Truly Rich and Blessed

The Blessings and Challenges of a Work at Home Mom: My Veritas 846 Interview

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work at home mom

The first quarter of this year has been a bit busy for me, not just because of family life and the kids, but also because of the opportunities that God has been giving to me and Truly Rich and Blessed.

By God’s grace, I was invited to be on one of CBCP News’ online shows, and then, not long after that, I was invited to an interview by another Catholic media outlet which I highly respect, namely Veritas 846 Radio Totoo. It is THE number one faith-based radio station in the country! What an honor; praise the Lord!

Anyway, I was invited as a resource person by a couple who is dear to me and my family, Tito George and Tita Cynthia Campos, who happened to be two of the hosts for the show “Katok Tahanan.” The topic to be discussed was “Stay at Home Wife or Corporate Life?” I was asked to share about my journey as a work at home mom.

There were other interviewees—newlyweds Nico and Laika Ordoñez, two inspiring young people who also happen to have a blog. Nico works in the corporate world, while Laika is an entrepreneur.

I must say that I have never been interviewed for a radio show before, so it was really a great learning experience for me, and, just like my CBCP News interview, I was surprised that I actually had lots of fun doing it! Looking back, I can only thank Jesus and Mama Mary again for guiding me (and everyone else!) all throughout the interview, and I hope and pray that everything I said was inspired by the Holy Spirit.

You can watch the whole show below, thanks to :

As I mentioned in the interview, my work-at-home journey has been full of blessings and challenges, but I praise and thank God for leading me to where I am now.

Having said that, let me emphasize again that I honor every mom out there—whether you stay at home, work at home, run a business from home or from the office, work at an office—whatever your state of life is, please know that you are the best mom for your kid/s.

God called you and chose you to be the mother of your kid/s. He will equip you and give you what you need to raise them. I know that may be hard to believe sometimes, especially when you face challenges, but please know that you are not alone. God is with you!

Are you a mom who works in the corporate world? Or do you work at home like me? Or maybe you’re a fulltime stay-at-home mom (my “dream job” actually)? Please feel free to share your experiences in the comments! 

Caring for Our Resources: 3 Tips For Maintaining Your Car

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I’ve mentioned before that our resources are considered part of “the riches we already have” while here on earth. Material things like the homes we live in, the clothes we wear, the cars we drive, and so on and so forth are all resources that the Lord has given us. So we must do our best to take care of these things, especially if we want to be good stewards of our “riches.”

When it comes to maintaining your car—which can be used not just for personal purposes but even for the Lord’s work like going to Church, attending prayer meetings, doing outreach activities, and the like—here are a few tips that you can follow:

Check your engine oil.

This should be done as regularly as possible. If your car is in good condition, check the engine oil monthly. If it has an oil leak or you seem to be adding oil often, check it more often. Of course, if you notice that your car seems to be leaking oil, get it checked and fix the leak as soon as possible to avoid further damage—and to be safe, too, especially if you’re driving with kids in the backseat!

Check the air pressure of your car’s tires.

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This is best done once a month and before you go on any long road trips. You should also check your car tires to see if there are any cuts, abnormal wear, or visible buldges in the sidewalls.

Wash your car.

This may seem like an obvious thing to do but there are car owners who still don’t do this as often as needed. If possible, wash your car every week. Don’t just wash the body—try to remove dirt from the fender walls and undercarriage, too.

There are actually more things you can do to keep your car well-maintained—the three tips above are certainly just the “tip of the iceberg,” so to speak. If you’re looking for more tips, Cars.com is a good resource—it has a special section called “Service & Repair,” which contains tips for maintaining your car. God bless us as we strive to take care of the riches we already have! 🙂

Family and Finance: What You Need to Know About Reverse Mortgages

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home loan

You may have read the title of this post and wondered, “Reverse mortgages?! What’s that?!”

Well, don’t worry. If you did that, I did the same thing, too, when I first heard the term.

So I turned to Google and found this definition of what a reverse mortgage is from a report published by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:

A reverse mortgage is a special type of home loan for older homeowners that requires no monthly mortgage payments. Borrowers are still responsible for property taxes and homeowner’s insurance. Reverse mortgages allow seniors to access the equity they have built up in their homes now, and defer payment of the loan until they die, sell, or move out of the home. Because there are no required mortgage payments on a reverse mortgage, the interest is added to the loan balance each month. The rising loan balance can eventually grow to exceed the value of the home, particularly in times of declining home values or if the borrower continues to live in the home for many years. However, the borrower (or the borrower’s estate) is generally not required to repay any additional loan balance in excess of the value of the home.

I also happened to receive this article from Nathan Hoffman, someone I recently got acquainted with via e-mail. Sharing it here with you all, in case some of you may find helpful.

home loan

Important Points About Reverse Mortgages

If you are looking for a home loan that won’t require you to pay a little back each month then a reverse mortgage might be right for you. The loan involves borrowing money based on your home’s total value and spending it for whatever purposes you desire. By converting the equity to cash you can relieve some of your financial tension during retirement, but there are several other things you must know before signing a reverse loan agreement.

You Must Meet Reverse Mortgage Qualification Guidelines

Reverse mortgages, which are also referred to as home equity conversion mortgages, are only available to those who are at least 62 years of age. Therefore, it is possible to apply for one jointly with your spouse, but you both must meet that age requirement in order to do so. If one of you does not meet the requirement then a joint mortgage agreement will not be allowed.

You must also be aware that anyone signing the loan agreement must maintain primary residency in the home in question. Rental properties and vacation homes are not eligible for Home Equity Conversion Mortgage or HECMs. You also cannot take out a reverse mortgage in your name on a property occupied by friends or family members unless you also live in that home yourself.

You Will Not Automatically Qualify for an HECM Solely Based on Age and Residency

Home ownership and residency, as well as meeting the age requirement of 62 years will not guarantee that you can receive an HECM. Your home must actually have a large amount of value which can be converted. A property with little monetary value cannot be used to obtain a reverse mortgage.

Additionally, as the recipient of a reverse mortgage you will still have the responsibilities of home ownership. Those responsibilities include paying tax and insurance bills. If your potential reverse mortgage lender does not feel that you have significant income sources to cover those expenses your loan request may be denied. However, your lender may give you the option of still receiving the loan but automatically using some of the loan money to cover the costs of those ongoing bills.

You May Not Have Multiple Mortgages if One is an HECM

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If there is already a standard home mortgage on your home you may not be eligible for an HECM. If your reverse mortgage lender is willing to give you a reverse loan there will be a mortgage repayment requirement. Under the terms of the requirement the lender will give you reverse mortgage money with the stipulation that a portion of the funds must be used to pay off the original mortgage balance right away.

Not All Lenders Offering Reverse Mortgages Are Government-Monitored

There are some reverse mortgage lending companies which are monitored or insured at the federal level. However, there are also many private lending companies offering such home loans. Private companies may not adhere to the same standards as government-monitored companies. In fact, there are also many supposed reverse mortgage lenders who are actually scam artists. Therefore, you must research the history of the lending company itself before signing up for a loan with a particular lender.

A Reverse Mortgage May Negatively Impact Your Family in the Future

Before obtaining a reverse mortgage you must understand that the balance will come due whenever you cease to live in the home. Although your family’s assets cannot be impacted by your HECM, your home itself can be sold when you no longer live in it, even if members of your family still live there. In order to maintain residency in the home your family members would then have to pay off your loan balance on your behalf.

For more finance-related articles and tips, please feel free to check out our Finances category here on TrulyRichandBlessed.com. Thank you and God bless us all!

 

Caring for Our Resources: How to Have a More Eco-Friendly Home

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Believe it or not, our homes are part of “our riches.” They are part of the “resources” we talk about here on TrulyRichandBlessed.com. Our environment is also part of our resources, because God gave us everything around us to help us—but we must take care of these resource, too.

I don’t know about you but my family and I have started becoming more conscious about caring for the environment, starting in our own home. We do several things but I thought I’d share three things with you—these are simple steps that we can take, and I’m glad my acquaintance Molly Kay laid these out in her guest post for today:

3 Small Steps towards an Environmentally Friendly Home

A new year means new opportunities to make a difference for the Earth and those who inhabit it. Making a difference may seem like a daunting task at first, but there are small steps you can take in your own home that can have an impact on your life and the lives of others in the long run!

Make the switch to LED light bulbs

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A quick and easy way to make a change in your home is switch all your light bulbs to LEDs (light emitting diode) bulbs. LED bulbs can reduce the amount of energy you are using on lighting by up to 90%. You can find LED bulbs at any hardware or convenience store, but over time you will be purchasing light bulbs less.

LED bulbs last on average much longer than the typical incandescent bulb. Of course, making a habit of turning off the lights when you leave a room, or keeping the lights off when natural light is available, can also greatly reduce the amount of energy your lighting fixtures are using!

Make your own natural cleaning products

Advertising may trick you into thinking you need cleaning products with special ingredients to take care of your everyday messes. In truth, fancy cleaning solutions are more expensive and add unnecessary chemicals to the air we breathe.

Create a mixture of white vinegar and water for a natural cleaning solution that can cut through grease, dirt, and mildew just as easy as store-bought products.

Baking soda is another agent that non-toxic and does a great job on grime and acts as a natural deodorizer. This change will improve the air quality for your family and the environment without too much effort on your end. Take a look at this article for more organic solutions and air fresheners.

Incorporate organic sheets and eco-friendly furniture

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Whether we realize it or not, our skin is constantly coming in contact with fabric in our homes. The fabric that covers the furniture that we sit on can have an impact on the health of our skin and the quality of air we breathe. Investing in eco-friendly products can improve the long term condition of your health and decrease your carbon footprint!

Consider investing in eco-friendly towels and sheets, like those from Coyuchi. The process by which they make their products is done with sustainability in mind, and their materials are always organic.

For the furniture that your family comes in contact with every day, take a look at products from Arhaus. Their sectionals are made with organic fabric that is easy on the skin and the air. The furniture from Arhaus is inspired by the outside world and they are involved in a few environmental initiatives that reflect their mission.

One small step at a time

Remember, every little thing we do to help the environment counts—so let’s do what we can to take care of it, because it’s one of the greatest “riches” we—and our kids—will ever have!

On Giving Back: One of the “Secrets” of the Truly Rich (and Blessed!)

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Here on Truly Rich and Blessed, one of my goals is to inspire others to “discover and grow the riches they already have.” Believe it or not, if you’re reading this, you’re actually a lot richer than you think! You are actually already blessed in so many ways!

Being truly rich and blessed is not primarily about the material aspect of our lives (though being rich financially and resource-wise isn’t a bad thing, of course!). It’s more about having an “abundance mindset,” which is something I learned about from Brother/Kuya Bo Sanchez and from being a member of the Truly Rich Club.

But what is an abundance mindset in the first place? Well, in my own words, it’s really just about believing that there is already an abundance of blessings around us — all we need to do is to wait expectantly (and work hard, if we’re talking about financial blessings 😉 ) so we can receive them! We need to claim in faith that, yes-indeedy, we are #TrulyRichandBlessed!

Connected to having an abundance mindset is having a generous heart — which is one of the “secrets” of the “truly rich,” according to Kuya Bo. Yes, if you want to receive more, you should give more. Give back, especially to those in need.

I must admit that my family and I have a long way to go in concretely putting this into action. We have been involved in different causes over the years but we have yet to commit to a cause that we regularly give back to, whether in terms of time, talent or treasure (or all three!). I’d like to share what the aforementioned causes are here though, in the hope that maybe some of you out there would also like to help out somehow:

1. Concerts for a Cause

Since our eldest joined the a few years ago, he has performed for three fundraising concerts so far. As his parents, we have also been part of the concerts somehow, helping in whatever way we can. Our most recent “concert for a cause” was for the medical needs of Kuya Arnold Candelaria, a fellow homeschooler who had a traumatic brain injury and had to undergo brain surgery.

As of this writing, he actually still needs our prayers — and any material assistance for his home care needs would be a huge blessing, too! Here is a short video about Kuya Arnold, which was made by a friend of the Candelarias, Marita Pierce (this is publicly posted on ).

If you feel moved to help the Candelaria family out in any way, please feel free to contact me.

2. Kalinga: Caring Is Our Business

Last year, we had the opportunity to make ‘s annual All Saints Day celebration more meaningful by collecting and packing items for the beneficiaries of the run by the Society of the Divine Word (SVD).

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The Center is run by Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD, who happens to be one of the priests we used to serve with in Timor Leste. (You can read more about the Center, and Fr. Flavie, here.)

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Fr. Flavie has actually asked for our help to raise more funds for the Center. I’ve been thinking of how to do so — maybe we can organize a fundraiser or something like that soon — what do you guys think?

3. Grace to Be Born

Grace to Be Born Maternity Home and Orphanage is just one of the Mercy Ministries of the Light of Jesus Family. It is a ministry close to my heart because it helps pregnant women in crisis, and their babies, too.

We have yet to visit the actual premises of Grace to Be Born but I thank God that we were able to contribute financially to their cause last year.

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God used our trials last year so He could be glorified even more, I believe, and we were able to donate even more money to Grace to Be Born earlier this year, just before Titus had his operation. We responded to His call to give more from the funds we had raised for the surgery — something that may seem strange to others, but again, this is our response to His kindness and generosity. I pray that more and more people will be moved to give to the Lord in different ways, whether through Mercy Ministries like Grace to Be Born, or directly to the Church, which has many other ministries!

4. The Parenting Emporium

Before I end, I’d like to mention that over at The Parenting Emporium (TPE)— a retail social enterprise near and dear to me and my family, there are also different ways in which one can help those in need. I love how every purchase made at the TPE store benefits their Advocacies and Beneficiaries!

secrets of the truly rich

In photo: Maricel Cua (second from left) and Beng Feliciano (third from right), the founders of The Parenting Emporium, pose with different influencers along with Fabien Courteille (the only guy in the photo) and Erika Ng Wong (second from right). Fabien and Erika are two of the people behind Plush and Play and , both of which are “Proudly Filipino with Love,” social enterprises that benefit families in Bulacan. You can read more about how The Parenting Emporium gives back to others here.

Well, these are just a few causes to which one can practice “giving back,” of course. I’d like to hear from YOU about how you practice giving to those in need, or if you haven’t started yet (and that’s perfectly all right — it’s never too late), how you plan to do so.

So go ahead — leave a comment and share how you give back to others. 🙂 Hope to hear from you!

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