Category: Money Diaries

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Money Diaries Secrets

2025 Money Wrapped

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Kahit luhaan ako sa mga gastos namin, I am equally excited to look at our last year’s spending because I have now gained clarity. Since nagkaron ng major changes sa aming 2025 expenses, mas alam ko na ngayon yung i-eexpect for 2026. Nung naka-apartment pa kami, kasama na sa monthly rent namin yung utilities, kaya hindi kami sanay na nagbabayad ng tubig at kuryente. Ngayon, based on the monthly averages, alam ko nang kelangan naming mag-allot ng extra $250 every month.

Ang daming adjustments na nangyari last year. Lumaki yung housing costs namin because of the mortgage, tapos ang dami pang nadagdag na bayarin (home insurance, property tax, utilities). Bukod pa dun, nawalan ako ng income nung August. Kaya ang malaking bottomline ng lahat ng ito ay: kailangan ko nang makahanap ng trabaho STAT.

Natuwa akong gawin yung mga graphics this year. Favorite ko yung ‘Money Wrapped’—tingnan nyo mamaya hehe. Just like before, I’ll start with a snapshot of our average monthly spending, then show the numbers after.

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Money Diaries Secrets

Q3 Expenses | As Expected

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It’s time for the quarterly report!

Just like last time, I’ll start with the percentages of our monthly average expenses, then move on to the detailed breakdown of the numbers. Looking at last quarter’s average (left), there were definitely changes.

EXPENSE BREAKDOWN

Again, I’ve highlighted the highest and lowest expense for each month:

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Life Money Diaries Secrets

Paycheck Routine

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I have a very complicated budgeting system, so I won’t go into every detail. I have an expense tracking app, an Excel file, and I track every cent—if you ask me how much we paid for our Instapot back in 2019, I could tell you (it’s $67.19). In short, it’s a whole thing (but it’s an obsessive-compulsive’s dream).

Today, I just wanted to share what I do during paydays. I remember our abundant months when I’m not waiting for paydays to arrive. Back when I was confident that if I forgot to allocate funds to our different money buckets, I know that our bank account had enough money to cover all the auto-debited bills. Oh how I miss those days.

June 2013 (this is my old app, I use Money Lover now)

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Money Diaries Secrets

Q2 Expenses | Wala Pa Bang Itataas??

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It’s time for the quarterly report! Akala ko talaga magiging proud ako sa quarter na ‘to pero hindi pa rin talaga tumitigil ang mga gastusin. Anong quarter kaya kami makakabawi??

Just like last time, I’ll start with the percentages, then move on to the detailed breakdown of the numbers.

EXPENSE BREAKDOWN

Again, I’ve highlighted the highest and lowest expense for each month:

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Books Food Money Diaries Secrets

What I Spend in a Week | Coloured Book Covers

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It’s time to go back to one of my regular monthly posts. Dahil kahit malungkot tayo, tuloy pa rin ang paggastos—parang mas magastos pa nga pag malungkot.

Before we go to the weekly breakdown, Best Buy and Bye-Bye of the week muna:

Best Buy

This book is so interesting

SOBRANG nag-eenjoy ako dito sa bago kong e-reader. Dahil alam nyo naman na mahilig akong mag-annotate ng books, annotating e-books is the next best thing. Tapos (finally!) may kulay na yung book covers ko. Ang unsatisfying pag nakikita ko yung black and white covers sa Kindle ko noon. Parang hindi binibigyan ng justice yung graphic designer.

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Money Diaries Secrets

Q1 Expenses | Magastos Months

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A quarter of the year has passed! Bilis! So instead of the usual weekly spend post, it’s time for our quarterly report. Looking at our numbers always excites me, which is why I’m looking forward to do this overview. Just like last time, I’ll start with the percentages, then move on to the detailed breakdown of the numbers.

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Money Diaries Secrets

What I Spend in a Week | Fun & Games

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Medyo napagastos tayo nitong week na ‘to pero okay lang, masaya naman. But first, the best buy and bye-bye of the week:

Best Buy

We’re having so much fun playing this board game: Sky Team. It’s a two-player co-op game where you play the pilot and co-pilot with the objective of landing the plane safely with no casualties. I read that a real pilot was consulted in the development of this game, and that it’s so well-made, it won several awards already—I’m not surprised. Ang dami ring possible scenarios, plus may upgrades pa na pwedeng idagdag dun sa basic board (already included in the box) para hindi nakakasawa. Meron din syang separate expansion pack (Sky Team Turbulence) pero mukang hindi pa namin sya kelangan anytime soon since ang dami pa naming hindi nata-try na scenarios.

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Free Posts Insights Life Money Diaries

2025 Game Plan

Another year, another game plan. I’m so happy I don’t feel rushed to finish this post. I think dati meron akong nafi-feel na, “Dapat ma-finalize ko na ‘to bago matapos ang January.” But not this year. Bago ako pumunta sa theme at sa mga gusto kong ma-achieve this year, I will check first kung anong success rate ng 2024 game plan ko…

Okay, out of the 12 goals I set, I was able to achieve 7! I’m not aiming for perfect. Basta more than half okay na ko dun.

Continue reading “2025 Game Plan”
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Money Diaries Secrets

What I Spend in a Week | Household “Essentials”

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First, my best buy and bye-bye of the week:

Best Buy

This $10.37 paper blinds. As in papel lang talaga sya, but it does the job. Wala pa kaming pambili nung blinds na gusto namin kaya ito muna pansamantagal. Natuwa ako dito kasi dumilim yung office ko somehow. Nakakairita kasing tumambay dito pag tanghali tapos sobrang liwanag. Mas nasa mood akong gawin yung mga gagawin ko pag madilim. Pansin ko na noon na mas ganado akong magsulat pag madaling araw at gabi. Mas relaxing lang. Kaya lagi akong niloloko ni Kenneth na vampire.

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Money Diaries Secrets

How Much We Spent in 2024

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This was the year we purchased a home, and naturally, we spent a lot. I remember feeling proud seeing that significant amount of money in our bank account—only to have it gone in a matter of days because we had to put it straight into the deposit. Nevertheless, after living in this house for three weeks now, I do feel that it was worth it. Lahat ng mga nagsasabing, “Iba kapag may sarili na kayong bahay” or “It’s nice to have a place you can call your own”—ngayon ko lang sila naiintindihan. Iba nga. And I love and savor this feeling. Kakaiba yung comfort na binibigay nya. Sabi ko kay Kenneth nung minsan, “Sobrang proud ko sa bahay natin.”

Just like before, I’ll start with a snapshot of our average monthly spending for 2024, then show the numbers after. I already know na yung ‘food’ category ang makakakuha ng largest share of the pie (excluding savings and investments). Pakiramdam ko may something wrong na mas mataas pa yung nagagastos namin sa pagkain kesa sa rent at bills. Parang kelangan talagang may magbago. Hays. Ang hirap kasi talagang labanan ng impulse. Tapos samahan mo pa ng katamaran? Wala na. Limot na ang pagtitipid.

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