I improve a bit at cooking using the right seasonings

I absolutely love my time in the kitchen 👩‍🍳, but not every dish I recreate turns out very good! 🙈

Whether cooking a dish or baking 🧁🥘, for sure I have failed a handful of times and totally messed up the end product. 😅

But nonetheless, I still eat, I still crave a certain type of food, and I will still absolutely try my luck in the kitchen! 🍳❤️

Cooking is actually one of my favorite hobbies 🍽️. It has always been in my rotation of the things I love to do. At any given point, you will either see me writing a blog 📝, crocheting 🧶, and, of course, cooking! 🍲

So, this is it—my newfound seasonings that are quite pricey 🧂💸!

I really stopped myself from trying these seasonings at first because I thought: What if the taste is similar to what I used to buy before and I just waste my money? 🤔

I have bought seasonings in the past that were tasteless and clumped up easily 🥴. Even though the container was quite good and hashtag goals for a grown-up woman like me 💁‍♀️, I kept buying these junk seasonings over and over, and they seemed to fail me every time (shoutout to McCormick 🤫🙈).

Then, I happened to see these Badia seasonings at SM Hypermarket 🛒, and I thought, maybe I'll try a small container. The price was quite a big jump from the usual seasonings I bought before 🏷️, so let’s see if this will fail me again or not!

I decided to get the basic spices: onion 🧅, garlic 🧄, and paprika powder 🌶️. Once I tried them, I was happy to announce that my food's taste improved! 🎉 It turns out this is one of the things I should always have on hand to make my cooking better. 👩‍🍳👌

The ultimate test for this was when I cooked a simple fried rice 🍚🍳.

My baseline for fried rice is the one I buy outside, which always has MSG or Magic Sarap to enhance the flavor. It’s yummy, yes, but I opt to avoid MSG as it doesn't have a good effect on my memory 🧠💡.

I know many of you will agree that simple fresh garlic & fry your rice just isn't comparable to the fried rice you buy outside 🏬🍚.

So, when I put onion powder on the rice, added a little bit of garlic powder at the end, and just a pinch of salt... the taste of the fried rice was perfect! 🤤👌 I tell you, it was perfect—and knowing it doesn't have MSG or Magic Sarap is such good news! 🙌

Here’s why it’s a total win: 

1️⃣ It tastes good! 😋 

2️⃣ You have full control over the ingredients and can make sure you don't put in any chemicals you can't even pronounce! 🚫🧪

A total win! 🏆

Here are a few quick tips on how I use them:

🧅 Onion Powder: I tend to use the onion powder first because it leaves an umami taste. If you put just the right amount, it somehow gives a hint of sweet taste that isn't sugar. I loved it so much that I ended up buying a big container of it! It gets consumed very fast because it is just so good! 🪹

🧄 Garlic Powder: This one is super potent, so be careful with how much you put! For my personal taste, two dashes go a long way, and I always add it right at the end ⏱️.

🌶️ Paprika: I use paprika more for the color. The taste is really different from Spanish paprika—I feel like Spanish paprika has that biryani vibe that most Filipinos aren't as used to. I use it mainly for color without making the dish taste heavily like paprika, just something to blend into the overall flavor 🥘.

I so love Badia seasonings! 💕

I feel like spending 100 plus pesos on a small bottle of spices is totally worth it !

And that is it! 😊 These are my arsenals for cooking 🧂🍳. I am looking forward to spending more time in the kitchen, honing my skills to be a better cook! 👩‍🍳💖

Thank you for reading all the way! 📖🥰👋

                                            

Check out this Simplus grinder. I use this to grind my own beef for burger & believe me, it makes a big difference. 

Link for that grinder is here. Shopee Link 

2026 Skincare Update_ how to be put together all day

This is my 2026 skincare routine—relearning my skincare 🧖‍♀️. The reason I have to specifically say "relearning my skincare" is because I feel like I am not aging gracefully 😭💔. I am devastated and alarmed 🚨. I know I have to do something now. Now that I am in my late 30s, I can't delay this anymore! ⏳💥

You may look back at my previous post here 💆‍♀️. 🔗

 2025 Relearning My Skincare Routine in My Late 30’s

I want to age beautifully , but seeing my face look saggy, oily, and flaky all at the same time leaves me devastated 😩💔.

When I look at pictures of myself, my face looks extremely wide and my double chin is becoming prominent 📸🫣. My angles are so off, and I am starting not to love my face in photos especially 🙈.

So I need to address a few things for sure. Here is what I looked into as possible root causes:

1️⃣ Hydrogen Peroxide – on my hair and my face 🧴 I know something is off with my flaky skin. I even feel like I have dandruff on my eyebrows! 🪞 I am absolutely horrified 😱. Who gets dandruff on their eyebrows?! 🤷‍♀️

I treat my hair and face with hydrogen peroxide when I bathe. At first, I used it two days in a row to clear up any potential fungal issues on my skin, but I now only do it once a week 🗓️. Sometimes, I wipe my face with hydrogen peroxide and leave it on overnight without washing it off 😴.

⚠️ Note: Please do not take this as medical advice. Since this involves chemicals, use your own judgment and consult a doctor to avoid any potential allergic reactions or skin damage. 👩‍⚕️🩺

2️⃣ I stopped using sunblock/tint all over my face ☀️❌ I noticed that my pictures showed a severe white cast if I used it everywhere 👻. So now, I just use it under my eyes—like an inverted triangle under each eye—so it acts as my highlighter ✨👁️.

I was horrified when I saw a picture of myself where my face looked like a ghost! OMG 😳🫣

This tint/sunblock is good, but you have to be aware of what it does to your face and be strategic with it 💡🎨.

3️⃣ Dr. Gil soap 🧼

I feel like normal soaps like Safeguard, Irish Spring, Bioderm, and Johnson’s Baby Soap don't do a thorough job 🚿. I still feel sticky after using them. So I tried this soap—it smells floral, and I actually feel clean after using it 🌸✨. Definitely worth mentioning in my opinion!

Along with aiming for beautiful skin 🪞, I also took a picture of the other products and makeup I use, to look put together, especially when I go out 📸💄.

• Hada Labo Moisturizer 🧴: This is the moisturizer I still use. I still have a big bottle and it is good for now. It might not be the absolute best, but I don't have any negative reactions to it, so it’s relatively okay for me to use! 👍

• BYS Lip Liner (Red Wine) 💄: This is a long-lasting lip liner that makes me feel put together. Paired with lip tint and blotting the excess product with tissue, it keeps my lips colorful so I don't look pale 👄.

• Careline Lip Tint 💋: This feels light on the lips, so I really need to pair it with the BYS lip liner (which I think is long-wear or kiss-proof). These two together make a great pair! It helps the color stay longer on my lips, so I stay looking presentable throughout the day 🌸.

• Estée Lauder Foundation 🎨: This doesn't quite match my skin tone—it’s a bit too dark. So instead, I just use it to cover the discoloration on my upper cheekbones or use it as a subtle contour. A little goes a very long way! 🤏

• HairFIX Leave-On (Keratin Straight) 💇‍♀️: I also added this hair product to my routine. Although the scent is a bit too strong, it makes my hair super smooth and shiny ✨. If I blow-dry my hair, the strong smell wears off a bit, and I just spray a little perfume to help mask it even more 🌸💨.

4️⃣ My Diet 🍔❌ I noticed that eating Jollibee at night makes my skin break out more 🍗🌋. So I try to avoid fast food and processed food whenever I can!

Still, homemade food is always best 🥘. Now that I understand my body more, I know I don't do well with MSG. I feel much better when I eat more beef and sardines 🥩🐟. I can tolerate chicken, but not every single day 🐔.

Minimizing the bumps on my face has already been life-changing! No amount of makeup or products can replace smooth skin 🪞✨.

5️⃣ Adding Exercises to My Routine (Jumping with Weights!) 🏋️‍♀️ I just tried this 2 weeks ago, and I feel like my neck is starting to become visible again! 🦒 Having a visible neck completely changes your face—it frames it so much better 🤳.

Every time I get off my chair, I hold a 10 lb dumbbell in one hand and do 10 jumping jacks to a count of 10 💥. I have a very sedentary lifestyle working from home—which I am super grateful for! 🙏—but a sedentary lifestyle is so bad. So, so bad for health and appearance 🪑❌.

I actually compared this to walking. From mid-June to mid-July, I was walking every other day with 1 day off per week, but it didn't change my body in the slightest 🚶‍♀️. I still looked bloated and uncomfortable 🙈.

So I tried doing 10 jumping jacks holding my dumbbell every time I stand up, and I feel like spread-out movement throughout the day is so much more responsive for my body ⚡. I haven't lost weight yet, but I feel like the bloating in my face goes away when I do this 👏.

I am actually excited to stick with this until December and see the results! 🗓️🎯 One experiment I will add is dividing my meals into 6 smaller portions 🍽️. I'm trying out the advice of a 40+ YouTuber 🎥. I feel like moving more throughout the day keeps my face from bloating, so let's see what 6 divided meals will do! I still have a tummy, so I know I need to keep working on my exercise and diet 🏃‍♀️🥗.

So wish me luck! 🤞🍀

Basically, the takeaway is, I am taking a much more holistic approach now with my skin and health! 🌿💖

That is it for now. Thanks for reading all the way. 

6 percent on Maya Savings_ boost interest

As of writing, the base rate for Maya Savings is 3%, and it is really enjoyable that you can see how much interest you earn in the app on a daily basis 📈. It is definitely a nice dopamine boost seeing your Maya Savings grow every single day! ⚡

And Maya have this challenges you can complete to boost that interest rate… well, why not take advantage? 🤔

To gain an additional 3% (reaching a total of 6%), here are the specific challenges I do:

👉 Paying via QR code -₱250 and ₱1,000. (You can see the 2% bonus and 1% bonus in the picture!)

I have always practiced paying myself first by putting money into Pag-IBIG MP2 🏦, so I just pay it through the Maya app. By doing this, I hit two goals at once! 🎯 

• 💳I pay MP2 payment  which I always do anyway for many years now- for my future 
• 📲& I got the QR code that is required for the Maya challenge to boost the interest - then I pay it via Maya App.

That's simple. Log out of Maya App then log back in and see your Interest rate boost to 6 percent.

Note: you have to do this on a monthly because the boost resets on a monthly basis.

I have a video posted on the blue app showing the step by step :) Link 

Just to be clear, this is simply a share on how I personally get the 6% rate on Maya Savings. Please don't treat this as a form of investment advice—as we know, Maya can change their terms at any time 💡. Think of this purely as a simple guide on how to maximize the rate!

⚠️ Quick heads-up: Make sure you are selecting the right challenges! Look for the ones starting with the word "Bonus." If you see Maya Easy Credit, that is not what we are after.

😊

🎁 First time using Maya? You can use my referral code  @easyrefer to get ₱50 for free! 

Lastly, there are additional 2% + 2% bonus rates if you pay ₱25,000 and ₱35,000 via QR code, but honestly, as a simple salaryman, that is way too much for a monthly bill 😅. So if you avail that 3% interest boost plus additional 4% interest boots that adds up really high. If you are a business owner, that could be a huge advantage to utilize!  

Anyway, that is it for now. Thanks for reading all the way :)

Maya referral code  @easyrefer

foods that I've been loving lately ~ real food.

You all know I am a terrible cook. 🙈 So if there are a few dishes that come out perfect — chef's kiss 😘👌 — of course I will repeat those all the time.

1. Ground Beef 🥩

I did not believe other people when they said to grind your own beef. Like, who has time for that? & who would have a meat grinder sitting around the house casually? That would make my overhead huge, since a professional meat grinder costs a bit. 💸

But time after time, I was disappointed by the meat quality I see in the market. There's a "ma- anggo" taste that just stays there- gamey unpleasant aftertaste, also, another complain I have is that although ground, it is tough when reheated. 😩

But whenever I watch videos on the cheapest, tastiest way to eat carnivore, ground beef is always on the list. I know beef is nutrient dense, so I really wanted to add this to my menu. But the tasty part always failed me.

Then I gave in. I bought a 600 peso food processor and used it as my meat grinder. 🛒 I bought the freshest beef I could find in the market — Batangas beef — trimmed the "labot" (silver skin) and sticky fat, because I noticed it gets caught in the blades, so I just remove it. Then I grind it — not overground.  Definitely not over 1 minute, because I've done that once and the meat became mushy — not the texture I'm used to. By the way, this grinder is small, so just over 500 grams fits, and that's perfect so the motor won't overheat.

To save time, I put garlic, onion powder, fresh white onion, paprika powder, sometimes bell pepper, and white pepper in one grind. 🧄🧅

Then I shape it into balls, cook it patiently one by one so I get the perfect crust, flip it, and make it a little bit undercooked, then put salt after. I find that's the key — put the salt after — and my burger is perfect even when reheated. 🍔. My burger stays Juicy and yummy, paired with caramelized onion and I add sprinkle of salt when needed, chef's kiss. 

I feel like the possibility is endless when I have this based ground beef. Imagine what other dish I can make.

I can cook;

• smash burger
• burger steak with yummy beef gravy sauce
• ground beef cheese steak
• make a meatball for spaggetti 

Photo not mine, credits to the owner. 

Photo not mine, credits to the owner

Link for that grinder is here. Shopee Link 

2. Sardines (Canned Mega Sardines, Spanish Style) 🐟

What I do with sardines: I split it in half, scrape the bones and innards aside, bring out the kawali, put 2 tablespoons of oil, and toast the sardines.

Paired with caramelized white onion and rice, I get 30 grams of protein per can, easily — very easy! It's a simple meal, packed with nutrients, and it's tasty. I love the combo of sweet onions and toasted fish, and it doesn't upset my stomach. 😋

Pro Tip: I open 4 cans at a time, toast them at once and keep the rest in a tight container. It will last for 3 days in the fridge.

3. Veggie Okoy 🥕🍤

I really love lumpia togue, but I find it very greasy and it upsets my stomach.

So I tried veggie okoy instead. I put togue (mung bean sprouts), thinly sliced white onion, squash, green onion, sweet potato, and carrots.

For the batter: achuete for color, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, flour, and cold water. (I'll try the version with ground sticky rice and flour and let you know how that goes — apparently it results in a much crispier okoy!) 🍚

Get some spiced vinegar with fresh sliced cucumber, and that's the best combo with the fried okoy.

This version still has a lot of oil — maybe 3 tablespoons — but I feel it's comparably better than what I buy outside. That's just one downside of it. But overall, it tastes really good. My craving for togue and crispiness is met, and I have the best meal ever. 🎉

Well I hope you enjoy my current meal line up. 

That is it for now, thanks for reading all the way. 

Real food for Brain Rot - Variety and I accidentally made the Best Burger

🧠 Mental Sharpness & Wealth

You know I’m very vocal here about my struggles with health and money. I learned the hard way that mental sharpness is key when starting to build wealth.

Remember when I shared before that even though I was earning decent, I lost all my money because I didn’t have the capacity to make logical decisions? I quit my job without a plan, lost money day trading stocks, even Forex actually 😅.

So starting over, I prioritized my brain health — really, my overall health — and began eating real food 🥩. Because I know this is one key to making good decisions regarding my finances.

🍽️ My Current Menu List (2026)

From the end of 2019 until now, I’ve been on this long journey of eating real food. I admit, I struggled a bit because when I tried to cook what I craved, it didn’t always taste great. But no worries — since I paid for the ingredients, I still ate everything I cooked. Nothing is wasted. Constant cooking experiments! And I feel like I hit the jackpot with #3 because it genuinely tastes great.

Here are three dishes that leveled up my meals:

1. Sardines 🐟

• Mega Sardines Spanish style = 33g protein per can.

• Remove sardine bones/innards, toast the skin for 5 minutes. ( try to eat some fish liver a little bit that is super food - I try it even if I don't like the taste)

• I cook egg yolks on the side (skip most whites because I feel like I get a rash eating whole egg).

• I add caramelize white onion 🧅 — sweet and delicious!

• Add bell pepper 🌶️ if I have it. These Sardines, eggs and onions and veggie on my plate, is a good good meal.

That’s about 30g protein plus rice 🍚.— only ₱37 per can, so 7 cans for 7 days = very economical 259 pesos💰. I usually eat this for lunch or make it a breakfast.

2. Chicken Nuggets 🍗

Like a big kid eater, I wanted chicken. Most of the time, this is my breakfast so I can eat 3x a day.

Recipe:

• Ground chicken breast + garlic + white onion.

• Add powdered milk, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, sugar, (and have, I experimented if I like nugget with parmesan 🧀).

• Shape, shallow fry, freeze.

• Reheat in the morning for 4–5 minutes per side. (ensure chicken nugget is totally cook):

  🌟 Bonus: Seasoning Story

  I find that the ₱150 Badia seasoning — Onion Powder, Garlic Powder & Paprika Powder — are really tasty 😋. They don’t clump easily unlike Mccormick, which makes cooking smoother.

  Funny side story 🤭: I actually closed my eyes when I bought these spices because they felt pricey. But when I tasted my food, especially my garlic fried rice 🍚🧄, I was convinced! This is probably what they use in tapsilogan stores — the flavor is that good.

  💡 Verdict: Totally worth the price!

Photo not mine, credits to the owner

I bought this meat grinder from Simplus so I can grind meat myself.

Link for that grinder is here. Shopee Link 

3. Beef Patty 🍔

I struggled with store-bought beef giniling, so I buy fresh sirloin at the palengke. I ask my suki for the soft part, cube it.

At home I remove silver skin and tough fat and use Simplus Grinder to grind the meat.

I throw all the ingredients in the grinder with the beef and form the patty.

Ingredients:

• White onion (may medium size for 1 1/2 kilo)

• Real garlic

• Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper

Cook patiently 1 patty at a time: 2 minutes one side, 1 minute or less on the other. Salt at the end for juiciness. Freeze with parchment so it will be separated — I assure you that even reheated, they stay juicy.

🔥 Secret: Grinding beef yourself = pure meat, no tough bits. This is really by far the best accident I discovered in cooking. Grind your own meat & remove the nasty part yourself. Having the Simplus meat grinder really helps. I made the best tasting burger.

🌟 Final Thoughts

Eating real food gave me strength and energy — these meals have powered me up for about 1 and a half months already 💪. I feel mental clarity 🧠, better health ❤️, and I actually enjoy the food 😋.

Sardines 🐟, chicken nuggets 🍗, and beef patties 🍔 are my go-to meals currently. I hope to add more to the list once I learn new recipes 👨‍🍳✨.

👉 Comment “mealplan” if you want me to share a full plan based on these dishes!

Photo not mine, credits to the owner

That is it for now, thanks for reading all the way. 

Savings Plan Always fails?(Maybe It’s Not the Money) 💸

I never knew that in my early 30s, after working so hard (with some pauses, of course), I would feel like a failure who always had to start from the beginning.

No savings, no gap fund (what they call an emergency fund), investments not doing well, and still carrying a monthly mortgage. At 30, I was still living with my parents without the capacity to move out. 🏠😔

I had no idea why things turned out this way. I felt like I planned, I tried to save, and I tried to cut out unnecessary expenses, but I always seemed to fall into a pit. 🕳️

Then, I finally realized: My poor decisions back then were because my body was suffering.

A weak body constitution leads to brain fog, irritability, and forgetfulness. This became my "doomsday" because I was always making the wrong choices—wrong decisions about work, wrong decisions on investments, and poor performance at office. 🧠🌫️🤕

Everything changed when I started to prioritize my health and look into it deeply:

• Protein - mostly beef: protein is an important fuel for your body. Especially me that is notoriously undereat protein because I was'nt used to eating too much in one sitting, Once I knew how important this is and how lacking I am with it, I changed the way of how I eat little by little (know that you can get most of your vitamins sa real food..). 🥩🥚

• Cutting Processed Food: Realizing it’s a poison that destroys the brain little by little. 🚫🍔

• Sunlight & Exercise: Simple habits that change your chemistry. ☀️🏃‍♂️

These basic things will get you miles ahead. 📈

Once I became fully fueled, without the brain fog pulling me down, I started to make better decisions about my life, my career, and how I plan for my future. 🌟

Quality food = Better mental health = Better output.

That is it for now. Thanks for reading all the way! 🙏

Leaving the Past Behind: A Fresh Start for 2026

For a long time, this blog has been my space to share my heart ❤️ — the struggles, the challenges, the financial stress 💸, and the realities of figuring out adulthood. I’ve been honest about my mistakes, the things I wished I’d done differently, and the moments I felt completely lost 😔. And while that honesty has been necessary, holding onto the past doesn’t serve me anymore 🚪

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Rest assured that 2026 will be different. It will be the year to reset, to leave the old patterns behind, and to focus on something better — something hopeful 🌟

This blog will reflect that change. Expect new content, fresh perspectives, and a focus on what’s worth looking forward to 🔮. The mistakes of the past? I’ll acknowledge them, but I won’t dwell there ⏳❌

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This blog is changing for the better. It will be a space where I celebrate today — not yesterday 🎉. Life can be full, intentional, and stress-free — even while navigating responsibilities.

Here’s what you can look forward to:

• Budgeting tips, practical money strategies, and book reviews (like Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps) — all designed to help you plan for the future without stress 💵📚

• & Most important of all, doing all the responsibility of an Adult stress free. Just like the Lord Jesus would remind us not to worry.

Philippians 4:6-7

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

You’ll see how I balance planning for the future while enjoying the present 🌸

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Above all else, I want this blog to remind both myself and anyone reading that life can be calm 🌊, intentional 🎨, and joyful 😊. You don’t need to sacrifice happiness for responsibility. You can grow, make thoughtful choices, and still enjoy life every day ✨

So here’s to 2026: a year of fresh beginnings 🌱, thoughtful planning 📅, and mindful living 🧘‍♀️. A year where mistakes aren’t erased but learned from 📝, and where the present is just as valuable as the future ⏳

I hope you’ll join me on this journey of calm, clarity, and stress-free living 💖 — let’s make this blog a place that celebrates life as it is, right now 🌟

2026 vs 2017 - Review post: Reasons Why You Are Not Satisfied with Your Job?

It’s fascinating to reread a post I wrote almost eight years ago 📖. I’m genuinely grateful that I can now look back and clearly see how my perspective — and my understanding of the world — has changed 🌱🌏.

When I read my old post, “Reasons Why You Are Not Satisfied with Your Job,” I notice a familiar pattern: most of my reasoning was about why things weren’t working for me 🤔. I was quick to point out external causes and slow to recognize my own role in the situation.

At the time, that felt logical ✅. Now, I see it differently.

While it’s true that a bad environment can affect you — as I mentioned in my third point about listening to negative coworkers 🙄 — I’ve come to believe that environment only has power when your internal foundation is weak 💪. One negative voice can influence you only if you lack the strength to filter it out.

With strong mental clarity 🧠, emotional stability 💛, and good physical health 🥩, you don’t absorb everything you hear. You choose what deserves your attention 🎯.

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See bulleted points below, where I asked ChatGPT to summarize my 2017 post 📝:

• Frequent job changes after graduation 🔄
  I moved through five jobs across industries and locations, constantly searching for fulfillment but never feeling settled.

• Decisions driven by youth and external approval 😓
  Many choices were motivated by the desire to impress others rather than genuine alignment, which led to burnout and dissatisfaction.

• Negative influence from coworkers 🙃
  I allowed constant complaining and gossip to shape how I viewed my work, even in roles that were relatively stable.

• Living paycheck to paycheck — mentally 💸
  Work became about survival, not growth, accompanied by frustration over missed goals and limited finances.

• Misalignment with company goals, especially in sales 🎯
  Struggling to meet targets revealed a deeper mismatch between my personality, skills, and the role itself.

• Enduring jobs as “stepping stones” ⏳
  I accepted roles out of sacrifice and urgency, which resulted in wasted energy rather than progress.

I love how ChatGPT helped me summarize and organize the reflections above 😄💡 — a small reminder that the right tools can make thinking, writing, and growth so much easier.

✅ Read the full 2017 post: Reasons Why You Are Not Satisfied with Your Job?

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How I See It Now (2026) 

As I often share on this blog, I couldn’t truly understand what was wrong until I addressed my health 🥗💪. An undernourished body and mind don’t stand a chance against the constant negativity the world throws at you 🌪️.

As my health improved — through proper nourishment and eating real, nutrient-dense food like beef 🥩 — my thinking became clearer 🧠. I began to see the bigger picture. Gossip became noise 📣❌ and should never have a place in your mind.

With a healthy body, clarity feels natural — like standing on top of a mountain 🏔️ and calmly observing the scenery below instead of being lost inside it.

That shift changed how I make decisions, how I listen 👂, and how I choose what deserves my energy ⚡. Fixing my health helped me realize the real reason I was never satisfied with my job.

This isn’t really about the job itself — it’s about the fact that my financial goals weren’t being achieved the way I wanted 💰.

With a clearer mind and better health, I can finally see that my dissatisfaction wasn’t caused by gossip, other people, or external circumstances 🙅‍♀️. The real issue was that I hadn’t yet learned the steps needed to reach my goals 📈.

Today, I am fully transparent about the financial plan I’m following 📊. I am committed to taking conservative, baby steps 🐾 as taught by Dave Ramsey, trusting the process, and keeping my faith in the Lord ✝️ at the center of it all.

This way, I don’t live for money alone 💵 — I live a life that also nourishes my soul 💛 and aligns with what I believe in 🌿.

That’s all for now.
Thank you for reading all the way through.

 

Stress & Baby Steps #2

The Quiet Weight of Debt I Didn’t Know I Was Carrying 💭💸

I don’t think I ever truly knew how much stress I was carrying while living with two major loans:

• An SSS loan

• A personal loan close to six digits 😮

Just writing that still feels heavy. I lived with that debt for more than a decade, and somehow, I convinced myself it didn’t affect me.

I kept telling myself I was fine. That I was chill about it. “I can pay it off if I really want to,” I’d say. It became background noise—something so familiar that I stopped questioning it. Like it was just part of adult life. 🤷‍♀️

But debt doesn’t always announce itself as stress. Sometimes, it sits quietly in the corners of your mind. It shows up in subtle ways—hesitation, tension, overthinking—things you brush off because they feel normal. 🧠

My SSS loan took around three months to fully pay off (I actually need to look that up because I can’t remember the exact timeline anymore). My second-highest loan, aside from my mortgage, took me a full year. A year of consistency, discipline, and living on a tight budget. 📆💪

And then one day, I made the final payment.

There was no big celebration. No dramatic moment. Just a quiet, internal sigh of relief. 😌 A simple thought: “Thank you. I don’t have to carry this anymore.”

             ✅Check out related post Debt snowball... my 2nd debt

That’s when I realized something important.

I hadn’t noticed how much stress those loans were adding to my life until they were gone. The constant mental weight. The low-level anxiety I had normalized. The way it subtly affected my peace of mind. 😴 I thought I was handling it well—but I was really just used to it.

Who would have thought that something I brushed off for years was quietly affecting my emotional well-being?

Paying off those loans didn’t just free up my finances—it freed my mind. It taught me that just because we can live with something doesn’t mean it isn’t costing us. And just because stress feels familiar doesn’t mean it should be ignored. 💡

If you’re carrying debt right now and telling yourself you’re “okay,” maybe pause and check in with yourself. Relief doesn’t always come with fireworks—but when it arrives, you’ll feel it. 🌱

That is it for now. Thanks for reading all the way 🙏💛

Baby Step # 3

I never realized that skipping an emergency fund 💸🛑 could still leave you feeling like you’re chasing every paycheck 🏃‍♂️💨. I’ve experienced it firsthand.

You probably know that I started investing through time deposits/MP2. On paper, it felt like the smart move—I was putting money aside and thinking about compounding interest. But deep down, I knew I couldn’t touch that money for at least five years. Even with investments growing in the background, I was still living paycheck to paycheck, never feeling fully secure about my immediate needs.

✅Check out related post Why Emergency Funds Matter to Me 

Then I started my emergency fund, following Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps. After paying off my debts in Baby Step #2, moving to Baby Step #3 completely changed my mindset. Just knowing that I could cover one month of expenses without stress gave me an incredible sense of relief 🏠.

This “gap fund” isn’t just money set aside—it’s a psychological boost. Suddenly, I feel rich, not because of what I’ve invested for the future, but because of the control and security I have in the present 💖. It’s amazing how having accessible, liquid funds can change your relationship with money, reduce stress, and give you confidence to make decisions without fear.

I now see that an emergency fund isn’t just a step in a financial plan—it’s a foundation. Investments will always be important, but the freedom that comes from knowing you can cover your essential expenses without any problem is amazing. For me, starting this fund has been a small action with a huge psychological payoff, and it’s made all the difference in how I experience my finances.

That is it for now. Thanks for reading all the way.

Compounding Interest vs Following the Baby Steps # 3 to the Tea 🤔💭

Compounding Interest vs Following the Baby Steps to the Tea 🤔💭

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about compounding interest and the incredible advantage it can offer over time 📈✨. Being in my late 30s, I feel the pressure to make the most of the time I have left. The idea of letting even small investments grow exponentially over the years is hard to resist—it feels like a way to get ahead without constantly hustling for more money 💸.

Yet, here’s the challenge: I’m still not done with Baby Step #3, and that makes me pause. For context, Baby Step #3, as taught by Dave Ramsey, is all about building a fully funded emergency fund—3 to 6 months of living expenses tucked away safely 🛟💰. It’s designed to give peace of mind, a buffer for life’s unexpected events, and the freedom to make decisions without panic. And honestly, starting this step has already lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. For the first time in a long while, I feel calmer, knowing that my essential expenses for the next few months are covered 🧘‍♀️🏠. In other words, I’ve experienced it firsthand, and it’s solid proof that the Baby Steps really work.

And yet, the pull of compounding interest is strong. Time is one of the few things we can’t get back, and the thought of letting my money grow over the years makes me wonder if I’m “missing out” by focusing on safety first. I think, “If I start investing now, even a small amount could grow into something significant decades from now.” That feeling is hard to ignore.

✅Check out my blog post on how I started my emergency fund here.

But then I remind myself of the peace that comes with following Baby Step #3. There’s something about knowing that your basic needs are covered that no chart, no projection, and no percentage can ever replicate. It’s a type of freedom that’s hard to explain—a calm that allows you to think clearly, make decisions without panic, and plan for long-term growth 🧘‍♀️💖.

This has made me realize that there’s a reason the Baby Steps exist. They’re not arbitrary—they’re a proven system for building both security and wealth sustainably. While compounding interest can help grow money, its purpose is really different with the Baby step # 3. 

So, what’s stopping me from following the Baby Steps to the tea? Honestly, nothing. I’ve already felt the relief and confidence that comes from Baby Step #3, and I know it works. I could continue investing and chasing compounding gains, but the safety and stability I’ve gained by focusing on my 'gap fund' emergency fund are invaluable 🛡️💰.

At the same time, the thought of letting my money grow while I wait is hard to ignore. I know that once my emergency fund is fully in place, I’ll be able to invest with confidence and take full advantage of compounding interest. But for now, I’m left wondering: is it wiser to prioritize safety and follow the steps exactly as outlined, or should I try to balance both—building my emergency fund while still investing a bit here and there?

I don’t have the answer yet 🤷‍♀️💭. For now, I’ll continue along currently what I am doing—hoping that when the time comes, I’ll make the choice that’s right for my future.

That is it for now. Thanks for reading all the way 🙏💛

Having fun topping up my Emergency Fund 💰🥳

I didn’t realize that funding my “gap fund”—or emergency fund—could actually be enjoyable 💰.

Especially now that I’m saving my emergency fund in a high-yield savings account 📈. Yes, I finally made the move—carefully, as always, and with the right precautions in place 🛡️.

There’s a small dopamine hit every time I see my fund growing day by day 😄📊. It’s a simple joy, but it feels like a little win added to my day—and I’ll take those wins whenever I can.

A quick note on interest and taxes 🇵🇭🧾

Just sharing this for transparency and awareness:

• Interest earned in the Philippines is subject to a 20% tax

• My high-yield savings account earns around 3.5%–6% interest

• I earn roughly ₱50 per month in interest

• After the 20% tax, that becomes about ₱40

It’s not a huge amount, but watching money grow—no matter how small—still feels rewarding 💸🙂.

Protect your online presence 🔐📱

Using online banking has been incredibly convenient and efficient. That said, it’s also important to stay vigilant. Creative hackers are everywhere, and protecting yourself is non-negotiable.

Here are a few practices I follow to keep my finances safe:

• ❌ Don’t click suspicious links

• 📶 Never connect to public Wi-Fi

• 📞 Be cautious of scam calls asking for personal details

In today’s digital world, we need to be smarter and more proactive about protecting what’s ours. These simple steps go a long way toward reducing financial stress.

Less worry about money is one of my main goals 🧘‍♀️💖. If I can eliminate even one major source of stress from my life, that already feels like a win.

That’s it for now.
Thanks so much for reading all the way through 🤍

I Didn’t Wanted to Pay off my Debt Until I Did

Why do I have to pay off debt? 🤔

Isn’t going straight to investing the best and most logical way? 📈💭

That’s how stupid the way I used to think back then 😅.

I didn’t want to pay off my debt until I discovered Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps, specifically Baby Step #2 👣.

To be honest, I skipped straight to Baby Step #4 because I wanted to try time deposits 🏦, thinking at least my money would earn a bit of interest 💰. Not to mention I was in my 30's already back then and I really want time to be on my side. That so-called “investing” felt slow 🐢, while my debt kept creeping back into my mind 👀💳.

That’s when it started to feel like Dave Ramsey was actually right.

“The borrower is slave to the lender.” 📖⚖️

That verse haunted every money decision I made 🧠💸.

To give more context, I had two kinds of debt:

• SSS loan 🏛️

• Personal loan from a family member 🤝

I felt that Bible verse the most with the second loan.

For context, my brother was kind enough to fund my ticket so I could work overseas ✈️🌍. But after three years abroad, I still didn’t have enough money to pay him back 😔. Maybe I’ll make another post about my OFW life as an update someday.

Back to the topic. As the years passed, I began to understand what Dave often says on his show 🎙️—suddenly, every money decision becomes a big deal.

Even though I was spending my own money, I constantly felt like I was being judged on every decision I made 😶‍🌫️. Because I had debt to my brother, every comment felt like strict judgment. I know the intention was good, but the pain of unsolicited comments affects me.

I truly felt like a slave ⛓️.

The borrower is slave to the lender.

Proverbs 22:7

After two years of thinking about it and putting off the idea of paying, in 2023, I finally had the courage to pay my brother in full 💪💵. My budget felt tight 😬, but I pushed through.

And I’m glad I did ✨.

No more feeling judged by my family 🙌.
For the first time, it felt like I had a backbone 🦴.

I know I’m still lacking in many aspects, but I’m grateful that I finally got this debt out of the way 🙏.

That’s it for now ✨

Thanks for reading all the way!

Forget about leverage! I Now Save Slowly & Invest Conservatively

I still remember the time when I wanted to get rich quick 💸⚡… and how it backfired instantly 🤦‍♀️💥
Instead of getting rich, I somehow managed to get poor quickly instead 😂🥲.

😂

That’s why I wanted to look back and reflect on why I now prefer saving conservatively 🐢💰, and which financial guru I currently follow.

Remember the phase when I was raving about “leverage” 📈, desperately trying to ditch my so-called “poor dad” mentality 🧠❌. I have a lot of post about it here in the blog. I genuinely tried to learn, try to read more book 🤓📚, believing leverage and get-rich-quick ideas were the way out 🚀. But in reality, that mindset burned my bum straight back to the ground 🔥😅⬇️.

Just to be clear, I’m not blaming anyone 🙏. All the decisions was done by me to begin with. 🪞.
This is simply a reminder that not everything you hear on the internet is meant for you 🌐⚠️. & I have to learn this lesson the hard way 🧱.

I’m truly thankful that I eventually found Dave Ramsey’s conservative approach to building wealth 🧾✨. His philosophy helped me slow down 🛑and stop chasing shortcuts.

This is currently where I'm at with his 7 Baby Steps

• Baby steps 2 : Pay off all debt (except the house) 💳➡️❌
• Baby steps 3: Save 3-6 Months of expenses for emergencies🚨💵

I didn’t follow the steps perfectly or “to the tee” 🫣 at first, but when I started the Baby steps #3,  after I paid my SSS loan and my personal loan I started to feel lighter financially 🪶. Together with the practice of gratitude 🙏—something Dave Ramsey always emphasizes—I truly felt grounded 🌍. It helped me understand the importance of staying humble 🤍 and being a good steward of the Lord’s blessings ✨✝️.

Looking back, I think I had enough of that grabbing mentality 🤲⚡, the need for everything to be instant ⏱️. It revealed a part of my character I had to confront 🪞. Being brought back down taught me something valuable 🎓: there’s peace 🕊️ in not chasing material things that don’t truly matter 🧘‍♀️.

Right now, it’s enough for me to:

• Manage what I have as best as I can 🧠💼

• Nurture my relationships with my family 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦❤️

• Show up well for my colleagues at work 🤝🙂

That’s it for now ✨

Thanks for reading all the way 🙏💛

Why Emergency Funds Matter to Me

 Why Emergency Funds Matter to Me

🚫 Definitely, there is no way I am going to skip this 1st step on how to be financially responsible & this time, nothing's gonna stop or halt or stall me from creating one.

📖 A little back story.

😖 The word emergency has always left a dull taste in my mouth whenever I hear it. You know that mindset — why would I anticipate an “emergency” in my life? I was that person for many years. This became my excuse to save for almost anything, except an emergency fund.

💭 To be fair, my financial goal has always been a transformation — like it went all over the place:

• ⬅️ to the left

• 📈 from false peak

• 📉 back down

• 🔁 then back down and starting over again

& it's impossible to describe it, I think I have tried a bunch of approach in finances. So for the sake of this story, let us just put it that way.

✨ My ultimate goal for saving back then was never really an emergency fund. What I wanted is the usual financial freedom that everybody talks about.

🧠 But over time, I started to accept that financial freedom doesn’t happen overnight. It happens through a series of steps — and one of the first steps that many people agree on is building an emergency fund.

🙅🏽‍♀️ Still, because I disliked the word emergency so much, it took me a long time to fully accept the idea. I even tried renaming it at one point — I forgot what I called it back then, but I clearly remember giving it a nickname just so I could feel better about saving for it 😅.

📱 More recently, I came across someone online who shared a perspective that finally clicked with me. Instead of calling it an emergency fund, she called it a “gap.”

🚫 Not an emergency —👉🏽 a gap.

💡 Her logic was simple:

• the bigger the gap between your money and your expenses, the safer you feel

• the more months of expenses you can cover in advance — three months, six months — the richer you feel internally

✨ Brilliant isn't it? Now you are not expecting for something bad to happen. It’s now about you know you are covered in advance. Like I feel rich that way, I can take care of the future expenses — hair flip 💁🏽‍♀️.

🎉 I was pretty proud of myself for finally seeing it that way 😄.

🌱 That inner resistance I had for years slowly disappeared, and for the first time, I felt excited to save for my emergency fund. For me, the bigger the gap, the better 😊.

🙏 I still have a lot to work on, but I’m genuinely grateful that I finally started building my emergency fund during the 2025 holiday season 🎄. That alone feels like real progress.

💌 That’s it for now — thank you for reading all the way through.

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Simple Mistakes I made why I stall funding my Emergency fund

Even when I first entered the workforce at a young age, I felt I was a fairly responsible person 💰. I already understood the importance of saving, and I truly believed that this alone would set me up financially.

Like most people, I saved because I dreamed of a time when money wouldn’t feel so heavy. I wanted to earn more, worry less, and provide generously for myself and my family 🤍. Saving felt like the obvious solution — and of course, having an emergency fund sounded like the first thing to do.

So why is it that, looking back now — over a decade later (yes, OMG 😅) — it’s only in 2025 that I’ve managed to gather a small amount that I can finally call an emergency fund?

This is what I realized.

Even though I knew the importance of saving, I was never able to maintain it keep it -as it keep it aside. I think this is what's logically happened. To start of with savings, to make room for it, I often adjusted my food budget 🍚. It felt like this is the easiest place to cut back.

My thinking was simple:

• Eat less →

• Spend less →

• Save more (which will go towards my emergency fund)

That was the logic I followed & apparently the biggest mistake that I made in my life that affects my finances.

Even though I saved consistently, I kept running into the same problem.

My savings were never really growing — they were constantly being used to patch up basic necessities.

I would dip into them because:

• I didn’t have enough money to last until payday 💸

• I needed money for food 🍽️

• I needed transportation 🚍

• I had to replace worn-out work shoes 👟
  (I might write a separate post about this — I want to start with what I did wrong starting about food here 😂)

That’s when I began to understand something important: being low income comes with a hidden premium.

---

The Hidden Cost of Cutting Food

Cutting back on food may look smart, but the body eventually demands proper nutrition. Maybe not today, but tomorrow — when hunger catches up and your body asks for real nourishment 🍽️.

Yes, fish is healthy 🐟. A piece of fried chicken 🐔 sounds yummy too. But a small portion doesn’t always meet your daily protein and nutrient needs. Back then, I lived very simply — even a meal from a popular fast-food chain in the Philippines felt like a luxury to me.

Eating this way kept me constantly hungry. And because of that, I often ended up spending more on food than I originally planned.

This cycle followed me for years (like I said, over a decade, it's unreal) of my working life. I dreamed of saving more, but the money kept going toward survival — mostly food and other basic needs.

---

What Finally Changed

Once I realized something was wrong, I went deep into self-help and self-care 🧘‍♂️📚 and experimented with different diets until I eventually stumbled upon the carnivore diet 🥩. Gone were the days of eating just to eat, without thinking about proper nutrition 🍽️. & thank God I finally let go of my childish behavior of eating fast-food that I thought was the best thing in the world.

I started choosing my food more intentionally — not at a professional dietitian level 👩‍⚕️, but in a simple, practical way. For me, beef naturally provides essential nutrients, especially B vitamins 🧠⚡, without requiring much overthinking. I may be a bit biased here 😅, but compared to chicken 🐔 or fish 🐟, when I eat beef in a day 🥩, I feel:

• more focused 🧠

• full for longer ⏳

• less tempted to overspend later 💸

Yes, it’s that simple.

With a properly nourished body & felt full longer - much longer-  my money decisions became clearer. I could finally set a food budget that made sense — and actually stick to it.

I stopped overspending, and for the first time, saving and building my emergency fund felt possible. More importantly, being properly nourished helped clear my mind — no more brain fog or constant forgetfulness — which allowed me to plan my life and approach my finances with intention. I finally felt grounded, with a real foundation to face life’s challenges, including money.

Who knew that a simple change — choosing the right food — could set you up for success in whatever you’re aiming for, even something as simple as starting an emergency fund 🙂