Christmas Finance 101

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Christmas season will not be complete without the traffic jams everywhere. You can really feel the spirit around you people rushing to complete their Christmas list also consider the snatchers, bag slashers, thieves around.

Only in the Philippines we spend the longest Christmas celebration that starts September 1,setting the mood with Christmas Carols and the nice advertisements on the good stuff we need for Christmas. Truly the holidays are all set for consumerism btw Consumerism is a social and economic order based on fostering a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts(Wikepedia). Everything around us has been designed for us to want things that we do not really need. Add to that phenomenon, are the credit card companies offering 6-mos , 12mos,3 years payment at 0 interest. It artificially fosters that short term point of view that we can enjoy now and do the hard labor later. What a perfect mood set to plan for luxury purchases though you don't need but the offer is far too tempting to resist.

I love shopping. It is a wife's best therapy. The perfect stress reliever for a spouse that is looking for a past time. Name it we have all the right justification for being shopaholics. I love to swipe my cards...here there and everywhere... may it be in shops, classy restaurant, travels...name it I will use it for as long as card payments are accepted. I was also a true blooded shopaholic who ended up with closet of clothes still with tags on it, shoes never worn, stuff bought because they are on SALE a FAD or just because it was CUTE. I am so empowered by my card to buy anything and everything. I have been there, I have done that and I truly regretted all waste of money. I promised never to fall prey on consumerism and credit card debts.

I finally had my self-realization while watching Oprah Show years ago with a topic on "what if tomorrow you are out of job?" How will you pay your bills and how you can go on with life with no savings and all debts. It really struck me and led me to educating myself by books, seminars on how to handle our finances. I learned to buy only from my needs list and not from my unending wants lists. It pays to go back to live on the basics and be able to fully give importance to what is really, really significant in my life. Now I know better and have changed. I became more practical and conscious even with my gift giving for the holidays.

For the past several Christmases I spent more time on the most important reason why I live...for God...Family...friends. Truly it was a well spent holiday full of memories I can cherish forever.

Have a Merry and Meaningful Christmas everyone...God Bless!

Day for the "Living " not the dead

Flowers galore at the cemetery all kinds of fresh, expensive to plastic flowers.Candles of different shapes and sizes.Tents ,umbrellas everywhere with sleeping mats ,tables and chairs,radios,game boards,foods for breakfast till midnight snacks.This is a typical scenario that starts as early as October 30 till November 2.Sometimes I really wonder when and where this kind of practice started among us Filipinos.Was it a tradition based from our Spanish or Chinese inherited culture?

We also did practiced all these but somehow felt later that I can still commemorate our loved ones even without going through traditional practice of being at the cemetery ,food preparation for the family for the whole day,struggling through traffic ,sitting under the tent through hot or wet weather conditions.Inconvenience of attending to personal necessities because every time you need to go to the comfort rooms there is a big line ahead of you.While in line your hoping for availability of water,and at least a clean and a real "comfort" room.When my sons are smaller I brought strollers and toys they can play so they will not suffer boredom.While some prefer to bring alcoholic drinks and playing cards to kill time.It is also a family reunion those alive are with you while those dead you are to visit.It is also a good business because everyone seems to be earning extra like parking fee charged at 45 pesos  same rate as in the malls.There are food stalls from Jollibee,Pizza hut,and other food vendors.Tents,tables & chairs rental available if you need one.Not to forget if you want to include your loved ones soul to be prayed during the mass there is a fee you must pay.Going all through these I think we have missed the point of remembering the souls being an all souls day celebration.Our present time is full of consumerism.Going back to the basics of sharing the life and times of our departed loved ones to the present generation is the essence of this holiday.

I have been there ,I have done that . Now that I am older I felt I don't need to go through all these. I will always remember my departed loved ones but I will rather spend my precious time with my family. I want to  have more happy times and good memories while I can.After all its all memories we will have to share and be remembered by when we are all gone.