The Manila Pen Takeover

The Manila Pen Takeover yesterday is now part of the Philippines political history. I was especially affected by it, not only because I was in Manila when it happened, but because I took out my investment funds THAT MORNING. I have to admit, I had a minor freak-out episode. I scrapped and saved to get that investment fund. That was our Christmas fund, and it can all go down the drain due to circumstances beyond our control.

Investments are a risks. And there will always be circumstances beyond our control. This event reaffirmed my belief that we should live a frugal lifestyle. Banks could close, economies could crash. But when we know how to work and live with less, we can survive with less. And it also made me realize that everything is connected. I don't follow politics but I know whatever happens with our government can affect the quality of our lives. Just look at my investment fund. I hope it wasn't affected by this event, or else, we'd have a really lean Christmas this year.

How about you? How were you affected by the Manila Pen Takeover?

Welcome to Frugal Filipina

As you can see in the title, Frugal Filipina is a basic personal finance blog. I'm not a financial guru. I don't invest in the stock market (don't have enough money, yet). I'm not rich. I'm just a regular Filipina, earning a decent living, who has realized that living frugally has enabled me and my husband to life a comfortable, fulfilling lifestyle. I also realized that there aren't enough personal finance blogs that cater to Filipinos. Most of the advice in those blogs aren't applicable to us because our financial situation and our attitude towards money are very different from Americans or Europeans.

But that shouldn't stop us from making the most of our money. Now, it's more important than ever that we take control of our finances and make our money work for us instead of working for our money. I can't make you rich with this blog, but I hope the advice I share can make your lives more fulfilling. We, Filipinas, don't need to win the lottery, marry a rich man, or work abroad to live a full life because money can't give you a full life. Money is just a tool to for you to provide you with what you need to live. Getting the most out of your life comes from what you can do with the things money has provided for you.

I'm not the frugality queen, either. I still make a lot of mistakes and sometimes, I don't follow my own advice. I hope, in the future, we can share advice and improve each others lives. Because, you got to admit, when in comes to money, we all need help.