium into your diet by thoroughly rinsing canned vegetables before heating them up.
I might even look into a nutrition degree online to learn more tips like this. Salt is not your enemy. Our desire for salt is what dooms us. In order to get the benefits of salt without getting the negatives, take the proper steps to lower your daily intake. With the right choices, food can still taste good while you and your loved ones get a whole lot healthier.
We’re saying goodbye to 2011 in a few days. I’m really excited for 2012. I have already written a draft of my New Year’s Resolution. Well, it’s not really a New Year’s Resolution but more of my life goals. I have been reading Bo Sanchez’s book and he has influenced me to do this. According to his book, some Harvard students were asked how many of them were writing down their goals. The researchers found out that only 3% of them did. Years later, they tracked them down again and surprisingly, the most successful of them all were the 3% who did write their goals.
I got inspired by that and that’s my strategy for this new year. I wrote my life goals in Evernote and every morning after I say my morning prayers I will read it and put it into heart for 365 days.
So do you want to take a peek at my Life Goals? It’s divided into four categories – Self Goals, Wife Goals, Mother Goals, and Career Goals.
For myself, I want to be fit and healthy. I want to eat in moderation and exercise. I hope I will be fit enough to carry RockyMountainTrail.com hiking backpacks in the future and maybe run a marathon in a the future. *wink
As a wife and mother I want to be the best I could be. I want to show them my love and devotion and help them achieve their full potential. They are my priority and I want them to feel that every single day.
As for my “career” goals, I want to maximize my full potential. I want to be able to keep working at home so I can take care of my family. Ultimately, I want money to work for me and not the other way around.
How about you? Have you written down you goals for 2012?
It’s four days before Christmas! Are you done with your Christmas shopping yet? We haven’t really gone out that much to avoid the horrendous Christmas traffic. But we did manage to buy some gifts which we put under our Christmas tree.
Kuya’s gift is the red one with a white ribbon. Daddy told him Santa came by early because he was such a good boy! I thought he would be tempted to open it before Christmas just like what happened the year before. But surprise, that didn’t happen. So come Christmas day he’ll be happy to know that Santa did give him what we wanted.
I haven’t bought anything for hubby yet. Do you think he would like a Stetson Hat? Anyway, I already have something useful in mind. I heard him complaining the other day that his _______ is already worn out. So that’s what I’m going to give him.
Now I wonder if he has bought me my iPhone 4s already. hahaha!
How about you? Do you have your gifts ready?
Don’t Turn a Blind Eye. Here’s How You Can Help Mindanao Flash Flood Victims.
By admin | December 19, 2011
I know we’re all busy preparing for Christmas but let’s not forget that ultimately, it’s all about giving, sharing, and helping others – especially those who need our help.
Floods came like a thief in the night
A few days ago, a flash flood took the people of Cagayan De Oro City, Iligan, and Dumaguete in the Philippines by surprise. It came like a thief in the night while most people were sound asleep. People who escaped were only able to save the clothes on their back. Some people lost their lives and won’t be able to celebrate Christmas like you and me. 
Some of our BC Blogger friends, Grace, and Karen were from those areas and I’m very happy to report that they are alive and well. Unfortunately, like most of the people from their area they lost their belongings to the flood. I hope we can all drop them some message of comfort in their blogs.
I did my research on how we can all help. I found out that the best way we can donate is through Philippine Red Cross. You can donate as little as P5 and as effortless as getting your cellphone and typing some letters. So if you can spare a few pesos please grab your phone right away and donate. Don’t do it later lest you forget. Act now!
For Globe subscribers:
via SMS, c/o Red Cross – text RED <amount> and send to 2899 – valid donation amounts are P5, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500 and 1000 (For ex, RED 10). Transaction is free.
via GCASH, text DONATE<space><amount><space><MP
For Smart subscribers:
via SMS, c/o Red Cross – text RED <amount> and send to 4143 – valid donation amounts are P10, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500, 1000 (For ex, RED 10).
I am also appealing to you to make a blog post about this tragedy and encourage people to donate. Let’s not turn a blind eye because we can all help in our own little way. Other people are not aware of the gravity of their situation. I understand because Christmas is coming and everyone is busy. But if we can just inform and reach out to as many people as possible maybe we can make a difference.
Some kids didn't make it for Christmas
As a wife and mother, you can expect to work overtime during the holiday season. That list of everyday tasks practically doubles when you have to start factoring in additional cooking and shopping, especially if you have a day job. There almost seems to not be enough hours in the day, and with all of the tasks spilling over our plates we are often left feeling pretty stressed at the end of the day.
However, the holidays are meant to be enjoyed, not to be a time of perpetual stress. To reduce feelings of anxiety or stress, every woman needs to take a few hours out each week to properly care for herself. A few great ways to do so include:
Don’t Be Afraid to Order In
During the holiday season, it’s likely that you will feel like you are baking or cooking or preparing food all of the time. On top of baking cookies and pies, and preparing holiday meal after holiday meal, you are often left preparing meals for the family too. Give yourself a break on occasion and don’t be afraid to perform a phone number lookup to find your family’s favorite restaurant. It will leave you with less work later, and will still afford you time to enjoy a meal with your family.
Night Out with the Ladies
With the the family members descending on your home, there is a good chance that you will need to burn off a little steam in between visits. There is a good chance that many of your girlfriends will feel the same way. Don’t be afraid to ask your husband to take the kids for the evening so that you can go have a fun night out with the girls
Get Yourself Some Pampering
In between cooking, entertaining, and fighting the hordes at the local big box store, we can begin to look a little haggard which only adds to our feelings of stress and anxiety during the holidays. Taking care of yourself is highly important, and there is no better way to give your self-esteem a boost and get a little pampering than by taking a trip to the salon.
There are numerous ways to relieve stress during the holidays, and the above are just a few examples. Others such as date nights with the husband and a nice relaxing massage are other great ways to reduce stress. Don’t let yourself become bogged down by everything at hand during the holiday season. Be sure to treat yourself right so that you too can have enjoyable memories of the holidays.
Christmas is less than two weeks away. I know people are rushing to complete their holiday gifts. With the amount of people going out to the mall I heard the traffic along the major highways are horrendous. So my advice is to complete your shopping in one go to avoid contributing to the traffic situation.
Or why not shop online to buy your gifts? Surprise your wife with a cute lingerie. It may sound unconventional in our conservative country but every woman would love some gorgeous lingerie ala Victoria’s Secret. And for sure you’ll love seeing her wear one too.
