Living life to the fullest - FAILED

I just finished chatting with my friend about our Singapore trip. Turns out, the travel agent suggested that we go to Bangkok for the Sky Lantern Festival. With all due respect, I LOVE that event. The first time I watched it featured in Nat Geo, I knew it's one of the events I want to experience.

BUT .... if I choose to be wise, I'll opt not to go. Both for the SG trip and the Bangkok trip. I initially offered just to meet them at Thailand since I know it's going to be cheaper, but if I choose to see the bigger picture, it will be better for me not to go at all.

This is actually the reason why I want to clear out my credit card bill and hurry up with my savings. I admit that I have loved having my own money too much that I messed up with my savings - big time. It only got worse when my credit card came along. It seems like I drain my money away the week I get my salary so by the second week, I'm penniless again. Hence, I end up taking some money off my savings just so I can get by.

It's sick really. I'm sure I don't have a good record with my previous bank. I withdraw more than I save. I don't like listing down my expenses because, come on, do people really want to know how sick they are? This supposed SG trip with my friends helped me realize how worse I've become. I literally have no money to show off. I am your typical no-good girl! I have all this crap but I'm technically penniless! I like to eat in fancy restaurants, I buy all these nice shoes and bags, I drink Starbucks almost everyday .... but I'm basically poor! I have NOTHING to call my own! I fancy a car but I don't have the money to pay even for a lousy second-hand. If my mom decides to kick me out, I have NOWHERE TO GO. I can't pay for a nice apartment.

Talking about living my life to the fullest.

My friend offered to loan me money. Not a wise suggestion really. He loans me the money, and then am back to having debts again. The bigger picture? I spend money for the trip ... but then I come back home broke. Not really a pretty picture. Van Gogh's The Scream looks a lot hell nicer than my life right now. I actually know what I need to do. But hell - I just can't find any enthusiasm to DO what I need to do. I'm so tired of thinking of my bills and yet I have no money by the end of the day.

Cest La vie my darlings?

Damages - Credit saga break

I caved in. After a month of not using my card, I caved in.
It's a really bad withdrawal. 2 new pair of shoes, a set of undies (yes, I have to tell the world that), and a new bag. I nearly bought another bag actually. And another pair of shoes. The only thing that stopped me was the fact that I have to save money for my Singapore trip with my friends this November. While the cashiers were swiping my card I was doing mental calculations in my head. I need to save money for my pocket money, plus the cheapest package my friend got was $424 (4 days 3 night with airfare and accomodations)
I was thinking I needed a hat, a new swim suit, 2 pairs of shorts, and a whole new outfit. Yeah ... I was having an issue a while ago.
I am happy though. The shoes I got are really nice. And the bag is what I call a grown-up girl's bag. hehehe
I'm just making excuses here so just throw me a bone will you?

Bye Bye Credit Card

Here is proof that it's finally gone... (evil laugh) hahahaha
Here's before ....
I can't find my pair of scissors, so I used a small garden shears.
And here it is!!! wahahaha!!!!
I am a step closer to success!!! Hoorah! Hoorah!

1-742173563 (Credit Card bye bye)

I have 2 credit cards and I am proud to say I have cancelled one. WOOHOO!
It's enough that I'm worrying about one credit card. But 2 of them is a killer. I don't know what I was thinking when I applied for the second one.

I was still a little bit addicted to the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic that I thought having 2 credit cards was cool. I keep on forgetting that Isla Fisher's character nearly ruined her life because of her 12 credit cards and her larger-than-life debts.

So ... HOORAY TO ME!!!
Common sense finally prevailed!

Realization - The Dumper chooses the real thing

I am not a fan of designer clothes, I already said that. But I do value durability - for my money's worth. I have been fooled before of cheap wallets and bags that are pretty on the outside but are f**cked up inside. The last straw was last year, when I bought this really cheap Chanel imitation of a wallet. It was love at first sight. And it was just 120 bucks. A winner when I first thought of it. So I bought the "winner" and proudly showed it to my officemates.

It was so fake I was only able to use it for a month and a half. The insides weren't stitched - they were glued together. Unfortunately, I use my wallet like a tiny trash bag. Paper money, LOTS of coins, LOTS of receipts, calling cards. That wallet BULGED just because of the coins alone. As a result, the glue couldn't take it and gave way. There goes my 120 pesos.

From there, I bought my Marks and Spencer wallet. It's PERFECT. It balloons when I just dump lots of paper and coins in it without damage. It may not be as pretty and colorful as the cheap Chanel wallet, but Marks and Spencer gave me my money's worth.

I still buy fake bags - which I really should stop. I have a bag here I bought from my officemate which I'm afraid to use now because the skin is peeling off and the handle is slowly detaching itself from the bag (I tend to dump things in my bag - I'm a Dumper).

I still don't want to buy the stupidly expensive bags like Prada or LV, but I consider Nine West and Lacoste as my ultimate bags (IF EVER I buy one). Right now, am happy with my small Mango and Secosana bags. Believe it or not, Secosana makes really sturdy bags. They're not exactly cheap , but they're no cheap bags nonetheless.

After 4 years

Following up on my Facebook post:

I will FINALLY see my college friend after 4 years! Geez! Keeping touch with friends is a REAL job! It's sad to lose the people you consider friends after you part ways or you just simply lose the connection you once had, but it's a precious moment when you realize you kept the best ones. :)


Look, am no hypocrite. If someone stops making efforts on making our relationship work, I can easily scratch them off my list of people I care for. I don't like wasting energy on jerks who clearly don't want to include me in their life. I may not be on their top list, but I should be in a list of something IMPORTANT.

Friends don't treat friends like rags. I HATE it when they don't talk to you anymore and expect you will understand. I'm not psychic and I most certainly don't have plans to be one. If a friendship has to end, then it ends. Period. I don't care if we've been friends for years. You do me wrong by disregarding me, then we're over. No turning back. I can be civil, but don't expect sweet words from me. Thank you for the memories, but that's just it, M-E-M-O-R-I-E-S.

On a lighter note, I finally met my college friend whom I haven't seen since we graduated. CJ and her hubby Wilson are such a cute couple! Their baby, Rain, is an adorable sweetheart. I can tell she'll be a handful when she grows up. Too bad though Grace forgot to bring her camera that day. I don't have pictures to show here but we will have a get-together again next week so I should have pictures to post here by then.

Mess with yourself and your friends will help you pick yourself up. Mess with your friends, you're screwed for life.

Without My Credit Card

July 6

Yey! I wasn't able to buy ANYTHING! Well, except for an eye contact solution but I need that. No new shoes, no new bag! To think that there was a mall sale. Whew!

What I did though was pampering myself to a perm, magenta highlight, manicure, pedicure and foot spa. :)

*sigh* The last time I pampered myself was ... ages ago. So I thought, I need this. I really do. My nails look like they've been scratching against trees and my feet just needed the loving.

I did a little calculation in my head. My mom's birthday is on August 14, a saturday. I decided to surprise her with a small meal and a few of her close friends and relatives. It's sad to admit that we, her kids, rarely surprise her. So I thought if I can save enough money, I'll have enough money to buy a cake, ingredients for my spaghetti, and maybe one viand. I'm not sure what that would be. An ice cream is an option but not really a priority. Maybe I'll just let my sister add her own ideas. I already have invited 2 people (a highschool batchmate of my brother's and a family friend). I'm yet to invite her cousin's family. That's all I'm planning to invite.

All of these preparations - without using my credit card. Ugh.

Good luck to me.