KUNG NAGBUDGET KA AT KULANG

      This is the extension of my post about my children having meal allowance.  Balak ko sana na isang post na lang pero mabuti na lang at hinati ko dahil mahaba pala kung pag-iisahin pa.  Isa pa, I am hesitant at first dahil alam mo naman ang tao  ay ibat ibang interpretation sa nababasa. Pero itinuloy ko narin at narealized ko na habang sinusulat ko ang post na ito na sa pagkakatanda ko this is my first major post on the subject of money.  Eh, may kwarta pa naman sa title ng blog na ito tapos walang mabasa tungkol dito. Hahaha!  Kaya eto na ang monthly budget ko.

I.  BILLS AND ALLOWANCES

Tithes                                            Php 3,000                                                          Php    3,000
Kids' meal allowance                         3,000 x 5                                                             15,000
My meal allowance                            3,000                                                                      3,000
Lola Rosie's allowance                       1,000                                                                      1,000
Cellphone load                                        515                                                                        515
Sky Cable                                                  500                                                                        500
Smart Post Paid                                       500                                                                         500


Total Amount                                                                                                          Php  23, 515

II.  GROCERIES

Transportation                             Php  2, 500                                                         Php    2, 500
Monthly dues                                              100                                                                       100
Haircut                                                          50 x 4                                                                  200
Water                                                            400                                                                       400
Gas                                                                 300                                                                       300
Shampoo                                                      400                                                                        400
Bath soap                                                      200                                                                       200
Laundry soap                                               200                                                                       200
Fabric Conditioner                                      200                                                                       200
Toothpaste                                                    100                                                                       100

Total Amount                                                                                                            Php      4, 700

Over all Total Monthly Expenses                                                                         Php    28, 215

That is my conservative calculation of our monthly expenses.  There are still many or some items that are not included.

Hindi pa kasama diyan ang suot sa katawan, pampahid sa katawan, mukha at buhok. Panlinis ng tenga. Pampabango ng kili-kili, katawan, banyo, kwarto at opisina.

And of course budget for EDUCATION!

Next to it are:

• the electric bill (Php 2,000/month. Excess to the said amount will be charged to me)
• telephone and internet connection bill, 
• water bill

Good thing, the church pays for the bills above.  

Another bonus is the house provision.   I think that as the kind of housing we have right now, we need to pay around Php 8,000 - Php 10,000 if we are charged for housing expenses.

My monthly income                                                                                                   

Basic Pay                                                                                                                Php      22,000

Total Allowances                                                                                                                 6,300

Total Gross Income                                                                                              Php     28, 300

Total Net Income(estimated)                                                                                          26, 750


I cannot count the times  that I heard the benefit  of having a budget and sticking to it.   After I did, I had the following realizations:

1.  That my expenses is much much higher than my income.
2.  That I cannot send all my five children to school.  Even to public school were school projects abound.
3.  That converting to cash all my benefits and adding it to my present income, I would be receiving close to Php 45,000 a month.  That is a very descent salary to the present standard.
4.  That being a descent salary is still not enough because of number 2.
5.  That it gives me a feeling of sadness but when I learned that my mission pastor friend in Batangas is enduring a budget  of Php 60 a dayfor a family of 5.
6.  That I am torn between being sad or being grateful.
7.  That me being assigned  to the biggest church in our conference if not the biggest in the country, does not solve my other material concerns.
8. That I have the right to feel irritated to those who think and expect me to help them just  because I am assigned to the biggest church.
9.  That I really have to be conscious on my spending.
10.  That I am teaching my children to manage their own money.  They have to bear with one hundred pesos a day for their meals.
11.  That my budgeting discourages me to lend money to others.  I think I have refused two people so far.  Unlike before that I am much willing to lend.
12.  That I survived through the years anyway.  Singlehandedly.  I  do not get any financial support from my parents and my in laws even when I got widowed with three children.  And I am not complaining because at least I can tell to the whole world that I did not bother anyone for my children's living and education.
13.  That I was able to survive through the love gift that I receive from friends and churches that invite to speak to them.  That is the only way that I can have an extra money or do I really have an extra money.
14.  That I am grateful to be a chaplain of a school because that gives me a regular extra income.  Although it means that I am working practically 7 days a week.

So, may maganda bang naidudulot ang pagba-budget kahit obviously kulang talaga ang pera? Definitely meron.  Ang namimissed ko lang naman nung  hindi pa ako nagbubudget e yung feeling ko na may pera pa ako at may paparating pa. Kasi sa ngayon, ,matapos kong magbudget, ang feeling ko ay kulang ang pera at takot akong gumasta.

                                          

WHY WOMEN WASH THE DISHES THE SEQUEL

     We grew up with the story of Why Women Wash The Dishes? This is good news for a home with lots of women. But to our house that is full of men, we can never outgrow the fight on who is in charge with washing the dishes.  Is it my eldest Amos, my middle child, Amiel or my third son, Amen?  Scheduling worked at first.  Cheating overtook later. Complaining follows without end.  And most of the times, dealing and deciding on the complaint is more laborious than soaking one's hand in the sink.

   
     One night,  I was in the complaint corner again.  Tired and sick of the problem, I suddenly thought of giving them meal allowance.  Yes, meal allowance.  Di ba, ang gandang sequel ng kuwentong ito sa Why Women Wash The Dishes?   Ang title ay Why Men Feed On Meal Allowance?

 And the story goes like this: 

          Once there was a father who had three sons who were always fighting on who should wash the dishes.  The father made a schedule for the three of them which at first, worked.  But cheating overtook them later.  What followed was an unending complaint from the three sons.  The father begged them to cooperate with each other but no one wanted to give way.  They were not even moved by their father's sermon.  The problem went on.

       The truth was, washing the dishes was not the only problem that the father constantly faced.  Many times he felt stressed going to the market and thinking of what to cook and who will cook.

         One night, when he arrived home, the usual complaint met him in the house.  That night, neither begging nor giving sermon was heard  from the father.  What he did was to give them a monthly meal allowance.

         Since then, the father ceased from frequenting to the grocery to buy food and thinking who will cook.  He stopped worrying anymore about his sons meal every time he came home late.  Finally, begging, preaching and complaining were never heard anymore inside the house of men who feed on meal allowance.

          And they ate happily ever after ....

Di ba parang fairy tale lang?  What could be my next post?  Pwede ring Why The Blogger Left His Readers?  It's been seven months of hiatus.  I am back and I am starting over again:-)