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This practice of having a “wish list” as part of the exchange gift tradition is a lot practical, I guess.   Though it does take away the element of surprise it eliminates much disappointments in the gift-giving process.   Now you get home satisfied instead of bowing not to join in the exchanging of gifts ever again!

My only concern though is that most of the would-be recipients will either list down items for their kids  or useful things they could use around the house.    Although there is nothing wrong with it and it’s indeed a lot practical it does reflect the sad reality that in the midst of our daily concerns and responsibilities we tend to bury our own needs and wants.

I have observed this with my own mother. When we were growing up everything went to our education, literally everything – the scarce resources we had, my parents’ hopes and dreams, their emotions.

I’m sure they are real proud of what they have accomplished and we are very thankful.   All of us children are doing all right.   Now they have  started building an enormous house by today’s standard – courtesy of my siblings abroad!

The big house – a symbol of what they have achieved is no less than what they deserved.   In fact, they deserve more than spending their days running around the house doing chores and we would have wanted to give them more -  like a paid-for international trip perhaps.   But the thing is, they do not know what else to do.   They lost themselves along the way, when they put everything in our behalf.

It would have not matter, though, as long as they are genuinely happy.   But I sense something in my mother – a buried personal dream, unfulfilled.

I can not pinpoint what it is only that I can feel  a “something else”, a dull ache that perhaps will always remain hidden.

I can only guess that something in her would have liked to get free because I, the middle daughter and the youngest son – three of her kids have much in common with her.    And all three of us have been pursuing a life of purpose, travel and freedom in different forms and varrying degrees.   We all have felt that there is something we just need to do, something to excel at in order that we may live and fulfill the life we are meant to have.

I shall be forever grateful with my parents, especially, my mother for what she has sacrificed but it would have been better and more proper that in the process of rearing us they have also lived their own lives.   Then I wouldn’t have felt that ache in her and everybody would have been much happier and freer.

We need new beginnings to give us hope for HOPE is what keeps us going. At times, life just seems a bit complicated that we feel that in every step forward we make something happens that’ll force us two steps backward.

Too many dreams so much to do. Too many concerns so much regret. Sometimes we feel just so out of it even in the midst of a crowd or even among friends.

Alas, if you come to think of it MONEY somehow is often at the very center of our own small universe.

But there’s hope as every new year brings with it the hope of a new life – one a lot better than the past year. Every aspect of your life, specially the life you wanted for yourself and your important relationships would improve a lot if your financial situation improves.

This new year, I invite you to join me in this journey towards living every day of our life the life our heart desires. The life of our dream. The life of our hope. The life at the end of every wish, every goal, every vision.

Let no more excuses prevent us from actually living in the present the life you so wish you’d live someday.

If you’re married and have kids or single but supporting a brother or a sister or even your parents or any commitments you may have at the moment let none of those prevent from enjoying the life you are meant to live if only you give yourself a chance. Instead let it be part of the joy of living as you lead your own life anyway you please every chance you get.

So let’s start with our money and our attitude towards money. If the way we spend our money prevents us from enjoying the truly important things in life – your important things, not others, what you want, not others – then it’s about time, the perfect time to look inside yourself and do something about it.

If you have time which I dearly hope you do read your way around every post and page of the piggybank life’s archives. It’s not so much – yet. But I believe at end of your time reading those I would have convinced you that your life is indeed the greatest gift ever.

And that the best thing to show your appreciation towards the life you’ve been given is to ENJOY and LIVE it NOW the WAY you WANT – with each day and everything in it matters truly in the long run.

And to give something back even in the smallest way you can. The beauty about sharing oneself and doing an act of kindness is that nothing is small or big. Everything is fair. It is the intent behind the act that matters most.

]]> http://piggybanklife.wordpress.com/2008/12/20/what-is-the-best-thing-about-new-year/feed/ 0 travelingcouple http://piggybanklife.wordpress.com/2008/12/18/what-does-money-got-to-do-with-christmas/ http://piggybanklife.wordpress.com/2008/12/18/what-does-money-got-to-do-with-christmas/#comments Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:23:35 +0000 travelingcouple http://piggybanklife.wordpress.com/?p=455 Continue reading →]]> So what does money got to do with anything?   Everything?   Especially at Christmas?

Christmas is about giving and receiving.   When somebody hand you a thing, whether it’s just a simple token or anything quite extravagant you feel somewhat compel to give something in return.

I guess, it’s a normal gut reaction, especially for us, human.   Though it’s been said over an over again that money could only buy so much or do so much still a little disposable money goes a long way, especially at Christmas time.

Indeed, many of the more important things in life and the best gifts one can give to another are oftentimes priceless like your time, presence and companionship, your love, friendship and commitment to the people that are important part of your life.

But funny, nothing could give someone the feeling of being cherished and made special than something wrapped, boxed, bagged, written or hand-painted  or even anything you hand in as is specially if it’s given unexpectedly.

Yes, a little surprise always gives someone a lift.   So the next time you shop or browse around stores always be ready to spot a deal or a special bargain – something on sale might just the very thing for someone dear to you.   It need not be anything big  or costly just something you know someone would cherish.   Do this the whole year round and come Christmas you need not feel taxed about money.

• Lipstick color you do not like. Try combining it with other lip color. Or put lip shiner or gloss over it. You could also try sheer lip highlighter as top coat. I’ve been practicing this technique and I haven’t bought any new lip color for over 6 months now!
• Apply same principle with loose powder, pressed powder and make-up base or foundation in liquid, cream or cake form. Try it also with blusher or cheek highlighter or bronzer.
• Lotion smell or its stickiness you do not fancy. Why not use it around the house instead and smoothen your hands each time you finish a chore? Lotion can also be used to soften back of new shoes. Use your favorite lotion after every bath and at work. Or during bedtime, of course!
• Perfume left-over you no longer use. Put the bottles with the cap off between clothing inside your closet to give your garments some yummy scent!
• Item of clothing. Try altering a blouse or skirt or put some little touches to it.   Maybe you have old pairs of jeans just lolling away in your closet – you can have those cut off and make your way around the house in cut offs or sexy shorts!
• Pens. Before their ink dried up put them within reach for when you need to write some telephone numbers, take a message, jot down ideas, make a list, etc.
• Too many picture frames just gathering dust in your cabinet? Why not pamper your walls with your favorite photos in different colored frames and get an instant wall make-over!
• Unused piece of garments with tag price still attached and little tokens still in their original gift boxes. There may be some people close to you who would love to have those. Just be sure to check for gift tags!

• Lipstick color you do not like. Try combining it with other lip color. Or put lip shiner or gloss over it. You could also try sheer lip highlighter as top coat. I’ve been practicing this technique and I haven’t bought any new lip color for over 6 months now!
• Apply same principle with loose powder, pressed powder and make-up base or foundation in liquid, cream or cake form. Try it also with blusher or cheek highlighter or bronzer.
• Lotion smell or its stickiness you do not fancy. Why not use it around the house instead and smoothen your hands each time you finish a chore? Lotion can also be used to soften back of new shoes. Use your favorite lotion after every bath and at work. Or during bedtime, of course!
• Perfume left-over you no longer use. Put the bottles with the cap off between clothing inside your closet to give your garments some yummy scent!
• Item of clothing. Try altering a blouse or skirt or put some little touches to it.   Maybe you have old pairs of jeans just lolling away in your closet – you can have those cut off and make your way around the house in cut offs or sexy shorts!
• Pens. Before their ink dried up put them within reach for when you need to write some telephone numbers, take a message, jot down ideas, make a list, etc.
• Too many picture frames just gathering dust in your cabinet? Why not pamper your walls with your favorite photos in different colored frames and get an instant wall make-over!
• Unused piece of garments with tag price still attached and little tokens still in their original gift boxes. There may be some people close to you who would love to have those. Just be sure to check for gift tags!

This exercise has led me to discover a lot of new and lovely things we just packed away for later and which we eventually completely forgotten.

Take a look at the list below of treasures I have found buried among cast off clothing,  tons of papers, old magazines and newspapers, battered toys, old pens, and other unimaginable and unnamable “debris” all thrown together in the upstairs top closets:

1. A small red box which previously housed a favorite wristwatch.   Inside are four (4) more wristwatches – a faded Guess Mother of Pearl given to me by my husband when we were just dating, a Timex watch from AMA in honor of my 5th year of service, a delicately designed Alba from my sister as a token of appreciation and a Seiko ladies’ watch I bought a couple of years ago.   Imagine, I’ve been wearing same watch for the last year while those other watches are sitting pretty and cozy  inside  their red velvet throne!
2. Two never-used still in their cases Parker ballpoint pens.   I have already forgotten where they came from.   But what a lovely surprise!   I want one to go with a new organizer set for my desk.
3. Unused notebooks of different sizes still in pristine condition.   Wonderful!   I need masses of notebooks to record ideas for this blog.
4. Books I bought on sale still unread! My, my!   What a find!   Just exactly what I need to soothe my frustrated attempt to own two new books just yesterday.
5. A pair of pearl earrings!
6. A medium-sized photo album. This one I remember buying right after our Boracay gateaway in 2007.   But the pictures which are supposed to go with the album are now buried among loads of digital pictures we never managed to process.
7. Some lipstick tubes still in good condition.

I have yet to complete this  search-and-rescue mission.   Now I’m completely in my element.   Who knows what other treasures are hiding among unsuspecting crevices inside our home.   Hah, here I come, folks with my magic basket to whisk you all away!

The reality of my hopeless situation was finally forced into my strongly protesting self by the shambles around the house that my little tykes left in their wake.

Nobody in their right mind could accuse me of an unlived-in house for everywhere you look not a single piece of furniture or appliance managed to escape some form of “abuse” from the recklessness of three boys.

So with much resignation I grudgingly accepted that for the time being my house shall be over-decorated with clutters and shall boast of mismatched and much battered furniture. If by some miracle something escaped the little tigers’ wrath it’s probably made of durable plastic or hard wood that dared stood up with the boys.

Nothing within reach is made of glass and everything breakable I haven’t put away has found its demise at one time or another. The only surviving large piece of Chinese jar is the one I received as an exchange gift in 2006 Christmas party. I simply can not bring myself to throw it away though it does sport a broken “mouth”. It now resides in our pocket garden among the plants that managed to survive with little or no attention from its owners.

Although it broke my heart that my dream was nipped in the bud my acceptance of the situation did save us lot of money. We seldom purchased anything valuable that would pose a treat to the children.

This is one situation we’d wait out unless we want both the dream and the pocket and everything else broken.

My hubby whom I called Popsey picked me up from the office so we could both go to Macro and buy a small round table paired with one yellow and one green chairs at Php2199.   I spotted the three-piece set on display and decided that it would just be right for my kids’ bedroom – for Jarell to work on his school assignments and Jassen’s drawings.

In fact, it is mandatory that I buy them some table and chairs that would fit in their room  so they would have a definite place to do their things.   If I procrastinate some more their room may no longer have real walls to speak of only murals!

Jassen, the middle child, found it rather convenient to just work on their white pristine non-moving super steady walls than do his doodles on his bed with the bumpy mattress that messes up his drawings!   The first time he did that I thought I would collapse.   Oh, no!  This child meant business for he did not just draw something on the wall but rather filled the the entire length he could reach with all manner of squiggles only his three-year old mind could comprehend!

That started me on shopping for a table and chairs to go with it.   I liked the set because of  its rather classy rattan-like design made of durable plastic materials and therefore may just stand the roughing up of three little boys.    Practical that I am I thought the set would fit in quite nicely in one of our three little terraces when the kids have outgrown it.

While we were at it we picked up a new ironing board after some discussions about the urgent need of the old one to finally retire.  I very reluctantly allowed the demise of that wobbling board.   On the way to the counter we saw on display several types of Christmas lights and picked up two small boxes.

After an enormous lunch I told Popsey that there’s just a book I wanted to check at the National Bookstore so we went in.   I saw the book and tried to decide if I should buy it.   While mulling it over I saw that there’s already a Part 2 of the book.   Popsey said ok let’s buy both.   So we carried both books which would total to less than a thousand bucks and fell in line to the counter.  And I thought, hey, we’ve already went beyond our planned spending for the day. Instead of the original table and chairs set we have already packed two unplanned purchases and now two more books!

So I hurriedly escaped the line found a spot among the book racks and scan the books.   And left with my eyes closed (figuratively!) otherwise something else may just caught my fancy!

Isn’t it a lot better to all concerned if from the very start one’s attitude towards money is known to another?   It would prevent a lot of misunderstandings.    Misconceptions are  sure to sour a relationship or put a damper to a developing friendship.

Let’s say for instance that you are the kind of person who put premium on good service and therefore take it for granted that fine dining costs a lot more.   If your friend unbeknown to you is under financial strain a suggestion to eat in some high end resto is more like adding insult to injury.

In fact, financial differences between couples is one of the leading culprits in the high divorce rate in the west.    In the Philippines where divorce is not allowed same scenario normally resulted to married couples finding themselves wanting to get out of the marriage.

Imagine your spouse finds pleasure in splurging on drinks with friends while you go into shock at the very idea of a cup of coffee for a little less than two hundred bucks!

So perhaps, instead of  going around the subject of money it is wise to make it a must in the getting to know you stage of any relationship.