Categories
Life Secrets

Thursday Letter #5 | TikTok and Sunsets

You’re reading this because you’re a paid subscriber. Thank you! 🤍

Hellooo. I’m out of sorts lately. Siguro dahil hindi ako naaarawan. O dahil magkakaron na ko. I talked about kung gano ako ka-inlove dito sa bagong bahay namin. Pero kung meron akong isang hindi gusto, yun ay yung position nya. Kasi hindi ako nakakakita ng sunset at sunrise, unlike sa lumang apartment namin na sagana akong makakita ng orange sky. Kaya siguro nung lumabas kami nung isang araw at nakakita ako ng sunset, muntik na kong maiyak sa tuwa.

🥹

Subscribe to continue reading

Become a paid subscriber to get access to the rest of this post and other exclusive content.

Categories
Money Diaries Secrets

How Much We Spent in 2024

You’re reading this because you’re a paid subscriber. Thank you! 🤍

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.

Subscribe to continue reading

Become a paid subscriber to get access to the rest of this post and other exclusive content.

Categories
Free Posts Happy Things

Happy Things #24 | Diaz Mansion Edition

Noodz

Displaying this Janice Sung print in the kitchen, where people can actually see it. Nasa kwarto lang kasi namin ‘to dati. This was the first thing I hung on our wall and I really love it. Also received some compliments about it which confirmed it was a good decision.

Categories
Free Posts Life

2024 Highlights

101 things in 2024

  1. Kenneth is 1 year nicotine-free!
  2. When I buy blueberries and it’s sweet. Pag maasim, binabalik ko.
  3. Flying to Calgary for our home selections appointment. We got to choose the paint colors, materials, fixtures, and all the interior stuff for the new house.
  1. Kenneth forgetting the word for ‘toes’ and referring to them as “the fingers of your feet”
  2. Visited Devonian Gardens
Categories
Hobbies Journaling Secrets

My 2024 Planner Review

You’re reading this because you’re a paid subscriber. Thank you! 🤍

2023, 2024, 2025

I started using Hobonichi as my planner in 2023. There are different Hobonichi planner variations, but I like the flexibility of the ‘day-free’ because 90% are just blank pages. I have the freedom to do whatever layout I want and skip some weeks, but it’s not too unstructured given that it still has the calendar and yearly pages. It worked well enough for me last year, which is why I’m using it again this year.

Subscribe to continue reading

Become a paid subscriber to get access to the rest of this post and other exclusive content.

Categories
Family Free Posts Life Pals

Holiday Season 2024

Christmas Eve

Simula nung nag-move kami sa Canada, parang Dec 24 talaga yung Christmas day. Kasi ito yung day na may handaan at games. Samin kasi noon Dec 25 mismo may pakana. After 6 Christmases in Winnipeg, we celebrated this year’s Christmas in a different city with different people. Actually wala kaming planong mag-celebrate kasi sobrang preoccupied pa rin namin sa pag-move. Kung wala pang nag-invite samin, baka nag-takeout lang kami ng pagkain at nanood ng The Voice Season 26. Masaya na kami nun. Pero since naka-receive kami ng invitation from Kenneth’s former dorm mate, mas okay yun kasi makakakain kami ng mas masarap na food hehe.

Categories
Calgary Food Free Posts Life

Two Weeks in Calgary

🍽️ La Boulangerie + Chipotle
Pretty
Categories
Life Secrets

Life Updates | Diaz Mansion + Pause Button + Joy to the World

You’re reading this because you’re a paid subscriber. Thank you! 🤍

1.

We’re finally out of the Airbnb and settling into our new home. Kahit medyo matindi pa yung amoy ng pintura the first few days at wala kaming kagamit-gamit, being here brought us comfort. It immediately felt like home 😌 Dati hindi ko pa ina-acknowledge yung notion of buying a house. After reading some articles about renting vs buying, sabi ko kay Kenneth noon mag-rent na lang kami forever. Mas nakikita ko yung bahay as a liability, rather than an investment. Pero nung na-sense ko kay Kenneth na gusto nya talaga, I welcomed the idea. At ngayong tumitira na kami dito, I’m thankful for Kenneth’s insistence. Sobrang excited namin about anything house related. Every new thing na nadadagdag sa bahay, big or small, nakakakilig.

Subscribe to continue reading

Become a paid subscriber to get access to the rest of this post and other exclusive content.

Categories
Life Secrets

Thursday Letter #4 | The Mountains Called

You’re reading this because you’re a paid subscriber. Thank you! 🤍

These past few days have been uncomfortable. I can’t wait to move into our permanent home. The cats are obviously uncomfortable too. I feel their uneasiness. We’re currently staying at an Airbnb which is a basement unit, so they don’t get to see any sunlight and can’t do their usual people and car watching from the windows. I feel bad. Don’t worry kitties. One more day! Although the first few days in the new place are guaranteed to be chaos with all the home organization and setup we need to do. All this moving really messed up with my system, and this dingy basement with all the artificial lights isn’t helping perk up my mood. I sure hope this will all be worth it.

Subscribe to continue reading

Become a paid subscriber to get access to the rest of this post and other exclusive content.

Categories
Money Diaries Secrets

What I Spend in a Week | Utangs + Dreaming of Business Class + Money Worries

You’re reading this because you’re a paid subscriber. Thank you! 🤍

I hate utang. Kaya ilang weeks na kong hindi mapakali na hindi ako nakapag-post nung nakaraang week. Marahil wala namang nakapansin, pero hindi ako matatahimik knowing na meron akong utang sa inyo. Sobrang busy lang kasi talaga nung mga nakaraang linggo. Speaking of mga utang-utang, I have a few thoughts about this.

Allergic ako sa utang. Ang isa pa kong allergic, fees and interest rates. Pero sa utang muna tayo. Siguro isa sa mga maa-apprecite ng mga kaibigan ko sakin, hindi ko ugaling mangutang. Kung mangutang man ako (which is very very rare), hindi mo ako kailangang singilin. Pag sinabi kong ganitong date, areglado ang bayad ko.

Subscribe to continue reading

Become a paid subscriber to get access to the rest of this post and other exclusive content.