My Own Version of "Peso Pinching"

Budget management is really getting to be more difficult nowadays given the weekly increase of fuel prices. I'm just so lucky to live in a city where the cost of utilities are slightly lower compared to most metropolitan areas. Here are some "corner-saving" tips I can share that can help stretch the peso:

• LAUNDRY/IRONING - Washing of clothes are done once a week, ironing same thing but 2 days later; to save up on water, I've been using P&G's Downy 1Banlaw, the fabric conditioner requires you to rinse laundry once to get rid of all suds and detergent.
• GROCERY SHOPPING/WET MARKET DAY - Close monitoring of my pantry is very useful because I can actually schedule grocery shopping and only do it when I need to replenish my stocks already. Short, frequent trips to the supermarket actually cost more in the long run since you need to spend for transport every time you go to the store and there's higher chance of impulse buying. Grocery shopping is done every 2 weeks, while wet market purchases are done weekly on market day - when there's more supply of seafood, meat and vegetables which would mean lower prices.
• PRODUCTS I PATRONIZE - Although I'm really the type of person who goes for quality over price, I've discovered that there are some products that are actually of good or equal quality as the better known brands but don't cost as much. These are some of the products I use:

laundry detergent - SOLVE (from the makers of Wings Detergent)
fabric conditioner - DOWNY 1Banlaw (refill pouches)
liquid hand soap - Watson's on Buy 1 Take 1 deal
dishwashing liquid - PRIL (refill pouches)
vinegar - DATU PUTI (refill pouches with 20% more)
soy sauce - DATU PUTI (refill pouches with 20% more) or SILVER SWAN LAURIAT (refill pouches)
choco drink - MILO (refill pouch with 20 g more)
milk - ANCHOR FULL CREAM (refill pouch) & ALASKA (refill pouch)
coffee - NESCAFE (refill pouch or single-serve sticks)
juice - pouches for 1-liter serving
hotdogs - HAPPY BOOSTER (same taste as Purefoods TJ but much cheaper)
tomato-based sauce/paste - CLARA OLE
pasta - SPIGADORO
catsup - DEL MONTE (refill pouches)
cooking oil - MONA/JOLLY Canola Oil

pancake mix - WHITE KING

• CHANGING FOOD PREFERENCES - Both of my children are growing up preferring fish and chicken over pork or beef and they know how to eat their vegetables. This has been a huge help in maintaining our budget. We have fish, chicken and vegetables almost everyday, reserving maybe 2-3 days in a month where we enjoy pork or beef.

• CONSERVING ENERGY - Although we can't get rid of our air-conditioning habit, we've maintained a strict time range when we use our air-conditioner. It's built-in timer helps in keeping our use to a minimum (5-6 hours at night). We also make a habit to turn off lights, appliances and plugs that are not in use.

These are just little things we can do everyday to stay afloat amidst the current economic crisis. Of course, we shouldn't forget the positive and powerful effect of prayer. Let's all pray that things will get better soon.

Cool Gadget: Food Fight Spoon from ZING

Remember your childhood days when you'd engage your siblings or friends to a food fight? Ha! We'd always get some solid scolding afterward but all we could think of was how good it felt. Of course now, food fight would be so much of a waste.

My website hopping led me to discover this cute little gadget, so perfect for food fights. Taking the cue from its predecessor, the "spork", the food fight spoon is a handy tool to use during lunch. But more than being just a spoon, spring it backwards and release...voila! You get the meanest food fight weapon.

The Zing Food Fight Spoon comes in several cool colors that would truly liven up your lunch kit.

PARENTING is a CHOICE

A couple of weeks back, a question was posted on one of my yahoo groups - "Why do you want to have children?" It resulted to a treasure trove of ideas and sentiments spanning a wide range of opinions and experiences. Although a majority of those who responded were passionate about their decision to become parents and bring a child or children into this world, there was a minority group who were quite candid in sharing their reasons for either delaying parenthood or deciding not to have children at all.

I'm sure the sentiments of the minority group came as a shock to most who read them...after all, deciding to delay having children or not having them is an unusual ideology in our overpopulated society . You see, in Philippine society, it's quite typical for people to comment (mostly without tact) on the "childless" state of couples known to be married for sometime already. It's as if the ability to have children is a measure of one's worth as a man or a woman. Blame it on the strict Catholic upbringing of most or maybe the "machismo" thinking brought about by centuries of colonization. Thankfully, young couples of today are getting to be more vocal and candid about how they want to live their married lives. Gone are the days when couples were mere extensions or shadows of their parents'/grandparents' beliefs and practices. A point from the minority group that struck me the most was about the choice of being childFREE than childLESS - driving the point that even as a couple (husband and wife), they stand as a complete family unit already. Children don't need to complete their family unit since having each other already makes them complete. Deciding not to have children doesn't make any man or woman any less of who they are, nor does it show a void that needs to be filled, the couple simply wants to have a married life that doesn't have children in the equation.

Children shouldn't be seen or regarded as factors that complete a family but rather as gifts that give married life a whole new dimension. The fact remains that parents are only God's stewards in helping bring up children. In the end, they will live their own lives and make decisions for themselves and all that's left would be the couple. The man and woman begin their lives together as one and also end that life as one. Whatever that comes between can be regarded as the "confetti" of their lives...good until the children leave the nest.

I'll say the same thing I did on my post at the yahoo group: parenting is a choice. The decision to have or not to have children, how many and how often is solely up to the couple. It is their life, after all and they do not have to answer to anyone else except to themselves and their God.