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Who’s going to the Rich Dad Academy?
Published on 2012-05-23 01:38:22
Before we stepped out of the car, I told my friend they will sell us this and that at the Rich Dad Education Workshop. After all, despite all the freebies and the come-hither, it is a marketing event that we are going to. I told her (self-assuredly) I do not easily say yes. That in [...] > read more
Big news for small business, the new 1099K tax form (Infographic)
Published on 2012-05-16 00:04:24
Here’s news for Paypal earners – they will now have a tax form to fill, and of course, their online incomes are no longer below the radar as in the (golden) years past. Their bane though, is the government’s gain (think $378 billion, which is the tax gap). But it’s not all grim news in [...] > read more
11 Ways to save money at the movies
Published on 2012-05-15 23:45:49
The movies can break the bank. It never used to. At least where I was from, movies can be had for, say, less than $5. So we would watch every week, and sometimes, we would watch a movie twice. And so I was surprised to find that it is a luxury (at $12.50!) in Canada, [...] > read more
Not All Insurance Are Created Equal
Published on 2012-04-30 19:48:26
Not all insurance are created equal. While appearing equal, most appear to be bloody sharks, feeding on the murkiness of our ignorance. And sometimes, this is what they actually are, devouring the unsuspecting. But an enigma too, because their "numbers" could, at once, become flexible as if by magic. If you ask nicely. Okay, forget nicely. If you ask. There is something about knocking that opens doors. Please click on the title to read more. > read more
Managing physical and digital clutter: the magic wand
Published on 2012-04-15 02:52:28
Gmail has given me 7 GB of free space. My iPhone has 16 GB. I do not even know how many my laptop has, but it is getting slower so I realize I am getting close – dangerously close – to the limit. A lot of space gone – because of clutter. I don’t know [...] > read more
Why stay?
Published on 2012-04-14 02:38:07
A chance encounter. I talked to someone today and was surprised to find out she is a lawyer in Germany. But like most professionals in Canada, who face the bar of credential recognition and what it stands for – further studies, time and expense – she thinks she will never get to practice her profession [...] > read more
Finding your inner fashion
Published on 2012-04-09 22:55:30
Seeing with the mind’s eye gowns of the most beautiful fabric – and doodling and spinning outrageous stories – were my favorite pastimes when I was a young girl. I would draw upon pages – reams – of paper, that I was sure I would be a fashion designer when I grew up. But logic [...] > read more
7 Money Lessons for Financial Literacy Month
Published on 2012-04-09 22:17:36
Guest post from Andrea Woroch. April is an important month when it comes to spending money. Soon-to-be grads prep for the “real world” as parents contemplate the rising costs of summer camp for their kids. Homeowners tackle pricey improvement projects during more favorable spring temperatures while others face the looming tax deadline for paying outstanding [...] > read more
Time to Write
Published on 2012-04-01 23:51:58
Strong Women, Strong Canada
Published on 2012-03-21 02:20:21
“No gypsies, no Irish, no blacks.” One could have dropped a pin and it would be heard, as there was silence as all eyes and ears were on International Women’s Day 2012 keynote speaker Angela Baines as she held a paper with those words. All at once, and while Baines was recounting her immigrant story [...] > read more
Immigration is Hardest for Foreign-Trained Professionals
Published on 2012-03-06 23:31:55
This is fact. And it’s a fact disclosed to Filipino professionals – lawyers, doctors, accountants, architects, engineers, and many others — before they ever embark on a plane to Canada to claim First World lives. But too often, these foreign-trained professionals refuse to believe it. They can’t believe all the hours they’ve spent in school, [...] > read more
Resort Review: Pacific Shores Resort and Spa (Vancouver Island)
Published on 2012-02-20 00:09:08
My timeshare is probably one of the best investments I have ever made. I did not always think so. I ranted about fees, used it sparingly, suffered poor customer service, thought about selling it. But very recently, RCI redeemed itself through one beautiful resort in Vancouver Island. Enter Pacific Shores Resort and Spa. Let’s start [...] > read more
Interesting Infographics Comparing Eastern and Western Medicine
Published on 2012-02-12 00:48:23
Last year, when we were still going to Dr. Tan Ci Shou, renowned practitioner of Eastern medicine, I wrote a post on East versus West: Alternative Medicine. In our story, the West ultimately won, and hubby underwent pacemaker implantation. But honestly, there are still doubts in our minds of whether this was the right thing [...] > read more
Cutting Corners: Retailers Making Bottom-Line Resolutions
Published on 2012-02-09 02:05:33
Post from Andrea Woroch. Consumers tend to make straightforward New Year resolutions: Spend less, save more and pay down debt. This year, it appears retailers want to change just one thing…their bottom line. The tried-and-true methods aren’t working anymore as consumers learn to resist the urge to buy, so merchants are starting their own trends. [...] > read more
Lessons from a Portuguese Woman
Published on 2012-01-31 23:37:49
She was in coveralls, smudged by soot from head to toe. She had been cleaning the fireplace of one of the apartment she owns. She did not look the part at that time – but I was looking at one of the more financially savvy immigrant septuagenarian of Vancouver. Her eyes had confidence as it [...] > read more
The Journey is the Message
Published on 2012-01-21 04:48:36
We were late. We were going to beautiful Victoria in Vancouver Island and we overslept. There was a forecast of sun and I peeked to the window, apprehensive, because we have not seen the sun in days. It was out! And the world was beautiful! At once, I was filled with panic. It might disappear [...] > read more
Most People Preparing to Eat Dog Food in Retirement
Published on 2012-01-18 13:28:39
Cross-post from Steve of GetOutofDebt.org. To make it through tough times more Americans have borrowed, stolen or raided their small retirement funds to make ends meet. Loans from retirement funds jumped 20 percent last year. This really can’t be a big surprise to many. Faced with difficult financial decisions people will tend to gravitate towards [...] > read more
What Many Entrepreneurs Do Not Know (or Realize)
Published on 2011-06-25 22:01:25
In making the ad that sells, it is not about you, or your product, or your company. Yes, branding is okay. Being perceived as the expert, as trustworthy, is okay. Having a great product is okay – even great. But before all the smoke and mi > read more
A Matter of Time
Published on 2011-06-16 21:27:46
Everyone is obsessed with time. It is both a cross and deliverance. It flies and drags. But like an illusion, it does not exist. There is only now. But what do you do with your time? Like everyone else, you are probably not very good with it. > read more
Nothing Goes In Until Something Comes Out
Published on 2011-06-10 08:27:36
You have a mission. You look at your closet and then in it – really look – and you cannot fight the overwhelming feeling that there is just too much that you have allowed yourself to accumulate. Yes, it is a testament to how much > read more
Top 20 Finance (and-not-so-finance) Quotes
Published on 2011-06-04 22:15:05
All I really need to know about finance, I learned in RFP. That is Registered Financial Planner for you, er, me – the seminar that I am attending so I (we!) can get a growth spurt in personal finance (well, that is the idea). Here are some quotab > read more
Sometimes It Is Hard
Published on 2011-06-02 11:33:47
To blog, or write, or sneak out so that when my little boy smiles at me I will not be tempted to drop my pen and carry him. Or be in darkness, as I am now, writing when everyone else is sleeping. Sometimes it is worth it, sometimes it is not, and i > read more
Money Summit 2011: Passion and Vince Golangco
Published on 2011-05-26 08:24:35
The really successful people are the ones who follow their passion. Take Vince Golangco, for one. He loved to travel and would go into the craziest places and do the craziest things – true to his adage – living life to the fullest. But then Whe > read more
The Cost of Opportunity
Published on 2011-05-19 05:24:31
Opportunities appear not to those who wait, but to those who look. The problem is, not everyone looks. Most sit on their divans and wait for the apple to fall, although there is no tree around. Okay, sometimes there is – outside – but > read more
Gearing Up for a Green School Year with Ecothings
Published on 2011-05-16 10:19:42
Hubby and daughter are celebrities. I mean their faces have graced several newspapers, including the Philippine Inquirer and the Philippine Star, courtesy of the Ecothings event, Make Your Own Notebook, which was held at the Rockwell Club last April > read more
Money Summit 2011: If You Think Education is Expensive, Try Ignorance
Published on 2011-05-11 11:55:03
Yes, please sign me up! Seminars. Opportunities to learn new things, new ways of thinking, new (and hopefully more effective) ways of making money, new trends, meet interesting and like minded people… how could anyone pass that up? I could no > read more
It Started as a Silly Idea
Published on 2011-05-07 10:23:27
From the window in my office, I could see a sliver of the sea. At 4pm, it glistens, a beacon for those who care to look. The sun is directly above it and plays on its surface, and the sun’s clouds appear to be yellow graduating to orange, > read more
Marrying a Man is Not a Financial Plan
Published on 2011-05-04 07:51:31
At the onset, let me say that I think it was love. He had her and then he lost her, when someone whispered to his ear to, well, explore the world and his options. But when he saw her showing off more skin in the tabloids, at the arm of some other m > read more
Easter Egg Hunt
Published on 2011-04-23 23:36:59
We could not wait for dawn to break through. But as it is , the night was still blanketed with stars. But we were excited and could not sleep because of the excitement. We have just painted our Easter eggs, my brothers and I, just a few hours ago > read more
Letting God
Published on 2011-04-22 09:29:56
From time to time, you reach points in your life when you just feel… tired. Tired of going through the daily grind, tired of being wrong, tired of being right. Tired of arguing with people over the same things over and over again, tired of worryi > read more
Why Are You Investing?
Published on 2011-04-17 07:04:08
Today I embarked on my journey towards becoming a Registered Financial Planner. I figured – I might as well plunge head-on into the world of personal finance. And what better way to continue my education than by formal training. Good too that I g > read more
The Launch: Eco Things – Creativity in Harmony with Nature
Published on 2011-04-14 08:40:40
From eco things. Jump-start summer with a fun and unique event: eco things’ Make Your Own Notebook. eco things specializes in eco-printed products, uses 100% recyclable materials, such as recycled paper, soy ink, and water-based glue, and striv > read more
An Inspirational Speech to Grade 6 Graduating Students
Published on 2011-04-11 10:05:53
My alma mater called and requested that I give an inspirational speech during the graduation rites of its Grade School Department. Odd. A week before, I made a self-assessment and determined I wanted more training / experience in public speaking. H > read more
More Becoming-a-Millionaire-Without-Going-Into-Business Tips
Published on 2011-04-04 22:26:20
You can read the first part here. Everyone wants millions and the dreams-come-true that go with it. There are roads that are tried and tested – which, more often than not, involve business. But here are some other ways to get to that golden > read more
How to Be A Millionaire Without Starting a Business (and a Mention at Cosmopolitan Magazine!)
Published on 2011-03-31 08:22:43
When I got the email from Kristina Monica Guerra of Cosmopolitan Magazine requesting for an interview, I was more than thrilled – I was ecstatic. She said she got to know of me from Anton Diaz’ list of upcoming Bloggers and wanted my two > read more
Benefits of Giving and Some Stories at Sun and Moon
Published on 2011-03-27 22:35:37
Sun Moon You can read the first part here. A friend told me about Sun and Moon Home for Children. This is its story: After its successful opening in London, “Miss Saigon” went on to open in other major cities in the world. Every year since th > read more
Beginning Philanthropy
Published on 2011-03-22 11:13:22
Going to orphanages, or the home for the aged, or seeking out the poor and the downtrodden – to reach out, to help – it is not something one thinks about on a day to day basis. But they – the abandoned, the old and forgotten, the po > read more
Stopped Reading or Watching the News But Then the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Happened
Published on 2011-03-16 20:14:49
I used to love reading newspapers. It was in fact the highlight of my day. I could not get enough of them, and would read not one but two or more of different newspapers. And if I make it home before 7 at night, I would switch on the television a > read more
Congratulations to the Winners of The Walking Eater
Published on 2011-03-15 22:09:41
Thank you for joining The Walking Eater Contest. Winning two (2) Walking Eaters each are … drumroll please … Patrick Carlos, Teeyah and Polinda Usero. Congratulations! You may be wondering – what am I going to do with 2? Actu > read more
Domestic Diva
Published on 2011-03-14 08:09:12
I am not. I mean I cook and bake sparingly, sweep the floor occasionally, arrange the closet (that I have ransacked for something to donate, or wear or throw away) some of the time. But, I will admit this, I do not know how to clean the bathroom, h > read more
A Discovery In the Culinary Capital
Published on 2011-03-13 08:48:31
Cross-post from MoneyDoctors Blog. Pampanga. The birthplace of many chefs extraordinaire. So it is no wonder that there are some great restaurants in the province. But only some. Hubby and I wondered about this and surmised that because every other K > read more
Sometimes I Do Not Agree With Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You To Be Rich
Published on 2011-03-04 08:09:45
Well, at least, one time I did not. Because, in an email to me about his “breathtaking insight about customers and human behavior,” he discussed two categories of customers: People who will NEVER pay… Asked “How much is it??” be > read more
Do You Want to Win An Expense Tracker?
Published on 2011-02-26 22:55:39
Everyone needs one. And borne of a MoneyDoctors story, we have produced one. And we called it The Walking Eater. Thing is, it is not just a MoneyDoctors story. It is actually our story. My husband’s story. He is the walking eater. .. > read more
If It Does Not Make You Money, Cut the Time You Spend Doing It In Half
Published on 2011-02-23 07:25:51
Or obliterate it altogether. But boys will be boys. Will be boys. And my husband, is a boy. (still a boy) He always has gadget fads that he swears will not last. But they keep morphing into some other fad, that I want to scream to him: Yes > read more
How Not to Get What You (Might Eventually) Want
Published on 2011-02-17 21:55:50
Sometimes we make things hard for ourselves. We hate this, we will never do that, we would rather die first, or punctuate our thoughts with “…only if hell freezes over”, allowing ourselves to fall prey to strong feelings of (false) pride, revu > read more
How We Prepared for Baby
Published on 2011-02-11 06:23:00
With every kick at my gut, I was reminded that I was not alone. With every fluttering in my stomach, I knew he was there, his father’s son, and he was coming very soon. He came and I did not have any idea what I had to do. How does one prepar > read more
The MoneyDoctors Story
Published on 2011-02-06 00:40:36
It was a fine afternoon and Nannette and I got to talking. I just passed the insurance examination given by the Insurance Commission and can now be ushered into the world of insurance agents and hustling and bustling. That made me uncomfortable a > read more
Celebrating the Chinese New Year
Published on 2011-02-01 20:02:47
The Chinese New Year has been flitting in and out of the edge of my culture and consciousness as kaleidoscopic images of round red lanterns, tikoy, dragon dances and loud firecrackers. I remember tikoy (Chinese New Year's cake made of glutinous rice > read more
A 90-Day Credit Card Moratorium
Published on 2011-01-29 06:24:11
At our post-Christmas party, my partners at MoneyDoctors started talking about a credit card moratorium for their families – this meant they will not use their credit cards for 90 days. With the Christmas indulgence, I also engaged in some wanto > read more
The Working Woman’s Guide To Riches
Published on 2011-01-25 11:08:37
Sometimes, we need a guidepost, a road map to where we want to be. Most of the time, our goals involve wealth, or ways to wealth. Here are some methods that are tried and tested 1. Make a financial assessment. A woman should know how much sh > read more
Looking Back (and Giving Back)
Published on 2011-01-15 11:03:19
The day started innocently. I asked a friend for the number of my old nanny when I recently had a nanny crisis, thinking I could attain the safe haven that I had for myself as a child by having my old nanny take care of my little boy. But alas, she > read more
Why You Should Not Play Plants vs. Zombies
Published on 2011-01-08 11:01:38
You look at the clock. It screamed 3 a.m. at you. You screamed a silent scream – one of realization. Also of disgust. And elation. The kind that you get when you are not being you, and it is liberating. You have become a Plants vs. Zombies > read more
Abundance for the New Year
Published on 2011-01-02 08:50:10
I found this lone piggybank in a toy store and embraced it right away, looking suspiciously to my left and to my right to check if someone will get it from me. ... To keep reading the article, please click on the title ... No other takers. I b > read more
Abundance and a Happy New 2011 For All
Published on 2011-01-01 09:20:53