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

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.

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.

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.