Saving Money (Part 1)

MONEY HAS ALWAYS BEEN a fascinating subject. Growing up, I witnessed how different social classes operate. Unlike the U.S. with a middle class, the Philippines’ rich and poor are two very different animals. We had friends who could not put food on the table; at the same time, we mingled with kids who had drivers, yayas, tutors, and vacation homes. So then I wondered: How come?

This question plagued me and changed my perspective about finances. Just like healthy eating, I have two choices: to eat things that either make me healthy or not. So when I spend, I ask: Does this expenditure take me closer to my dreams?

Now that I work and get a steady paycheck, I still remain very frugal. I don’t loan, don’t shop much and save about 60% of my salary. Hard indeed, but I keep myself in check these specific goals:

a. TRAVEL

I've been to seven countries so far and constantly take mini-adventures around San Diego county

As Paulo Coelho would say: “I’m a pilgrim.” If I could live my life observing sunrise and sunsets, I would be a very happy woman. Saving money is one way to fulfill my pilgrim dreams. On my travel wish list:

1. Capetown, South Africa

2. Backpack 11 countries in Europe

b. EYE SURGERY

I’ve been nearsighted since I was 13 years old, because of genes and excessive reading. LASIK is a life-changing procedure that costs about $1,000+.

c. MARRIED LIFE AND
BUILDING OUR FIRST HOME

I recently got engaged. More than a wedding, which I consider an unnecessarily extravagant party, I’m saving for a new life. I’ll be moving back to my country in a new city (Cebu), learning the dialect, looking for a job, acclimating to new friends and family. All these cost quite a pretty dime. Money is tight, so I want to focus on what matters to me in the next few years: an ample home with plenty of light, a complete kitchen and perhaps even an orthopedic mattress.

SAVING MONEY TIP #1 - CULTIVATE FRUGAL BEHAVIOR

Stores manipulate your senses into overspending

People mistaken frugality as depriving them of what they want, but really, it is about saving for things they need. Mantras I live by:

→ “If you have to think about it, it means you don’t need it.”

→ “Buy Experience, Not Things”

→ “Know Needs From Wants”

→ “Wardrobe Color Scheme”

→ “Spend your money where your time is.”

→ Learn The Art Of “savoring”

→ “Lower media consumption. All it does is make you want to buy things you don’t need.” It might be ironic how someone like me who works in media would advocate less of it. Everything around us, screams buy buy buy. A good rule of thumb for things to keep: It must be beautiful, useful, or loved. Otherwise, clutter stores negative energy, says feng shui.

Lifehacker suggests cutting down mainly on two common biggest expenses: transportation and food. For transportation, I get gas at Costco. It’s is the undisputed cheapest gasoline price in my area. I buy in bulk, cook in big batches, freeze often, and watch stores prices. I got it all down to a routine and habit so effective, that my food expense is only $5 a day. I'm currently working on mastering fresh-food-fantastic-cooking on a budget.

SAVING MONEY TIP #2 “YOU MANAGE WHAT YOU MONITOR” 

Best way to curb impulse buying: writing down every penny

Similar to golf statistics or a food diary - we are only truly of aware of things we keep track of. A few years ago, I read “Your Money Or Your Life” that changed my perspective about finances. At the time, I was just in college so I didn’t have income, yet I slowly started by tracking every penny and drafted a personalized spreadsheet. The finance book teaches many other wonderful things, such as how time and money equates life energy. Simple Dollar did a stellar review of the book here.

Once a month, I sit down for 20 minutes to review 

First, I write every expense on an app, called Drafts, on my phone. I simply type it when I look at my receipts at home. Second, I total all the expenses on a piece of yellow pad paper. I do this once a month. Third, I input the numbers on my Google Drive spreadsheet. Then, easily I can find my salary, subtracted by expenses = savings.

Also, on the Drafts app, I have separate wish list. Things there include books, touchless motion sensor garbage cans, Mono price MHD wifi action cameras, etc. When I have extra cash, at least I'm spending it on things I covet long enough to write, and not on not random impulse buys.

Just the fact that I write down every penny makes me conscious of what I buy. Personally, the best reward is finding my savings percentage every month. Right now I average about 50-60% savings from my salary. This is truly one of the best habits I’ve ever conquered, one that allows me to travel, work less, and enjoy leisure without guilt. Frugality begets freedom.

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(To be continued....)

PART 2 is about money saving tips #3 and #4, and the downsides of frugality. Click here. 

Can Someone Really Have It All?

We used to call her "mongol," as she is curve-less and skinny as the pencil brand. Somewhere along the way, she learned to line her eyes, grew hair and hips, developed a taste in clothes and some high-caliber golfing skills.

 "He who does not have an embarrassing childhood photo, cast the first stone." :: Me (left) and Princess (right) in Boracay 2006.

8 YEARS LATER:: Our most recent picture taken in Coronado, July 2014.

My sister, Princess Mary Superal, just won the 2014 US Girl's Junior Championship, the most prestigious golf girls' event in the world. Out of a record 1,188 entries and 162 holes from a 6,718-yard long golf course, she came out the winner. No other home-grown Filipina has achieved this feat.

Last year, she won two gold medals for the Philippines in the SEA Games, a premier golf event in Southeast Asia. She played 24 amateur and professional events last year alone -- "a quite full schedule," Golf Channel commentators noted. When she was 13 years old, she shot a course-record 62 (10-under par) at the Cottonwoods golf course. Nothing in her reaction that day seemed out of the ordinary. She wins often that every time somebody sees me, their first reaction is: "Hey, congrats to your sister!"

I wish those people would understand that the win is not on her list of accomplishments, but who she had become.

On January 16, 1997, Princess was born a preemie, only seven months out. The doctor asked my father to be ready to lose either his wife or child. The baby came out weighing only one-pound and as fragile as a Sardinian blood veal. To recover, the doctors incubated her for a month. My parents deservedly named her as "Princess," as she is our family's royal, precious gift. Her second name, "Mary" is from Mother Mary, my mom's favorite saint.

With Baby Princess:: One of our earliest family photos, 1998

Growing up, Princess did not play, cry, or eat much. When other kids scraped their knees from playing, she observed on the sides, probably thinking how stupid they were. It shocked me one day when my sister pounced on an abusive comment. Many times, she'd been left alone; she had witnessed abuse and bullying, even had her head stitched up. She's not at all innocent as she looks. When challenged, she has two reactions: either fight or laugh.

Her usual response is humor, even at the silliest of things.

Our recent conversation went like this:

Me: "Wolen is having a gout attack... tapos si Lola may gout din daw." 

(Silence)

Princess: "Hala! Ako na yata sunod. Tapos si Ace. Haha" 

Her remarks are unique, sharp. Just yesterday, she was stranded for three hours on an airplane in New York. "I want to be the one to fix this plane!," she texted me. That's her distinct, Superal-way of dealing with adversity: light-hearted and mature. How did she learn all that?

"Age is a high price to pay for maturity."

Arnold Palmer describes golf as, "satisfaction to the soul and frustration to the intellect." So perhaps from hundreds of rounds Princess plays, golf is actually toughening her up. Or maybe from travel or dealing with folks she meets along the way.

Nowadays I only see my sister for one week every year. When I do, I have no other intention (not even talk about golf!) other than to cuddle her. Her small face is like a doll's, as my mother describes. Her hair and skin always needs pampering, for which I take pride in doing. In short, when I'm with her, I just want to take care of her.

I see Princess not just as 42nd in the Women's World Amateur rankings, but as a perpetual transformation from being mongol to beautiful girl to a normal teen, balancing friends and family and an extraordinary talent torn between college or professional golf. A chaotic stage to be in, yet she retains her charity, class and comedy. If this is not someone who has-it-all, she's sure damn close.

(P.S. We love you, Princess.)

Throwback: Callaway Junior World

THE CALLAWAY JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SHAPED MY CHILDHOOD. Every year, 1200 kids from 56 countries come to San Diego, California, for the biggest international event in the world. It's one week bundled with a parade, college recruiting and a high-caliber junior golf tournament that produced the likes of Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, etc. Winning this tournament -- Junior World -- consumed my family's energy.

If any of us wins, the Philippine President might give us a Malacanang Palace invite and monetary gift up to one million pesos. We heard Presidents awarded large sums to former Filipino champions. We also heard Pepperdine University scouted Jayvie Agojo after many years of prominent finishes in the event.  At the least, we would be featured in newspapers all over the country and have our names engraved in Torrey Pines parade flags. Maybe. Whatever our presumptions were, this was the tournament that had the chance to turn our lives around.

Caddying for Ace in Sycuan, 2013. She finished 5th.

At that time, my dad's worst threat was: "Hindi na kayo lalaro sa Junior World," every time we played bad. And it was a real threat - the thought of staying at home for a month while the rest of the family are in San Diego; and missing Disneyland and Universal Studios, steak dinners, and tours of Balboa Park. Winning the Junior World qualifying round means you are truly the BEST junior golfer in the Philippines. Winning in Callaway Junior World means you are top-caliber on Earth. That's a big deal for any kid, much so a competitive athlete who takes 12 months to prepare just for one tournament. A high-level pressure that non-athletes might not comprehend.

We had reached a pinnacle: At one point, my siblings and I were all world-class junior golfers. Between Wolen, Princess, Eagle and I, we had 24 Junior World showings within the last 11 years. Out of those 24, we had a combination of 11 Top-10 finishes. Certainly no other Filipino family has achieved that; most likely none of the tournament's history had. In 2005, Wolen won the 11-12 boys' division with a score of 21-under par. Only one other golfer broke this record: 14-year old Paphangkhorn Tavatanakit shot 23-under par in 2014. To play, we had asked countless people to financially support our trip. All my of siblings practiced until our hands bled. 

My sister, Princess Superal in Torrey Pines 2013. She has played Junior World ten times - six of them were top-10 finishes.

Maybe it's the fact that children are impressionable and everything seems bigger. I thought Junior World could change our lives. In fact, it did not. I found my US college scholarship through an arbitrary online athlete's profile. Wolen did not get any offers from Junior World. Princess is getting some already, but she's not ready to take it yet. Granted, all the other Filipino champions in the recent years received Palace invites, magazine covers and accolades - but not money. It's worth noting that the Philippines have had much more frequent winners recently than any other time. Kids have gotten way better. This is a testament to the Philippine junior golf program's progress, both in support and training.

Me wearing yellow; Princess and Wolen finally together at the parade in 2014 

My last showing in Junior World was seven years ago. Every year, I've been attending parades, caddying, and watching my siblings play. As I stand on the side, watching hundreds of children line up at the parade, I can't help but feel sympathy for them. I don't know how much percentage gets "forced" to play by parents. I could only hope that they continue to carry the love of golf throughout their adult lives - even if they don't do well in this particular tournament. Golf parents are ranked one of the worst stage-parents in all of sports (including baseball and cheerleading).

Junior World parade 2011 with our mom

Junior World is a grand arena, similar to World Cup or Olympics in prestige. But it is not the end-all be-all. Only in retrospect I recognized how the seemingly "life-changing" tournament is nothing but just another tournament - like hundreds of others. Today, Junior World has become a time for my family to golf and get-together. Our time of happiness. It's the only reason my siblings ever come to America and see my mother once a year. And that is what I wish for the players and their parents this week: play well, and more importantly, make this a time for joy.

-C.

What July 4th Means To Me

IT TOOK ME FIVE YEARS to understand July 4th. To Americans, it might be fireworks, hotdogs and flags. At first I thought it was just a celebration with rambunctious English-speaking folks. Five years later, the meaning evolved much deeper. Umwelt theory, the perception that our "reality is the only reality out there," plagued me. The United States' Independence echoes salvation from my own naive realism.

Liberty Station :: naval base in San Diego, CA

Here in America, I feel safe as a woman. I am respected as an athlete, scholar, intern and colleague. Growing up, I knew better than to wear "womanly" clothes in our Cavite neighborhood. That would just draw attention from tambays. But here in my work, a professional setting with digitized door locks, cameras, sexual harassment laws and college-educated peers, I can wear heels and skater skirts without fear. I often hike for hours just by myself. I'm free to dress, speak or project as I pleased.


In the Philippines where the divide of the rich and poor are so obvious, being in the latter restricts your life's outcomes. Whereas here, I am compensated equal to my skill. They say, "poor Americans have no excuse," because truly, this is a country where you can work hard and elevate your social class. Most of the world's millionaires live in the US; 92% of them are entreprenuers. Countries like India has a caste system; revolts in Somalia and Niger make them the most dangerous places in the planet. And the United States? You are free to work as hard as you wish and invest your salary to a comfortable retirement.


Although not as rich as Luxembourg or as education-savvy as Sweden or as eclectic as Japan, in the US, one can enjoy First World Living. Fresh and varied produce, clean water, fast internet, paved roads, efficient retail service, and overall reverence for business and innovation. My library accounts in San Francisco and San Diego has had me borrow over 100 books, audiobooks, and DVD's for free. I received an almost-free private art school education.  ("The more education you have, the more opportunities you get, therefore the better quality of your life.")


My five years living here pales in comparison to America's 238th year of independence. At first, I could not understand why Americans celebrated it rather too enthusiastically. Only now after reaping the benefits of living here, had I experienced the downsides: piles of immigration paperwork, white supremacy, seasonal living, consumerism, and worst of all, tax.

I did not need at all be ignorant. But I had to live it first. I had to experience and feel in my bones the good and bad sides of being an American. I'm not a tourist; I've lived here long enough to know both sides of the coin. It took five years.

Thank you, America - Happy July 4th.

21 Things I've Learned In The Last 21 Years (Part 1)

Now as a 23-year old, I have a car, job, dog, and dinner party hosting skills. As an autodidact, I've grown up greatly from the last two years, but it's still sweet to revive my writings from the past. I wrote this on my 21st birthday eve: 21 Things I've Learned In The Last 21 Years.

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"True achievement is a solitary act." :: Monterey Aquarium :: Fall 2012

1. You're enough. The most important factor to well-being is knowing that you're enough.  I watched a social worker's TED talk about how this is the most revealing fact of her ten-year research. Accepting that you're you, flaws and all. She said many problems, like addiction or abuse, stem from people's low self-esteem. They refused to believe that they are deserving of love and a good life. It changed her, it changed me, and I'll apply this knowledge to my fictitious children.

2. Always love. Family always comes first, from my amazing mom to my super siblings. I love them so much, that I'm willing to give my life to them. And after all these years, I realize that I'm at my happiest being with them. My boyfriend (Ed note: we are engaged now) deserves a mention here -- being the most influential person to me outside immediate family. The hardest part of studying abroad is being away from my support system. Thankfully, there's the internet, and I just try to redirect my love to friends whom I have here with me.

3.  Embrace the Wild. If there’s anything that I've turned into in the last five years, it’s that I have become an explorer both intellectually and physically. From taking classes like Business Law to Acting, from learning yoga to hiking waterfalls, I’ve certainly said YES to anything that I’ve never experienced before. It’s those moments when you don’t feel like leaving your bed, but you end up having an awesome time going anyway. So say yes! As they say, “better have done it than not at all.”

South Lake Tahoe :: Fall 2012

4. Studying is different from learning. Natalie Portman said, "I hate studying but I love learning." Well, I kind of followed the same concept ever since I read that. As a Multimedia Communications major, I study a lot of production and digital work, but as a student of life, learning should be beyond that. I am mostly on google everyday looking up things like, "How to use acrylic paint" or "How to read putts better." I hang out a lot in dictionary.com, feeding off my obsession with words. My favorite, for anybody too lazy to read, is going on TED talk's website. Their speakers summarize decades worth of research, information and ideas within 18 minutes for the world to see. Just as what Anna Oposa always says, "with all the information we can access right now, there's no excuse to be dumb!" 

5. Take notes. I have several notebooks on golf, creativity, diary, scrapbooking, even a yellow pad paper that I can fill up in a few months’ time. The best thing about writing is that it helps you remember. In relationships and in golf, it’s even more important because it helps you improve. Or maybe you can just type it on your iPhone and upload it onto a cloud -- that works too.

6. The gift of experience trumps over materialism. The better value for your money will always be over experiences. If you were choosing between a buying a watch or going to a concert, go to the concert -- the memories will last with you longer. The luster of materialistic things always fades in time because human beings have great capacity to adapt. Take for example, a gift to my little sister Ace. Instead of getting her any store-bought item, I saved up for broadway tickets to Wicked (The Musical). I'm sure when she grows older, she'll remember that more than a piece of clothing that she'll outgrow soon anyway.

After saving up for my first-ever job, I treated my sister Ace to a broadway show called 'Wicked'. Her ears and eyes were glued to the stage work and music. A few years later when I ask, she still remembers.

7. Traveling opens your soul.  What I noticed is that well-travelled people are always the most open-minded, adventurous, and interesting people I know. They always have deeper insights and usually speak more than two languages. I'm fortunate to have traveled pretty much a lot myself. Being exposed to other cultures open a side of your brain that makes you adapt faster and see things in a broader perspective. 

8. All-time best products: Epsom Salt, Baking Soda, And Ginger. I've been living alone for a while now, so I know some of the best products to keep at home. Google "benefits of Epsom Salt." There's many uses, from removing toxins to relieving muscle soreness, which is always my problem. In the same way, baking soda is just as fabulous. One time I burned my friend's microwave, so I scrubbed it with the powder mixed with a little water. Voila, it's just like new! I often use baking soda to remove the smell in my water bottles and to clean my shoes. As for ginger, I once wrote an entire article about why I'm such a fan girl of the root. Another plus -- baking soda, epsom salt, and ginger are dirt cheap.

9. You should visit San Francisco at least once in your life. Everyone has heard about San Francisco, but nothing exposes you to a place other than living in it. What I like best about this city is that there's lots of events going on all the time. Concerts, launchings, festivals, plays, and performance art shows are either sold cheap or completely free just because SF is ripe in arts and entertainment. And every single event is just walking distance from where I live! Not to mention San Francisco is one of the most geographically beautiful cities in the world.

A secret rooftop garden in downtown San Francisco

10. Filipino Food is all I need. I tried going on without it for a year while living in the dorms, but I just ended up getting sick. Filipino food is really all I can eat, everyday without fail, for the rest of my life. Right now, I have kare-kare, tinola, giniling, and bibingka in my freezer. I am always giddy at the thought of eating menudo and rice on lunch break while I'm at a main building in the heart of the city. Or when I'm munching on Cloud9 at the second hole in Presidio. Pretty awesome.

11. Ask for help. I’ve formally written two of my idol teachers to help me with my career. Now, I have at my disposal a founder of a non-profit and a known tech-whiz/journalist. Last week, I asked my sophomore graphic designer friend to make me a logo. I constantly check with my loved ones advice on everyday situations. In spite of my perfectionist world views, I’ve that learned asking for help is worthwhile.

(To be continued...)

Habits and How It Changed Me

HERE ARE SOME THINGS I'm working on to improve my life.

"What you do everyday matters more than what you do every once in a while."- Gretchen Rubin

In San Francisco's Alexander Bookstore, I saw Charles Duhigg's book, "The Power Of Habits." It's a yellow, hard bound book that discussed why habits exist and how we can change them. According to Duhigg, successful people and organizations simply ingrained good mental and physical habits unto their systems. This is the beginning of my fascination with the subject.

Human beings have finite energy and attention everyday. This is why President Barack Obama only wears blue and black suits; why Haruki Murakami, one of the most prolific modern writers, wakes up, eats and writes at the same time; why the military and medical field have SOP's; why Tiger Woods instantly goes on a intuitive mode on clutch putts. Habits eliminate choice - so you go on default. This way you don't waste any little of willpower you have.

When I was training international-levels of golf, I practiced with full intent and purpose for six to eight hours a day. I did this - every single day - for ten years until I was offered a US scholarship. Even though I wasn't aware, I was already cultivating habits that propelled me to a good life.

From reading, I learned that humans are creatures of habit and the brain is a "pleasure-seeker" (hello, behavioral finance). Therefore, applying good habits could make me a better person. Not only for golf when I needed it, but to other areas of my life too. But be careful: It's easy to get into something but hard to get out of it. Sneaking a bag of potato chips everyday or trying cigarettes for the first time could easily spiral downwards...

Anyway, these are some of the habits that I've learned for the nine months I've been living in San Diego:

1. Exercise As A Habit

Gym was easy as a student-athlete because it's scheduled. But now that I'm out of school and working, I needed to make sure that exercise is a choice I don't have to make. I just do it.

My routine varies: sprinting, walking, lifiting, G-Flex, hiking, yoga and HIIT's. 

My motivation for working this hard is so I can be free and proud - to wear a bikini without being self-conscious, to eat decadent foods without guilt, and to fuel my mental and physical capacity so I can enrich my life. When my legs are strong, I can hike for five hours. When I'm oxygenated, I can read and write all day long. That's why exercise is important -- aside from looking great, it allows you to accomplish more.

2. Healthy Eating As The Norm

I got into food by studying Paleo. Even today, I still think dairy-free, gluten-free, wheat-free as the cleanest way of eating. But is it sustainable for the resources and culture of a Filipino? No.

Pulled Pork with sautéed veggies, guacamole and lettuce

Sweet (bananas+bacon+honey) and savory (poached egg+avocado+cilantro) homemade waffles

Now I prefer a low-carb diet. My meals are 90% home-cooked, fresh,whole foods. I make sure my plate is balanced with proteins and vegetables. For snacks, I have smoothies or nuts. Here's a secret with healthy eating: once that becomes a habit, your palate changes. You stop craving for salt and sweet. You respect ingredients (cooks know this) and think of food as nourishment.

3. Enriching My Mind Through Reading

I curate my books and summarize each one. This is a snapshot of my bedside table.

I've made a habit of borrowing from the library. So even if I don't feel like reading, I have six stacks of books on my bedside table. Just the sight triggers me to pick them up.

On my way to work, I listen to podcasts such as Splendid Table, Harvard Business School, Unstuckable, Travel With Rick Steves and John Greene's "The Fault In Our Stars'" audiobook. At least my daily 50-minute commute is not wasted by looping radio songs and DJ's talking nonsense. The more I read, the more my mind is primed to learn more.

4. Guiltless Self-care

When I discovered the homemade skincare is just as good - or maybe even better - than synthetic ones, I never looked back. I advocate for Apple Cider Vinegar (1:2 vinegar to water ratio) as a toner, ridding me of whiteheads and open pores. Coconut oil is my all-in-one product - my hair mask, moisturizer and lotion.

As a habit, I do a weekly turmeric mask, lemon scrub, and a hot detox bath with Epsom Salt and Baking Soda. That might seem like an overkill for other people - but I care about the way I look and feel. I see people running around making money and taking care of others, but the real investment is in our own bodies. As Dr. Aris Latham of Sunfired Food would say:

"Where do you live? Country, city, or house? No. You live in your body. Take care of the only one you have."

5. Household Chores On Auto

This is where I habits get the most mileage. My Saturdays are 'cleaning day' defaults. For bigger tasks like chores, I anchor or "stack" all my habits.

First, I load the washer. In the 30 minutes while that's washing, I scrub the kitchen and bath floors, wipe the tub, mirrors, and tables, and change bed sheets. Second, I come back to the laundry and transfer clothes into the drier. The last and final step is laying all those clothes on the bed so I can pick work outfits for the next seven days. It just takes half a day to clean my house. I love this little system as much as I love coming home to an orderly and fresh-smelling abode.

How Habits Have Improved My Life

Truth to be told, I need time every so often to take a "break" from intense habit-forming. There are times, like whenever I enrol in a MOOC like Coursera that I decide to drop-out. Or some days I just watch three-hours worth of Grey's Anatomy on Netflix. I still feel inadequate in my career, sleep, social media management, and networking skills. But as Jim Collins said, "Good is the enemy of great."

My good version of habits have helped me best by saving time. I no longer waste gas driving in circles. The house is always clean. I'm proud of my monthly food budget, considering my lavish, healthy meals. My body looks and feels strong, so much so that Bikram is now just a moderate exercise for me. Best of all, I know this all preparation for a stronger and smarter version of me.

As an additional resource, here are three excellent blogs that discuss habits:

1. Gretchen Rubin's "A Happiness Project" ;
2. Daniel Coyle's "The Talent Code";

3. Steven Covey's "7 Habits Of Highly Effective People."

What's one habit that you can start changing today? Share in the comments section below.

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