I’m currently looking for a Business Process Analyst. Let me know if you know someone who would be perfect or please point them to my jobs page.

So we’ve just moved to a new 2-bedroom 2-bathroom apartment – and it’s still completely bare! We have our tables and chairs for our work and not much else.

Fortunately, there are a bunch of sales this September:

• Mandaue Foam until September 15 (but their showrooms are too far for me)
• S&R Members Treat (our very own Costco!) – September 14-18
• SM Homeworld Sale at Megatrade Halls 1-3 Megamall – September 16-18
• There’s also a huge sale at SM Mall of Asia September 16-18

I’m still too scared to go to S&R knowing that there’ll be hours of queueing for getting into S&R (not to mention finding a parking spot), for getting carts, then after all that hunting around for good deals, another queue for paying at the cashier.

I don’t know if the “savings” will be worth it. I’ve heard stories of people spending 8 hours there…

So anyway we’re nearer to Megamall, so we got to visit the first day of the Homeworld Sale. So fun!!! We’ll definitely come back tomorrow. It’s more organized and bright and cleaner than the Travel/Luggage/Footwear sale a few weeks ago held at the same place.

Our first priority was a big bed, mattress, linens, pillows – which we all got for under P20,000.

• Queen size leather bedframe made in Malaysia SRP: P14,960 – Sale price: P8,960 (There were even bed frames that were offered at just under P5k but I was a bit wary of how sturdy they would be, made of particle board) The one we got seems like it’d be worth upwards of P20k actually
• Memory foam mattress SRP: P10,000 – Sale price: P7,000
• 4pc. queen-size Linens 310 thread-count SRP: P4,279.75 – Sale price: P2,140
• 1 pair pillowcase 220 thread-count SRP: P699.75 – Sale price: P210
• 2 20×30 Trendsetter pillows SRP: 706 – Sale price: P525
• 1 Joyce & Diana 20×30 pillow P400 – just for elevating my feet! yay!
• Teal curtains B1T1 (P400) and white sheers (P350)

Also got a couple of baking pans for the oven for under P300 for both.

And the delivery price seemed cheaper than their usual rate too. They offer installment up to 3 months for a min. purchase of P5,000.

That we went today on the first day on a weekday during the day, we witnessed how the crowd grew as the hours passed. Still, at least we got the lay of the land for when we go back

Aside from furniture, other shoppers were hoarding Christmas decors, china, linens, kitchen items and small appliances (e.g. oven toaster, airpot), clothing storage, plastic box containers. The window drapes seem like especially good deals. We stayed for about 5 hours but only because we did a lot of back and forth, canvassing, malling, and eating in between shopping. Queueing was not so bad.

I wonder if there are better rates for linens at S&R but I don’t think I can stomach all that queueing.

Can’t wait to go back to Megamall this weekend though! Don’t forget your SM Advantage Card!

I’ve been married for a month now! Planning an “intimate and elegant wedding” was an exhausting (but quite rewarding) experience in must-have’s and nice-to-have’s.

Right now, we’re staying in a studio condo in the city we’re renting. It also functions as a home office so we have both personal stuff and work stuff all around the house. It was just ok for single living, but now with both of us and all our stuff, it’s just too crowded and cluttered. Even with constant purging of unnecessary stuff, they do have a tendency to accumulate.

So, we went on a hunt for a new apartment and found a wonderful 2 bedroom just 15 minutes away from our current place. *Must take pictures when we visit again*

Pros:

• Accessible to public transport (MRT, bus, jeeps)
• The amenities are pretty awesome too (a proper swimming pool, gym, clubhouse).
• And the community seems safe. Kampante naman ang feeling.
• Security guards are courteous.
• More than 2x the space we have now
• Includes a parking spot in the building’s basement
• Good feng shui layout
• A/C units provided for each room so we won’t have to buy
• Comes with a proper gas stove with oven
• 2 Bathrooms!!
• Nice finishings.

Cons:

• Building doesn’t have a proper garbage chute. How silly is that?
• Might flood outside. We’re told no naman, but we’ll see.
• More than 2x the rent for our current place
• Not quite easy to commute to the mall (because now, I can just hop on a jeep or even walk). But I guess that might be a good psychological barrier so I won’t spend so much sa mall.

So really, how can you beat that list of pros? Then my tita mentioned again about how our family friends would ask her about where we newlyweds are staying. They’re expecting us to have our own place na versus renting.

Hello? We really don’t know where we want to live yet so we’re not in the proper mindset to commit to a 10-year (or even 15 or 30 or 5) for a property. We’d have to be able to justify that we’d live in that same area for at least 5 years, commit to the monthlies and maintenance, and all the perks and peeves of home ownership. Which at this point, we’re just not ready for.

And apparently, the Is it Better to Buy or to Rent calculator agrees with me. YMMV (Your mileage may vary).

Though now that we’ve gotten married, paid for a really beautiful wedding ourselves, and got to travel together a few times, we’ve ticked off some items on the to-do list and we just might take the plunge in the next few years…

What about rent as money you’re “throwing away” every month instead of investing into an asset you’ll eventually own? Rent is really just an operating cost. You just have to spend it to be able to make more money. So, we’ll earn that rent back and much more – so we can have more money to invest or to give or to spend. I think it’s the same whether you’re an employee or self-employed. If you could live nearer your workplace and save time, energy, and money by not commuting – there are cases when that makes sense versus owning a home in a remote village. Or you could work nearer where you live.

Then again, maybe that’s just me. We do live in a country where people don’t value their time as much as physical money.

So anyway ghost month is over. On to new beginnings! Happy long weekend!

Torrential rain usually scares me. I hate to have to walk thru puddles, lest I step on something disgusting or possibly get sick. Not a rainy season has passed that I didn’t get a cough or cold.

Though I personally didn’t suffer much from Ondoy, I am traumatized with what some of my friends had to go through. Their cars and houses and electronics and documents, sunk and wet and damaged. That and the emergency preparation reminders at our building and the fact that I am entering a new major phase in my life has got me revisiting my personal files.

Personal Files

Do you already have a personal file? I have my file storage boxes now since I don’t have room for a filing cabinet. My father has a steel filing cabinet. Then, on my wishlist is a fireproof safe. Wouldn’t it be just fun to have one of those, maybe hidden behind a picture frame? And feel like an ultra-wealthy drug lord or CEO, just like in the movies.

Going through my files ala-David Allen’s Getting Things Done, I already have my important documents filed alphabetically in manila folders. For instance, some of my folders include:

• Car – Honda City 2007
• Credit card – Bankard
• Credit card – Metrobank
• Current account – Chinabank
• Life insurance – Manulife
• Life insurance – Sun Life

I also have my folders:

• Apple Macbookpro
• Income Tax Return
• Lease Contract
• Manuals
• Resume
• Transcript of Records
• 1 folder per employer, per investment, …
• … and much much more

Master Information Kit
It’s not enough that they’re sorted there. What if something happens to me or if I need something while I’m out or if I die suddenly or something gets stolen? Lifehacker’s instructions to make a Master Information Kit are very timely. I’ve always been meaning to do something like it, just never got around to it and wasn’t sure how to.

Steps

• Step 1: Gather Your Vital Records to Keep in the Master Information Kit
• Step 2: Export Your Accounts Information
• Step 3: Share Your Master Information Kit and Vital Documents
• Step 4. Regularly Update Your Everything Document

Next Steps
I still have to complete my scanned copies of important docs to be stored in Dropbox and write my will by hand. I do have my Master Information Kit on gDocs ready and have my passwords securely stored and generated by LastPass already.

Everyone should have such a Kit and have their important personal files organized, even in at least a clearbook. DO you have something like this?

Happy 4th of July!

From what I recall of Philippine history, isn’t today supposed to be our real emancipation day?

Today, I celebrate my independence!

Today, I am ready to free myself from fear, from whatever holds me back, from pride, from negativity. I say YES to all things good and from God (thanks for reminding me, Bo). Yes to letting go.

I have been so blessed to have wonderful people in my life – especially to have already met my partner in life, JP. Like anyone else, I have to deal with personal issues – and he and my family, especially my mom, have been very supportive. I would like to do right by them.

And to you who’ve read my sharings and musings. I will share what I can and I will also accept any learnings and knowledge you have to share. I’m not 100% immersed in personal finance anymore. I have been involved with events, startups, our web development consulting business, hiring new employees (and letting them go), productivity and personal development, apartment hunting and organizing, wedding planning, and so much more outside the realm of ‘personal finance’. I’d like to be able to share these here and not be bound by my previous blog title. Though I will try to put in some money smarts here and there. We all still want to be wealthy – right?

To health, wealth, and love,

Marie

Being a knowledge worker, technological gadgets and devices are required for me to get work done. Yet researching brands and prices, not to mention finding suppliers (calling each store before visiting, just to make sure they have it on stock or have the best price, writing order letters)… takes time away from billable work! Bigger companies would have a purchasing department to focus on that – I can’t afford that overhead just yet.

So I wanted to share with you the gadgets that made the cut from my Wishlist to my To Buy list to my What I have now list.

Wishlist
Includes DSLR, Dual WAN Wireless Router (2 internet providers + 3G USB modem for backup), Apple iPad, Apple iPhone 4, iMac or Apple Display (yes, I have become a Mac fangirl — more cash outlay but so worth it!), wifi-enabled all-in-one printer, BB or Android phone, Magic Mouse

Within the past 100 days, I’ve added to my arsenal:

• Apple MacbookPro 13″
• an external hard drive (Western Digital My Book Studio 1 TB USB 2.0/FireWire 400/800, Desktop External Hard Drive (Mac/PC compatible) – must-have if you work on your computer!
• my first (!) very own digital camera Canon PowerShot A3100IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Silver)
• new business hosting from HostGator (ok, so technically not a gadget)
• numerous iPhone apps (I’d rather get free apps, of course, but if I have to buy – I prioritize apps that I use for work, for productivity, or for
• unlocked HSDPA/3G USB modem (Globe Tattoo came free with HP Compaq notebook, free how to unlock Huawei modem)

Mainstay tools: iPhone 3GS, 4-port USB hub from CDR-King with optional power supply, Logitech notebook stand, external keyboard and mouse, desk lamp.

Other items To Buy in the next 200 days:

• micro SD card (transferring files
• Western Digital My Passport Essential 500 GB USB 2.0 portable external hard drive
• mini WiFi router – Edimax 3G router 6200N or AirPort Express Base Station
• Apple Care – extended warranty
• HD camcorder – Kodak Zi8 or Flip MinoHD

Items on my wishlist can only reach my shopping list if I can justify that I’ve either earned it or I can earn it back. Right now, I can’t justify adding on my wishlist those fabulous looking huge-screen LED TVs on display at Anson’s or Avant or a serious home entertainment system. Unless maybe I make a full-time living from video production.

Just like how you would decide a capital expenditure in a company! You may have had your phone for 3 years now and all your friends have new phones and you feel you deserve a new one… but unless upgrading could actually help you earn more and be more… it’s a luxury. It’s an unnecessary expense.

If you want to treat yourself… treat your future self too. If you can afford a 15k or 25k phone, then I suppose you could afford starting a life insurance plan (insurance premiums costs much cheaper if you’re younger). It doesn’t sound easy but it can be done — which I’m also telling myself now. Since I just got that 1TB hard drive and I have an insurance premium coming up too.

Note: Some (not all) links will lead you to product pages that tell you more about the product and usually have helpful customer reviews. Should you decide to get one for yourself from them, I get a small commission as a thanks from them for pointing you to the right direction (best value for money).

Most people know Goldilocks for their cakes and pastries.

I like those too… but they’re not all that I come to Goldilocks for.

What those pasalubong people probably don’t know is that Goldilocks has some pretty good meals too.

JP and I always stay late at the office. When we get out past 10pm and still have the energy to walk home and enjoy the late night breeze along Pasong Tamo in Makati, we usually end up eating a late night dinner at Goldilocks. Our usual Goldilocks branch is the one beside BluRackets and across Marvins Plaza and Shell on Pasong Tamo – Herrera. Just the other night, we went again. I’m so thankful they’re open till late because otherwise, I’d probably end up eating a microwave sandwich or hotdog bun from the Select convenience store. And yes I know that’s not healthy.

My favorite meal? An order of laing and siomai! JP got me hooked on laing — and how they do it at  Goldilocks is yummy. It’s tasty, spicy, and it’s sorta veggie right? Or sometimes I’ll have fish or bistek. Whatever, all the meals are the lutong bahay kind so it’s a welcome change from hamburgers and fried food.

You’re the #1 Goldilocks, because you nourish me whenever I have late nights — which is practically all the days of the week!

Must-read for all women entrepreneurs

What woman doesn’t want to build a million dollar (or peso) business? Susan Solovic gives meaningful, practical advice that I wish I’d read before venturing into business. This book stays by my bed for my daily dose of inspiration. If you’re a woman, if you’ve ever had to face any obstacles trying to start a business or you’ve been wanting to bring your business to the next level but don’t know how to, this book is a perfect guide to help you along the way. It won’t give you all the ingredients but you likely wouldn’t be as lost if you did.

Practical advice you can actually put to use

Every chapter is a mix of wise advice you’d expect to hear from a compassionate mentor, inspiring stories of women who did things right or learned things the hard way but you get to “cheat” by reading about their past mistakes now, and “how-to’s”. My favorite “how to” is the media planning – oh and finding funding, too.

Lovers as business partners

I’ve read through the book and didn’t see an anecdote about women venturing into business with their boyfriend or husband. Scratch that, there was one, but it didn’t have a happy ending. Is this scenario rare, taboo, or just plain not advisable? There was an issue of Entrepreneur that featured couples in business, such as the Havaianas importers – though they’re married.

More anecdotes, more successful women to emulate

I just love love love to hear about women who’ve built and grown sustainable businesses. It’s not exactly something you learn at school, is it? I never really thought about it growing up, or in college. I always looked up to women CEOs who were running multinationals – it never occurred to me how those businesses even got started? I want more stories, more inspirational examples.

Local women entrepreneurship programs

This book got me thinking whether there was a local program to encourage women entrepreneurs? I’ve read about a lot of micro-financing loans for women selling in the palengke but for brick-and-mortar businesses that have a business model other than peddling?

• Chit San Juan, ex-CEO of Figaro hosts talks every so often.
• NEWomen organizes bazaars, talks, and regular networking sessions
• GE Money Bank, affiliate of the giant General Electric, launched a Women Entrepreneurs website – though I haven’t heard of any financing programs

Any others?

Just me documenting some sales training articles, videos, and/or podcasts.

Colleen gives a high-level explanation of their Sales Training program in this webinar (Recorded Nov 21, 2008). Even from just the introduction, I got a wake-up call much similar to the self-slaps on the forehead I get listening to Steve Pavlina and Dave Ramsey. You really are what you do. I’m fond of getting to know people and networking comes easily — but I have to get in the habit of making that first call to a prospect and follow-up after an initial email.

Emotional Quotient

It’s important to be aware of myself, to empathize (easy), and to get used to delayed gratification (It’s been relatively long, actually, but hey I’m here doing sales training, aren’t I? I’ll stick to it.) especially with

• prospecting

• planning & time management

• major account selling

In a tough situation, think about what’s funny and what’s good about it. It has definitely been a tough past few months — but I guess what’s funny is… I get free cellphone credits anyway and what’s good is, JP’s still sticking with it, and with me.

Aim to be likeable

Aim to be likeable. Mirror the body movements and demeanor of the prospect and match his tone — and maybe, just maybe, that can make the difference in getting the sale versus another account executive. My natural tendency is to come on strong although assessing past networking situations, I’m usually able to draw out the quiet ones. I’ll learn to tone it down and match the quieter ones — they buy who they like and who are like them.

Rules

1. Get their story (Problems, Needs).
2. Who is/are the decision maker/s and how’s the process?
3. Find out the budget — before making a proposal.

It’s been a pretty difficult past few months. I visited my cousins in California, ate a lot, enjoyed the (not so) cold climate of Fresno and San Francisco. I enjoyed an attempt to visit the city that never sleeps, ate a lot, visited the Tech Museum, Hearst Castle, reconnected with family friends and hung out with their kids… and ate a lot.

New Look, Recommended Blog Editor

Installed a new theme yesterday and been having fun playing with it. Upgraded to WordPress 2.7 too. The pretty theme is NOT plug-and-play and I’ve had to configure a lot, not just with the theme but with the WordPress installation too. Crossing my fingers that everything works and things will be easier to find. I kept putting off blogging new posts because of how hard it got to deal with my old WordPress. I wrote my first draft in Windows Live Editor then have to come back to WordPress admin for some custom settings. Pretty manageable now.

Soul Searching

My soul searching is far from over. Being quasi-independent and self-employed is really testing me. I try and try to be frugal and think positive thoughts. I’ve accepted that I have to delay gratification – but really, it’s taking super long. I want to have time to blog again about personal finance and to learn new stuff and to meet new extraordinary people – which is pretty hard when you’re trying to do the job of 10 people. I need to commune with my higher self and spirit guides and hear what they have to say, whether I’m still doing the right thing.

I’m considering going back into a normal job that’s either B2B marketing or technology related. I still want to work with numbers, though not necessarily in finance. I majored in accounting because I figured it was the best fit since I was good at numbers and in English writing. Ah, if only I knew then…

I never knew in high school or even college that there were sub-fields of marketing that required proficiency in numbers like data mining, PPC ads management, media planning, ad operations. Very interesting and very new careers to look into that are blossoming. My skills and interests match – but what opportunities are there in my beautiful tropical country?

Sales and B2B Marketing Training

My new personal endeavor is becoming the most effective business development/salesperson ever. I’ve been dying to market our learning web app and time management software, but my partners haven’t had enough time to finish them. I’m a frustrated lightworker who hasn’t had a chance to build and to market a meaningful product that I believe in, that could make an impact.

I want to get into UP ISSI’s April session for Creative Selling Techniques which costs P7,500 for 5 Saturdays — but where to get the cash? I have a bunch of podcasts and books and really want to get to the Sales Shebang Conference in September.

New Stuff

I’ve been addicted to Pet Society, Fashion Wars and all those Zynga war games on Facebook; and Sorority Life on Myspace. Play much? I just like the escape from reality – too bad it wastes so much time. I’m getting over it, thank God.

Got myself a new Compaq CQ60-224NR notebook last January, from Christmas money. I probably should have set it aside for my buffer but it was such a good deal to pass up. I was in the States for a short time and I wasn’t going to get a notebook with such good specs for the price, USD499 plus tax. Being on vacation, I pretty much put my savings and expenses on hiatus. Lesson: still keep track of money in and money out even when on a personal break.

But now, what should I do with the Compaq, preloaded with Vista? It’s grown sluggish, considering it has 3GB RAM?! It’s supposed to be lightning fast, right? But no. I have image editing software and browsers, a few AIR apps for internet marketing, and MS Office. It is eff-ing slow.

• Intel Pentium Dual-Core Mobile Processor T3400 (2.16GHz, 1MB L2 cache)
• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1
• 3GB DDR2 system memory
• 250GB (5400rpm) SATA hard drive
• 15.6" diagonal WXGA high-definition HP BrightView widescreen display (1366 x 768)
• 802.11b/g WLAN
• HP Webcam with integrated digital microphone