Protect Your Money: Things to Consider Before You Invest

Republishing this writeup for awareness as this is still applicable nowadays.

A while ago, I just learned that a friend was one of the many others victimized by an investment scam in Batangas.  The scammers got away with the money he saved up for his four kid's education amounting to more than half a million pesos.  I remember posting this only last February so I decided to repost this just to warn the others who are being recruited for some dubious investment scheme.  Please take the time to read and share this post to warn the others.

With the widespread use of e-commerce also comes rampant investment and insurance scams.  More often than not, we are lured into investing our hard-earned money in business that promises us high returns.  Who would not want high percentage return of investment? Truth is, there is no such thing as an overnight success in business and it takes careful planning, study and analysis for one's investment to grow.  It takes more than trust, confidence and gut feeling to make sound financial move.  I bore witness to friends, acquaintances and even relatives who put their hard-earned cash and even their whole retirement incentive into too-good-to-be-true investments only to find out later that they were scammed.  Years ago, I was also lured into investing my bonus and salary in networking business trusting that a friend who recruited me into it was only doing me a great favor by sharing her own financial success.  We enjoyed the benefits in the first few months of our membership.  Eventually and  unfortunately, we both suffered the bane of networking business when we came out almost empty handed.  The last time we check, the perpetrators were "enjoying" their retirement in jail with all their assets frozen.  I was thankful that I was still young at that time and I was able to work and recover from my losses. 

Today, I again see the proliferation of such scam but this time, it is more technologically advanced using social media platform. Although there are many other legitimate business on the internet, be careful where to put that hard earned cash.  This is just to remind you dear readers, before you even make that deposit or fund transfer in the business venture that you wish to participate in, think a hundred times and consider these...

1. Inquire/check or research from the Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC) Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) or Insurance Commission (IC) if

      A.  The company has the necessary licenses or there are no issues/cases against such company

      B.  The products being offered are registered and legitimate

      C.  The salespersonnel/agent are authorized to act in behalf of the company

2.  Remember to 

       A. research about the company and its product before you invest

       B. ask a copy and keep the documents/receipts of your transactions

       C.  Be wary of promises about high-yield ROI as these are proven high risk investments

       D. Never just rely on your friends or relatives' testimonies to lure you into investing, make your own study and be adequately informed. 

*The poster is a public service announcement from SEC and BSP

Originally posted on July 23, 2015

How to Get the Improved Postal ID from PhlPost

A valid identification (ID) card is very important when you need to apply for a passport, open a bank account, engage in business deals and many other engagements.  At least two valid primary IDs with your picture and signature are usually required to validate a person's identity.  I have seen people who have been turned down to open a bank account or denied access to establishment because they have no proof of identity to present. If you or someone you know is one of those people without even a single identification card, there is the improved postal ID that you can get from the Philippine Postal Corporation or PhlPost.  Filipinos and foreign residents of any age or occupation may apply and the ID shall be valid for three (3) years for Filipinos and those with Special Retiree’s Resident Visa (SRRV) while only one year validity for foreign residents,  Application forms are available in any post office, and can also be downloaded online.

Here is the step by step guide in securing the improved Postal ID

FIRST, you must complete the documents required for application

1. Two (2) copies of duly-accomplished Postal ID application form 

2. Proof of Identity such as Birth Certificate issued by NSO or Local Civil Registry.  For married female a pplicants, a copy of marriage certificate is also required to validate change of name from birth records.

If in any case you have no Birth Certificate, you may submit ANY TWO (2) of the following documents, at least one of which should bear your photo and signature:

•Baptismal Certificate 

•Certificate of Birth 

•College or Post-Graduate Transcript of Records 

•Confirmation Certificate 

•Elementary or High School Form 137 

•Marriage Certificate

•Valid Alumni ID 

•Valid College, School or University ID 

•Valid Company ID 

•Valid Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) ID

•Valid NBI Clearance 

•Valid OWWA ID 

•Valid Pag-Ibig ID 

•Valid PhilHealth ID 

•Valid PRC ID 

•Valid Paper-based Postal ID 

•Valid Police Clearance 

•Valid Seaman’s Book

•Valid Senior Citizen ID 

•Valid Tax Identification Number Card 

•Valid Voter’s ID

3. Proof of Address - together with the application form and proof of identity, you must submit any one (1) of the following:

 •Barangay Certificate of Residency – issued within three (3) months prior to PID application

•Certification or statement of account from hotel, transient home or any temporary residence within three (3) months prior to   application

•Notarized, if applicable, Land, House or Condominium Lease Contract

•Bank statement

•Credit card statement

•School billing stateme

•Utility bill (cable, electric, internet, landline, telephone, water)

SECOND, After you have completed filling out the forms and required documents, you may submit them  to any post office for screening and payment. Applicant will only pay a fixed fee of PHP504.00 for the postal ID (inclusive of delivery fee and tax).  Your submitted documents will be screened and if it passed the approval process,  you will head to ID capture station to be photographed and fingerprinted. 

THIRD, expect to receive your Improved Postal ID delivered by PhlPost mail carrier directly at your registered address on the following schedules:

• In Metro Manila - Approximately fifteen (15) working days from application

• Other major cities and municipalities – Approximately twenty (20) working days

• Island provinces and remote barangays - Approximately thirty (30) working days

Aside from being a primary card, the improved postal ID is also a privilege card that provides discounts and freebies from partner establishments. Holders of Postal ID cards can enjoy various privileges while dining at restaurants, staying at hotels or resorts, visiting theme parks, shopping for appliances and other products, or availing services in salons, spas, clinics, fitness centers, training schools, etc. For the complete list of merchant-partners, visit the PhlPost website.

Q and A on SSS Maternity Benefit Part 4

As part of Unsullied Perspective's public service, here is another round of question and answer on SSS maternity benefit package. SSS members who lodged their concerns here were only given advice to the best of the author's knowledge.  SSS members are encouraged to visit your SSS servicing branch to resolve your maternity benefit issues and other concerns.

Q. gud pm ask ko lang po my makukuha pa po ba me maternity last pay ko nung march 2015 then hindi na po me nkapaghulog..due date ko discoming june pwede pb me maghulog?? - Anonymous on 5/27/16

A. If your due date is on June 2016, you need to have at least three months contribution within January to December 2015 to be qualified and you should have notified SSS.

Q. hi ms arlene. Panu po pla kung gusto ko na po bumalik sa work, hindi ko na tatapusin ung 60days leave. 60days parin po ba babayaran sken ng sss? –Anonymous on 5/16/16

A. You are entitled to the 60 days maternity benefit for normal delivery.  That is a benefit given to you to give you time to attend to your newborn and to recuperate fully.  If you wish to return to work earlier than the 60 days period, you should clear it with your employer if you will be compensated for the work done.

Q. Hi, po maam. Ask ko po, ngayong buntis po ako pwede po ba ako makakuha ng maternity loan, kung ang nahulog ko lang ay hanggang nov. 25 2015 to jan. 15 2016. Tnx po maam.

A.  Hindi po loan o utang ang maternity benefit na binibigay ng sss.  Wala po kayong ibabalik na kabayaran sa perang makukuha nyo as maternity benefit.  Privilege po ito ng pagiging member ng SSS. Kung sakali man po na qualified ka, ang perang makukuha mo ay hindi mo na kailangang bayaran dahil hindi po iyon loan o utang.  

Q. good pm po. im faith po. ask ko lang if qualified po ko kumuha ng marternity benefit. last hulog po sa sss ko is nun nov. 2012. if maghulog po ko for jan. dis yr as voluntary till manganak po ko ng oct. may benefit po ko makukuha? thank you po , by Ching Rapas on 5/15/16

A. If October ang due date mo, you need to have at least three months contribution from June 2015 to May 2016. 

Q. Hi, Maam arlene, ask ko po. Paano kung nov. 25,2015 hanggang jan. 15 2016 lang ang nahulog ko sa Sss ko, pwede po ba ako makapag maternity loan, ngayong buntis po ako. Pwede po ba yun.. Tnx po on

Due date ko po sa dec 2016. Ask ko po kung maavail ko pa po ung maternity benefit kung ang contribution ko ay oct.2013 to may 2015. 2Nd baby ko na po ito at ngamit ko na sss maternity ko 8months ago sa 1st baby ko. Thank you po. Pls reply.  Anonymous on 5/14/16

A.      There is a chance that you will be qualified, better submit the MAT1 form as soon as possible at an SSS branch to be sure.

Q. Hi. . ask ko lng sna if pwde ko ma avail mat. Ko due date ko oct last wk. Tapos last year july 2015- jan 2016 lang aq nkapaghulog. Qualify po ako ? Anonymous on 4/28/16

A.  There is a chance you will be qualified since may hulog ka within the prescribed period.  Better submit the MAT1 form as soon as possible.

Q. Hi ms.arlene Ask ko lng po kung makakakuha Ako ng maternity benefits kung hindi nko nkakahulog ngaun ng monthly contribution?.last payment ko po is january 2016..estimated due ko n manganak is aug.2016 nkapag file nko ng mat1 ko.

A.  For as long as you have the required contribution, and since SSS already accepted your submitted MAT1, it means qualified ka naman.  During MAT1 submission, SSS already evaluates if you qualify.

 

Q.  paano kung sa loob ng isang naka-pagloan si member tapos mabuntis sya, makaka-avail pa ba sya ng maternity benefits sa SSS,. please answer. thanks on 4/22/16

A. You can avail the maternity benefit even if you have outstanding loan with SSS for as long as you qualify with all the requirements. But be aware that SSS might deduct the loan arrears from your benefit.  So it is possible that you might or might not get your mat benefit, the good side is you have paid off your loan.

Q. Nakapagfile napo ako ng mat 1,,den jan 2016 me nanganak at diko pa po nakakapunta ulit s sss..ung birth certificate ni baby kakakuha ko lng po last month from the hospital. Yun na rin po ba ang ipapasa s sss? At ilang months po after giving birth kailangan maifile ang mat 2 for maternity benefits? Unknown on 4/17/16

A.      You can still file your claim with SSS, just complete the documents required for submission.

Q. Hi po ask lang kung ang due date ko ay December2016 anun month po dapat ako may hulog..please reply. Thank you po  Anonymous on 4/8/16

A. You need to have contribution from July 2015 to June 2016 for at least three month within that period.

Q. Hi i just wanna ask if a mother can still file her maternity benefit even after she gave birth her baby? Linny Oporto on 3/27/16

A. If you have filed your MAT1 prior to giving birth and you have the required contribution, you can still file your MAT2.

Q. Gus pm.mkkatanggap b ako ng maternity benefit s July po ang due ko.Jan p po ako ng start magbayad.tnx on How to Compute the SSS Maternity Benefit Anonymous on 3/19/16

A. You should have filed your MAT1 prior to giving birth and you should have the required contribution from April 2015 to Mar 2016 for at least three months to qualify.

Q. Paano po magfile ng maternity pagpunta ko sa SSS . 5months pregnant na po ako . kaso 6months lang po hulog ng SSS ko . Thanks po laika on 3/8/16

A.  You can file online or through an SSS branch. You need to file the MAT1 prior to giving birth and the MAT2 after giving birth.

Q. If accepted lang po nakalagay? Okay na po ba yun ?

A.  If your MAT1 has been accepted online, that means that you have successfully submitted your notification.  You need to attach the email notification to your MAT2 as proof that you have submitted your MAT1 online.

Free Downloadable 2016 Financial Calendar Planner

Happy New Year Everyone!  I hope that you had a wonderful celebration with your loved ones.  We just bid goodbye to 2015 and here we are again planning for 2016.  I also wished that you accomplished most of the plans and budget that you wrote in your 2015 calendar planner.  It is best to have something to follow when it comes to what we want to achieve for the year.  To help you with your planning, here again is a simple calendar planner that you can use.  This free printable 2016 calendar planner is very convenient and easy to use. You can put this wherever most convenient for you.  Again, I made only the first half of the year (January to June 2016) so it will be easier to keep track of your plan.  I will publish the July to December of the calendar in time for the next semester so check it out.  Meanwhile, here is the copy of the 2016 Financial Calendar Planner.  You can get and print it here in this link for free.

This 2016 Financial Calendar Planner includes tracking of your savings and expenses such as contributions for SSS (Social Security System), PAGIBIG  (or Home Development Mutual Fund - HDMF) and PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance).  If you are an employed member, these are mandatory deductions from your salary so it is easier to track.

However, if you are a voluntary/individually paying/self-employed member, you need to tick the appropriate space to indicate that you have already paid for your contribution so you can track your monthly premium payments.  We also included recording of you weekly money challenge.  The weekly money challenge is much like the 52 week money challenge but with some deviations.  You can keep track of the schedule when you should have already deposited your savings in the bank as provided in the calendar.  Simply highlight or check the date on the provided boxes if you have done so.  At the end of the month, you have the option to record your total monthly savings in the space provided.

There is also a calendar and the non-working holiday schedule so you can keep account of the  correct dates when you should make your transactions in the bank or government offices.

You can put down notes in the Other Reminders part should you wish to put the dates of other important transactions that you need to track such as the following:

1. Renewal of your business permit (mayor's permit,  BIR annual registration)

2. Renewal of licenses (LTO registration/driver's license)

3. Payment for insurance (home, car, etc)

4. Tax (real estate tax, income tax, etc) and other things that have direct impact on your finances.

We have also included tracking payments for your electricity and water bill since non-payment of those utilities usually add up to your expenses if not paid on time.  You simply tick the space provided to indicate payment for the particular month. 

Happy 2016 planning and budgeting!

Experience Online Shopping with a 15% Zalora Discount Coupon

Shopping is one of those fun activities during the "ber" months (September, October, November and December) that most people usually do in preparation for the holiday season.    We wait for mall-wide sales as early as September to get huge discounts on our purchases (that frugal mommies do, of course ;-) )  I bet you experienced any one of these things when you hit the mall during sale season:

1. Someone else got the item that you wanted the moment you put it down for just a second
2. You finally found the perfect pair of shoes or a nice dress or a shirt only to be told that there was no stock for the size that you needed.
3. Say you got all the items you wanted and ready to pay for it but you almost passed out before you even reach the cashier because of the verrrryyy lloooooonnggg lines.
4. You were stuck in traffic for very long hours after shopping that when you got home you did not bother to check your purchases only to find out the next day that you left or forgotten some of your shopping bags :(

Admit it or not, those things happen and most likely gave us that very high stress level.  Isn't it great news that there are now online stores in the Philippines that offer us the same exciting shopping experience minus all the hassles?  If you have not tried online shopping yet, here is your chance to get that sale shopping experience without the traffic, long lines and lost items.

One of the online shopping sites that I tried is the Zalora Marketplace.  Asia's online market site and a one stop shop for the latest brands and styles.  They offer 30 days free return, free shipping on orders amounting above 995.00 and they accept online payments thru debit or credit cards.  If you do not have cards to use, you can opt for a cash on delivery mode of payment.

To get you started on your online shopping journey, here is a welcome gift for you of 15% discount on qualified purchases.  Just use the promo code ZBAPQWW1 upon checkout.  

So far, I have a very pleasant shopping experience with Zalora.  All items I ordered which mostly were clothes and shoes were delivered as I expected and got the items in good condition.  :-) Take your shopping spree to the next level and be a savvy online shopper. 

Two Miles, Two Hours, Traffic

Throwback post from September 3, 2010....It is now 2015, five years after but the same problem persists in Metro Manila.  :-(

I sensed that my son was annoyed when I got home Friday evening when he told me “Mommy, you always get home late!” Oh-oh, I know my son has every bit of reason to feel that way since all our schedules had been affected. I told him about the traffic dilemma that I had to go through just to get home, that made him shift his mood.

This is the fourth day since the end of August that I experienced being stuck in a traffic jam ‘(~_~)’. My usual twenty minutes travel time from the office to my house had been prolonged to almost two hours. Imagine the 600% increase in my travel time! If only the 600% could add up to my daily wage to buy time for my kids who were waiting for me at home. Ahh… I really can feel that time is not just gold, it is more than gold! What an agonizing hour being stuck in the middle of the road while thinking of another missed dinner with my family.  There is no doubt my sleepy kids were anxiously waiting for me. Nothing much I can do but to bear each tangled homeward-bound episode of my life and ponder on things that I observed such as ….

It is rainy season here in the Philippines, the heavy downpour brings on heavier traffic either because of flooding where cars could be stalled or because drivers are just understandably cautious and drive at slower pace as the road tend to be much slippery or flooded.

The “ber” months (September-December) is the season for mall-wide sales thus more shopaholic people converge in one place and that is where heavier traffic can be noted. Choke points are usually at those places where there are malls and night markets where public utility buses and jeeps carelessly park to pick up passengers. Whether the traffic light is red or green, nobody seems to care. The driver only cares to get more passengers and people only cares to get home after a tiring shopping day.

Since Christmastime is just around the corner, business is likely to be booming and one indicator is again, heavy traffic. If you happen to passed through roads nearby the air or sea ports, you might notice a queue of twenty or forty foot container vans or delivery trucks that almost occupied the whole stretch of road. How you would wish to have a flying car if you happen to tail behind a long truck as it would be impossible to overtake in a bumper to bumper traffic. Booming business is good but heavy traffic is no good at all with all those hours that had been wasted and spent unproductively and all those carbon emission that cars left behind.

So while I was stuck there, my thoughts brought me into analyzing things further; what a hard life it is for those who are earning from driving and caught in a traffic mess. I can’t help but be disappointed at their predicament. A public utility jeep (PUJ) driver who travels on an eight kilometer return trip usually takes only twenty minutes for each round that should give him ideally at least three trips an hour. If he would be caught in a traffic jam for an hour on his one way trip that would make his return trip up to 70 minutes and that translates to only about eight trips for say a ten hour trip schedule. A jeep usually transports a maximum of sixteen people for seven pesos fare per person on a one way trip that should give him PHP 224.00 on his return trip. Ideally they could be earning as much as PHP 1792 in a day even if they would be caught in heavy traffic. But sadly, that seems to be just a wishful thinking because (1) most drivers do not own the vehicle, they usually rent it from jeep operators amounting to six hundred to maybe more than a thousand pesos depending on the number of hours they would be using the vehicle (2) Since there are too many jeep plying the same route, aside from traffic, they would also be spending some minutes in terminal queues waiting for passengers thus their trip schedule might not be maximized (3) there is no guarantee that the jeep would be fully packed with passengers for its entire trip, the usual peak time are during rush hours when students and office workers go to work and when they return home, and even if it would be full, there is no assurance that all passengers will pay the PHP 7.00 fare. (4) If the situation gets really bad such as their route is badly affected with flood, they have no choice but to cancel their trip and that means nothing to bring home to their family.

With that notion, there could be different scenario by which their story carried on, and I hate to think how a bad situation could bring out the worst in somebody’s persona. Too hard life for some and only compassion and understanding can drive us through traffic and a bad-tempered driver.

How to File Online for an SSS Salary Loan Application

SSS provides loan facility to its qualified members and one of these loan offers is the salary loan.  As an added service to SSS online users, a member can file their salary loan application thru the SSS website.  To be able to use this service, you need to log in to your SSS account, if you are not yet registered as an online member, go to SSS website and fill out the Online User ID Registration.  Click here to learn how to register online.

The good thing with the online salary application form is it is more simplified than filling out the paper-based SSS application for salary loan form.  You also save time in going to the SSS branch just to submit your documents.  Also, by using the online application you will be informed right away if you are entitled to this benefit based on your monthly contribution.  Read on to know the four simple steps to do in applying for SSS salary loan.

1. After successfully logging in to your account, navigate to the E-SERVICES menu then click the APPLY FOR SALARY  LOAN link. 
2. You need to fill out an online form that requests for required information such as loanable amount which you can select from the drop-down box (that is system-generated/computed amount), mailing address and postal code and tick the I agree to the terms and conditions. 

3. After you filled out the required fields, the site will require you to confirm your submission, just press the OK button to continue and just wait for the email confirmation from SSS.

4. So after you have successfully submitted your application online, you will receive an email message of  your Salary Loan Confirmation  informing you of your successful submission with transaction number.   

5. After two to three days, you can check online as regards the status of your application.  Navigate to the E-SERVICES - INQUIRY menu then  select LOANS - LOAN STATUS/LOAN INFO menu.  The "Check Generated" status will appear under the Loan Information Details which means that your check  or a registered mail is about to be delivered to you. 

Recently when I tried this online loan application, the check was not delivered to my address.  Instead, I received a registered mail to claim my check at the post office after around three weeks of waiting.  Anyways, so long as I have the check, the wait is just worth it. 

Update: There is an SSS mobile application called SSSMobile that you can download from the AppStore or PlayStore.

How I Spent My Very First Nuffnang Cash Out

Here’s another of my Nuffnang story worth sharing. In one of my posts I wrote that there were two things which I have not experienced yet, attending a Nuffnang Blog Award and receiving that Nuffnang paycheck. 

Then sometime in March, I gladly reported that I have reached another blog milestone when I had the chance to cash out my very first Nuffnang earnings.  I also told you how excited I was to receiving that memorable paycheck that I will gladly write about on how I will save or spend the money. 

I am thankful and too happy to receive my earnings through a direct deposit on my nominated account last May.  It was a hassle-free payout process that is why I am too thankful to Nuffnang that they made it easier for bloggers that made the waiting time so worth it.  Bloggers have options to get their paycheck by picking it up at the Nuffnang office or have it deposited at the blogger’s account.  Since it was more convenient for me, I requested for a direct deposit option.  They sent an email informing me of the deposit they made to the account. 

The total amount deposited was net of the 15% tax deducted from my cash out.  At least I don’t need to worry about paying the taxes due as it was already withheld by Nuffnang.  So where did my Nuffnang cash out went?  Here is the breakdown…

15% was paid to the BIR (government tax)

25% treat for the family

15% paid to myself which I can freely spend for whatever I want (a nice haircut maybe)

10% for donation

20% invested to grow a part of my earnings

15% allotted for my blog’s monthly fun treat (giving back to my readers)

100%

Now I am more motivated to earn from blogging and who knows, I could be marching to the Nuffnang Blog Awards sometime soon.  **fingers crossed**

July to December 2015 Financial Calendar Planner

Hi everyone, as promised, here is our July to December Financial Calendar Planner.  You can download this free printable 2015 Financial Calendar Planner and put it wherever most convenient for you.  You can get it here in this link for free.

This 2015 Financial Calendar Planner includes tracking of your savings and expenses such as contributions for SSS (Social Security System), PAGIBIG  (or Home Development Mutual Fund - HDMF) and PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance).  If you are an employed member, these are mandatory deductions from your salary so it is easier to track.

However, if you are a voluntary/individually paying/self-employed member, you need to tick the appropriate space to indicate that you have already paid for your contribution so you can track your monthly premium payments.  We also included recording of you weekly money challenge.  The weekly money challenge is much like the 52 week money challenge but with some deviations.  You can keep track of the schedule when you should have already deposited your savings in the bank as provided in the calendar.  Simply highlight or check the date on the provided boxes if you have done so.  At the end of the month, you have the option to record your total monthly savings in the space provided.

There is also a calendar and the non-working holiday schedule so you can keep account of the  correct dates when you should make your transactions in the bank or government offices.

You can put down notes in the Other Reminders part should you wish to put the dates of other important transactions that you need to track such as the following:

1. Renewal of your business permit (mayor's permit,  BIR annual registration)

2. Renewal of licenses (LTO registration/driver's license)

3. Payment for insurance (home, car, etc)

4. Tax (real estate tax, income tax, etc) and other things that have direct impact on your finances.

We have also included tracking payments for your electricity and water bill since non-payment of those utilities usually add up to your expenses if not paid on time.  You simply tick the space provided to indicate payment for the particular month. 

I hope that this helps you keep track of your finances in a simple and easy to use financial calendar planner.  Download the free file here >> Happy planning and budgeting.

Get Your Finances on Track with this 2015 Financial Calendar Planner

Good day everyone! Since this is the start of the year, most people nowadays are into planning their home, school or career life.  Whether you are a student, a homemaker, a businessman or a professional, you are most likely into the programming, budgeting and planning stage of your 2015.  How useful it is to have a planner to jot down all those activities that you need to do. If you are a planner-lover who keeps track of almost everything about life, the diary-planner type like the belle-de-jour power planner is an essential tool to use.  However, not all of us are into the habit of documenting our life's journey and even writing down a schedule on a simple calendar planner seem to be too daunting.  If you are that type of person who do not have the patience to write your plans on paper, I devise a simple planner for you.  Well, I made this and intend to give this out to those who wanted to keep track of one of the important aspect of their life plans...the finances.  I also intend to use this to supplement my diary planner so I can have a summary of my important financial record on a one-page piece of paper.  Good thing that the creative side of me kicks in this year to come up with this easy to use financial calendar planner.  You can download this free printable 2015 Financial Calendar Planner and put it wherever most convenient for you.  I made only the first half of the year (January to June) so it will be easier to keep track beginning with the first six months of 2015.  I will publish the next semester (July to December) of the calendar in our next post so check it out. Meanwhile, here is the copy of the 2015 Financial Calendar Planner (January to June) You can get it here in this link for free.

This 2015 Financial Calendar Planner includes tracking of your savings and expenses such as contributions for SSS (Social Security System), PAGIBIG  (or Home Development Mutual Fund - HDMF) and PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance).  If you are an employed member, these are mandatory deductions from your salary so it is easier to track.

However, if you are a voluntary/individually paying/self-employed member, you need to tick the appropriate space to indicate that you have already paid for your contribution so you can track your monthly premium payments.  We also included recording of you weekly money challenge.  The weekly money challenge is much like the 52 week money challenge but with some deviations.  You can keep track of the schedule when you should have already deposited your savings in the bank as provided in the calendar.  Simply highlight or check the date on the provided boxes if you have done so.  At the end of the month, you have the option to record your total monthly savings in the space provided.

There is also a calendar and the non-working holiday schedule so you can keep account of the  correct dates when you should make your transactions in the bank or government offices.

You can put down notes in the Other Reminders part should you wish to put the dates of other important transactions that you need to track such as the following:

1. Renewal of your business permit (mayor's permit,  BIR annual registration)
2. Renewal of licenses (LTO registration/driver's license)
3. Payment for insurance (home, car, etc)
4. Tax (real estate tax, income tax, etc) and other things that have direct impact on your finances.

We have also included tracking payments for your electricity and water bill since non-payment of those utilities usually add up to your expenses if not paid on time.  You simply tick the space provided to indicate payment for the particular month. 

I hope that this helps you keep track of your finances in a simple and easy to use financial calendar planner.  Download the free file here >> Happy planning and budgeting.

Commuters' Guide to New MRT/LRT 2015 Fares

This post has moved to http://moseybutterfly.blogspot.com/2015/01/commuters-guide-to-new-mrtlrt-2015-fares.html

How to File for PhilHealth Maternity and Newborn Care Package

Updated Step by Step Guide on how to apply for SSS salary loan online

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Some of our blog readers requested for a post about Philhealth that will help them defray the cost of maternity related expenses.  Do you know that Philhealth members can also avail of the Newborn Care Package aside from the maternity care package? That means aside from the hospitalization benefit accorded to members, your newborn is also covered by your Philhealth. I have summarized for you the steps to avail of this benefit.

For employed members:
Before you take your two months maternity leave of absence from work, make sure that you have already inform your HR Department that you will avail of the Philhealth.  That will give them ample time to prepare your Certificate of Monthly Contribution that you will need as supporting document to your claim form.
Should you wish to accomplish the form before your scheduled leave:
1. Download a copy of the CF1 form from the Philhealth website and print two copies. You need two copies, one for you and one for your baby, that means two Philhealth claims.
2. Accomplish two copies of the CF1 or Claim Form 1 and have the Employer Information part be signed by your company's authorized representative.
3. If you are admitted to a Philhealth registered hospital, inform the admitting personnel that you will use your Philhealth. They usually provide the claim forms CF1, CF2 and for newborn care package CF3.  The CF2 and CF3 will be accomplished by the hospital or clinic. That means you only need to submit your previously accomplished CF1 with your certificate of contribution.
4. Once you completed all forms, submit it to the hospital's Philhealth personnel prior to your discharge for them to compute the Philhealth benefit that shall be deducted from your hospital bill.  The forms to be submitted are:
     a.   For you (maternity package): CF1, CF2 and certification (this entitles you to 6,500 normal delivery and 19,000 caesarean delivery of maternity benefit deducted from your hospital expenses)
       These documents are usually submitted to the philhealth personnel in the hospital prior to discharge.

     b.   For baby (newborn package): CF1, CF2, CF3, your certificate of contribution, baby's birth certificate and the newborn screening stub that will be provided to you by the hospital. (This entitles you to 1,750 maximum benefit).
      These documents are usually submitted to the hospital after you secure your child's birth certificate and newborn screening test result. You can submit your claim to the hospital for them to forward to Philhealth or you can go directly to Philhealth office to file this claim.  Make sure that you file this within the 60 days period.

For voluntary/self employed members
You need same forms as above CF1, CF2, CF3 but instead of certificate of contribution, you need to attach the Member Data Record (MDR) that you can get from Philhealth office. And you also need to provide copies of latest receipt of payment of monthly contribution.

By the way, included in the newborn care package are BCG and Hepatitis  B vaccines, vitamin K administration , eye prophylaxis, the newborn screening test, and breastfeeding advice/counselling.

Remember, if you are a paying member you are entitled to these benefits.

If you are not yet a member of Philhealth, it is best to act now. Read our post on how to register online. Read More...

What I Bought With My June Coin Savings

See what I bought with my coin bank savings.

It's middle of July and I seem to be getting more excited to find out just how much coins I would be able to save from uselessness. If you read my previous post,;) "What a Coin Bank Can Do For You", I am pretty sure you know what I am talking about.

Nowadays, I find myself constantly on a hunt of the family's unwanted coins. Those one and five peso coins, 25 and 50 centavo coins that are usually abandoned inside pockets and eventually end up stuck in the washing machine. Sometimes sitting on computer tables and even on countertops and shelves waiting for somebody to give them valuable purpose. I sometimes unknowingly toss them inside my shoulder bag pockets that I wondered why my bag was getting heavier each day only to find out that it got coins! :-D

Yes! Too excited I am that I can't wait for the end of month to count just how much I accumulated that I prematurely took a peek of my latest savings. For the month of June, I was able to save 1,263.00 in a month's time. Now, halfway through July, I can't wait to count and plan on what to buy with my precious finds.

I am a happy saver indeed! I still need to wait for 15 more days before I give my verdict on what to do with that savings and share again with you how I spend my July coin savings to encourage you to save coins then keep them circulating. As of the moment, I would just share with you what my coin savings provided me.

Memories come cheap that my P1,263 coin savings afforded me the happiness and excitement I shared with family. Based on the options I posted here last time, I decided to spend the money with my loved ones with these:

1. A hearty and fulfilling breakfast at Starbucks with my honey bunch. My husband had his usual Hot Americano espresso coffee combined with Tuna and Cheese Ciabatta. I had my favorite Choco Chip Frappuccino and the new strawberry cheesecake. The smell of freshly brewed coffee in this cafe lifted my mood that day plus the fact that it was a special morning date with my husband made me thankful to my coin bank. All these for 565.00 that left us with 698.00 more to spend.

2.The next day, I decided to give up a part of my coin savings with a Pizza Hut Hot Deal. We had two boxes of pizza I ordered online for Family Supreme and Family Hawaian Supreme that comes with a free 1.5 liter of Pepsi all for only 499.00. The kids were surprised to see the pizza delivery that they asked me what was the occassion. I said that I only gave the coins valuable purpose that afforded us a family bonding with a pizza to share for dinner. For this treat I spent 549.00 with 499.00 for the pizza and 50.00 tip for the delivery boy that left me with only 149.00.

3. It took me days to decide on what I should do with the remaining money. Nonetheless, I still think that it can afford me something great.  Just last week, I was able to buy something for mom for only P130.00.  I still have P19.00 spare coins that I decided to carry over for my next coin spending project. 

 

Imagine how you can transform those coins that others thought were useless into precious memories and valuable finds.  Remember to keep those coins circulating and save up not only on money but in happy moments with your family and friends.

What a Coin Bank Can Do For You

2025 Story Update: Several years have passed since I first posted this article, but I am still into the habit of collecting and saving those coins then eventually putting them to good use. The last time there were coin deposit machines (CoDM) deployed by the BSP (Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas) at several mall locations. These machines helped us to directly deposit coins into our electronic wallet or digital banks without the hassle of counting.  However, these machines were temporarily suspended by the BSP since June 17, 2025 in the Greater Manila Area (GMA). So back to the tedious manual counting again. Anyway, here are other coin banks you could use while saving those extra changes.

Cute piggy bank that you could gift to family and friends especially kids to teach them to save at an early age.  No need to crack them open as this has an opening at the bottom part making them reusable. Just need to maintain control and patience not to dip into your coin savings :-D 

Or these Ipon Challenge coin bank that you can giveaway for company events or special occassion for adult friends and family. Giving them an extra motivation to be up to the challenge to pave the way for an addional boost to their finances.

If you prefer to just collect and organize those coins neatly, you can use these coin organizer. Easier to keep track and sum up those coins without having to spend too much time counting each denomination.

I hope that BSP will resume the operations of these CoDM the soonest, considering that most cashiers from establishments nowadays always say they do not have coins for change. These CoDM helps in circulating those coins. 

You can check the original article below for a background story about my coin.saving journey. 

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Looking for ways to boost your finances? This simple tip might help you.

l feel so happy to see the increase in my site visitor's stats this month. It is now averaging 300 visits per day! I am so elated that my blog managed to reach to many readers that it motivated me to go back to blogging. Helping people through my writing somewhat makes me feel accomplished in a very unique way.

While out of blogosphere, I was pretty busy getting my family life in tip top order especially our finances. With a son off to college and a bunch of kiddos to support, I certainly need to learn a lot about financial discipline. And honestly I need to work double time to earn and save for the rainy days. I am still tied up in an 8-5 work but unfortunately with lesser benefits.  How ironic that with the skyrocketing prices of  prime commodities, our bonuses were cut off.  Most of our co-employees resorted to high interest bearing loans to fill the gap that was created by that slashed bonus. Loan sharks are having great days while the meager income earners struggle for day to day survival. :-(  I earnestly hope that we keep ourselves afloat or we might also soon just line up for the government's 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program). BTW, 4Ps is a cash assistance given by the government to the poor.   That's far off from my plan though :-)

So instead I decided to take concrete steps on how I could get real money in a legit way.  What a great way to start is by taking small step by saving up all those loose coins. Those loose coins that were scattered all over the house and even inside my bag.  Those small denominations that end up lonely inside our drawers because even the kids hate having them!

What a co-incidence that by the time I had my coin bank almost full, it was in the news urging coin hoarders to keep the money circulating.  The government is spending millions of pesos to make those coins and although there were too many of those coins amounting to billions of pesos, the country still experiences shortage of it.

keep the coins circulating, BSP urged

There were too many occasions that I got a piece of candy   instead of a peso change from my purchase.   The cashier would tell me they do not have coins! Could I be partly to blame for that? Probably, and anyone who tosses coins inside drawers, bags or accidentally even the garbage bins!  Now the BSP (Banko Sentral  ng Pilipinas) is giving me a noble reason to spend what I save from my coin bank!  As a law-abiding citizen, i promptly opened my coin bank and I was surprised to have accumulated almost a thousand amount in just a span of a month! With a P170 of 25 centavos, P318 of one peso coins, P 655 of five peso coins and P120 of ten peso coins for a total of P1,263.00.  I could deposit that amount in the bank for a wise investing but I became too excited to spend it instead.  The coins that could have otherwise been idle and useless somewhere may now end up full of worth after all. So here are the options I was contemplating on that are worth less than a thousand: 

our happy saver in the house

1.  Spend the money all by myself either for a a) relaxing one hour massage, b) pamper myself with great foot spa and pedicure, c) a new pair of shoes or a shirt or a bag.

2. Spend the money with my husband either for a). fulfilling breakfast with a piece of strawberry pistachio cake + choco frap for me and classic tuna + coffee espresso for him at Starbucks or; b) a happy lunch date at an eat all you can buffet for two or c) a memorable dinner date at a fine dining restaurant.

3. Spend the money with the whole family either for a) two boxes of sumptuous family pizza for snack or b) a gallon of ice cream for dessert or a basket of fruits in season for healthier option or c) a great bonding at a bowling center.

I guess I would choose the third option so I can let the whole family experience the fun part of being able to buy something from almost nothing and let them learn what a coin bank can provide us.

Thinking of the hassle counting coins to pay for your purchase...you can first exchange your coins to paper bill from your local store or from a bank. Happy saving and spending!

If interested, you can read my post about what I bought with my June coin savings, 

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you—helping us keep the blog running and share more helpful tips for Filipino families!

How to Compute the SSS Maternity Benefit

Updated Step by Step Guide on how to apply for SSS Salary Loan Online

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After you have successfully submitted your Maternity notification to SSS, the next question you probably have in mind is how much maternity benefit would you get. Prior to computing the amount of benefit, determine first the date range when the 12 month petiod would fall based on your expected date of delivery.

Let us say that you are expected to give birth in December 2014, exclude the semester of contingency from July 2014 to December 2014. Count 12 months backward. The 12 month period would be from July 2013 to June 2014.  These are the important dates that you need to have at least three months contribution to qualify for maternity benefit. Get your six highest monthly salary credit within that period,

Scenario 1
If you pay premium payments from January to June 2014 that corresponds to the  16,000 salary credit (that means you are paying the maximum monthly contribution as voluntary member (based on the 2014 schedule) with 1,760.00 monthly), the computation of your maternity benefit would be as follows:

1. Add the six highest monthly salary credits to get the total monthly salary credit.
   16,000 x 6 months = 96,000
2. Divide the total monthly salary credit by 180 days to get the average daily salary credit. This is equivalent to the daily maternity allowance.
   96,000 / 180 days = 533.33
3. Multiply the daily maternity allowance by 60 (for normal delivery or miscarriage) or 78 days (for caesarean section delivery) to get the total amount of maternity benefit.
   
   533.33 x 60 days = P 32,000 for normal delivery
   533.33 x 78 days = P 41,600 for caesarean delivery

Scenario 2

If you pay premium payments from July 2013 to December 2013 that corresponds to the  15,000 salary credit (that means you are paying the maximum monthly contribution as voluntary member (based on the 2013 schedule), afterwhich you only pay 550.00 monthly contribution from January to June 2014 which is lower than your previous payments, the computation of your maternity benefit would be as follows:

1. Add the six highest monthly salary credits to get the total monthly salary credit.

   15,000 x 6 months = 90,000
2. Divide the total monthly salary credit by 180 days to get the average daily salary credit. This is equivalent to the daily maternity allowance.

   90,000 / 180 days = 500

Multiply the daily maternity allowance by 60 (for normal delivery or miscarriage) or 78 days (for caesarean section delivery) to get the total amount of maternity benefit.

500 x 60 days = 30,000 mat benefit for normal delivery

500 x 78 days = 39,000 mat benefit for caesarean delivery

Scenario 3

You missed premium payments from July 2013 to December 2013 but you have payments from January to June 2014 with corresponding salary credit amounting to 5,000 (or you paid 550 monthly) your computation would be:

5,000 x 6 months = 30,000

30,000 / 180 days = 166.66 daily mat benefit

166.66 x 60 days = P 10,000 mat benefit for normal delivery

166.66 x 78 days = P 13,000 mat benefit for caesarean delivery

Scenario 4
You have premium payments from July 2013 to September 2013 with 5,000 salary credit (that means you have paid 520.00 monthly contribution). Then for some reason you failed to pay for the succeeding months. As the requirement requires you

to have at least three months contribution within the twelve month period preceding your semester of contingency, you still qualify for the benefit however you will only get this amount
5,000 X 3 months = 15,000
15,000 / 180 days = 83.33 daily maternity benefit
83.33 X 60 days = P 5,000 maternity benefit for normal delivery
83.33 X 78 days = P 6,500 maternity benefit for normal delivery

There you go...keep in mind, the higher your monthly contribution payment, the higher maternity benefit you will get.

And here is another post to help you in your finances. Find out how you can claim maternity and newborn care package thru Philhealth. 

How to File an SSS Maternity Notification Online Thru My.SSS

Social Security System

Do you know that you can file your SSS Maternity Notification thru the SSS website?   This service is available to all members who are registered as online member.  This service is specially beneficial to self- employed and voluntary members.  If you file your maternity notification online, you do not have to go through the hassle of lining up at your SSS Servicing Branch to have the Maternity Notification (MAT1) Form and supporting documents submitted.  Unlike employed members whose Maternity I and II forms are submitted by their respective employers, self- employed and voluntary members have to file their maternity claims on their own that means extra time, effort, and expenses in going to an SSS office.  One of the improvements in SSS service is this maternity notification online.  To be able to use this service, you need to log in to your SSS account, if you are not yet registered as an online member, go to SSS website and fill out the Online User ID Registration.  Click here to learn how to register online.

Please check our growing list of Q & A on SSS Maternity Benefit >>

After successfully logging in to your account, navigate to TRANSACTIONS menu then click the Maternity Notification link.  You need to fill out an online form that requests for information such as expected date of delivery, number of delivery/miscarriage prior to current notification and date of last delivery/miscarriage.  Those are the same information that you will provide if you opt to submit your Maternity Notification Form directly at an SSS office.  The good thing with the online maternity notification aside from escaping the hassle of waiting in line is that you do not need to submit right away all the supporting documents needed.  Also,  you will be informed if you are entitled to this benefit based on your monthly contribution and an estimated computation of your maternity claim is also available online.  So after you have successfully submitted your notification, you will receive a message thru the site with reference number and an indicator that your MAT1 is online accepted.   You only need to print this confirmation page or email which will serve as your MAT1 form.   Attach to your Mat II Form together with supporting documents which you will later need to submit to your SSS servicing branch after securing the birth certificate of your child. One less hassle in going to the crowded SSS office just to submit your MAT1 Form.

If you want to know how much maternity benefit you will get please visit this post How to Compute your Maternity Benefit
If you have other questions related to filing your maternity benefits,  feel free to leave  your queries in the comment section. 

And here is also an essential information on how you can claim Philhealth Maternity and Newborn Care package to help you defray the cost of your maternity related expenses.

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