When I got to work this afternoon, Magdalene, my co-worker, asked me what kind of news would I like to hear before I go on my day-off for the weekend. Of course I chose to hear the bad news first because the good news will definitely cheer me up for the weekend.
So she told me the bad news: there won't be any Christmas Party. I was crestfallen. This was supposed to be my first Christmas Party for the company. I could not understand why the Boss was able to splurge on a first class resort for our company outing yet would not spend a cent for the company christmas. Magdalene would tell me absurd parlor games, fabulous tales about the raffle prizes, the various delicacies that would be laid out on the table - buffet style, or the contents of the christmas basket. She would recall how the employees had to hire a cab to get home because they've got a lot of gifts and cash to bring home to their family. I guess, with the American recession and all the bad sales we've been having recently cost us this important event.
Magdalene must have seen how disappointed I was. She told me the good news next: the 13th month pay will be given on the Immaculate Conception while the year-end bonus will be distributed on the Feast of the Holy Innocents. The former would be my whole salary for a month (which isn't much) while the latter about half my salary (which isn't much either). That cheered me up a bit...but then, since my fringe benefits are really "fringe" of whatever benefit there is to have from the company. After all, it's my hard-earned money. I'm entitled to do whatever I want with it...but somehow, I want to use it smartly.
Where do I start?
1. Save up
1. Save up
I would most definitely do this. Perhaps 25% of the bonus I'll get will go to savings. Uriel and I call it "hidden wealth" because it tends to remain hidden unless a necessity requires it to be dug up and consumed. I'm not a hypocrite, I love spending money in one go...but having a secret stash tickles me to death.
2. Settle debts
Some of this money might go to my credit card bills and all the other debts that I have accumulated for 2008. I will start first with ones that have high interest rates - like my credit cards, then probably the remaining balances from the house utilities, and finally, the small debts that I have from friends and relatives.
3. Invest on
A portion of this money might go to investments. I have read about Mr. Colayco's tabloid articles about investments. I have also researched about what to do with big money, if I ever got the chance. I understand that treasury bills have the lowest risk since the government is liable to them. However, I'm still contemplating on investing on stocks, get an insurance plan or simply put the money on time deposit. Money in stocks are definitely high risk but with high returns. Time deposits are a little like putting money for safekeeping until a certain period of time. Insurance plans a little risky - I don't have regular flow of extra cash so I'm afraid that I might not get my money back.
4. Share it
If there's something left, I might as well share this windfall with others. Having secured my future self with various money-saving schemes, I would like to spend some of my money helping others. Although I would have liked to give some money to charity (like filthy rich people who seek heaven's indulgence,) I don't think I have to go that far. There are many relatives and friends that might need a little help for the holidays. It may not be cash, but most probably just being there.
Spending the remaining half gives me shivers...but in a good way! I am contemplating on spending the remaining half....
1. on my well being
There are a lot of affordable, quality massage parlors at the West Wing where I work. Uriel and I have been looking forward to having a Lymphatic Massage and Ear Candling which both focuses on detoxification.
A quick visit to the dentist will also do. Uriel's been complaining about toothaches lately. It might be the faulty amalgam fillings again. I think I need a fluoride treatment and good old dental prophylaxis. There's been plaque build-up on my canines recently.
If I have extra cash, I'd go for a hair spa and drastic haircut. I love having my hair treated with extensive moisturizing because it definitely does wonders for my hair. After I've had my hair "murdered" by a homosexual parlor assistant, I think I deserve it. Uriel has been yearning for the haircut that fits him.
It's number 1 on my list because I believe that if I look good, I feel good. If I feel good, I am more productive at work and in play.
2. on my betterment
I have learned to teach myself Hangguk (Korean language) after I had dropped out of it when I was in college. It has been useful because even before the "Korean Explosion" in the Philippines, I have taught English phonics (for a price) to quite a number of Korean children who have never read or written western alphabet. It proved particularly useful when I started teaching older Koreans how to speak English. They usually speak out their minds in Korean and I reply in English.
Uriel wants to study business English for the holidays while I want to study Mandarin. After all, there are more Mandarin-speaking businessmen nowadays...you'll never know what opportunity awaits me. Besides, my background in Hangguk will definitely help me master this course - especially in the vocabulary part. Uriel wants to master business English because I've been acting his secretary for so long that I have somehow been speaking for his behalf - making him feel powerless. I was gladdened that he has admitted to this deficiency recently.
3. on a greed gift
I confess...I am a gadget lover. Whatever it is, as long as it makes my life bearable...I'll save up to buy it. This latter part of the year, I have been eyeing two items that would qualify as a "greed gift": a portable music player that has multifunction (camera, music player, dictionary, video cam, calculator, voice recorder and game console) and expandable memory; the other one is a china-made television phone - it has all the features of the music player with calling capabilities. If ever i get to buy one of these - I will be my own personal Santa.
Uriel's been telling me to get the "greed gift" off my list. Christmas, is for giving and not for greed-ing. Of course, I defended my future "greed gift." I told him that since we're too grown-up for Santa, a greed gift is one item that one doesn't really need but desperately wanted. The fact is, a greed gift allows me to indulge in my cravings and will be a tangible reward that I will cherish over and over till Christmas comes again.
4. on improving our bedroom
Uriel and I live in a big house (4 bedrooms, 3 toilets and a 4-car garage). Far too big for us because we work almost two-thirds of our waking hours. The bedroom, aside from the kitchen is the most walked on place in our house. It needs new curtains (probably something sheer and green), good, clean window scrubbing, new water pipes for the bedroom toilet, and new linen.
I chose to improve the bedroom because I have read studies that says that better sleep means better work performance. Besides, I need a clean bedroom otherwise my asthma might strike once more.
5. on my loved ones
Uriel has been on my list far long enough. I guess I will spend some money on my family. Marriage has taken its toll in family relations. I rarely call/go home - unlike Uriel, who comes and goes to his parents every time he feels like going. Since I work most of the time, I rarely talk to them especially when my mind is too preoccupied with work and housekeeping.
I guess I'll buy my parents a gift - probably a blouse for my mum and a set of nice undies for my dad. For my brothers, I'll definitely give them undies too. My sister, Josette, who's been under a lot of stress lately and usually hooked in blogging, maybe something techie rekated. For my nephews, something unbreakable for Louis while I might think of something smarty for Claudius. Magdalene should also get something but I have to fish out a nice bag from the "tiangge" for her.
As Uriel puts it, investment on friends reap rewards in amazing and totally unexpected ways.
6. on travel
My brother-in-law, Jacques, from Australia, is spending Christmas here. However, he's been way too bored moping at home so Uriel has been playing with the thought of going to the mountains anytime after Christmas or before New Year. My husband and I have always reveled at the relaxing ambiance of mountain air and the exhilarating feeling of scaling its heights. The quiet, foggy nights with the roaring bonfire might do us good.
Since I'm in charge of planning, we intend to go to Sagada and Bontoc - home of the rice terraces. We have a collective budget of 30 grand, for 4 days 3 nights (excluding travel which takes about 18 hours to and fro)of pure exploration. These two have never been there, considering that their ancestors comes from the Northern Provinces. That would be one memorable trip.
7. on a collection
Unknown to many, I have a varied collection: I collect grimoires (pronounced /grɪˈmwɑr/). These are textbooks of magic. Books of this kind of genre, typically gives instructions for invoking angels or demons, performing divination and gaining magical powers, have circulated throughout Europe since the Middle Ages.
and usually kept hidden from sight during the Inquisition. They cost a lot but I splurge whenever I can find one because their prices go up - especially when a solitary practitioner or a coven looks them up.
If I have enough time, I might hunt for one during vacation. Do I read them? Yes, I do. I use them when applicable. Enough said.
8. on broadening the mind
I buy books that tickle my imagination. I have helped my brother build up his Harry Potter Collection (from Book 1 to Book 7) all hardbound. Since I read faster than he is, I usuallly read it first (aside from the fact that I financed it). Maybe this season, I'll look for another book to collect - Twilight series, perhaps.
0 comments:
Post a Comment