MAIKA 14 -- sayang we cannot access that thread on Secret Accounts anymore. Ang ganda ng discussions doon.. both pros and cons.
OT lang ha but I hope the others give us a little slack coz it is important for women. The purpose of a Secret Account, let me clarify, is for emergencies, bad luck turns, crisis... mga ganoon. It is not for a bag, for a DI, a lover, for expensive lunches, for shopping. But, if your kids hit their teens and it is hard to explain to hubby their social requirements -- but you are convinced it is good for their character and development -- ang pang gastos doon eh will come from that secret account.
So many ways to feed secret accounts -- cash gifts from hubby, in laws, parents, etc. etc. Windfalls like commissions on deals, etc etc. Even part of your regular income or salary. Sidelines. Be creative.
The deal about keeping it from hubby's knowledge... is because pag hindi alam na may ganoon ka, he will continue to provide for most if not every requirement. I am not saying that all men are this way. Basta... como the secret account is for the unexpected, generally, ... dapat hindi na factor in yan sa regular living di ba.
Now, how do you keep it secret? Many ways.
Maintain it in a bank with instructions not to send you statements. Or send statements, notices etc to your mother's or sister's house. It is prudent that you make someone you trust a co-signor... in case you drop dead... there should be a blank check to withdraw 99% of it all.
The thing is, if you have money, do not let it lie idle in a S/A -- but paikutin mo pa to make you more money.
My husband must know at the back of his head that I have funds. Kasi when he gives me a big amount for myself... I do not go off buying jewelry or what. I buy dump trucks and lease it out to our construction company. Of course! I collect ha. LOL
Mga ganoong racket.
Just a couple of months ago, there was a property up for grabs.
But, given that we are globally in for hard times... and a couple of months ago, parang everybody did not know how far below we would all globally sink... my husband was not gonna risk tying up funds (in a frozen/standby asset) that will be more useful for the business 1 fine day. Ganoon kasi when there is "blood on the streets" ika nga, "cash is king".
I asked him if he thought that in the long run that property would be good for the family investment portfolio. Take note... family ang 1st criteria ko, not business ha. It cost a high double-digit million kasi. I brought that out of my secret account... and he was so pleased that naku! may ganoon pala akong amount. (Of course, I did not reveal the rest of it... ano ako, t@anga?! LOL)
That also cemented the respect due me as an equal partner to this marriage.
But I did not get to that point without being creative, without postponing my current wants. Kung aasa lang ako sa mga cash gifts and the rare pakupit kupit... wala. All that kept me going vis-a-vis my Secret Account was that if my marriage breaks down, and my husband like other men in my family and some of my friends -- suddenly becomes mean with finances... sure, I may be heartbroken but I sure ain't gonna be a Loser.
I will be able to lead a beautiful life pa rin, with my children under my care. Coz that is how the world turns... whether you have money or none, have a lot or a little.... when the sh1t hits the fan.. it is the mother who is the 1 left responsible for the children.
Women should not be discouraged if at 1st isip nila wala naman masyado malagay sa Secret Account. Do not block your future development; let your potential bloom!
Kahit na ba maliit yan... it is so much better than a zero di ba.
And keep in mind too, that money is not everything. Money will not make it all happen for you. It is still you na kelangan magpaikot sa pera mo (hindi tulad nang iba ang pera nila ang nagpapaikot sa kanila).
BUT -- money always helps. Kahit na konti.
It can give you that breathing space you may require to gather your strength, to survive a dark night, to keep you from throwing yourself off Guadalupe Bridge.
And as my Achi once said: her secret account funds the dresses her daughter requires to attend dress-up parties...A husband will ask: hindi ba puede ulitin ang damit?! or, ang mahal! ... Her daughter's hug, smile and appreciation daw are more than enough reward for her scrimping. Atchaka, that daughter will afford better dresses and all later on ... but she will never forget how her mother took care of more than just her basic needs. Priceless! di ba?
Thank you all for your patience for letting us go OT here. The Secret Account is an important part of my advocacy for Women/Personal Empowerment.
Kaya yang inheritance issue na yan within my family -- I always remind them.. money is best used to make someone you love happy... best used shared with someone in dire need.... so talagang hindi ko maintindihan why our Mother insists on making swapang to her daughters, some of whom sure would gain peace of mind, security and happiness from a few millions she can spare.
The other day, I felt down kasi our family is so polarized now. Si Mother is really close minded ... and not likely to change her stance. "Ako ang magulang, ako lang ang tama..." inspite of what her lawyers say. Siguro her friends are like-minded. Hindi katulad natin dito... we stretch ourselves to expand our viewpoints -- lawakan ang pananaw, lawakan ang pag intindi.
Then 1 of my sisters... mind you, she and her husband are government employees na hindi corrupt ha. They have 3 kids in good schools. Walang kibo ito, they lead orderly lives.
Now may mga maturities na pinilit ko some of the siblings receive an advance from. Sinabi ko, since not all of us are asking for a share/advance now... pano naman malugi si Mother at isipin nya na malugi sya sa final kwentahan ng sharing?
So, 2 sisters got an "advance".
This 1 sister bought a simple car for her kids to use. At least, safety nang kids nya yon... instead of nakiki sakay, nag commute sa gabi.
Then she said something that made me leave our lunch with other sisters agad.. kasi baka maiyak ako.
She said that with the interest she will get from the placements now -- she will be able to buy better food for her kids.
Hindi sila ginugutom for sure, but food is simple. And imagine! ganoon ang family happiness nila... better food on the table.
She said at least hindi sya stressed out now with her market expenses... kasi she said kahit na anong tipid mo sometimes eh... talagang mahirap nga she said to put good food on the table.
That was the 1st time she mentioned food to us.
So .. sabi ko nga, why do I want my share now?
No longer for our mom coz she has more than enough. Greedy na nga tingin ko eh.
But in case a sibling lands in the kangkungan or meets a big crisis (I pray wala) -- mabuti nang may standby funds ako.
Why should I (as some of you pointed out) stand by and just let our mother throw good money after bad by throwing money at the kids of the dead brother -- parang walang katapusang balon sabi ko nga.
Eh may share naman sila from my dead brother's share and estate... and bakit kelangan deprive my sisters?
Why should a sister be deprived of peace of mind and ability to put better food on the table to give more than what another sibling's family needs... considering that family has already wasted a fortune.
So there. Life can be more imperfect, apparently.
But, so there... we have to make difficult choices.
I just cannot NOT rock the boat.
I have oftentimes wondered if the cost to this nasty guerra patani (hindi na nga patani eh guerra lahar rocks na!) is worth it all?
Baka dapat pinabayaan ko na lang my mother with her greed, kaswapangan, her controlling nature...
Wala naman akong personal gain na inisip talaga at the start.
I just wanted fairness. Oo, aminin... I am a Libran... hindi ko binibigyan ng importance yang mga signs signs ek-ek dati.. But, in my case it struck me these past few months... ganoon nga ang buhay ko.. I always strive to put in place what is fair.
So marami na akong nasaliang guerra patani. hay buhay.
Kadalasan nga hindi naman ako the party-to-profit; but there, that is the bane of my life... Hindi ko kayang talikuran what is not fair.
Sometimes too, it is hard to accept the truth.. even when everything around you points to that painful truth.
As the quiet sister told the lawyer-uncle last week: "She was not a good mother you know."
Uncle-lawyer just kept quiet.
I never verbalized that, no one did.
But when we heard that sister relate it... nobody contradicted it.
So, it is sad that we have a mother who is angry at us.. who is comforting herself with her delusion that her daughters are "sakim".
Imagine! that word she used daw per a brother.... Like that "bul2" word -- eto nanaman ako... I had to go ask what it really translated into. But this time, nobody laughed as with my query on what bul2 meant.
"Sakim"?!
When she has 50% right off (some are hidden, beyond our Executor's accounting, for sure) ... When she has that 50% PLUS the share in the 50% balance equal to the share of each legitimate child? (wala kaming illegitimate sibling eh). Tapos, kami ang "sakim"?!
I really do not know where some people get their words.
Tell me, is giving birth to another person enough license to do what you want to that person?
Like -- I can malign you, mistreat you, bring you grief kasi... pinanganak kita!
?!?!?!?!?!
So there, this is as complicated as real life can get vis-a-vis inheritance; vis a vis money and properties.
Sabi ng lola ko noon... if you want to see the true character of a person (mga suitors) .,.. watch how they conduct themselves when they gamble.
Hence, we frequently had mahjong, black jack, poker, pusoy and yes... strip poker (LOL) in the house with friends and all.
It holds true beyond what my lola says... it is the attitude and attachment to money that best defines a person.
Mabigat sa dibdib ha. My husband says I have been depressed for the last couple of days... Well, so there it is.... She was never a good mother.
She will continue to not be a good mother.
That is the card dealt to us. What can we do but accept it as our Reality, and move on.
Our family is dysfunctional, as a sister has long long said... and the silver lining is that we have each managed our families differently.
It is saddening that the family broke down because of the inheritance problem.
But talaga ngang it is not the money that is the issue -- but, how we love or not love each other; respect or not respect each other.
I must also go back to what is basic, for me.
That at the end of the day... what you have to live with is yourself.
Your family may be gone, and you are literally and figuratively alone as in ALONE -- or you may be the toast of the town... but it is yourself you have to live with.
Life will never be perfect; people, more so.
But one must always try to be a person better than what she or he was yesterday.
For other people, there is no issue with that... because they have an airtight delusion or belief they are right, always. But that is their script, not yours.
Thank you all for seeing me through this.
As I have told family and friends at times: Sometimes it is complete strangers who are kinder, more compassionate, or more understanding.
Thank you all for helping me go through this.
I hope you have not come away empty-handed likewise. I hope I have given you some new knowledge, some new insight, something to expand your perspective... or amused you at least.
God bless all.
OO nga pala... thank you for your patience with my long posts. Hwag ako batuhin!

God bless all.