BDO Rewards vs SM Advantage

If you frequently shop in SM, chances are you are probably familiar and seen advertisement for their membership cards.

They have 3 as far as I know but we'll be discussing the two that are most similar. So, what's the difference between the two?

1. Membership
-you pay 100 pesos annually to get the SM Advantage card
-BDO Rewards is essentially free but you have to maintain a 50k deposit in BDO.

2. Earning points.
- SM Advantage - you earn points by buying from the SM Store and its affliated shops.

BDO Rewards- you also earn points from buying in SM but you have more avenues to rack up your points. You can get it if you have deposits or investments in BDO, you receive remittances which you course through BDO and if you have a PLDT landline.

3. Expiration
SM Advantage- renewable yearly for a fee.
BDO Rewards-free as long as you maintain your bank balance.

I personally preffer the BDO Rewards card since I dislike paying annual fees. Hahaha.

Below is a screencap of how I earn points using this card. Earning points is a slow and steady process but in the end its still something. The points never expire so you can just have then accumulate for years.

Credit Card Promo November 2016

BDO 

Promo Period: November 16, 2015-January 31, 2016
Claim until: March 31, 2016



Minimum Spend           Threat

Php 3,000                       100 SM Gift Pass or
                                         100 GC from Bench

Php 15,000                      500 GmSM Gift Pass or
                                          500 GC from Bench


BPI 

Promo Period: October 1, 2015-January 31, 2016
Claim until: April 1, 2016


Minimum Spend           Threat

Php 3,000                      various food item from Jollibee

Php 6,000                      various food item from Jollibee

Php 12,000                    various food item from Jollibee


STANDARD CHARTERED

Promo Period: November 9, 2015-January 31, 2016


Minimum Spend           Threat
Php 3,000                       Mrs. Fields:
                                       Nibblers or One Pops in a Jar

                                        Seattle’s Best Coffee:
                                        Any Small Hot Classic Drink

                                         Kenny Rogers Roasters:
                                         Quesadilla, Burrito
                                         or any large Side Dish

.                                        Toy Kingdom:
                                         Php100 Discount

                                        The SM Store:
                                        Php100 SM Gift Pass


Php 5,000                       Mrs. Fields:
                                       Pops-to-Go
                                       (60 pcs. Cookie Pops or
                                       48 pcs. Cookie Pops with Trail Mix)

                                       Seattle’s Best Coffee:
                                       Any Medium Javakula

                                       Kenny Rogers Roasters:
                                       Solo A Plate
                                       (Classic or Krispy Chicken)

                               
Php 15,000                   Toy Kingdom
                                       Php500 Discount

2016 Planner

I have in my stash of box a few planners that I haven't gotten around to using because they are out dated.

It seems such a waste to throw them since it isn't used but I can't actually use them since the dates are all wrong.

Then I told myself that I just have to be open minded about these things...

Enter the 2010 1st Semester Campus BDJ planner, which I actually bought because I was taking my Masters back then. Unfortunately I wasn't able to use it.

I just changed the dates and voila! I know its obvious and probably common sense as hell. But I also know that most of us would just buy a new planner than go through the bother of changing an old one.

Little things like these will save you money. And more money is always welcome.

Thanks,

BDO Deposit Promo

I found something interesting while looking at BDO's website.

They are now giving out 50 BDO Reward points for every 5,000 pesos you deposit.

The pros:
-You can earn 50 BDO Reward points every week

The cons:
-must be done through BDO deposit machines
-limited number of machines, not all BDO branches have them

For full mechanics, see link below

https://www.bdo.com.ph/personal/rewards/promos-and-discounts/view/bdo-rewards-cash-accept-machine-promo

Credit Card Promo September 2015

BDO 
Promo Period: August 15, 2015-October 31, 2015
Claim until: December 31, 2015


Minimum Spend           Threat
Php 3,000                       100 GC from Max's


BPI 
Promo Period: October 1, 2015-January 31, 2016
Claim until: April 1, 2016

Minimum Spend           Threat
Php 3,000                      various food item from Jollibee 

Php 6,000                      various food item from Jollibee 

Php 12,000                    various food item from Jollibee 

Standard Chartered (for claiming only) 
Promo Period: May 7, 2015-July 31, 2015 Extended until September 30, 2015
Claim until: November 30, 2015 


Minimum Spend           Threat
Php 1,500                       food item from Mrs. Fields

Php 2,500                       food item from Kenny Rogers

Php 3,000                       food item from Seattle's Best
.                                      food item from Cupcakes

Php 5,000                      100 GC National Bookstore
                                       100 SM Gift Pass
                                       food item from Mrs. Fields

                                       one bowling game (SM Bowling)

                                       one planetarium show (Exploreum)

Php 8,000                      food item from Kenny Rogers
                                      food item from Seattle's Best

Php 10,000                    SM Skating Rink
                                       Exploreum

How to cut lining up in banks during payday in half.

Everybody has experienced lining up in banks during payday. The long queues are actually disheartening to see. It's an indication that a lot of Filipinos are living paycheck to paycheck.

The short answer to my question is to simply not take out money during the 15th and 30th. In liue of that, here are things I did that might also work for you.

Be online.
1. I pay all your bills online. Water, electricity, phoneline. I charge these to my credit card. Everytime a bill comes, I just logon to the bank's website and charge it to my card.

2. If your payroll account is the same bank as your personal savings account then you can just do an online transffer of your funds.

If not, then a roundabout way to do this is to open a checking account in the same bank as your payroll account. Then everytime you get your payslip, you can just issue yourself a check and have it deposited in your personal bank account.

3. I also pay my credit cards online. Most banks would allow you to pay another bank's credit card using their online facility. Use it. ^_^

4. A special mention to BPI.

Before, you can only pay BPI's credit card by going to a branch and standing in queue and Lord knows how long those lines can get. What I did was, I applied for a BPI Family Savings account and linked my BPI credit card. Why? Not only does BPI Family have shorter lines compared to BPI, it's also nearest where I work. So, even if I do have to physically take money out of my account, I can easily deposit money there. As an added bonus, you can use their DEPOSIT MACHINES and be done with your deposits in less than 5 minutes.

I also use cash but I try to get cash on odd days like the 6th or the 19th. There's usually no one there at the atm.

-Maria

How to maximize your use of Citibank's Cashback Card

Photo credit: Citibank



First of all, this is for the Citibank Cashback card issued in the Philippines.

I love this card because you can get a maximum rebate of Php 1,000 per month. You can also do this with careful planning.

The cashback card is great only if you happen to be spending enough to get the rebate but if not, I suggest that you pick another card. The only reason I am even using this card is for purchasing things that my parents' needs.

So how does this actually work?
According to their terms....

Item                                                Rebate

Meralco                                          2%

Non-Meralco & non-grocery         0.2%

Grocery                                          6% (but only if Non-Meralco and Non-gro is Php 10k or more)


So, that's the deal breaker. You can only get a whopping 6% rebate on groceries if you can find a way to charge 10k of purchases to your credit card.

How do I do it?
I charge the following
-phone bills
-cellphone bills
-medicines
-water bill
-dining out.

All of that will make 10k for me.

I've also prepared a spreadsheet for people who want to check if they can also do this.

Computation Sheet

How do you handle the free stuff?

I was out of toner a few months back. I've decided to purchase the one from Etude House since that product has never stirred me wrong.

I was surprised that the box was bigger than the usual. Turns out they have free facial cottons to use with the toner.

I tried using the whole pad each time I needed the toner and gradually realized that half the pad would work out just as well. Since you can still use the other side of the pad.

So before I use a pad, I get a pair of scissors to cut this in half and use both side in a single application. This is my happy minimum. Not only did you save on money (since it was already free in the first place) but you also do your turn in conserving natural resources.

Happily minimizing,
-Maria

Books-for-Less Warehouse Sale (August 1-30,2015)

I love books and to score books for cheap prices? Well, that's the icing on the cake.
Books-for-Less recently held their annual booksale.
This event runs this month of August.

THE PROS:
-They are open during weekends
-All books are only Php20 each.

THE CONS
-Location is a little hard to get to
-A few number of books are mutilated and all are dusty.
-Cannot use credit card, cash only
-Almost 80% of the books are children's books

This event is a great way to stock up on children's books. They give you a small variety in different fields though. I was able to find a watercolor book on flowers and the Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn, so those were steals.

If you ever decide to go though, here are my tips.

TIPS
-Bring an ecobag. There are no baskets available.
-Come in early. Opening is at 9;00am and I suggest you go there before it opens because it does tend to be crowded by noon.
-Bring smaller bills
-Bring alcohol and tissues. The place and the books are dusty and before long your hands will bear the marks of your labor.
-Patience is a virtue, learn to exercise it.

It's worth a Saturday to look at the books.

Credit Card Promos August 2015

BDO (for claiming only)
Promo Period: May18, 2015-July 18, 2015
Claim until: September 18, 2015


Minimum Spend           Threat
Php 3,000                       100 GC from Pizza Hut 


BPI (for claiming only)
Promo Period: July 1, 2015-September 30, 2015
Claim until: November 30, 2015

Minimum Spend           Threat
Php 3,000                       various food item from Jollibee and Red Ribbon

Php12,000                      various food item from Jollibee and Red Ribbon

Php 25,000                     various food item from Jollibee and Red Ribbon

Standard Chartered
Promo Period: May 7, 2015-July 31, 2015 Extended until September 30, 2015
Claim until: September 30, 2015 


Minimum Spend           Threat
Php 1,500                       food item from Mrs. Fields

Php 2,500                       food item from Kenny Rogers

Php 3,000                       food item from Seattle's Best
.                                      food item from Cupcakes

Php 5,000                      100 GC National Bookstore
                                       100 SM Gift Pass
                                       food item from Mrs. Fields

                                       one bowling game (SM Bowling)

                                       one planetarium show (Exploreum)

Php 8,000                      food item from Kenny Rogers
                                      food item from Seattle's Best

Php 10,000                    SM Skating Rink
                                       Exploreum

Paper bags, how do you reuse them?

I usually end up with a lot of paper bags from fast food and convenience store purchases. It's becoming the norm to dispose them by just throwing them in the rubbish bin.

These are paper afterall, and is definitely better than plastic in terms of decomposing.

I've realized that Sari-Sari stores can use this in lieu of plastic bags. Saves them money too. So, if you know any Sari-sari stores, you might want to suggest this. You can also help them out by saving those paper bags yourself, even better if you can ask your officemates to pitch in.

I am currently doing this. I've asked a few colleagues to give me their paper bags so I can give it to a nearby Sari-sari store for reuse. ^_^
I give them all the paper bags I have on a weekly basis.

So how cool is that? Plus one for the environment.

A New Way of Budgeting....

I cannot remember a time when I was not saving. I've done it throughout elementary school, highschool and college. But there's something about earning my own money that makes it harder for me to save up.

I think one of the hindrances is that I know I have my own money to spend.

As an experiment, starting today I've decided to give myself a 2000 peso weekly allowance in 100 peso bills. The idea is when I spend for food, I pull out a 100, for transportation another 100. Anything left over from those 100's will be saved in an piggy bank. This would limit my spending to a max of 300 pesos per day. At the end of the week, anything I've saved in my piggy bank would be money I can spend anywhere I want. Or I could also wait a couple of months before emptying the piggy bank.

This is just a means to limit my everyday spending. I don't really budget but I more or less allot a certain percentage of my income to savings via BDO's EIP program. (Which I will be talking about that in a separate post.)

Tell me what you think? I'll give this a try for a couple of months and see how it goes.

-Maria

Sample sizes, are you using them?

I have a lot of sample sizes from my purchases of full sized items. The good thing about this is they give you a variety of their other products to have an idea if these would be products that you would be using in the future. Plus these are FREE!!! Who wouldn't love them. ^_^ I used to have a whole drawer full of these.

Also a great way to use these would be for travelling. The sizes are perfect for your carry-on.

Usually, a sachet of cleanser would last me 3 to 4 days. I think this is also nice to give away to friends and family.

To read more on the reviews of beauty products, visit my other blog that deals solely with that.
www.beyoutifulmaria.blogspot.com

Credit Card Promos July 2015

BDO
Promo Period: May 18, 2015 – July 18, 2015
Claim until: September 18,2015


Minimum Spend           Threat
Php 3,000                       100 GC from Pizza Hut 


BPI
Promo Period: July 1, 2015 – September 30, 2015
Claim until: November 30,2015

Minimum Spend           Threat
Php 3,000                       various food item from Jollibee and Red Ribbon

Php12,000                      various food item from Jollibee and Red Ribbon

Php 25,000                     various food item from Jollibee and Red Ribbon


Standard Chartered 
Promo Period: May 7, 2015 – July 31, 2015
Claim until: September 30,2015

Minimum Spend           Threat
Php 1,500                       food item from Mrs. Fields

Php 2,500                       food item from Kenny Rogers

Php 3,000                       food item from Seattle's Best
.                                      food item from Cupcakes

Php 5,000                      100 GC National Bookstore
                                       100 SM Gift Pass
                                       food item from Mrs. Fields

                                       one bowling game (SM Bowling)

                                       one planetarium show (Exploreum)

Php 8,000                      food item from Kenny Rogers
                                      food item from Seattle's Best

Php 10,000                    SM Skating Rink
                                       Exploreum
  

Minimalism

I've been trying to "minimize" my life for the past months, And boy is it hard.

But what is minimalism? A lot of people may think about white walls, sparse furniture and open spaces. Well, minimalism IS that but it can also mean what you want it to mean. You can be as broad or as precise with it as you want.

For me, minimalism is a thought, an idea that perhaps there is more to life than material possessions,
I've realized that making my life simple not only brings me more happiness, more time, more money and more clarity to think about the important things in my life.

I was watching TED Talks when I realized that, that is what is missing in my life. I've attached the following video from TED Talks and these are the same ones that inspired me to take action with my life. I hope you might also have the time to watch this and keep an open mind.

Thank you,
Maria

Minimalism: Choices and Chances

Just a simple realization. I always use ballpoint pens. Use it unconsciously. I reach for it when I need to write something.

Looking at the humble pencil, i think it would be better to use a mechanical pencil when you dont need to be in permanent ink. Mainly because you use less waste. You just use refills and you're good. Pens on the other hand forces you to discard the whole thing when you are out of ink.

We always have a choice but we won't always have chances. So in every little way, let us prove to ourselves that we can be better.

It might just be a simple decision to change pens but simple things can change the world.

Clutter

Photo: Amanda de Vito

What is clutter?
How do we acummulate it?
Do we need it?

I have clutter. I have it in my house, in my office, in my home office and my place of business. (Yes, these are all different places)

Clutter does not only apply to your material possessions, oh no, it also applies to relationships and friends.

The thing to realize is, the more you let your life be overun by things you don't need, the more you will be unhappy and stressed out.

How much clothes do you really use? How many more shoes do you need? Do you constantly keep buying stuff whenever your deppressed, stressed or unhappy?

You have to think about these things. I had my epiphany about clutter just last year and the message was a clear one.

Simplify your life and attain happiness.

Cheap screen protector

There will always be cheaper ways to get things that you need.

My screen protector was a bit fraying at the sides and i decided to change it. Looking at mall prices i think that the going rate is 100 for the screen protector.



My mom and i went to Divisoria and found screen protectors at 50 pesos a pop. I guess we could have found cheaper ones if we looked around more but for me 50 pesos is a great price!

I always like it if i get the things that i need cheaper.

Also, this would also be a nice thing to give to your friends during Christmas or something. At least you can be assured that they would really use it.

Free post-it

When you decide to buy a whole pack of Rebisco biscuits, they give you sticky notes. I always love free stuff. Free stuff that you can use.
So go ahead, if you love eating Rebisco biscuits. ^_^

Your Planner for 2015

In the spirit of de-cluttering, i told myself that i wouldn't be buying a planner for 2015. I would just be using an old unused planner that i have lying around.

These planners are usually corporate giveaways.

What i ended up instead is this...



Well, i didn't buy it. Someone gave it to me.

To tell you frankly, I don't think the planner matches my personality at all. As the creators of this planners tote, this is for the IT girl. I guess it means "someone who's stylish, a social butterfly, creating a perfect balance of work and play" or something to that effect.




Here's the month at a glance page. Left side shows the month with some space at the top to list down all good habits you want to track. Right side has space for this months events and a "Draw yourself into this moment. Free your thought and feelings." Whatever the hell that's supposed to mean.




This is the Week on Two Pages spread. There are spaces for each day of the week and some at the top for...
#This week I will
#BDJ Make it happen
#Personal errands
#This Week's List of
#This Week I'm Thankful for

I get that its a planner but the emphasis seems to be for someone who has a crap load of activities.

Me, i just go to work. Head on home with the occasional going out with with my bff. That's it. I don't have events scheduled monthly.

So, just so I can use this planner and it not get on my nerves. I had to do this...





I had the Monthly sheet personalized. At the upper left page, i will be re-using that space to keep track of my networth. It helps me keep motivated and i tune with my decluttering.

On the right side, instead of the page, i covered up the events space with a list of books I am planning on reading this month. I have The Art of War and The Cinderella Complex to finish by end of January.

Right beside that are the lists of things i have on the weekly pages.








Improvents
On the left side
- i have a list of to buy things for the week
-list of to pay things
- have weather stickers printed and used beside the dates
-i track my water intake at the bottom
- also at the bottom are the things i eat and things i spent money on for the day

The lists are the most glaring but these are repositionable. I use these lists so they are on the forefront of my mind.

You see that flap in middle? I taped that to monitor daily activities that i have to do daily. Such as taking vitamins, walking, reading references, helping out the parents sa tindahan or whatever i want.

The right side shows pretty much the same thing.

Also ive secured the pages using magnetized bookmarks

I also feel that the planner is a bit overpriced. I think this planner is around 600 more or less.

Using mobile to write this, sorry if the pics are out of whack. I'll fix it, orientation wise when i logon again.