“You’re so Ilocana,” says a friend when I showed her the photos of my coin banks. I am not any near of ashamed though, if I may say.
Technically, my coin banks did not cover [for] all my expenses because I booked my flights way beforehand. We can never thank seatsales enough, yes? But my alkansyas sure helped me pushed through with my travels, even that goes without saying.
When I say travels, I meant going to Iloilo–Antique-back to my province in Ilocos Norte- South Korea – Singapore – Thailand – Malaysia – Bacolod – Cadiz City (Lakawon Island) – Guimaras in one month. Yes, you read it right!
Five coinbanks strategically placed in:
– My tita’s house in Novaliches (two of them) which I started filling in when I was still living with them, and every weekends thereafter.
– Two on my bedside table and on top of my cabinet in the room I am currently renting
– One on my office table
HOW DID I DO THAT? Well, I:
– Deliberately put 100, 200, and 500 bills in there just to find myself whining and ranting that I don’t have any money left after.
– Put my “extra” money in there, too. When I mean extra, I programmed my Ilocano self that I need to spend just 100 pesos for a day (on work days). Whatever extra money I can spare, I deposit it on my office coinbank.
– Put other extras, too. I am not really that much of a spender (okay, I spend a lot on food..and travels!), so whatever extra coins or bills I have from satisfying my cravings and beach/mountain longings, I put it on my boarding house alkansya.
– Saved the 40% of my monthly salary for personal and school use (which sufficiently covers [my] two weeks). The 10% is for my tithes while the 50% goes to my saving accounts (I have three!) where my insurance policies payment are automatically debited monthly. Whatever money I feel like saving from the 30%, I put it in wherever of the five. It depends on my mood, though. Sometimes I put 500/300/200 bills, but I put my extra 20 and 50 peso bills which, to be honest, is most of the times.
Most importantly, I (somehow) deprived myself of gadgets and unnecessary temporary pleasures (*coughs luxury bags, clothes, and shoes.. coughs*).. or those are just not really my things.
Because of my coinbanks, I spent too little of my savings. I used my last payment from my previous project/job to add up to my travel expenses. The good thing is, I haven’t even opened two of my coinbanks yet!
What I just want to say here is that save those coins, that extra 20-peso change from whatever you bought, that two hundred bill that you think you will not need for the next days, or even that 500 peso bill you may want to take off from your salary on every payday.
Buy that cute coinbank in the mall, I bought mine in Papelmerotti with all those inspiring quotes that made me want to save more.
I went to the destinations above with a minimum amount of pocket money. Check my previous and next posts on how much I used in each trip.. just like how an Ilocana should ambitiously spend. *winks*
I have said this earlier but adding my savings from my previous job, I only opened two out of my five coinbanks for all my trips! 🙂 I still have my emergency fund! *exits with flying colors*
Neyziellewanders 