How to Save Tips - Thread 3

[elainedprof]

when i set a certain budget, for example, sa groceries.. i tend to buy things/food kasi natuwa lang ako or biglang nag crave ako for something.. or kahit sa mall, may ganyang attitude ako.. hmm i guess kulang ako sa discipline... 

Sis ganyan din ako dati. Impulsive buyer. Na-sstop ko lang when I bring a fixed amount. As in pam-pamasahe na lang na money. I experienced kasi na walang wala na because of luho. Mabuti na lang di ako nabaon sa utang. Kaya when I think of buying new things, mapagadget or gamit, eh iniisip ko talaga kung kaylangan ko ba talaga siya. Kung hindi naman, eh mas mabuti pang i-save ko nalang ang spare cash ko.

[freelancer_babe]

when i set a certain budget, for example, sa groceries.. i tend to buy things/food kasi natuwa lang ako or biglang nag crave ako for something.. or kahit sa mall, may ganyang attitude ako.. hmm i guess kulang ako sa discipline... 

doon sa groceries, have you tried to make a list?

sa akin kasi I always list down the groceries. actually I have a grocery list in the computer, i-pi-print out ko lang. That list contains the most important things to buy. I'll have to cross out lang yung mga di pa kailangang bilhin.

I also have a set amount for the groceries. At this time P2000/week ang budget ko sa groceries so I try not to go to not over P2100 doon sa grocery bill (the P100 is a buffer, may promo kasi ang CC ko ngayon).

Would you believe, may karga pa akong maliit na calculator sa grocery and do calculations before I pay at the counter? hehe (better for me to look weird than to look poor  ). But it helps.

Kung nacompute ko na kulang pa sa P2000 yung groceries, that's the only time I buy those "extras".

I don't know if this habit of mine would help you as it did with me. Basta nakakatulong lang kasi sa akin ang pag-set ng fixed amount - it helps me avoid temptations. Pag naubos ko na ang fixed amount na yun, then it's time to go home for me. Yung mga sales sa mall, I don't fall for this gimmick unless I have saved up enough - so again, having that fixed amount to spend.

[stylishmomy]

^idol talaga kita when it comes to handling your finances and expenses sis keep inspiring.

[nicola_juliano]

Onga. We can call her "Financial Advisor".  ;-p

[freelancer_babe]

^idol talaga kita when it comes to handling your finances and expenses sis keep inspiring.

Waaah! I didn't know you are "listening" to this thread. Hehe. 

Onga. We can call her "Financial Advisor".  ;-p

I actually learned from my own mistakes. I was also a lousy spender, once. Admittedly, it takes time to get used to avoiding the temptations. Or maybe I'm just simply growing old (but wiser?) LOLs. 

[stylishmomy]

^of course sis hehe I frequent this thread coz I still find myself falling off the gutter when it comes to managing my finances. I have to stay focus so keep posting and inspiring.

[khayzee]

big help sis!  i dont haha. wala akong list, in short dinadaanan ko lahat ng lane. but infairness, nagcocompute ako.. ayoko lang ma experience na pagdating sa counter, kulang pala dala ko 
nag eenjoy kasi ako sa grocery e, ewan ko ba  ayan, lesson learned sis, gagawa na ko ng list next [textspeak!]... thanks sis!

dati, laging may pasalubong na toy ang kid ko whenever i go to the mall or kung san man, now i told him hinde na pwede.. minsan na lang...  ill give it as a reward na lang.. 

[freelancer_babe]

Kung nacompute ko na kulang pa sa P2000 yung groceries, that's the only time I buy those "extras".

Oftentimes rin na kulang pa sa budget ko na P2000 ang weekly groceries. At wala akong maisip na "extra" na gusto kong bilhin.

What I do is, para masagad ko ang P2000 budget, I buy toiletries. You can't go wrong with extra toiletries dahil walang expiry date ang mga ito (unless siguro na meron kang maliliit na kids na malikot at mahilig maglaro ng baby powder at tissue papers).

Nga pala, I only put my grocery budget at P2000/week kung may promo sa CC/ATM card ko. Kung wala, maliit lang ang budget ko sa groceries - anywhere from P1300 to P1500 per week. Nabili ko na kasi ang maraming toiletries noong may CC/ATM card promo eh. 

But still, my point about setting a fixed amount ang making a grocery list stays the same - yun ang basic ng budgeting. Medyo pinakomplikado ko lang ng konti for me to maximize my usage of the CC/ATM card and other promos. 

[stylishmomy]

^that 2k/weekly budget is for how many people sis?

^^same here sis hubby and I enjoy grocery shopping, we take our time lol but we still try our best to stay within our budget

[lovely_chic]

For me effective din sa akin ang paglilista at pagdadala ng calculator pag nagogrocery.. Marami talaga tayong matutunan sa thread na ito.. Keep on posting mga sis..

[freelancer_babe]

^that 2k/weekly budget is for how many people sis?

4 people. 3 adults, 1 kid (pero nasa high school na, so I can consider her consumption similar to an adult na).

Iba pa ang budget ko sa public market. Di ako bumibili ng meat, chicken, veggies and fish sa grocery. It's at P1500 per week.

And as mentioned, if there's no CC/ATM freebies, my weekly grocery budget goes down to P1300 to P1500 per week, and at rare times, less than P1000 pa. Wala na kasing toiletries doon dahil binili ko na in bulk during one of those CC/ATM freebies.

[glamorous_aisha]

thanks sisses for the tips. i need to save for travelling. 2 years na ko may work hindi ko alam kung saan napupunta pera ko, hehe

[stylishmomy]

^^same here sis, we buy meat, fish and some veggies sa public market.

[Wedding]

We changed our very old aircon to a new one.

[nicola_juliano]

Waaah! I didn't know you are "listening" to this thread. Hehe. 

I actually learned from my own mistakes. I was also a lousy spender, once. Admittedly, it takes time to get used to avoiding the temptations. Or maybe I'm just simply growing old (but wiser?) LOLs.

--> Haha! Yeah, I think you're right. :-) Let's be wiser spender!

[nicola_juliano]

We also buy wet food sa palengke because mas fresh sya compared sa mga grocery stores. We already proved it nung bumili kami before. Makikita mo talaga na luma na and not fresh. Iba talaga kapag sa palengke.

We also buy gulay at prutas na din sa palengke. Mas fresh kasi sya, mas mura ng unti at tulong na din sa mga tindera sa palengke dahil kapag lahat binili ko sa grocery, kawawa naman yung mga maliliit na naghahanapbuhay. So groceries na lang binibili namin sa Hypermarket.

Kapag nga pala magbabayad ng bills, use nyo na lang online banking. Hindi pa kayo ma-attempt na pumunta ng mall para lang magbayad at mapabili na din at hindi sayang pamasahe when going to bayad centers. :-)

May napapansin nga pala ako mga sis, parang mas maganda talaga na bumili ng damit sa mga tiangge compared sa SM malls dahil mas mura mga damit dun. Sa mga tiangge, mgaPhp150 pwede na. Mga damit ko kasi puro sa SM ko binibili kapag may sale. Ngayon, iniisip ko, pumunta na lang sa mga tiangge. Mga damit ko kasi simple lang at hindi ako maluho at nakikiuso. Ano mga insights nyo tungkol dito? :-)

[khayzee]

in terms of mga damit, di ako mahilig sa branded  pero once in awhile oo. lahat ng luho ko napunta na sa anak ko 

mga sis, when you go sa groceries or mall, ano ba less magastos? weekly, 2x a month or what?

[stylishmomy]

^same here sis, Terranova lang ako bumibili for me and hubby and ONLY if items are on sale na around 50-70% off

We do groceries weekly sis, others would say mas okay monthly lalo na for toiletries since wala naman expiry and you can buy in bulk - less gastos sa gas/fare.

[freelancer_babe]

Personally I prefer monthly or twice a month grocery, rather than weekly. I would really have saved more.

Kaya lang ako rin kasi ang tagabuhat ng groceries, kaya di rin magwo-work ang monthly or twice a month grocery sa akin.

When it comes to branded, sometimes it's worth getting it, but not always. Di ako brand conscious pagdating sa everyday clothing, pero pagdating sa rubber shoes, it's a different story.

[mishyla]

i prefer monthly. Dati we do twice a month, then sayang sa fare and yun nga, minsan hindi mo maiwasan may bilhin sa mall, or mamasyal aside sa grocery lang talaga. and later on alam ko na din ilang pcs ng ganito ang kukunin ang good for a month consumption. ganun..binibili ko din yung malalaki na, instead yung mga small portions lang, like sa cooking oil, sa soy, vinegar and so on.

yung meat and veggies sa palengke lang, lapit lang e, walking distance so fresh lagi. plus pag suki na minsan may tawad na or may dagdag sa gulay.

macheck nga din yang promo sa CC, I allot a specific budget per grocery pero CC ang gamit ko. then pay ko na lang, before or after. may points na. pwede pa redeem ng perks if may promo sa CC.