Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Pinay Tipid Tips for Work

Let's face it, going to work can be a wallet vacuum with the transportation, clothing, and food expenses. But hey, we should be going to work to earn money and not to spend! So forget your daily signature coffee and get a 3 in 1 while we list down other saving tips we can practice at work.

1. Walk and save 10 pesos daily - what better way to start your work day but walk and burn some morning calories? Short FX rides, say from the MRT to your office costs you 10 pesos daily. And if you're lucky to be early, why not try walking to your office (if it's walkable!) ?

2. Bring your lunch box - it takes some effort and patience to wake up early and prepare a packed lunch for work but if you do this, you'll be able to save 50-100 pesos daily. Not only that, you won't have to think incessantly which store you'll be getting your lunch and eating inside the pantry is more convenient rather than squeezing yourself in a jam-packed cafeteria.

3. Eat before you go - it really pays to wake up early and eat breakfast at home. It'll prevent you from panic buying breakfast in the morning and it will even make you less grumpy.

4. Coffee and tea in your pocket - take advantage of the hot water facilities at work and instead of rushing to an expensive cafe for a pick me upper, why not come prepared with sachets of coffee and tea? You can have as much as you want for only 5-6 pesos per cup as compared to 100-150 pesos in a cafe.

5. Don't forget snacks too! - okay, we're not being gluttons here but really, a huge slice of our salaries go to food. We are pinays after all and we LOVE to eat. Come rush time after 5pm, we hurry to the bus and train stations with an empty stomach. To quiet your rumbling stomach, always bring small snacks like cupcakes that you can buy cheap at the grocery.

6. Assemble a 5-day uniform - some are lucky to have uniforms and it's really a money and time saver. If you don't have one, assemble a two week uniform line up with your own clothes. Who cares if you repeat them after sometime, you're going to work and not a party :) This saves you from shopping every payday just to refresh your wardrobe. Think: Others may look good with their new and branded clothes but you'll end up simple yet RICHER.

7. Relax - stress can cause any girl to run to the salon or spa and get an expensive hair treatment or a luxurious body massage. This is not bad but try to breathe, relax, and think of your happy place whenever you feel some pressure. Stress and problems can lead to spending misbehaviors.

8. Buid your retreat spot - not in the mall but in your house. Designate a quiet place like your bedroom to become the place that will heal you after a tiring day. Looking forward to this will save you from loitering outside the metro where you will end up spending just to feel better.

9. Saturday Treat - or any day at all, schedule a day to become YOUR day when you can pat yourself at the back and give yourself a treat for being able to save. Be reasonable with your self treats though! Count the money you saved and just get a tiny bit of which as a prize for being a hardworking thrifty girl.

How about you? Do you have any tipid tips to share? email your pinay saving tips to pinaymoneymaker@gmail.com and let's share them here ^^
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Saturday, November 24, 2007

Pinays can Make Money out of their Blogs

Hello! Pinay world, I am back from yesterday's Blogging for Money Seminar and because generosity is never a bad thing, here are the things that Pinay Money Maker learned for the benefit of our readers.

There are a lot of bloggers who blog for different reasons and it's not bad to make money on the side. First things first, to be a successful blogger you'll need patience and focus. The more focused your blog on a single topic, the more valuable your blog is for advertisers and readers.

Advertising placement is the main money source for most blogs and here are some of the best links that can monetize your blog:

1. Google AdSense - everybody knows already so move on to number 2.
2. Text Link Ads - this one is easy to setup but your blog has to be approved first.
3. Kontera - links will appear inside your content, making relevant keywords hyperlinked to the advertiser's websites. Very neat and effective.
4. Amazon Associates - best if you target US audience who are comfortable to use credit cards online
5. Review Me - get paid to post reviews of various products, this one affects the content of your blog.
6. Join blog networks - search google for blog networks more popular ones include b5media, CW, and Know more Media. Here you can be paid per post or do profit sharing.
7. Direct Ad Sales- if you're confident about your blog you can ask local and international companies yourself, if they'd want their ads on your fantastic blog.

Blogs can make your dreams come true, no kidding! It can help you earn from doing what you love most, make a profession out of it, and get your skills noticed. It is only a question whether you really have the dedication and time to manage your blog and the topic you chose should be that subject that you breathe and live everyday.

Job Opportunity: Full-time Bloggers

I am looking for 4 bloggers, whether you think you are good or not, as long as you have the will, you can achieve it! :) It's for a regular job, 8am - 5pm, we don't accept work from home. If you are interested kindly send your resumes to suzaku_lace@yahoo.com

Thursday, November 22, 2007

What is your financial security blanket?

I still bring my pillow whenever I ride the car to work, it makes me feel more comfortable and it gives me that warm and fuzzy feeling! Now when it comes to money, what makes you feel secure? do you have a financial security blanket? If your answer is no, then you should start weaving one.

Nothing beats the feeling of being secure and safe, no matter what happens, especially when some situations can make all our money disappear at once. Your financial security blanket need not to be money IMHO, it's something that you can depend or fall back on. It can be a business idea, a skill, or an investment that you can easily sell when a rainy day comes.

Becoming debt free is a great achievement and once you've reached this goal, the next step is to set aside some money or other assets that can give you that warm and fuzzy feeling. Keep your eyes always open for opportunities and don't be like the horses looking only at one direction, in our case, looking only at one source of income. Be creative with your financial plans and discover as many security blankets as possible, it will give you more courage to explore high risk but high yielding investments, professions, and businesses in the future too, because win or lose, you'll always have that soft, comfortable blankie to fall back on.

Good night everybody!

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Mother of 7 shares her story on how she got out of debt and gained financial independence

More than ever, with today's economic status and inflation rate, it's important for Pinays to learn how to save and gain support for their financial endeavors.



Dine Racoma, a mother of seven, used to pay loans with loans but now, she is helping Filipinos find more satisfying jobs and inspire them to become financially independent through her famous blog.

Based on her interview in MoneySense, it was through hard work and a lot of sacrifice that she improved her financial situation. Most of all, she has found her passion in writing and this has made her retirement even more enjoyable and worthwhile. Today she helps her kababayans discover work from home opportunities (which i know a lot of pinays are looking for) and enjoy better quality time with the family while earning.

Her story is indeed an inspiration for many pinays including me, it is Pinay Money Maker's pleasure to get her permission to post about her story and blog. Visit her at The D Spot today and experience pinay "mommy" power!

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Blogging for Money Seminar on Nov. 24

Seminars make people like you and me use free time wisely. Next Saturday, November 24 at the Podium, The Blogging for Money Seminar will be held. I haven't registered but it's 1,500 pesos for an 8-hour session with money making blogger, Mr. Able Olandres.

Last week I came across smorty.com, I registered one of my blogs but Pinay Money Maker was declined to join because there are not that many pages yet :( Smorty lets you incorporate sponsored links in your blog posts and you'll earn a minimum of $6 for each. Not bad eh? I can't say if it's real YET because when i try to access their site to check if some of my posts were approved, their site is always down and i haven't experienced payment YET. But maybe you can try it or i'll post it here if ever it turns out real and profitable.

Next Saturday can be a good venue to learn other alternatives on how to make money out of blogs, if this is one of your hobbies. You can check out the details of the seminar here.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

How to Spend this Christmas

Dinner time, my little sister shared with us her plan to go Christmas gift shopping next Saturday. She says she doesn't want to go to tiangges or bazaars and refuses to give gifts from there, instead, she will get gifts from the mall. There is no right or wrong venues for Christmas shopping but, we can get wise on how we should spend this Christmas.

Here are some Christmas Shopping Tips:

1. Give to share and not to impress - keep this mantra in mind, it is better to give a suitable and well-thought of gift rather than an expensive one that doesn't feel "personalized". Take for instance, expensive looking and branded soaps and lotions that come in baskets. They look impressive when you have them in tow on Christmas Party and under the Christmas tree, but really, soaps and lotions are hard to use especially when the person already has a preferred brand or has sensitive skin. Just an example :)

2. Set a budget - as early as today, think of how much you CAN spend this Christmas for gifts, as a whole, and not per person. Of course there are persons you'd like to give a special gift to, so just sketch out his/her percentage of your Christmas fund, say 25% of the total budget.

3. Make a list out of the budget - now that you have a budget, you can now list possible gifts that will fit in it. Maybe you can allocate amounts too per person and imagine the many things that you can afford. Keep an open mind and open your eyes. Restricted budget should not restrict your creativity! Last year, my mom's favorite gift out of everything was a pair of slippers worth 99 pesos.

4. Schedule Christmas Shopping - don't start gift shopping out of boredom or stress. Prepare for it and do not forget your list. It is okay to look, Christmas shopping should be fun! but do not go over your list and your budget.

5. Opt for recycled materials and forget about gift wraps - when i say recycled materials it includes: newspapers, pages from your old magazines, gift wraps from last year, or old plastic bags and paper bags. Don't be afraid to recycle, be afraid of global warming and make this your special Christmas gift to Earth.

These are just 5 tips but i am sure you'll come up with more. Christmas should be happy time and not the time to wallow because you don't have so much to spend. Merry Christmas!
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