My friends, we don’t really know for sure what’s going to happen. So we should always prepare for the worst. Actually, it happened already earlier this year, and most of us are doing the best that we can to survive with our finances. You must have already planned some sort of household or personal budget for now, but can you really stick to it?

So you’ve made your budget and it looks good on paper. Great! Now it is time to implement it. But are you ready to follow the budget you’ve developed? Here are some helpful tips to keep you on track with your budget.

Determine why you made a budget.

There is a reason you have put time into developing your budget, now you need to put into writing what your goals are. Do you want to be debt-free, live on one income, or save for retirement? Make this into your personal or family financial mission statement. Write it down or type it up nicely and then have it laminated and display it in a prominent place where you can see it often. Many times we just need a reminder to ourselves why we are doing a particular thing, and that can be just enough incentive when things get tough. You don’t need to be an accountant to start your personal finance journey.

Set small-range goals so you can see progress.

It can be very difficult to keep up the discipline necessary to stay on budget if you can’t see any measurable progress. Develop some short-term goals that you can celebrate meeting. If your goal has been to reduce your grocery spending by Php 2000 per month, then your weekly goal would be to cut grocery costs by Php 500. Likewise, if your goal is to pay off debt, make a chart to show how much you’ve paid off. Reward charts just aren’t for children! Use a type of chart where you can color in a bar to show your progress, and then color it in every time you make a payment so you can see the progress you are making. Put it up on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror as a reminder that your hard work is paying off!

Identify your weak spots and develop a plan to battle them.

In sticking to your budget, you need a clear idea of where you may be tempted to break the budget. If you are prone to impulse spending, then you must remove that temptation from yourself. If you go window shopping, leave your credit cards and checkbook at home! Especially in the early days of sticking to your budget, it is important to re-train yourself to curb spending. Making a budget is really the easy part of financial management. It is sticking to the budget and making your spending match your plan that is a difficult process. By disciplining yourself and retraining your spending habits, you can achieve your budget goals.

I have always enjoyed crowd-watching in Hong Kong. When it’s spring or summer, you would see vibrant colors in their wardrobe from shoes to bags and accessories. Come winter time, you get to see the locals strut the city streets with hip boots and cover-ups! With this, I didn’t let the chance to cover Hong Kong Fashion Week just pass by.

I receive invites to different countries to cover some events. Malaysia, US, Singapore, HK and in some random way, Myanmar. These invites don’t come with plane tickets though (most of the time), meaning I have to take care of my own flights from the Philippines to the destination. Maybe they think I’m a local? This happens a lot when Malaysia companies invite me.

For Hong Kong fashion week, I splurged on the tickets and booked accommodations with a budget of P10,000. With my super powers in budgeting, I was able to fill everything in.

I was in Hong Kong for 2 full days only. That means, accommodations I booked were only overnight, but I was still able to go full day at the Hong Kong Ocean Park, walk around the parks of Tin Shui Wai, RnR time at my hotel’s spa and of course Hong Kong Fashion Week by the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.

I have a gift in maximizing my resources. *Wink* *wink*

Themes of different designs were not just a mixture different colors, but of patters and textures as well.

Since autumn and winter clothes mean layers and layers of fabric, it’s a perfect opportunity to match the mismatch.  Yes, I saw a lot of stripes over polka dots and plaids over crazy prints!

Hong Kong Fashion Week

In Asia, Hong Kong is a thriving hub for design and branded labels. The Hong Kong Fashion Week and the HKTDC World Boutique is a remarkable evidence of such importance of the Fashion industry in Hong Kong.

But all this, is more than fashion itself. HK Fashion Week focuses more in the business side of fashion.

Mind I tell you, there were about 1,600 exhibitors that participated in this year’s HKTDC Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter.

Everything was pretty much highly automated and their systems ran efficiently

Registration is actually free.  You can register at HKTDC’s official website.

Details about the Hong Kong Fashion Week can be found here.

Register for HK Fashion Week Spring / Summer 2013 here.

Yes. It was a BIG event! LITERALLY! I think I walked more than a kilometer inside the “realms” of HK Fashion Week today! I was going back and forth the different halls at different floors of the Exhibition Center! It was like it could never end!

One floor was quite huge enough for me, then I realized that the fair grounds cover 3 floors!

HK Fashion Week happens twice a year. The. Autumn / Fall event happens on January and the Spring / Summer edition happens in July. If you want to catch the Hong Kong Fashion Week for Spring / Summer, you might want to plot these dates in your calendar: July 8-11, 2013 and register here.

This is actually is the 44th edition of HK Fashion Week. This is my first time attending the event but I can say that it is just as vibrant as I expected it to be! Even if there’s a stereotype to Winter or Fall Fashion as dull and gray, that is not the case here in Hong Kong. It was a brilliant kaleidoscope of styles, colours, fabrics!

This was an open display and one of the sections to the many features of this year’s HK Fashion Week for Fall and Winter.

To respect the designers, photography of their designs is discouraged.  If ever I took some photos inside, it was just to see the entire venue, the crowd or just a wide view of the different items you can see inside.

I was walking around hoping to chance upon Filipino designers, but I failed to find any. I tried to cover every corner, every function of the event, but it was impossible to do so in 1 day and my time was sparse!

A total of about 1,600 exhibitors participated in Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter

There was a diversified representation of different fashion tastes from different boutiques. Notable spots come from the exclusive designs of labels such as IKA BUTONI, Eutropic, Groupe Pronuptia and 3M to trendy value-for-money fashion from MUSE, Focus, Sub Zero, Gulliver and Orient.

Camouflaged

There were also different sections that cover niched intrests like avante garde shoes and Lady Gaga-like shades! For the more highlighted sections: Denim Arcade, Handbags, Men in Style and Salon of Scarves and Shawls.

Of course, you get to see the more popular features like Intimate and Swim Wear, Bridal, Evening Wear, Accessories, Fabrics and Yarn, Sewing Supplies and many more.

They also had the Small Order Zone for groups of suppliers who can handle small volume orders. Like I said, it is more of the business side!

HK Fashion Week usually offers seminars for free on a first-come-first-serve basis.  Some are for invitation only

Same is true with the Fashion Show.  You can view almost any show you want but you need special invitation in some shows.

A day isn’t enough.  Next time, I’d spend at least 2 days.  The fair usually happens in 4 days.

And next time, I don’t want to miss the seminars and the fashion shows!

World Boutique

Specially featured for participants all over the globe, World Boutique showed high style of garments and accessories. Highlight of brands encompassing Che Che New York, MARCCAIN, Pashma, Adlib, Sumy Kujon, IKA BUTONI and Walter Ma.

Over 460 brands participated this year and there were over 15 runway shows this year.

They’re definitely good in mixing creatives and business!

This year, I did not only see a graceful crash of patterns and colors, I also saw the clash of different textures and materials. A plethora of mix and match of different elements. Who would have thought crazy ideas like this would stand out?

By this time, I was already very tired and must have walked at least 2 kilometers inside the convention.

‘Til the next Hong Kong fashion week then,

FlairCandy <3

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I tried to attempt using digital planners since I have my phone with me ALWAYS!  But I’m old fashioned and I stick with pen and paper.  How about you?  Let me know what you prefer and why…

If you haven’t decided which planner to use yet, here’s a list of the good ‘ol fashion Pen and Paper planners:

1. Entrep Planner 2012

• It has business tips like how to register a business in the Philippines.
• It includes a Tax calendar.
• It also includes success stories and testimonials from renowned business people.

This planner is now on 30% off via Buyanihan.

2. Seatle’s Best 2012 Planner

• The one I currently use
• It includes coupons to free drinks.
• It includes fun stickers!
• 24 hours wi-fi mini coupon
• It has a month-calendar view and a free space for notes
• Note: no daily view, but it suits me well because I need notes more and the calendar view to go with it.

3.  Bo’s Coffee Planner 2012 “The Coffee Book”

• Also has a month-calendar view
• with free space for notes
• simple yet compact

4.  Sun Life Financial Planner 2012

• the planner aids you in achieving your goals
• has a Financial tracker of your goals and expenses

5.  Belle de Jour 2012 Planner

Stay organized in school or at work.  This planner is a chic carry-on!

6.  Starbucks Planner 2012

I’ve been hearing good feedback about this year’s Starbucks Planner for 2012

I know there’s more, but I’ve only highlighted these ones that I have browsed through myself.

What do you have for this year? 🙂

I’m always a planner when it comes to school, work, my daily activities, my own health and even with relationships.  I have a conservative approach in life and always prepare for the worst.  I believe that I don’t have the power to control events, other people’s actions or reactions, and the opportunities or chances that come my way.    But one thing is for sure – I am capable of controlling my own self and the choices I make.

The only constant thing in life is Change.

I can only plan ahead, and I like to plan for the worst to happen.  I’m fexible, and I adjust to the changes that happen in my life.  I believe that preparing for change (which always happens) is the best thing anyone could and should do.  I got this after reading “Who Moved My Cheese.”

I highly recommend everyone to read this – students, office people, moms, dads, everyone!

My first career as some of you might already know is Accountancy.  We studied the art of balancing for years!  Am I good at it?

yeah, you can say that I’m good at balancing 😛

On a serious note though, life needs a balance of everything.  You need to spend time for a little bit of work (for some, maybe a lot 😛 ), for your hobbies, for your loved ones, and for yourself.  You also need to balance your money. Simply put, you need to know how to balance what you ‘re earning and what you ‘re spending and of course, what you ‘re saving. And I know that ‘s not a simple task.

I think the biggest challenge anyone of my age has to face nowadays is the transition from being Daddy or Mommy ‘s little girl (or boy) to an independent woman (or man) and totally learning to live by your own means.  By the time we hit our 20s, it is imperative for us to learn the ropes on how to survive and manage our lives not just emotionally, mentally or psychologically but all the more, financially.

Case in point: myself. Talk about thinking where I ‘ll get the money to pay for my monthly bills! Lots of bills!  And on top of that, I have tons of expensive hobbies that will definitely exhaust my wallet if I don’t manage my expenses well.  I also happen to own a car (a gift from my mom) and I am grateful for such a luxurious gift, but I also have to pay for maintenance and everything else.   Most of you ask me – “How do you do it Hannah?”

All the credits go to my mom.

My mom is pretty 🙂 but sorry guys she is already taken!

I studied college without any worries because my mom got me an educational plan when I was born.  I have been freelancing for two years now but she keeps on reminding me to pay for my SSS, Philhealth, and Pag-ibig to make sure I have some source of fund in case something unexpected happens.  She also opened a bank account so that I can put aside a part of my allowance for my needs.

I learned to prepare for the future from my mom. She taught me the value of saving up for my needs at an early age – whether it be in a bank account, an educational plan, an investment account or an insurance plan. I know most people shy away from the word “insurance” right at the minute they hear it but I believe that  insurance is a necessary expense.  Life insurance, in particular, secures your loved ones future in case something bad happens to you. Imagine, if you were the breadwinner of your family and an unexpected event happens. That will not only take a toll on the bereaved ‘s emotional and psychological health. It will definitely take a toll on their finances as well. A lot of families have to lower their standards of living just so they can make the ends meet.

But don ‘t think that insurance is only about death. In fact, there are a number of insurance plans you can purchase as a savings or an investment plan which can give you cash benefits while you ‘re still living. In fact, there is even a potential to gain higher returns with these than your typical bank savings account.

You can read more about the  Three Most Often Ignored Necessary Expenses  at my friend Fitz’s blog (i.e. Emergency Fund, Insurance, Retirement Plan).

I learned all about these from my mom, but my mom learned the hard way.  When I was 2 years old, tragedy struck – my dad was diagnosed with cancer and needless to say, we weren’t expecting it. Nor did we prepare for it. We were able to financially support the treatments and medications he needed then but it would have definitely helped if we had other liquid sources of funds that time.

Today, there are health and critical illness plans offered by insurance companies that cover for hospitalization expenses and pays out a lump sum upon diagnosis of a critical illness, such as cancer, heart disease and many others.

Take Connie Dizon, for example, a cancer survivor and a Philam Life policyholder.  She had everything going her way. She ran a successful business; she takes care of her mother; she was generally happy with her life – until the day she found she had Breast Cancer.

Buti na lang, she bought a plan from Philam Life that helped her with her hospitalization expenses. Today, she is in remission and is back to running their family business.

Like Connie, you can easily prepare and save up for these unexpected events with the right advice and the right plan from the right company. The cheapest health plan you can actually get is Philam Life ‘s Cancer Life Shield. This plan pays out a lump sum amount, say P1M, upon diagnosis of the illness. This money can definitely help you be on your road to immediate recovery.

Connie is just one of the many fortunate people who benefited from planning ahead.  Real people with real plans €“ stories of those who had the foresight to plan ahead for their and their family ‘s future. You can read more about them in the links below.

*click image to enlarge and read

I hope you are all enlightened in someway on the value of planning ahead and would soon start your journey towards Financial Freedom. You can take small steps at a time but once you get the hang of it, you can venture to get more out of your money! Remember, you can make your money work for you instead of you working for your money.

So here are a few  guidelines on how to start planning for your future.  Most are based on my experience, but don’t forget to share your own tips on the comments below!

Road to Financial Freedom

1. Be curious, Be aware, Know

This is your life and your future we are talking about.  Be curious.  Why are other people successful in managing their money?  What is their secret?

Be aware that you too can learn how to manage your finances and make your money grow.

Know.  Know how to do this, read about financial literacy and learn about money.

Suggested reads:

• Fitz Villafuerte’s Blog “Ready to be Rich” – a good friend of mine to whom I often ask for financial and career advice.
• Ano ang plano mo?   (What’s your plan?) – Philam Life’s Microwebsite about financial planning.  Read testimonials of  plan-holders  who benefited from their Philam Life Plans
• BabyPips – Kindergarten approach on learning all about Forex, if you’re interested.  I know most online entrepreneurs are affected of forex so in case you need to understand more, it’s the website to read.

2. Make your pet pig fat!

In other words – SAVE!  This is the very important part of all – the first step to your financial freedom.  Supposedly, it’s just simple to do – but the temptation to spend is a challenge.  I cannot stress enough the importance of saving.  Think about this (based on my own experience):

• If you lose your job, how long will you live with the money you saved?
• If I get sick, how will I pay for my hospital bills?  Do I have a health card? If not, is my money enough?
• If something breaks in my house, do I have money for repair?
• If my car bugs down, is my money enough for repair?  It is very important that my car is safe for driving so having my car in great shape is very important – else I can die!

These are scary scenarios but they all happened to me at my young age.  Start early – if you are a student now, start saving even just one peso a day!  and never touch it – ever. Forget about that money you saved.  Budget your money and bring enough money you intend to spend for the day.

3.  The Need to Want Less

This is related to saving.  Separate wants and needs.  The more you focus on only the things you need, the more you can save.

When you cannot distinguish between  wants versus needs, or if you can’t identify a want as a want, you set yourself up to live in a constant state of craving and disappointment – and you keep on wanting more!

• live within your means
• live the lifestyle you can afford, else you will be caught in a debt trap
• simplify your life

4.  Make more baby money!

I took up a lot of investment courses, stock trading and many other financial instruments training all in the hopes of making my money grow.  Don’t we all want our money to make baby monies?

I figured with the many things I do, I better let the experts manage my  portfolio.  If I trade myself, it will be a gamble – because I don’t know how to really do it.  I can learn how to, but I have other priorities as of the moment.  I know the basics though so I am aware how my money should be working even if I let a fund manager or an agency to handle it. That ‘s exactly where insurance companies or other asset management companies can come in. Scout for some and look at which ones have established background and a proven track record that you can trust with your hard-earned money.  🙂

I gave up on time deposit and the interest I get from savings account.  Yes, it’s a temporary place to keep my money, but again (back to my point on #1) knowledge and awareness is key – that there are better places to put your money too.

Don’t underestimate the power of compounding interest!

How about you guys?  Anong plano mo? May plano ka na ba?

your move 🙂

*This post is sponsored by Philam Life.

Know more about financial planning on their official website http://www.philamlife.com

You can also visit www.anongplanomo.com.ph to share your “Sana” (plans in life) or your “Buti na lang” stories (for Philam Life policyholders and beneficiaries) for a chance to win an iPad 2 and more!

Our life has transformed and most of us have a digital life.  We book tickets and hotels online, shop online, pay apps for our mobile phones and tablets etc. If you’re a conservative online shopper like me, you can’t help but be afraid that your credit cards or bank accounts may be compromised.

We all aim to protect our digital life from hackers, online and off-line thieves, but how do we do it?  BPI has come to a solution for this problem.  It’s like managing the risk of getting your cards compromised online, when you’re traveling or just on a daily basis.

Let me break it down for you as I am one of the Beta testers to these new products!

The new BPI Card site and profiler

This is the new website of BPI that holds the different cards suited for your digital life.

It is an interactive all-in-one site that hosts up-to-date information on BPI cards features, promotions, and other relevant information. What’s great about this site is that you can apply for a Credit Card or a Prepaid Card online.

If you want to know more details, you know what to do – go to BPI Cards official website:

http://bpicards.com

This website also has the “Profiler” where you answer a series of questions that suits your personality and in the end, it will recommend you the card best suited for you.

BPI Dealmania.ph Shopping Site

BPI is the first bank to launch a shopping site.  Dealmania is a special deal-buying site featured at the BPI Cards home page that provide BPI card holders with exclusive access to great online deals.  I have tried buying on the website myself and using the new BPI Prepaid card (to discuss more below), it was a seamless transaction.

I got this deal from dealmania.ph 🙂 I really think I need a good body scrub and massage and got it at a super discount of 63%

Buying was easy like that.  You can check out other deals that may interest you.  Shop online in a safe and secure e-commerce environment.

http://dealmania.ph

BPI My ePrepaid MasterCard

This is the first ePrepaid card that empowers people to transact online via straight purchase.

BPI My ePrepaid Mastercard is a reloadable prepaid card that empowers everyone to finally buy what they want from the widest selection of MasterCard affiliated shopping stores here and abroad, and even online.  What separates My ePrepaid MasterCard from other is its offer of 100% approval, no maintaining balance and no surprising card bills.

I think one of the benefits of this card is that you can also use it with your online transactions.

I have friends who don’t want to get credit cards and they often borrow my credit card to use it when they need to buy airline tickets online.  It can be frustrating sometimes when you there are great seat sales and you don’t have a card to use.  With My ePrepaid MasterCard, you can do this easy.  You just get one, no need of complicated application forms.  It’s like how we use Prepaid SIM Cards on our phones.  Reload it anytime and use it immediately!

And since this is accepted wherever there are MasterCard affiliated stores, you can also use this to swipe on real stores here in the Philippines and abroad.

Checking the balance of your ePrepaid MasterCard is also easy, you can do it via landline or Mobile phone.  Check out how at: http://bpicards.com

BPI Master eCredit Card.

It is the first virtual credit card.

BPI Master eCredit Card is the first ever virtual credit line exclusively designed for online shopping.  It now has a modern new look!  This companion card of the BPI Express Credit MasterCard enables everyone to shop securely on the internet as it uses different card number from one’s BPI Express Credit MasterCard, with its own sub-limit that can be adjusted as needed.

This is perfect if you don’t want to expose your real card number and details.

I know you have a lot of questions because interestingly enough, I know you also need these for your online purchases and at the same time, require the same security features so that you are protected.

Everything you need to know about these different cards can be found at BPI Cards’ official website.  Check it out!

http://bpicards.com

The newest group buying website that gives you the first MEGA deal at 97% off is giving away some vouchers for my readers!

I am giving away:

• 5 vouchers for KFC, and
• 3 vouchers for XOXO and
• 1 voucher for YSA

Contest Guidelines:

*Contest is for Metro Manila only

1.  Like the Megadeals official Facebook page!

http://www.facebook.com/MegadealsPH

2. Like the FlairCandy official Facebook page and spread the love 🙂

http://www.facebook.com/flaircandy

3.  Answer the folowing “What is your biggest challenge on budgeting your money?”

4.  Pick a prize and put it on the comment section below “If I win, I want a _________voucher“

5. Answer on the comment section below, but make sure to leave your email address on the form like I did on this sample entry:

6. I will pick one winner with the best answer and grant the item he/she wants. Then the rest of the winners I will randomly pick!

7.  I will announce the winner at 9 am tomorrow (June 8, 2011)

Follow me on twitter too for more updates. I will have another contest soon!

http://twitter.com/flaircandy

GOOD LUCK and spread the love to friends!

 

If you can’t wait to win some of these vouchers, you can head on directly to MEGADEALS and buy the vouchers yourself!  They are very affordable but really gread MEGA deals!

http://www.megadeals.ph

Get the so good discount pass at P100 and enjoy daily discounts worth up to P 3,000 for 90 days.

Get an XOXO discount pass for only P79!

Enjoy 70% off on ladies’ flip flops.  Be Chic and trendy with XOXO

Youthful radiant skin with intense diamond peel for only P499 instead of P1000!

 

Calling out all entrepreneurs! Be part of the Marche Morato bazaar!  It’s a 2-day grand bazaar at 55 Events Place, Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

Join the bazaar to find new partners, find new innovations, make sales contacts, reach decision makers, see what the competition is doing and most of all, enjoy on-site sales!

 

Event Title: Marche Morato (A weekend bazaar)

Date and Time : June 3 to 4, 2011 / from 12:00Noon to 12:00Midnight

Venue: 55 Events Place, Scout Rallos St. Tomas Morato, Quezon City

I walked around the resort with other bloggers.  I love their infinity pool.  This shot is a little bit blurry, auto-focusing fail.  I just set timer for this 😛

Isn’t it lovely here?  My settings are on *Auto* mode using my Nikon D40.  Yes, once again using my DSLR as a point-and-shoot.  That’s when I get lazy to think about tinkering manual settings 😛

These are their rooms.  It was very peaceful and cozy here.  Me and the other bloggers wouldn’t mind staying overnight 😛

lovely Red flower contrasting the background at night

If you want to play and win for some cash 😛

They had surprise fireworks display 🙂  Again, like I said, my camera’s on Auto mode.  Click on the image and view it on Flickr to check exif settings

I was scared for the people lighting the fireworks up.  They were so close to it @_@

Beauty Queens got serenaded by Jed Madela

The event was hosted by the lovely Nikki Gil.  I love her new hair! It looks fab on her 🙂  I also love her shoes! ^_^

Cher, Aerin and Alex at the new Events Center of Thunderbird Resorts

They had drum beaters welcoming us at the entrance 🙂  they also had fire dancers who breathe fire out – or something like that 😛

Oh yeah, so next time you need a classy events center for your meetings, seminars, parties and other purposes, check out the chic and posh events center of Thunderbird Resorts.  It’s just 1-2 hours away from Manila and would help your guests focus out of the city for a bit 🙂

For more information on Thunderbird Resorts Binangonan Rizal, check out their official website:

www.thunderbird-asia.com

Related Links:

More photos of the event here.

Discovering Thunderbird Resorts at Poro Point La Union

A Series of Adventures at Thunderbird Resorts at Poro Point La Union

Play and Stay at the Cliff Golf and Beach Club at Thunderbird Resorts Poro Point

Breakfast at Olives

Bounce Laundry is a Full Service Laundromat located at Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. They provide professional laundry and dry-cleaning services to their our customers and offer a convenient and hassle free domestic services enjoyed by even the most stressed executives in Manila so that you can have …A PEACE OF MIND…

STORE HOURS:
Mondays to Fridays – 7AM to 9PM
Saturdays to Sundays – 9AM to 7PM

SERVICES OFFERED:
Wash-Dry-Fold
Wash-Dry-Press
Dry Cleaning
Pressing Service
Stuffed Toy Cleaning

ADDRESS: Unit 2M Kensington Place 29th Street corner 1st Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
CONTACT #: 0917-8822269 or 5867989

They put up this online web application called M.A.C. or Meralco Appliance Calculator a long time ago (like 2003) but I don’t think a lot of people know about it (did you? I didn’t!!!), so they launched it this time last Friday To get started and check out what this cool application does, you can check it out right now on this link:

www.meralco.com.ph

If you want to be edumacated first on how it works then you can read on:

The Meralco Appliance Calculator (M.A.C.) has been a consumer’s electricity budget buddy since 2003. The M.A.C. is designed to be an electricity bill management tool of Meralco residential customers to help them: a) better manage their electric consumption and their electric bill; b) make wiser decisions in buying home appliances, and; c) get home energy efficiency tips that are customized to their home electricity consumption.

Although the M.A.C. has been around for many years now, new features and enhancements are constantly being introduced to enable it to cater to the  growing demands of electricity users. With the new Meralco Appliance Calculator (M.A.C), users can now have the option of using either “My Appliance Calculator” or “My Bill Manager”.

“My Appliance Calculator” allows the user to calculate the estimated consumption cost of appliances – one at a time.

“My Bill Manager”, on the other hand, allows the user to calculate the estimated consumption cost of appliances in a table format. It allows the user to get an estimate of the household’s total electric consumption cost and see which appliances consume more electricity.

Other features of the “My Bill Manager” menu include: consumption manager, energy efficiency adviser and target bill amount estimator. Consumption manager allows the user to see the corresponding electric consumption pie chart and some text description of the chart based on the information provided by the user. The energy efficiency adviser, meanwhile, allows user to see some energy efficiency tips based on the information provided by the user. The target bill amount estimator, on the other hand, allows the user to see an estimate of his “monthly target kWh consumption” and “estimated price per kWh” by just inputting the “target electric bill amount”.

Other new features of the M.A.C include: a) e-mailing of the M.A.C web link to friends through the “email” button; b) sharing the M.A.C web link to Facebook and Twitter accounts through the “share” button; c) sending feedback to Meralco regarding the new M.A.C through the “feedback” button; d) printing the computation results of “My Bill Manager” through the “print” button (for easy access and future reference of the computations), and; e) viewing the basis for computing the estimated electricity consumption of home appliances for the M.A.C application through the “formula” button (so that users can validate the results of the computations).

Some shockers:

1.  Air Conditioner really significantly contributes to higher monthly bill.  For example, using aircon 8 hours everyday in one month would equal to Php 2,067.

2.  Use of microwave oven is not that expensive!

For example, let’s say we use microwave oven for 15 mins every day for the whole month (which is an overstated amount).  It would only cost us P100 pesos that month.

You can Check out for yourselves how your appliances perform and how you can use it more efficiently. The M.A.C. is truly a user-friendly, interactive and valuable tool for cost conscious electricity consumers. Go give it a try!

Sisters in Style

With the MAC, our plan is to manage our household electricity costs within our budget.  Since the topic is a little bit on the practical side, they also invited Beauty and Fashion speakers to talk about Fashion tips that helps fashion conscious people style themselves economically.

Marie and Michi Calica graced the Meralco theatre with beauty and fashion tips that taught us how to get smarter with style.

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