On Being Wiser and Better

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I’ve always had a hashtag of the year since 2012 (#Appreciate2012, #Goals2013, #Nurture2014, #Awesome2015). Years prior to that, I used to have a “Motto of the Year” that I write on my planner. That eventually turned into a list of my yearly Goals.

Now parang every blogger has a word of the year na. Hahahaha! But I’m sticking to my hashtag. I know they didn’t look like masyadong pinag isipan but promise!! I would really spend the entire month of December thinking of the perfect hashtag.

Like #Appreciate2012 was because I felt really thankful of the things, people and blessings I had on 2011 that I think I should learn to appreciate them more come 2012.

#Goals2013 was because I’m turning 29 that year. My last year of being 20 something. I was cramming with my goals before I turn 30. Hahahaha!

#Nurture2014 was because I got pregnant on 2013 (it was part of my goal, believe it or not, it was listed on my planner but I thought I’d only adopt) and would give birth on the first quarter of 2014. I know my year would be full of nurturing.

#Awesome2015 was well, this one aaminin ko, I didn’t get to think really hard. Hahahaha! I started 2015 ng wasak. I was a bit lost. I don’t know what to do to a lot of aspect in my life. So I just declared 2015 to be awesome and then that’s it. #Awesome2015 it is.

I don’t usually blog about my goals or my new year’s resolutions or wishes. Simply because I want that part of my life to be all mine. For me, that’s a bit too personal. But this year, I decided to share it. Sabi kasi nila, if you want something, claim it! Declare it. Feel it. And the entire universe would conspire and work to give it to you.

So here I am. Declaring that I’ll have a #WISER2016.

For a couple of years now, I am really working hard on my financial maturity. Ugh! Inaamin ko na, although generally, I am a WAIS mum, there are a lot of stupid financial decisions I made. Well maybe because I grew up poor and sometimes I feel like I am entitled to spoil myself because I work really hard for it. Maybe because I’ve been providing for my family for so many years now that I feel like, I need to really splurge for myself.

Pero mali kasi. I should know how to handle my finances well especially now that I have a daughter. Hindi nalang future ko ang at stake. Kundi future ng anak ko. I need to send her to the best school I could afford. I need to nourish her. Teach her well. I also need to make sure that I could financially take care of myself when I grow old kasi ayoko iasa sa anak ko ang pag aalaga sa akin.

So for 2016, I’m claiming I’ll be WISER. Not just financially but on every aspect of my life.

Last year, I got myself and my daughter our own insurance and investments from Sun Life. My investment is for my retirement and the insurance is for the unforeseen events in my life like critical illness or (knock on wood) death.

Skye’s investment naman is just for her. I am praying that I could save up enough to send her to school without touching her investment. But just in case I can’t, at least meron akong mahihiram. But I’m claiming that I’ll be strong enough and wise enough to save for her education. I want to give her the investment money after college. So she could start her life. Sana lang I’d be a wiser mum so I could raise her to be a smart lady. Para di naman nya waldasin ng isang upuan ang pera! Hahaha!

This year, I plan to really really work on our emergency fund. Yun talaga ang peg ko. Last year I was able to clear off some parts our finances (I still have some issues that I need to fix because of some stupid financial decisions I mentioned earlier).

For the past years, I am living pay check per pay check. Totoo. Good thing I have a stable work pero kung nagkataon na hindi, yari talaga ako. So this year, I want to work on my emergency fund. They say it has to be at least 3 months worth of your current needs. But my target is 6 months worth. Pag na-achieve ko yun, makakatulog na ko ng maayos sa gabi.

That’s why I didn’t push through with my car loan late last year. I was supposed to get one. Part of my benefits after the promotion is that the company will help me with the car loan. They’d shoulder a fair amount of the amortization. Sayang naman. But then again, a car is also gastos. Gas. Parking. Tune ups. Monthly amortization. My bestfriend Jerellt says that okay lang mag car loan if you have enough money to cover for at least 1 year worth of amortization. Para in case mawalan ka ng work, hindi hahatakin ang kotse mo. Eh wala ako nun. Siguro meron pero di na kami kakain, di kami magbabayad ng kuryente at tubig. Di na din magbabayad sa insurance at investment. Kumusta naman? So yeah! I think I passed my first test this year. I think I did the wiser decision. Which is to not push through with the loan. Tska na, ipon muna pala dapat. A loan is an utang. So no utang muna for me.

I want to be a WISER mum also. I know I am a WAIS mum. That’s a part of my life na hinding hindi ako nagre-relax. I always make sure that I give my daughter a balance parenting. Not too sheltered. Hindi naman pabaya. I won’t give her everything. But I don’t deprive her also. I am WAIS, but I wanna be WISER.

One of my regrets for the past years is that I was not able to properly document my daughter’s milestones here on the blog. Kainis! Ang dami daming milestones ang wala dito. That’s part of being WISER. I will try to document her milestones na from now on. And I will try to document the others. Sayang! I wanna read this blog one day and smile because I saw my baby grow.

I also wanna be a WISER employee. God knows I work hard to be where I am today. Actually, I need to fight really hard to be where I am today. I've worked my ass off for this. I may not look like it but I really take my work seriously.

So this year, I just wanna be WISER. I wanna balance my work and my family life better. I know in my heart na never ako nagpabaya on both aspects. May mga araw na pumapasok ako na walang tulog dahil kailangan. Madaming check ups ang na-miss ko. Madaming sakit ang hindi ko ininda just because I have commitments. May mga araw na pumapasok ako kahit may ubo ang anak ko.

So when I say WISER, I mean wiser. I need to be smart enough to stand for my right. I need to be smart enough to remind them of my contributions and remind them that I am not lax in anything. I should be wise enough to balance my life. Give time for my family while giving my all to my work. I need to take care of myself better.

As I'm writing this post, parang nare-realize ko na ang hirap ata ng hashtag ko for this year. Hahahaha! Pero well, remember - CLAIM IT!

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