My husband came home one day with a book about money spending. I knew I had to read it for the reason that I have little knowledge about managing my finances.
The book Ang Pera na Hindi Bitin by Ardy O. Roberto, Jr. contains practical money-saving and money-growing tips. The approach is very straightforward, using both English and Tagalog to make the style conversational. I’m going to use the same style for the book summary below.
Pitong Paraan Para Hindi Mabitin ang Pera (7 Ways to Avoid Money Shortage)
- Save. Save money while you’re still young so you can retire early. Ardy suggests the “Automatic Millionaire” saving system and he discussed a lot more strategies on how to save money for future use. Pwede rin mag-save ng 10% or 20% kada sweldo. Para sa akin, ito ang pinakamahirap na gawin. You wouldn’t believe that at 27, I don’t have a decent amount of savings in my bank account yet.
- Give. Share your wealth to charities and foundations. The author mentioned about “honoring the Lord” through generous acts to your family and to the poor. Giving has never been an issue for me, in short hindi ako maramot basta meron ako. Ang sarap sa pakiramdam kapag nakakapagbigay ka sa iba.
- Get out of debt and stop borrowing. We’re (my husband and I) still trying to settle all our credit card debts and we’re aiming for a debt-free state next year. Tip from the book: Iwasan mangutang sa ibang tao kung alam mong mahihirapan kang magbayad, at huwag mag-overspend.
- Live simply. Keeping your expenses less than your income is the right path to take. Ang daming tukso sa malls, ang daming magagandang gadgets, pero isipin muna kung kailangan mo ba talaga ito o gusto mo lang mapansin ng ibang tao. Kung ang gusto mo eh pasayahin ang sarili mo, make sure na worth it ang bagay na ito at mag-canvass mabuti para makamura ka kahit kaunti.
- Mag-sipag, mag-negosyo. You can’t rely on just one income forever. You need to have a fallback – take a side job, earn from your passion, etc. I’m a full-time mom but I still accept writing and SEO projects from time to time and I’ve recently launched my personal online shop.
- Mag-invest. “Mag-investigate muna bago mag-invest”, sabi sa libro. Scams are everywhere so be careful where you put your hard-earned money and so is your trust. The book suggested a list of investment opportunities including stocks and real estate, as well as informative websites for investors.
- Educate yourself. Broaden your skills and educate yourself. Your mind is one of your assets and it needs to be nourished. Attend seminars, read books, watch tutorials, and conduct research. Money spent doing these activities is never wasted.
Ang Pera na Hindi Bitin (Money That’s Never Short)
Ardy O. Roberto, Jr.
Facebook: facebook.com/AngPera
Published: 2013-06-25 10:00:00
I agree with your post, it is really important to save early. I started saving when I was a kid so I can buy the things that I want. Pero one thing I learned few years ago is, hindi lang enough yung magsave ka, dapat marunong ka rin mag-invest so you can grow your money.