The World of Second Chances

Credit Card

August 16, 2012

Career, Finance & Product

I have the intention to pay my credit card debt in six months. I was able to do it in 2010 when I decided to cut my Mabuhay Miles credit card. It felt good then to get rid of those high monthly interest rates. A year later, who would have thought that my remaining credit card would be my source of headache? It started with a credit card debt that was manageable until I fell again into my habit of not inspecting the monthly billing statement.

The billing statement reflects the cut off date, payment due date and minimum payment requirement. Ideally, if one wants to avoid finance charges or interests, he must pay his credit card balance in full. I SHOULD have done that a year ago. Credit cards could be alluring and tempting to use during the holidays and sale. The more you use your credit card, the more debts pile up. If you are just paying the minimum monthly payment which is 4% of your outstanding balance, then you’re doomed to pay forever!

I got into a trap of just paying the minimum monthly payment because I preferred my money to be kept in the bank. In the long run, the 3.5% interest per month on my Red Card (HSBC) is robbing off my potential savings! Heck, banks just give us a 2% interest rate per ANNUM for savings account. Two percent versus 42% per annum, then I’m losing 40% of my potential savings on interest rate!

My plan is to pay 20% of my outstanding balance by the end of August 2012. The goal is to reduce my outstanding balance by 20% so that my minimum monthly payment will be reduced. From there, I will pay above my minimum monthly payment until my outstanding balance settles to a figure that I’m comfortable to pay in full.

I’m tempted to balance transfer my HSBC credit card to BDO but I’m afraid of hidden charges and penalties. It took me five years to realize some of the basic things about my credit card and transferring to another organization with different sets of rules might do more harm than good to me.
Indoor Drying of Laundered Clothes

August 9, 2012

Life & Love

Space concerns? Can’t afford to have a clothes drier (not the spinner)?
Clothes that smell of mildew?
During the rainy seasons, one of the common problems is drying our clothes.
Lack of space, crowded hanging and improper washing and rinsing can lead to
having smelly clothes.
Use clorox (bleach) to disinfect the clothes during washing. Refer to the instructions
written on the bottle for the ratio of bleach versus the water. Put a cup of white vinegar
on your final rinse. This will remove the soap residue on your clothes that is a possible cause for bad odor.
Use a fabric conditioner if you prefer your clothes scented.
Spin dry or wrung dry your clothes.
If space is a limitation, make use of anything available like windows or chairs to hang your clothes.
As long as you have hangers, hanging of clothes should never be an issue.
Do not overcrowd your clothes, let the air come in between them.
For portable clothesline, put it on a spot somewhere near an electric fan or
a source of ventilation.
For humid weathers, close the window while allowing one source of ventilation, one
that is far from your clothes. Clothes absorb humidity and humidity delay the drying process.
Bataan Floods

August 9, 2012

Life & Love

It’s waterworld in Bataan and it’s not something to be happy about.
Transportation is paralyzed in some parts, hospitals are affected and patients
need to be transferred to the other hospitals, classes and work are suspended
and to those who preferred not to leave their houses are trapped and are waiting to be rescued.

I am not new to experiencing flood. In fact, I lived 16 years of my life in a low-lying barangay
that is prone to floods. But the rainfall of yesteryears is not as heavy as the rainfall of today volume-wise.
Truly, climate change is something that has a devastating effect not only on the environment but to
the people, as well.

Some would assume that maybe the culprit is the non-biodegradable wastes or the “basurang itinapon, babalik din sa ‘yo.”
I find this unbelievable because I’ve seen how disciplined they are in waste segregation and proper disposal.
In Balanga, garbage collectors roam around the city for at least three times a day.

Over the years, we’ve seen road and drainage repairs in Bataan. Clogged drainages and improper disposal of
wastes can cause flooding. But since I don’t think that improper waste disposal is the main culprit of the flooding,
then we need to check the effectiveness of our drainage system.

We were short of water supply last year but this year, there is too much raining and our soil has become
over-saturated with water. Climate change, isn’t it? We don’t need to bear living on our flooded villages if
there is something that we can do to lessen, if not eliminate flooding.

I’m sure that our local government has a zoning plan that defines which part of the town is residential, commercial,
agriculture and maybe, forest land. Prioritize the low-lying barangays for the drainage improvement and plant trees
that will help absorb rainwater. Digging of creeks and rivers to deepen it and building of strong dikes around it.
These are all long-term goals that require BIG funds and thorough planning.
That Funny Bloated Feeling!

August 7, 2012

Health & Beauty

I have been feeling bloated since last Sunday and my husband said that I gained weight.
Two weeks ago, I was losing weight FAST and I worried about my health.
I am not into stringent dieting that is why I find it alarming to be losing more than 3 lbs. per week.
That was so two weeks ago because this morning, I weighed myself and found out that I gained 13 lbs in two weeks!
Yes, 13 lbs!
I recalled my activities for the past two weeks like:

1. Eating/drinking more sweets like chocolate bars, Stick-O and Bear Brand Choco.
2. Eating too much salty foods. Salty foods can cause water retention that may lead to bloating.
3. Eating 1/2 cup of rice instead of 1/4 cup.

But I guess this water weight gain is attributed to item # 2.
Ironically, I read that the best way to treat water retention is to drink more water to flush out the retained water in our system!
So I would be drinking more than 8 glasses of water today. I hope I can do it.
A Thief In The Night

August 2, 2012

Life & Love

I took a glimpse of your messy cubicle today.
Jacket hanging on your chair, mouse not within the mousepad, documents that need your signing,
scrap sheets of paper and umbrella hanging on the corner.
You were always in high spirits and you completed our day by saying “Ma’am/Sir, how are you?”
“You look so pretty today…ONLY today!”
Then you will burst into infectious laughter.

But death comes like a thief in the night; unexpected and unwelcome.
I didn’t believe the text that I received about your demise because it was so unexpected.
A happy-go-lucky guy like you is the least person that I would think of being ambushed.

What were you thinking when the gunmen poked a gun at you?
A joke perhaps, maybe they were just your airsoft buddies.
You pressed the horn, according to some witnesses, probably aware that they were there to harm you.

Ah, death stole you from your family.
Your 26 years in service didn’t end in retirement where you can travel more around the globe.
You left us clueless of the “why’s?”
The jacket, mouse, documents and scrap sheets of paper will wait for you in vain.
Rubio

July 31, 2012

Poems & Stories

Your wavy black hair that turns reddish-brown with sunlight’s reflection.
Your China eyes that tell a lot of expressions.
Your chubby cheeks blushing every time you’re in high spirits.
Your small red lips that complement your small pointed nose.
Your cuddly body that resembles a teddy bear.
Your squeeling in delight every time you see amusing things or people.
Your baby scent that lingers in my clothes.
You are so handsome and you are God-given!
Rubio, you are my son and I love you so much.
Good Girl, Bad Guy

July 28, 2012

Life & Love

I’m addicted to reading “Fifty Shades of Grey.”
Not that I’m into BDSM; I just read it for entertainment.
In a way, I could relate to Anastasia Steele’s character: that of being attracted to the wrong guy.
Why do good girls find bad guys irresistible? What’s in them that we find very attractive?
Except for my husband, all the men that I found attractive had this kind of agressive or domineering character.
I broke up with my first boyfriend of two days simply because I was bored.
Not that I was expecting him to ask me to sleep with him but because he lacked the thrill that I was looking for in
a relationship. He was too good to be true and at 17, I found it kinda boring.

My next two relationships were like a rollercoaster ride. I experienced extreme emotions; elation and depression.
Both were long-term relationships and one may wonder how I managed to stay that long despite the
emotional roller coaster that I got into. I used to see men with strong personalities as someone who would
take care of me. I found men with controlling character attractive simply because I wanted someone to tame me.
I wanted someone to surpass my strong character.

Men see difficult (and sometimes, bitchy) women as a challenge while women find difficult men attractive.
Deep inside us women, we want our man to take the lead. In effect, it is often interchanged or confused with
a man with a controlling or domineering character that is why some women end up messing with the wrong kind of men.