NU # 3 MBAH-10B by Sexy Cowboy Girl - Serendipity Walk

Submitted by: SEXY COWBOY GIRL

MBAH-10B

Date submitted: January 17, 2012

NU # 3

SERENDIPITY WALK

As I take my daily route to reach my destination, I focused on the area where hospital and schools are located, and thought of the following as business opportunities:

- computer shops with printing and photocopy services

- photocopying shops to include services of book binding, riso copying, ID lamination

- mini school supplies store

- mini restaurants that serve home-cooked foods

- apartments for rent

- rent a room

- laundry stalls

- clothing store

- 24/7 convenience store

- mini carinderia

- food carts that serve juice, fish balls, French fries, hot dogs, and the likes

- tricycle, "padyak" transportation

- 24/7 pharmacy

- parking areas

- laboratories that offer quality service at affordable prices

- coffee shops

- beauty salons  3.5

NU12#9 - Butt Fill (reusable cigarette butts) by Rhea Jardin

re-sending

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Rhea Jardin <rgjardin@yahoo.com>
To: Entrep10 NU12 <jorge.saguinsin.sentrep@blogger.com>
Sent: Monday, November 5, 2012 3:54 PM
Subject: NU12#9 - Butt Fill (reusable cigarette butts) by Rhea Jardin

         Smoking is dangerous to your health, as what is printed on cigarette packaging. It is not only dangerous to our health, but the cigarette butts that are being thrown out everywhere by smokers are dangerous to our environment. The butts contain toxins and other chemicals that can be released in the environment, particularly in our water system. Butt Fill, a reusable cigarette butt, could help solve the problem in cigarette butt disposal. The Butt Fill is quite similar with the traditional pipe except that it is designed particularly for cigarettes only. The manufacturers of cigarettes should produce cigarettes that have no butts. These no-butts cigarettes will be inserted in the Butt Fill and smokers will be able to consume the cigarette to the fullest, thus no butts will be left out to be thrown elsewhere. The Butt Fill could be reuse over and over again, and the fibrous materials inside it that traps tar and other toxins can be refill or replaced after 2 or 3 years depending on how frequent the smoker uses it. 3

NU 12 by ANALIZA G. MENDOZA

Ana G. Mendoza

Tel no. 927-7063 loc 108

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: ana mendoza <agg_22ph@yahoo.com>
To: entrep NU12 <jorge.saguinsin.sentrep@blogger.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 4, 2012 7:44 PM
Subject: NU 12 by ANALIZA G. MENDOZA

ANALIZA G. MENDOZA NU 12 Nov. 4, 2012 Taking the metro rail transit or the mrt should be in anyway convenient to its passengers. But the long lines especially in the morning seems to be unbearable. It sometimes is the cause of delay for those passengers who wants to reach their destinations fast. In order to serve its clients in the fast and convenient way possible , I suggest the following:1) Ticketing - in order to avoid the long lines, even to the stairs, tickets should be available in convenient stores or it should be reload able. Like cellular cards, people should be able to access it through the Internet or in any reloading stations. Convenient stores should also be allowed to sell tickets so that passengers will not waste time falling in line. Working, students and individuals taking mrt should feel its convenience and not be stressed and feel tired of enduring the long lines. They can be productive if they go the their respective destinations stress free.2) Security check - people can feel safe yet feel convenient. Long lines of waiting for the guards to finish checking the opened bags or baggages of people should not be that over tasking. I really find it funny when these guards ask us to open our bags and just point a stick inside it. They don't even scrutinize what is inside. Why not install X-ray machines that can detect harm and danger to its passengers? The alarm will buzz if it detects dangerous chemicals or weapons and also long queuing will be avoided as people will only have to pass by the detector. MRT is built to make traveling convenient for us. Officials should realize that convenience in every aspect in taking the MRT is an important consideration. People are more productive if they don't feel tired and arrive at their destinations fresh. Imagine a girl wearing high heels and working in an office or a student going to school about to take an exam or a mother with a toddler having to enduring the long lines and reaching their destinations so tired anne stressed because of their early morning experience in the MRT. Is it still possible to be productive while physically tired? I doubt they will. 4

Ana G. Mendoza

Tel no. 927-7063 loc 108

NU 12 #10 4D Movies by Jenny Orbeta

Cc: "jenny" <jenorbeta@yahoo.com> Received: Monday, 5 November, 2012, 6:37 AM hi sir, here is my NU 12 #10. Thanks! PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT 1. Filipinos are avid movie-goers.Most of us spend family time in malls particularly in movie theatres. In order to make the movie (especially cartoons and Disney movies)  more interesting to children, we can use 4D. We can combine the 3D film with physical effects in the theatre. Some of the effects that can be simulated in 4D films can include rain, wind, strobe lights, and vibration. This will make the movie experience more enjoyable especially for the children.4

NU6- MEdical Screeing/Monotoring Watch

NU #6

Medical  Screeing/Monitoring Watch

Arlene Buan-Gerona

  Watches or bracelets nowadays are not only being use as fashion accessories but becoming innovatively useful for different technological innovations like a bracelet with a GPS tracking device,a watch that is supposed to monitor the heart rate of the runners, etc. With all these present functions, why not extend it uses--Why not invent a watch that will function as a medical screening and monitoring tool. There are just so many things to watch out for in our body, there are many medical laboratory tests required in monitoring our health conditions. The following are the essential ones and can be included in the medical watch monitoring/screening proposal:

1.Electrolyte Tests ( Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Calcium )

2.Basic Blood Chemistry ( Blood Urea Nitrogen, Creatinine, Glucose )

     3. Lipid Profile ( Cholesterol, Triglycerides, Uric acid )

 The monitoring of the above substances are being done thru blood tests. These are the common electrolytes and minerals that help keep the body's fluid levels in balance, and are necessary to help the muscles, heart, kidney and other organs work properly.

 I challenge our medical researchers/inventors to come up with a  single product like a medical watch that can monitor these important electrolytes With a medical watch product, we don't have to buy different testing kits/ apparatus for different tests; we don't have to go to laboratories and  hospitals, and spend much for these lab tests. More importantly, we are constantly reminded of our health conditions; we are readily informed and this can translate to a healthier life style. I would love to wear watch that will alarm whenever I have an excess intake of salts, cholesterol, sugar, etc.. 4

No need for a laboratory test; I will save money and time! And no needles! :) 

NU12 #1 by Ana G. Mendoza

WHAT PISSES YOU OFF AT THE MALL?

Malls are one of the places that the family would normally go to for bonding. It is where friends, acquaintances, lovers and even individuals go to for some quality time, shopping or simply to unwind. One can imagine how much profit the mall gets for every single person that goes in and out of it.

I am really pissed off with the way they handle security. Each time our car would enter the parking area, the guards would ask us to stop check the under the car for any sign of bombs or deadly weapons or ask us to open the compartment or the back of the car. How can mall only think of these? What if I hide the bomb inside the car or under the matting or the seats of the car? Will they be able to detect it? The owners and operators of the mall should realize that the safety of the people should come first. Without the people they will not have income. It is but fair to protect their safety and the mall as well.

Instead of these mirrors that I find so funny and stupid, why not invest in detectors that can check the car every time it passes or better yet put K9 dogs to assure the security of everybody. I know this will be a big money to shell out for the malls but what is money if the safety of your shoppers is at stake. They should realize that they would also lose a lot once worst situation such as bombing of a mall will happen.

Another thing that pisses me off at the mall are the restrooms that require you to pay. Although comparing it in using a restroom that is free, the pay restroom is cleaner, with tissues, lotions and a nice and calming scent. Can one not get it for free since the mall charges their tenants high rentals? Powerplant since it caters to highend customers makes sure that their restrooms are very clean complete with hand soaps and tissues. I think Trinoma, since it is also a high end mall should do the same. It just pisses me off that Trinoma charges an extra 10 pesos for people who would want to use and clean and fragrant restroom. 3

NU 12 by RT - Anti Graffiti Paint

Good morning Sir!


Here is my nu12 paper #12.


Thanks and Regards,
Risha

ANTI-GRAFFITI AND ANTI-POSTER PAINT

Time flies by so fast that pretty soon we're going to have another national elections going on. As they try to be so strict with the allocations of space for posters and banners, it's inevitable that the public (and private) walls will be bombarded with posters that would be too difficult to take away – polluting the visual images around the city again. The metro aides will work full time shortly after the winners will be proclaimed.

This doesn't just happen during election-time though. Graffiti and posters are posted just about anywhere. It's a problem that hasn't been resolved.

I researched on the available wall paints out there that may solve the problem, but the available ones fall short. Boysen's Wallguard just has higher resistance to dirt. But I would bet my money that anyone with a spray paint can would be able to use it on a wall painted with this line of Boysen's paint.

We're trying to fight against graffiti and posters.

First, the posters. If the paint of the walls has a top layer of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) which we know as Teflon. There should be enough of PTFE that the walls come out non-stick. This way, only official signed by MMDA could be screwed or nailed onto the walls. No more surprise posters in the morning after the midnight miracle workers did their thing.

Then, the graffiti. The main objective is to avoid graffiti. The other objective is to minimize need for metro aides to clean the walls. The PTFE will help the spray paint from sticking, but as a further step, the paint should therefore be inspired by the thermal paper of fax machines – which is made of fluoran leuco dye and octadecylphosphonic acid. This way, even if images (from spray paint) may achieve contact at one point, in the long run it will detach and fade under normal humidity – bringing the wall paint back to original. This eliminates the need for the aides to clean up.

With this new breed of paint mixing PTFE and the thermal paper ingredients would help clean up the visual images of the city, any time of the year. 4

Personal Inventory System (NU12 Paper #9 by RT)

Good evening Sir,

Here is my NU12 paper for the week.

Thanks and Regards,
Risha

PERSONAL INVENTORY SYSTEM

For the past couple of months I've been missing pieces of accessories. They're cheap but I really liked them and used them often. They aren't easy to replace, so the loss is felt.

Everyone has lost something at least once in their lives, some more than others, and sometimes the item lost is something with sentimental value.  

I've been organizing the inventory of my shop for the past week and I was thinking if there was a way to take inventory also of all my personal possessions. If in groceries and other stores, we have barcodes marking each item to track them, why can't we have barcodes for our personal possessions as well? Of course it would be unsightly to see barcodes or stickers on items, but the barcodes can be in laser format.

The personal inventory system will be composed of a scanner which can connect to a laptop or desktop via USB. The scanner will scan any item and virtually stamps that item with a barcode. The item's barcode will automatically be input in the inventory system in the computer. Wherever the item will be placed, the system will be updated of its location, like a GPS tracking device. So if an item is missing or stolen, the item can be tracked.

If you are even meticulous, you can identify the maximum radius for the location of an item (from your home, your cellphone, or whatever starting point you wish), so that once it goes beyond the boundaries, you will be notified via email. This way you can still chase after the stolen item when it isn't so far away yet, or you can still go back for an item you left behind, when you aren't so far away yet.

This system will help people get organized and be able to keep track of the whereabouts of their items. 4

NU 12 - Serendipity Walk by Kathleen Lizette C. Crisostomo

Hi Sir,

Below is my 8th NU 12 Blog - Serendipity Walk along Ayala Avenue

Thanks!

------------------

Crisostomo, Kathleen Lizette C.

ENTREP

NU 12: Serendipity Walk

I work along Ayala Avenue, right in the area near Greenbelt 5.  I used to work in Salcedo Village in areas near condominium units.  Because Makati has a lot of one-way streets, a lot of employees and applicants stick only to the major roads such as Ayala Avenue and take advantage of what is readily available in the area.

I'm thinking of ways to enrich Ayala Avenue without people having to go to the malls or to the condominium areas. 

Location: Stretch of Ayala Avenue (corner Makati Avenue to corner Gil Puyat Avenue); does not cover streets at the back of Ayala Avenue such as Dela Rosa and Valero as well as nearby malls

Primary Target Market: Office employee, job applicants

·         Ink-refilling station

o   For office printers-- for admin and purchasing officers in the office to stop receiving complaints from employees who desperately need to print that important document

·         Water refilling station

o   So that offices will never run out of mineral water

·         Shoe repair shop

o   Because shoes give way at times due to walking

·         Bag repair shop

o   Because bags give way too

·         Umbrella repair shop

o   Because umbrellas give way too

·         Foot massage center

o   For employees who just had a terrible day at work

·         Videoke bar

o   For employees who just had a terrible day at work

·         School and office supplies center

o   Because HR will not always give office supplies

·         Internet café

o   Because office wifi is usually blocked for facebook, twitter and you tube

·         Photocopying and printing center

o   Because it's not always ethical to print your resume or resignation letter in the office

·         Photo developing center

o   Because you will need a 1x1 or 2x2 for your pre-employment requirements

·         All-take-out joints: siomai, pizza, juice

o   Because fast food in Makati is not always fast

o   Because that 1-hour lunch break is crucial

·         Fortune teller

o   To make decisions for out-of-hand situations

·         Newspaper and magazine stand

o   The cheapest form of entertainment and boredom-prevention measure

·         Giant TV screen ala Mercury Drug Quiapo

o   Because employees need to watch TV at times

·         Public shower room

o   For the humid or stormy weather or for sporty employees who need a quick shower

·         Public restroom (PHP 10 per use)

o   Because job applicants do not have any other option than to look for the nearest restaurant's restroom

·         Cellphone / electronics repair shop

o   Because HR will not always approve having your corporate mobile phone repaired

·         Vulcanizing shop

o   For shuttle services, buses, jeepneys and private cars

·         Flower shop

o   For your crush in the office

·         Arcade

o   For the stressed out employee who wants to return to his college or high school days playing

·         Drug store

o   When your boss gives you a headache

o   When that final interview causes you a headache

·         Public swimming pool

o   A good place to socialize and take out the heat

·         Common worship place

o   Because we all need to reach out to a higher power 4

NU 12 - What pisses you off at the neighborhood?

Hi Sir,

Here is my 7th NU Blog - runners have nowhere to run!

Thank you!

---------------------

Crisostomo, Kathleen Lizette C.

ENTREP

NU 12: What pisses you off at the neighborhood? What do you suggest?

I'm preparing for my third half Mary (half marathon / 21k) where I have to train 5 days a week, 3 of which includes running long distances.  My main problem each time is that I do not know where to run.

Every Sunday, I run within the perimeter of SM Southmall which is 30 minutes away from our home and often see groups of other health buffs doing their thing—running, playing badminton, doing push-ups, or dancing in groups.  This is a typical Sunday morning in Las Pinas.  I used to run in the park in a nearby subdivision until their security started asking for IDs as they prioritize the security of their residents.  My father told me I should just run along the main road.  I didn't think it was a good idea to risk being chased by dogs or being run over by vehicles.  I read an article from a local running magazine regarding a jogger's hit and run accident which almost cost his life.  He was just running within the subdivision.

There is a growing interest in sports, physical activities and health, and it is sad to realize that the community is not prepared for this.  There are few public areas where people can do their sports activities and not all of these places are safe or "healthy" enough.  Most parks such as in Ayala Triangle, CCP and Luneta are right across main roads.  Health buffs cannot enjoy the benefits of their exercises while inhaling fumes at the same time.  Safety and security is also a concern since there is no area for people to leave their belongings unless they have their own vehicles.  I lost my tumbler once in Ayala Triangle when I left it in a bench while I was running.  I now have a hydration belt which can carry my valuables but I see more people running without any of their belongings.

Yes, there are formal areas such as Rizal Memorial Coliseum or in University of Makati and there will always be gyms, arenas and studios.  However, not everyone can afford these and some will actually be intimidated to still go to these areas for their activities.  A group of teenagers playing badminton will not go through the hassle of renting a badminton court and a group of 40-year old mothers who plan to have morning dance exercises will not need to rent a studio for their activities.

I believe there should be more places in our local communities that encourage sports and physical activities.  There should be track ovals surrounding parks and more open-area courts for those who want to play badminton, tennis or volleyball.  We can imagine a bigger Legaspi Active Park (Legaspi Village, Makati) with a rubberized track oval, better Bermuda grass for more activities, hydration and wash areas, covered and open air courts and secured locker rooms.  More sports and recreational activities encourage people to do more than just being couch potatoes while playing with their iPhone.  Sports have always been one of the target activities of the government to keep bystanders out of drugs and crimes.  During summer season a.k.a. basketball league season, it is quite endearing to see tricycle drivers and guards in neighborhoods playing basketball against residents on a per division / class basis. 3.5 <more sidewalks to be built>   <not safe though;  practice at Ayala Alabang Zapote road and Daang Hari route>

From a macro point of view, the government has not given much priority to the country's involvement in sports yet it is one of the fields we are excelling in.  We have all heard of stories of professional and amateur athletes who either pay for their own expenses or are being sponsored by private institutions.  Recently, I personally joined a charity running event created by triathletes for the benefit of young triathletes who cannot sustain the cost of their training and equipment while managing their education and family expenses.  It is good to see athletes helping other athletes, but we need a bigger intervention.  If the government's budget priority is not in sports, but also not in health and education, then I need not wonder why CJ Corona is so rich.

Filipinos have the potential to do well in sports.  Aside from home where everything starts, the next support group is the community.  I hope there will be an increased awareness for our government on the sports and other physical activities in our country.  In years to come, I am looking forward to younger dancers, players, runners and triathletes.

NU12 for May 15, 2012 (KRaval) - Portable Food Chiller/Heater

Portable Food Chiller/Heater

Every morning I prepare my lunch which I bring to the office. I usually put it in an air-tight container to prevent spillage and so that it will be preserved "fresh" until break time. Food temperature has always been an issue to me because I prefer to have my food at the right temperature when I am about to eat. For instance, when it's a rice meal I have prepared for myself, I always make sure that I go to the pantry to use the microwave oven to heat it; or when it's a salad, I still go to the pantry but this time I get my food container which I have placed inside the refrigerator as soon as I arrive at the office in the morning. This takes so much of my time because the pantry is far from my workstation and also far from the designated eating area in the office – which is not efficient at all.

What I have thought of to make this all efficient and save me from the hassle of going back and forth to the pantry just to make sure that my food is heated or kept cold well, is a food container which has the capacity to keep the food fresh. It is a battery-operated food container and food preserver – so there are two knobs – one for heating the food and one for keeping the food cold. In keeping the food cold, it should be turned on the minute that the food is placed in it, so that there will be constant cool temperature until it is time to eat the food. This is sort of a portable mini-"refrigerator" which is actually a food container or a "Tupperware" for packed lunch. On the other hand, in keeping the food warm, the food container may not necessarily be turned on the minute the food is placed in it, but it has the capacity to heat the food on its own by the time it's to be served. In this case, it can turn into a portable mini-"microwave" which is again, actually a food container. The battery life can reach about 12 hours, notwithstanding the length the food container is turned on whether as the "refrigerator" or the "microwave". The battery can be replaced or recharged so we can use it anytime. A special storage or "bag" similar to a real lunch box or lunch bag comes with the container so that it will be well-protected. It should be lightweight, so even children can use it in school for their packed lunches.

This type of food container will definitely help us be more efficient and save on electricity because of the use of batteries only, and that we will always be guaranteed of fresh food at the right temperature, which it always should be. 4

NU12 Week4 K Abrugena Improved Financial Analysis

Good afternoon Sir, please see below. Thanks and have a great weekend! ABRUGENA, KRISTINE C. April 27, 2012   NU12_Week4 New process at work   I am part of the Commercial Banking Group wherein we deal with top corporate clients. We package credit facilities, or what is commonly known as corporate loans based on the needs of the clients, whether they are importers or exporters. Afterwhich, we do prepare credit proposals to be presented to and approved by the Credit Committee and the Executive Committee, respectively. Managing corporate accounts entail financial analysis of the Financial Statements of the companies. In doing so, I prepare the spreadsheets of the submitted Audited and Interim FS with the use of MS Excel and analyze the Profitability, Liquidity and Efficiency of the accounts.     Different corporations have different entries in their books as dictated by the nature of their businesses thus the spreadsheets have to be revised for each corporation that has to be analyzed. I realized that the editing of the excel file to fit the character of the company is already taking much time. So that's what made me think of a system that would allow the user to encode the figures only in the entries that are related to a particular company. In this system would be a list of all accounting entries, whether the company pertains to service or manufacturing, and it gives out the flexibility that the only ones to be filled up are only those relevant to the books of the corporation. Just like the excel file, the system shall present at least the three-year performance of the company. I think that this will also lessen the occurrence of errors as there would be no more editing in terms of adding and deleting accounting entries. Also, I noticed that the movements of figures in cells are prone to errors as links in various computations may shift. With the use of the system, we can be more confident in inputting the data since everything is already listed and the end-result will just come out once the figures encoded are verified as balanced. Moreover, I believe that this will save more time in counterchecking as well as in determining the accuracy of the data. Furthermore, I would suggest that the system is open to adjustments of accounting entries such that "Due to/from Affiliates" and "Advances from Officers" can easily be classified as part of Equity instead of Liabilities for better analysis of the financial position. What I am pointing at is in the process of doing financial analysis, there should be more time allotted in analyzing rather than preparing the spreadsheets. I believe that this will improve the working process of the employees hence having more outcome due to time saved and efficiency. 4

NU 12 - New Spending Habits by KC

Hi Sir,

Below is my blog for NU 12 (New spending habits / routine).  If the images do not load, just let me know.

Thank you,

Kathleen Crisostomo

Crisostomo, Kathleen Lizette C.

ENTREP

NU 12: New spending habits / routine

"Kuripot" is the best word to describe me, but not without a reason.

I once had a La Sallian boyfriend who maxed out my credit card and left me with PHP 20,000 worth of debt and collections letters from lawyers.  I was 21 years old, a fresh graduate from the Ateneo, struggling with a minimum wage salary, and now literally penniless with no savings whatsoever.  The man disappeared without paying me.  On an afternoon where I found myself crying while doing a 1-2-3 (riding a public vehicle without paying for it) from Cubao to Alabang, I swore to myself right then and there—this is not happening to me ever again.

That was when my attitude of extreme thrift and money-consciousness started.

I realized during that time how important money was for survival.  It might sound strange for some people to hear that I only realized that after college, but you can only imagine the burden of not being able to admit my problem to my parents!  Paying it off is one thing; getting back on my feet to start over again is another.

Daily Accounting

For several years now, I have been tracking all my savings and expenses, following the formula: EARNINGS – SAVINGS = EXPENSES.  The common misconception for most people is that they follow the wrong formula: EARNINGS – EXPENSES = SAVINGS.  With that kind of mindset, they will not be able to save up anything.  I started doing my list manually with an old notebook and a collection of receipts.  Soon enough, I started to use MS Excel as suggested by my father who all these years has been managing monthly his personal cash flow statements.

I keep 1 file per calendar year of expenses.  This helps me manage how much I have spent and earned for the entire year.  I have a tab for each month of the year and another tab for the accumulated total year worth of expenses.  There are no exclusions to the data being inputted.  I showed this to one of my classmates, John Ng, and he was surprised to see that even a PHP 9 Cloud 9 chocolate bar was not spared.

I start off with the beginning balance, also known as my monthly budget, and next I put my estimated savings and then the breakdown of possible expenses.  Should I have other forms of earnings such as commissions from work, I indicate the breakdown on separate columns.

Here is my breakdown for the month ending March 2012:

Here is a sample of my daily expense list for the first 2 days of March 2012:

I sometimes exceed expenses, but I make sure it has little effect on my savings.

The Expenses

A huge chunk of my earnings goes to my credit card which I am planning to completely pay off by the middle of the year.  I plan to say goodbye to my credit for good.  It hurts more to pay in cash but it makes you more responsible to know you could lose everything in a snap.  Better to have no cash than to be in debt.

Unlike most women, I do not like shopping.  Honestly.  I like fashionable clothes, bags and shoes but I do not live for them.  My idea of shopping is browsing the net or reading magazines to check what looks good so that when I go the mall it only takes maximum of 1 hour for me to shop.  I sell my old clothes and shoes in eBay and I earn extra for selling things I no longer need while being clutter-free at the same time.  I also buy clothes in eBay for a quarter of the original price in malls.  What I do spend money and time on is to go to our neighborhood tailor and have old clothes altered for only PHP 50 – PHP 250.

I treat myself out once in a while in forms of wellness and food.  Again, I try not to overspend.  I prefer our neighborhood massage service for only PHP 150 than to pay almost PHP 1,000 in a posh spa.

As much as I can, I do not ride taxi's or FX's unless really, really needed.  They take so much out of my pocket.  I would rather walk or take public transportation—a non-air conditioned one is just fine.  I ride a shuttle from Las Pinas to Makati for a whooping PHP 70 when I can ride a bus for only PHP 36!  I walk from AGSB to EDSA (Estrella) every night when I have classes and I do not mind.

I invest a lot in sports from equipment, running gear to specialized drinks.  Sports take a load on my expenses but I believe it's better to invest now than to invest in the hospital later.  I used to joke at the idea that the money I win during competitions can be used for future injury recovery—until I actually got injured because of running using the wrong pair of shoes (I used to wear Vibram Five Fingers Bikila).  I am saving up on another pair of running shoes for long distance runs.  In spite of this, I make sure I do not overspend on sports.  I never buy for the brand name.

The Savings

Majority of my savings go to my tuition fee.  I pay for my own MBA education which is not cheap, but what I have been learning for the last 3 years has been worth more than what I could possibly spend.  I am also continuously preparing for my "contingency fund" in case I get unemployed for any reason or for other emergencies.  My goal is to keep at least 3x of my monthly salary as a cash back-up excluding all possible expenses.  I have not yet reached that level but I will get there soon.

Savings should also turn to investments.  Last year, I was able to save enough to buy 3 pairs of running shoes, a hydration belt, join 13 races and to travel in 3 new locations.  This year, I plan to save up to travel, join long distance races, buy a new gate for our house and possibly invest in the stock market.  I believe the key to saving is dreaming.  If you dream big, you will save to reach it.  My first major investment was in second year high school when I bought my own mobile phone using my PHP 50 daily allowance.  My parents do not want to buy me one but because I really wanted it, I made sure I get it.

April 2012

I am writing this while here drinking milk here in Malaysia, looking at the little Ringgit I have and making very strict computations on what to do tomorrow.  But like what Vivien Leigh said in Gone with the Wind, tomorrow is another day.

I am astounded by people who do not have savings.  I end up asking, "what is wrong with you?" while looking at their new Zara shoes.  I believe people do not need traumatic experiences for them to start managing their money wisely.  It's all about discipline and dreaming.  You should know what you want and start working on how to get it.

Sent from my iPhone via MY MAXIS 4