Truly Rich and Blessed

3 Ways to Save on Christmas Gift Shopping

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save on christmas gift shopping

I know, I know — this post might be coming to you a little bit late, because some of you may have already finished shopping for Christmas gifts by now! (If you have, congrats! How to be you po? 😛 Ha, ha, ha!)

If — like yours truly — you have not shopped for a single gift yet, keep reading. I hope you will find this post helpful. 😉

Now, before anything else, please allow me to give a disclaimer: I am a self-professed thrifty/frugal person or, as some people may say, a “cheapskate.” So if there is any way to cut down on anything expenses-related, like Christmas gift shopping, I will try to do so.

Having said that, I also believe in the value of giving during the Christmas season. Not necessarily gift-giving, but giving in general. What better time to share God’s blessings, right?

Anyway, going back to the topic at hand, allow me to share with you three things you can do to save on Christmas gift shopping:

1. Make a list; check it twice.

save on christmas gift shopping

You probably already know this but it’s always good to be reminded: List down the names of the people for whom you will be buying Christmas gifts. Having a list will help you avoid buying unnecessary items.

Of course, it makes sense to double-check your list to make sure you have not left anyone out! 😉 You can also check your list to see if you can buy “group gifts” for certain people (like members of one family) instead of buying individual gifts, which might cost you more money.

2. Check your Christmas gift shopping budget.

save on christmas gift shopping

When it comes to buying Christmas gifts — or any other “extra expenses” for that matter — it’s always wise to make and stick to a budget.

Is your Christmas gift shopping budget this year not as big as you’d hoped it would be? Don’t fret! Remember that it’s the thought that counts, so you don’t have to feel bad about not being able to splurge on expensive gifts for others.

Truth be told, there have been Christmases where we weren’t able to give out any gifts at all because of budget constraints and the need to prioritize other expenses. But did that affect our relationships with the people around us? No!

Again, what matters most is letting others know how much you care about them. 🙂

3.  Shop online and save on deals — and even earn some money via “Cashback.”

Online shopping can be a great way for you to save on Christmas gift shopping. For starters, you don’t have to leave home and brave the malls or other stores to buy gifts — which means you save money on gas/transportation expenses, parking fees (if you bring your own car), food (because we all know that when we go shopping outside our homes, we usually end up eating out — this is true especially if you have kids with you!), etc.

You can also save money on Christmas gifts when you shop online and avail of exclusive deals and discounts from various online stores and shopping sites.

Aside from this, you can even earn money just by shopping online! I discovered this when I was recently invited by Shopback.ph to try out their site — you basically shop online through them and earn “Cashback” i.e. money while doing so.

save on christmas gift shopping

Marketplaces are great for looking for gifts because of the large variety of items you can find there. You can even . Other marketplaces like and are great too!

Here is a short video for you to see how ShopBack (and “Cashback”) works:

As a busy mom of four, a site like Shopback.ph is definitely a blessing because it helps make shopping (not just during Christmas!) a whole lot easier — and gives me a chance to save money, too!

I hope the aforementioned tips, though “short” are somewhat still “sweet” and useful for you, especially during this crazy month of December! Of course, I need to end this post with a reminder (for myself, too, har har!) that we should not forget the true Reason for the season, i.e. the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 🙂 Praying for a beautiful and blessed Christmas ahead for us all!

Did you find this post useful? Please feel free to share it by clicking any of the buttons below! Or maybe you have your own tips to share? Please feel free to leave a comment — I’d love to hear from you!

3 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Family’s Finances

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philstar.com-first

I’m not a financial expert but I would like to believe that our family’s finances are in a much better “place” now compared to six years ago. You see, when my husband and I were still fulltime lay missionaries we had the wrong beliefs about money. We were not able to save much because our missionary allowance back then was just enough for our growing family’s needs, though I must admit there were “lean” days.

Back then, we had no idea that Filipinos like us could invest in mutual funds and stocks, and that it is important to build a strong financial foundation. We were clueless as to what phrases like “build your emergency fund” and “make your money work for you, not you work for money” meant. We didn’t know that you could combine the words “millionaire” and “missionary,” and that becoming a “millionaire missionary” (or a “missionary millionaire”) was a fine and worthy goal.

That’s why we are so grateful to God for the people He has sent our way, the learning events He has allowed us to attend, and the books and articles He has allowed us to read. Slowly but surely, He is helping us improve our family’s finances. (We claim it in Jesus’ name!)

But it doesn’t stop here. I believe God wants all families to experience His abundance and provision, so that more people may be blessed to bless others. So, if you think you need help with your financial situation right now, head on over to Philstar.com, where I share three simple but significant things you can to improve your family’ finances. (I also invite you to the Family and Finance Conference 2016, so go ahead and click here!)

philstar.com-Official Poster

The Ultimate Purpose of Wealth (And How The Truly Rich Club Can Bless You and Your Loved Ones.)

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truly rich club

Some of you may already know that my husband and I consider Kuya/Bro. Bo Sanchez as one of our “mentors” in life — for our spiritual life, family life, and even our financial life. His books, 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich, Simplify and Live the Good Life, and Simplify and Create Abundance, are actually the inspiration behind this blog’s origins (when it was still known as “Truly Rich Mom”).

Because of Kuya Bo’s guidance and inspired by his passion for the Lord, life and learning, we, too, are committed to learn and invest so that we can bless not just our family members, but other people too. We are not “truly rich” in the financial aspect yet but we can say that we are slowly getting there, by God’s grace.

truly rich club

With Kuya Bo during the Sales Letter-Writing Workshop he conducted way back in 2013. I learned a lot from him then, and I still learn a lot from him now!

Yes, we are grateful to God for using people like Kuya Bo to teach people like us — “ordinary,” hardworking (at least I’d like to think so! 😉 ) people — to have the proper mindset when it comes to earning, saving, spending and investing money, and to keep this in mind at all times:

The ultimate purpose of wealth is to love others.

So contrary to what others may say about him, he is not preaching a “Prosperity Gospel.” He is actually preaching what Jesus also preached: It’s all about LOVE. Becoming “truly rich” (and blessed, in our case!) primarily involves loving God and loving others.

And if you don’t believe me, then you have GOT to watch the video where Kuya Bo invites people to the Truly Rich Club and explains why it is so powerful, and how it can bless you and your loved ones! (Then come back here so we can continue our conversation. OK? OK!)

Click here to watch the video!

So, are you ready to join the Truly Rich Club and learn more about the ultimate purpose of wealth?

Are you ready to be blessed and bless others, including your family and friends?

Are you ready to be mentored by Kuya Bo Sanchez, his team behind Truly Rich Club, and his financial mentors?

Yes, I know you are! Just click here to do so. See you on the other side! 😉

*Image from Pixabay.com

3 Reasons to Invest in Mutual Funds

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mutual funds

When one talks about being “truly rich” one can’t help touch on the financial aspect of one’s life. After all, the reality is we need money in this world — not because we are “greedy” but because it is what we use to make transactions, etc. And over the years, one thing I’ve learned is that money is simply a “tool” that can help us achieve our goals and dreams.

Of course, if we don’t save and invest our money, it won’t be a useful tool, because we won’t have much of it to use in the first place. (Right?)

But where do we invest our money? How do we get started?

So as not to “reinvent the wheel,” I suggest you read this article on Smart Parenting, which I wrote last year. It’s a basic guide to investments.

Before you do so though, let me share that my husband and I have been investing in mutual funds for a while now, and are very happy with the returns. My parents have been doing so, too, and my dad — who is — shares three basic reasons to invest in mutual funds:

1. “Professionalized.”

Professional managers manage the funds so investors (that’s you and me) don’t need to do their own research and monitoring of stocks or government securities before investing. We can just focus on regular investing until our financial goal/s is/are achieved.

2. Diversification.

Mutual funds are invested in different stocks across different industries and the same is true with investments on securities and commercial papers. They’re of different maturity dates with corresponding fixed returns. So your investment portfolio ends up being diverse. (In other words, you’re not putting all your eggs in the same basket.)

3. Affordability.

There are mutual funds wherein investors can now invest with a minimum initial amount of P5,000 and they can also put additional investments after their initial investment for just P1,000. So, if you have P5,000 stashed somewhere, you can already invest in a mutual fund.

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If you want to learn more about investments, particularly mutual funds, please feel free to contact my dad, Mon Santiago, via his Facebook page () or via email: . You can also attend this FREE event organized by the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA):

mutual funds

This is happening tomorrow, April 9, with a session in the morning (9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.) and a session in the afternoon (2.00-5.00 p.m.). It will be held at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Conference Center Manila, 3rd Floor SGV Hall, J.V. del Rosario Building, Benavidez cor. Trasierra Sts., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

Everyone is invited. For more details, please visit ManilaWorkshops.com.

Whether or not you will be able to attend, I highly encourage you to think about where you’re putting your money, and to learn as much as you can about investments and the like.

More importantly though, I encourage you to increase your financial literacy. There are seminars that you can attend that will help you do this — if you’re interested in attending one (for free!), please leave a comment below or contact me here. Here’s to a better, brighter, truly-rich-and-blessed-even-in-the-financial-aspect future for all of us!

It’s Never Too Late: New Year Finance Tips from Experts

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finance tips from experts

In line with the rebranding of this blog, I hope to be able to publish more articles/posts like this one, which falls under “Our Resources | Finances.” God has blessed all of us with the capacity to earn income and grow our finances — so we can provide for ourselves and our loved ones… and also bless others. So I hope and pray that our finance-related articles will help others somehow — to learn how to be good stewards of the financial resources He has given us.   

A new year often symbolizes hope for many of us — a chance to start over, an opportunity to revisit our dreams and goals. It’s often also the time for making resolutions, in the hopes of being better and doing better as compared to the previous year.

Now, while making New Year’s resolutions is usually a good thing, it may help to heed the advice of the “wiser” among us before we make out list of promises for the year ahead — the year that has already begun, actually. This applies to all aspects of our lives, including our finances.

To help you get started — yes, even if we’re already nearing the end of the first month of the new year — we share some tips from three well-known financial experts. Remember, it’s never too late to take charge of our finances.

1. Automate.

Rose Fres Fausto, author, speaker, and writer at FQMom.com and Philstar.com, says “automation” is something we all should consider when it comes to improving our finances this new year.

“The New Year brings new hope to every individual and that’s why we always have our New Year’s Resolutions. The problem is how we are able to sustain that habit,” Fausto explains. “So my tip or ‘life hack’ for everyone is to AUTOMATE IT!”

What does this mean, exactly?

Fausto expounds:

Once you’ve decided that you will save/invest every month, sign up with your payroll account for an automatic investing facility such as Easy Investment Plans/Programs.”

“This eliminates all the inability to sustain [investments] due to different excuses. This would spell a big difference by the end of 2016: You would either have invested 3 out of 12 months, or 12 out of 12 months!”

2. Think of others.

finance tips from experts

Allan Ngo, founder of TrulyRichClubBlog.com and DigitalSolopreneur.com, shares a unique finance tip with us:

Create an automated ‘Charity Fund.’”

Ngo says, “We normally think of money in terms of accumulation, but one of the most powerful impact money can have is through generosity. That’s why I created a charity fund. It’s a separate bank account I set up to which I automatically transfer a certain percentage of the money in my main bank account every month.

“I personally use BPI’s Save-Up account. You can inquire with your own bank for such facilities.”

Related to the first point in this article, Ngo emphasizes the importance of automation.

“Remember, we are taking hard-earned money away from our own personal use, and that can be painful. So making it automated takes that emotion away and enables continuity,” he explains.

“I use this [fund] to support my sponsored children from World Vision, donate to charities when calamities strike, and help out a friend or relative in need.

“Mentally, since I’ve already earmarked this for helping others, it enables me to quickly help others wholeheartedly. Personally, this fund has made a tremendous impact in my life, and I hope it does the same to you.”

3. Obey the “laws of money.” 

Fausto advises those who need financial guidance to use her “simple 3 Basic Laws of Money*” starting January. “They’re so simple that even young kids can understand, remember and practice them throughout the year,” she adds.

The “laws” are described in Fausto’s book, The Retelling of The Richest Man in Babylon, which can be purchased from major bookstores, and are as follows:

  1. “Pay yourself first.”

  2. “Get only into a business that you understand; and seek advice only from competent people.”

  3. “Make an army of golden slaves before you buy luxury.”

4. Live 100%.

finance tips from experts

Dean Pax Lapid, bestselling author, and mentor of the Truly Rich Club, says it’s best to start every new year by asking yourself, “How do you live your life (including the financial aspect)?”

“Use the abundance formula,” he shares. “Bro. Bo (Sanchez) has the formula. Mine is earn 100% + LOVE 100% = LIVE 100%.

It’s always good to make a living but it’s best to make a LIFE.”

To end, remember to heed the words of Suze Orman, American author, financial advisor, motivational speaker and television host:

No one’s ever achieved financial fitness with a January resolution that’s abandoned by February.”

As with all New Year’s resolutions and with every nugget of wisdom from finance experts, what matters most in the long run is consistent application of what you’ve learned and perseverance in achieving your dreams. Don’t give up on making your finances work for you, and never stop learning.

Do you have any New Year’s resolutions when it comes to your finances? Please feel free to share them in the comments! Also, if you think that this article will help others, please do share it!

*Note: This article — written by me — originally appeared in the December 2015 issue of Global Filipino, the monthly e-newsletter that is sent out to Filipino migrant and OFW members of the Truly Rich Club. It is published here with permission.

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