Posts

Showing posts from September, 2025

Eggs and Ego – Why My First Side Hustle Failed to Hatch

🥚 Eggs and Ego – Why My First Side Hustle Failed to Hatch “No Emergency Fund, No Peace of Mind” 🐣 The Hustle That Started with Hope After resigning from my first corporate job, I received a ₱50,000 back pay . Instead of saving it all, I used ₱20,000 as capital to start my first side hustle: selling eggs . It felt like a smart move. Eggs were essential. Demand was steady. I thought, “This will be easy money.” But I was wrong. 💥 Where It Went Wrong I had the product. I had the market. But I didn’t have the discipline , structure , or financial safety net . Mistakes I Made: No proper tracking of inventory or expenses No emergency fund to cover slow days or spoiled stock Overconfidence in pricing and demand Inconsistent delivery and communication No reinvestment strategy I treated the business like a shortcut to recovery—when it should’ve been a long-term build. 🧠 What I Learned 1. Capital Isn’t Enough Without a System ₱20,000 can disappear fast if you don’t manage it well. 2. Ego Can...

Kaya na ba ng Pilipino na marinig ang katotohanan nang hindi mapipikon

Kakayanin ba ng mga Pilipino na hindi mapikon sa katotohanan? “Kaya na ba ng Pilipino na marinig ang katotohanan nang hindi mapipikon?” — Apolinario Mabini, Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral Online protests are everywhere. People post. Share. Rant. But do corrupt politicians care? Do they care about flood victims who lost homes, livelihoods, and loved ones — while billions were poured into ghost projects? Do they care about taxes paid by OFWs, riders, vendors, and employees who work 12-hour shifts just to survive? Do they care that contractors flaunt luxury cars while the streets remain submerged? They live in comfort. We live in adjustment. They build walls. We build coping mechanisms. Other countries burn buildings. In Indonesia, a delivery rider’s death sparked nationwide protest. In Nepal, Gen Z forced a Prime Minister to resign. In France, workers blocked roads and froze the economy. Here, we scroll. We laugh. We say “ganyan talaga sa Pilipinas.” We normalize dysfunction. We romanticize re...

I Splurged After My First Resignation – How ₱50k Disappeared on Gambling and Drinking 💼 The Back Pay That Became a Blowout

🍻 I Splurged After My First Resignation – How ₱50k Disappeared on Gambling and Drinking 💼 The Back Pay That Became a Blowout When I resigned from my first corporate job, I received my ₱50,000 back pay . It felt like a reward for all the stress, overtime, and sacrifices I made. I told myself, “I deserve this.” And just like that, I spent it. 🎰 Where the Money Went Instead of investing or saving, I splurged. I spent it on: Gambling – hoping to flip luck into fast income Drinking – nights out with friends, celebrating “freedom” Food trips and impulsive buys – because I thought I earned the right to enjoy It felt good for a while. But the money disappeared faster than I expected—and I had no plan to replace it. 💸 The Reality Check The freedom I felt quickly turned into anxiety. No income. No savings. No emergency fund. I realized I had confused escape with empowerment . I left my job without a system—and paid the price. 🧠 What I Learned 1. Back Pay Isn’t Bonus Money—It’s Bridge Mon...

Why I Now Earn for My Wants, Not Spend My Salary

💼 Why I Now Earn for My Wants, Not Spend My Salary 💡 The Shift That Changed My Financial Strategy There was a time when every payday felt like a reward. I’d spend on food trips, gadgets, and upgrades—because I thought I deserved it. But after going through debt, financial instability, and returning to a corporate job, I realized something: My salary is for survival. My side hustle is for wants. 💰 The New Rule I Follow Now, I treat my salary as sacred. It covers: Rent Utilities Food Transportation Emergency fund contributions If I want something extra—a new helmet, a weekend getaway, or a tech upgrade—I earn it separately . I use: Facebook Marketplace reselling Shopee-to-FB margin flips using BNPL Affiliate commissions Content creation income This way, I protect my essentials and avoid dipping into survival money for temporary pleasure. 🧠 What I Learned 1. Wants Shouldn’t Threaten Stability If I can’t afford it without touching my salary, I don’t buy it. 2. Side Hustles Give Me Free...

How Budgeting Gave Me Peace of Mind

📘 How Budgeting Gave Me Peace of Mind “Why I Now Earn for My Wants, Not Spend My Salary” 🧠 From Chaos to Clarity Before I started budgeting, money felt like a constant source of stress. I was juggling bills, side hustle expenses, and unpredictable income. Every month felt like a guessing game—and every unexpected expense felt like a crisis. But when I began tracking every peso and projecting my cash flow 12 months ahead, something changed: I found peace of mind. 📊 What Budgeting Did for Me Budgeting wasn’t just about numbers—it was about control . ✅ 1. I Knew What Was Coming By projecting my income and expenses in advance, I could prepare for slow months and act early. ✅ 2. I Made Decisions Without Panic No more guessing. I knew what I could afford and what I needed to delay. ✅ 3. I Built My Emergency Funds Budgeting helped me consistently save for both personal and business emergencies. ✅ 4. I Felt Empowered, Not Restricted Knowing where my money went gave me confidence—not guilt. ...

Why I Chose to Buy a House at 31: A Quiet Escape from a Loud Street

🏡 Why I Chose to Buy a House at 31: A Quiet Escape from a Loud Street “I used to dream of buying a house in cash—until I realized peace was more valuable than pride.” 💭 The Original Plan: Cash from Business I once told myself, “I’ll build a business, earn big, and buy a house or car in cash.” No loans. No debt. Just hustle. That was the plan. But the business didn’t grow the way I hoped. And slowly, I realized that waiting for the perfect moment might mean missing the right one. 🏘️ Life on a Barangay Street Our current house is located on a barangay street —the kind where: Houses are wall-to-wall The road is only wide enough for a tricycle There’s no parking space for cars Even our motorcycle gate is often blocked by neighbors’ e-bikes and scooters And it’s not just the space. It’s the environment . Almost every night, there’s drinking and noise—sometimes until morning. I remember our neighbor throwing cotton buds on our roof . It’s not just inconvenient. It’s toxic. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 In...