Mababaw Talaga Tayong mga Pinoy!

Totoo namang mababaw tayong mga Pinoy. Likas kasi tayong masayahin. Maganda ba itong national trait? Definitely. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit tayo resilient sa lahat ng pagsubok na dumarating sa ating bansa.

Ang AlDub parang Pacquiao ang effect. Pag patak ng 1:30pm hinto lahat ng ginagawa. Walang trapik. Walang krimen. Kasi lahat magkaisang humahalakhak sa mga pakwela nila Lola Nidora, Tinidora, Tidora at kinikilig sa mga dubsmash conversations nila Yaya Dub at Alden. Unfortunately, di pa ako nahahawa pero ako'y naaaliw sa epekto ng AlDub phenomenon sa aking maybahay at mga anak. 

Kamot ulo ako pero masaya.  smile emoticon

Make Your Money Work for You

After forming the habit of saving, the next step is to make the money you saved WORK FOR YOU and generate another source of income called PASSIVE INCOME.  How do you do this?  Through INVESTMENT.

In 2013, the Study of Lifestyle Attitudes and Relationships Philippines conducted a survey to test the financial literacy of Filipinos and found that 50% of the respondents defined financial security as having enough money in the bank.  While is it important to have readily dispensable money in the bank to live on and act as an emergency fund, anything in excess of this should be invested.  

Banks offer security for your money.  It is a better option to just keep it in the house.  When Filipinos were still leaving in nipa huts, savings were kept inside one of the bamboo foundations to be used for a rainy day.  Unfortunately, it provided no security.  If the house burned down, the money goes with it---savings gone.  Banks can provide such security and in the event of a bank run, it is insured up to Php 500,000.  The thing is, banks does not provide much in terms of interest.  Easily accessible savings account normally has an interest rate of 0.25% per annum.  So say you put in Php 120,000 in the bank and let is stay there for 10 years it will earn around Php 3,000. Good?  Well, not really.  You see, there is such a think called INFLATION that actually messes this up.

Inflation is defined as the sustained increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.  Remember when the cost of pandesal was just Php 0.50?  Well, now it's Php 2.00.  That's the effect of inflation.  And it cuts across all products and services.  So, remember the money you saved for ten years and grew by Php 3,000?  Well, after 10 years and with an inflation rate of 4%, the buying power of your Php 123,000 will only amount to roughly around Php 89,000.  That's inflation.

Now what does inflation got to do with investing?  Well, it is going to be your benchmark in choosing the investment facility you want to get into.  This means that you should put your money where the potential gain will be more than the inflation rate.  The key word here is POTENTIAL.  Why?  Because most investments entails a certain level of RISKS.  The higher the gain, the higher the risk and vise versa.

There are a couple of ways that you can do this.  First, build your own business.  Capital needed:  You can start a food cart business for Php 18,000 (Source:  http://www.mcbizsep2015promo.com/).  Effort needed:  Business management required.  Worst case scenario, the owner will be the one to man the cart to save up on hiring manpower. Profitability:  Profitability dependent on product quality, location, traffic generators.  Risk(s): It is seldom that a business venture succeeds the first time.  The business acumen to build a successful business is experience.

Second, go into the stock market.  Capital needed:  The cheapest blue chip stock is Megaworld at Php 4.50/share and minimum investment capital is at Php 5,000.  Effort needed:  Continued market monitoring.  Profitability:  Depends on the stock market fluctuations and the amount of capitalization. The concept in playing the stock market is you buy low and sell high; hence, if the stock you  bought does not go up---then you're stock with no profit.  You need to have a considerable amount of stocks to play around with.  At Php 120,000 investment, you can buy 26,666 worth of Megaworld stocks.  Assuming that this particular stock grows an average fluctuating rate of 8% , your potential gain would be Php 9,500 thereabouts minus tax.  The question is the frequency of clime and decline.  Risk(s):  Not viable in a passive market.  An active market fluctuation is needed to gain profit.  Otherwise, go long term with a stock that provides for an annual stock dividend.

Third, put your money in a mutual fund.  Mutual fund is a professionally managed investment fund that pools money fromt. many investors to purchase securities.  Funds are allocated depending on a client's risk tolerance:  (1) Bond Fund for the low risk-low gain client; (2) Equity Fund for the high risk-high gain client; and (3) Balanced Fund for those in between.Capital needed:  Minimum of Php 5,000.Effort needed:  Finding the right mutual fund institution to invest in.  Profitability:  Depends on stock market performance.  Risk(s):  An incompetent fund manager handling your account.

Wealth accumulation is important to start early.  We cannot just depend on our active income to build our savings; for no matter the extra effort you give to your work, you will only be paid by the income due you.  It is therefore important to have another source of income by which we can confidently face the future and meet the different life milestones PREPARED. 

Always Think---SAVE FIRST!

Do not play with your future. You are neither a seer or a prophet to know what the future holds. Many have come to realize that life's ironies can have disastrous effect to our best laid plans; often times it is already too late when they arrive at this realization.  As I keep on saying, "Walang nagsisisi sa una."

If you have a job, you can easily earn money through hard work. You an also easily spend it all on non-essential stuff that make you "happy". Well, it is not bad to enjoy the fruits of your labor but within reason. Many folks enjoy spending too much and end up broke before the next cut-off is even there. And what do they usually get our of it?  Short term enjoyment which usually ends up with a throbbing headache and a hang over; or, a gadget which is almost always already outdated after a few months.

Filipinos fall under three financial behaviors.  Let me tell you about them.

1.  The Accidental Saver.  These people are always raring to splurge whenever payday or a bonus day comes.  They are always planning where to eat,      drink, have a good time and what new gadgets to buy.  After all the merry making and shopping---lo and behold---there is still something left in            their ATM cards.  For the more hedonistic types this is another reason to spend some more.

2.  The Plastic Mindset.  People who fall under this category are those who spend their salary/bonus even before it even gets deposited in their ATMs.        They do this through their credit cards.

In itself, using your credit card is not bad.  It actually gives you more buying power especially in terms of critical needs.  However, it must be          kept in mind that what the credit card company declares as your credit limit is a HONEY TRAP.  As a rule, you should not spend more than a third of your credit limit.  So If your credit limit is Php 15,000 your REAL credit limit should only be Php 5,000.  Going beyond this is a bad spending habit that would eventually get you into a bad debt situation.

Sadly, a lot of Filipinos are under this behaviour.

3.  The Skillfull Planner.  This is the behavior that we want to be in.  The thing is, this cannot simply be dictated.  The decision to be in this kind of behavior remains with each and every individual.

In this kind of behavior a person's top of mind is how much to set aside for savings.  No matter if the amount is big or small the more important thing is to develop the HABIT of always setting aside a portion of your salary reasonable enough for you to start your way towards a life of financial freedom.   

Ideally, one should save a maximum of 20% of his salary and 80% to live up on.   Now, if you're a good Christian, you will alot 10% to the church, 20% on savings, and 70% as daily expense.   However, this may vary depending on a person's income and lifestyle.

Many of those that I have spoken to would say they can't save even 5% but upon further probing they are just but a lifestyle change away to jump start their savings initiative.  For instance, a person with a Php 15,000 salary, 5% is equal to Php 750 a month or Php 375 per payday.  if you're a smoker who smokes 10 sticks per day, that would be spending Php 50.  Multiplied by 15 days, that would be Php 750 worth of cigarettes.  In a month, you're actually spending Php 1,500 on this vice.  If you cut your cigarette consumption by 50% you can actually save Php 750.  Now if you're a Starbucks aficionado earning Php 25,000, 5% is equivalent to Php 1,250.  If you go to Starbucks twice a week for coffee and pastry, you would be spending Php 170 for a venti Caramel Macchiato (because going grande is just a Php 10 difference to venti as the barista would always remind you) and Php 120 for a slice of Blueberry Cheesecake .  That would accumulate to Php 580 a week or Php 2,320 a month.  If you abstain from visiting Starbucks one time a month, you can save Php 1,160.  In other words, KAYA NAMAN KUNG GUGUSTUHIN, DI BA?

If you've worked for more than five years and have yet to build an emergency fund (equivalent to 6 months of your monthly salary) you should be concerned. Murphy's Law affects everyone.  Again, walang nagsisisi sa una.

Do away with the hedonistic lifestyle and start saving NOW!

(Next Note will be about Money at Work.)

Dog Care ba kamo?

Noong aking kabataan, simple lang ang pag aalaga ng aso.  Pa babakunahan mo ng anti-rabis (Just in case may aksidenteng syang makagat---lalo ka na.), pakakainin mo twice a day, at papalliguan once a week (Sabon panglaba lang ang katapat pag di ka maarte and may occasional Shellguard pag meron silang garapata).  

Ang pagkain nila e hindi rin "rocket science" kasi yung bahaw na kanin at tira-tirang ulam sa hapag kainan.  Mas masarap kung ilalaga mo yung mga buto ng manok, baboy, o baka.  Fiesta na ang mga doggies nun!  Ang dog food e pang mayaman na amo lang.

Simple lang, di ba?  At hindi pa parusa sa budget.

Nowadays, napaka complicated na.  Well, I must admit na karamihan sa mga asong alagain nung panahon ko e mga askal (asong kalye) lang or street dogs pero kahit nung panahon na yun e part of the family na ang treatment sa mga aso (Especially sa bahay namin.)  In fairness, ang mga alaga namin nun e hybrid, kung baga ba e mga askal na may lahi or di kaya e cross breed ng magka ibang lahi.  Meron kaming pinsan na nagbibigay sa amin ng Poodle hybrid kaya di kami bumibili. 

Ang bumibili lang ng asong may breed nung panahon na iyon e ang mayayaman.

Sa mga nakikita kong post sa Facebook at sa mga kwentuhan sa mga modern day dog enthusiasts (Hindi ko alam kung heto nga ba ang dapat tawag sa kanila so just bear with me.), para ka ng nag alaga ng isa pang anak.  Believe it or not, dog are eating the same food that people are.  Tinola, Adobo, Menudo, lechon manok, ice cream, mamon, ensaymada---buti nalang hindi sila pwede ng chocolate!

Other than their diet, they also have their own personal hygiene requirements.  Shampoo, soap, toothpase, diaper, even clothes!  Tila mga baby ang treatment sa mga aso ngayon lalo na yung mga maliliit na naka carrier or stroller pa.

Very popular ang breed na Shih Tzu.  Sa bahay namin e meron kaming isang pure breed na Shih Tsu, isang hybrid Jack Russel-Shih Tzu or what I call JackShit, ang hybrid nilang anak, isang Dalmatian, at isang German Shepherd.  The small dogs ay alaga ng aking maybahay at mga anak.  Yung malalaki e mga alaga ko.  Since di naman kami mayaman e frozen dog food (yung nabibili sa SM grocery @ Php 65/pack) and rice lang ang diet ng mga aso.  Well, my wife does spoil the smaller dogs with an occasional dog treat pag may extra sa budget especially in terms of grooming but otherwise our dog care is more the traditional type. So far, nagtatagal naman sa amin ang aso despite of this.

What I'm saying is that pampering your dogs is a matter of budget.  Kung wala ka ng budget e di mo kailangang ipilit; otherwise, ikaw naman ang magugutom.

My understanding as to why we need pets is because it teaches us responsibility. Is pampering equal to responsibility?  Not necessarily.  So long as you feed him, bathe him, and give him the necessary doggie shots you won't be haunted by PETA for being remiss in your masterly duties. 

Meet William, the latest addition to our dog brood!

Much Ado about StrEat Maginhawa Food Park

Much has been said about the StrEat Maginhawa Food Park in Quezon City.  The general impression is that it is a haven for good and affordable food.  Well, I love to eat so naturally curiosity got the better of me.  So a few days ago, me and my wife trekked for a food adventure at this much talked about food hub.

Maginhawa Street is a long stretch of road littered with a whole lot of food stops but for this blog I'm just concentrating with what's at #91 Maginhawa Street otherwise known as the StrEat Maginhawa Food Park.   

I was really looking forward to a real gastronomical treat with really high expectations in terms of taste and value for money.  Unfortunately, that was not the case on actual experience.

Me and my wife got to try four food establishments.  It was a pre-planned route based on my research and food preference.   But before I tell you about our dining experience, let me tell you about the food park in general.  

The place is a converted parking area with seven permanent food stalls made out of container vans while the rest were for food trucks.  It has a permanent dining area made of concrete in the middle with the rest were plastic or wooden mobile furniture scattered in the front of the various food stalls.  I reckon the eating capacity at 80 to 100 give or take. 

We visited on a Friday and being pay day at the same time the place was packed with customers.  All the favorable write up about this place have stirred a hornet's nest of curious gastronomists that the juncture of Mahusay Street and Maginhawa was a virtual gridlock. Good thing that a table was vacated not long after and averted having to eat standing up.

1.  Schmidt's Gourmet Hotdogs.  Among the list of food stalls in the food park Schmidt's Gourmet Hotdogs is the first that really caught my attention.  I'm really a burger guy so most of my reviews involved patty sandwiches.  But if I'm to rate my sandwich preference, hotdog comes in at a close second.

Actually, Schimdt's hotdog is not really a hotdog but a Polish sausage similar to that is sold in SM groceries.  That was actually a good surprise for me since I like Polish sausage.  

We got different orders so we can have a taste of two variants, Coney Island Chili Dog (Php 195) and Seattle Dog (Php 180).  Not sure why I ordered for the chili dog given that I'm not a chili guy.  I guess it was "Coney Island"  got me going.  Needless to say I took off the jalapeno since they look menacingly hot.  

Both were generally topped with their own dressing and really complemented the taste of the sausage very similar to a Jackson Pollack painting with all it's color unified to make for a work of art.

The size is a decent six inches which would satisfy a person with normal appetite but if you're big like me I think you need at least two or three to really make you full.

We also ordered for Nachos topped with cheese, onions, sour cream and jalapenos at Php 125 and a liter of Iced Tea at Php 90.  Based on Schimdt's online menu you can add Php 30 and Php 60 to any sandwich or pasta order to get a 16oz and 1 liter Iced Tea but when I asked for it the lady who took my order said that there was no such thing.  Well, that's minus pogi points for Schimdt's.

My verdict:  The dogs are novel enough to try but not made a part of your usual diet since the price is too stiff (even for a Polish sausage) to burn a big hole in your pocket.  Not much value for money to try a second time (unless you're not really after value for money).

2.  G.R.Eat Burger Truck.  I'll always be a burger guy so here's what I have to say about this burger truck:  too much hoopla so little "UHMP!"  For something that took more than 15 minutes to make it was but natural to expect a special treat.  However, when my name was called and the product presented to me, the experience was like expecting a Super Lolo BOOM and got a kwitis pop!

I ordered for the Bacon Burger (Php 160) thinking something big since it allegedly have a 1/3 lbs patty.  However, it came out looking like a regular size burger.  Taste wasn't that good either.  The patty didn't have much flavor and whatever dressing it had didn't amount to much.  The Flavored Fries (Php 90) tasted like your regular sour cream flavored variant but had nothing special going on there either to justify the price.

My Verdict:  At the price range of Php 160, I could have bought myself a Champ Burger Value Meal with fries and drinks which is bigger and by far tastes better.  Nuff said!

3.  Bricks & Copper.  This was not part of my original plan but seeing that they have shawarma I had to try it out for size.  Unlike the usual pita wrap theirs was a stuffed pita bread.  I ordered ala carte (Php 99) since we already had drinks and it took around 10 minutes to do (which I found incredulously long knowing that making shawarma is basically assemble to order with the ingredients already pre-preped).  Anyway, the order came ahead of the burger so we actually tried it first.  

The pita was thick and soft the way I liked it but the meat and sauce combination lacked that typical explosion of flavor that normally accompany my past shawarma experiences.  To further compound this matter is the lack of readily available garlic sauce to more or less mask the tasteless experience.

My Verdict:  Since I only tried the shawarma this review does not say the same for the rest of Brick & Copper's cuisine.  What I'm saying is---TRY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

4. Magpie Cafe. My idea was that this would be the coup de grace of our food adventure.  I was thinking coffee and pastry to crown what I expected to be a great food trip experience.

After staying under the humid  al fresco dining area going into an airconditioned room was a welcome change.  Magpie Cafe is one of the food stalls with their own in-door dining.  It approximately seats ten customers at any given time.  Good for up close and personal meet ups.  Nice interior decors and friendly service crew.

After going through a cholesterol rich binge I thought of ordering something hot.  My lady is a cold drinks girl so she ordered for a coffee-based Hazelnut Frosty Php 130) and I suddenly had a craving for a Hot Lemon (Php 90) (thinking that it was of the same taste as the Hot Dalandan Juice served at Kuya J's).  I had my eye on a delicious looking cake (I think if was White Chocolate Mousse) and ordered for a slice (Php 120) to share.

Press release says that Magpie's coffee beans are from the Cordillera which is a plus points for me; however, regardless of where the ingredients are from, it still boils down to taste.

Their frosty was typical of any coffee-based cold drink except that theirs was not sweet.  Health-wise this is good but if you're looking for something sweet, this isn't the drink for you.  The Hot Lemon was a let down in terms of size, price, and taste.  Maybe they used imported ingredients to justify thee price of such a small cup but the taste was...I don't want to be demeaning but let's just say it did not taste like lemon at all.  The cake gives credence to the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover."  It really looked great but it tasted nothing special.  The dough tasted like it came from a run off the mill bakeshop.

Another product got my attention.  Chilling inside their refrigerated display case was a bottle which at first I thought was beer but upon close inspection was actually coffee.  Grumpy No More looked interesting to try but after my lemon and cake experience I had my doubts especially with its Php 160 price tag.

My Verdict:  The place is good to chill in with its aircon.  Since I only got to have a taste of a couple of their products, it might not be indicative of the rest.  So, TRY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

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Tornado Peri-Peri

This establishment is not part of the food park but is located along the stretch of Maginhawa Street.  If you're coming from Philcoa it's at the mid-point of Magiting and Masinsinan Street.  

My wife and I were already full but I was looking for a way to salvage the gastronomically disastrous night we had at the food park with one desperate hail mary of landing at a joint where the food was actually great; or, at least have a glimpse of Arianne Bautista (one of my favorite car show models) who partly owns Tornado Peri-Peri and who was said to frequent the place. We actually passed it on our way to the food park but skipped it since I already had an itinerary planned out for the night. 

Unfortunately, Arianne was not there so the remaining hope is that they have really good menu to offer.

We ordered for the 1/4 Chicken with a side and rice with the original sauce @ Php 125.  I have tasted peri-peri chicken before but this one is different---tangy in a good way.  I believe it was in their sauce.  And it went real well with their aromatic rice which had the consistency of a sticky rice.  It would had been a perfect except that their Corncob with Butter was forget-ably small.

For a store so small, it's a surprise that they have a dining area to speak of.  A six seater inside and eight outside.  If you're big like me I suggest you sit outside.  Would you believe they also have waiter service?  Yes they do.  Very friendly and accommodating staff (at least the one who served us).

My Verdict:  I'm coming back with my tummy ready to taste some more Tornado Peri-Peri menu!