Credit Card Spending for 2009 Review

Why am doing this? Blame it on being an accountant coupled with my fear of being wrongly billed or overspending. But I do want to check how having a CC affected my spending habits.I got my credit card last December 2008.

Credit Card: BPI Edge with E-Credit
Penalties Paid: Php 0
Annual Fee: Free for the first year, reversed for the next 6 months
Period: December 2008 - December 2009 (13 months)

Percentage of Expenses swiped in CC: 38%. (Expenses is defined as Net Income less Savings/Investments)

Lowest amount swiped - Php 70++ for toiletries
Hight amount swiped - Php XX,XXX for laptop

100% Pie = CC usage.

Necessary Stuff, 22%
This one is quite misleading. It is 22% because I bought a laptop this year. So huge chunk of the 22% pertains to that purchase. This also includes my eyewear, really-must-have books and magazines, haircut and music-related purchases.

Clothes and Shoes, 19%
I buy cheap clothes. Thanks to Trinoma Landmark. Tutuban and 168 clothes are sold in Trinoma landmark anyway.I bought more expensive shoes this year. And this chunk excludes all of those I purchased online (which requires bank deposit).

Food- 20%
Comprises of my food intake paid thru CC, birthday meals, family treats, groceries and pasalubong. Groceries also include some bathroom items but that is very minimal so I didn't bother taking that out of this slice.

Naki-Swipe - 14%
When the group eats, I volunteer my credit card. For points of course. And I get freebies for the 1K above purchases. This slice comprises of those who pay me their share. So that's a win for me! Includes plane tickets bought online for others as well. I'm quite surprised it comprised 14% of my total CC amount.

Gifts - 9%
Gifts for family, friends, Christmas gifts, exchange gifts

Travel - 6%
Online ticket purchases, travel gears, travel stuff (sublock, food, etc.).Excludes the cash outlays related to travel. Now that's another story, and another project.

Donations - 5%
My sponsorship to World Vision is billed thru my credit card. Less hassle in paying. Nakatulong ka na,may points pa!

Whatever stuff - 3%
I'm so happy this is 3%! This comprises of my impulse buys of stuff. Prior to having a CC, I already have a impulse buying limit of Php 20/day. This means that my I can't purchase unplanned items above Php 20 - like CDs, books and stuff on sale. Since I had a CC, I was worried that this may balloon my purchases. Apparently, it did increase my impulse buying but the amount is just minimal. Really! I hope I can continue this level of spending in this category.

Entertainment - 2%
Ticket concerts. A measly 2% for my share. Those swiped for others are included in the "Naki-swipe" category.

Amount of Monthly CC Swiping:

I've also decided to make an analysis on the amount I swipe in my cc. Results are shown in the line graph below:

Spikes:
June - bought my laptop
August - birthmonth, lots of purchases and treats
October - SM Megamall Sale. Bought shoes for my Dad. Gosh, men's shoes are costly.
December - the Holidays of course

Overall, I think I've got my swiping under control.

Benefits of Using a Credit Card
- No need to carry cash all the time
- I get "praning" with overswiping that can lead me to financial ruin. Hence, I can still keep my spending at a minimum.
- Freebies!The table below reflects the number of freebies I claimed during this past year. BPI has really cool CC freebies!

That's a total of 44 free meal items! Assuming each items costs Php 50, that's a total of Php 2,200 free items. Of course, one should consider just to buy the item itself rather always try to spend Php 1,000 in one sitting.



So that's my credit card spending for 2009. I'm hoping for better CC deals this 2010. Cheers!

2009...The Year When...

Patterned after my 2008, 2007 and 2006 posts.

========================

...I bought a new laptop (after four years)
...I bought an underwater camera
...I celebrated my one-year-anniversary at my current job
...I started to sponsor a child
...I explored Coron, Palawan
...I explored Bolinao, Pangasinan
...I explored Batad, Ifugao
...I explored Bohol
...I explored Cebu (from Bantayan Island to Kawasan Falls)
...I explored Mount Pinatubo
...I got really interested in Traveling
...I spent more time (and more money) with my family
...I became proud again to be a FIlipino
...I became active in investing
...I took stock trading classes
...I started to go to the gym
...I started to relearn badminton
...I discovered that YouTube is a music haven (not just a video haven)
...I discovered the beauty of shopping online (Ebay, Multiply)
...I started to use my credit card for online transactions
...I got addicted with Plants vs. Zombies.
...I watched movies. Lots of movies.
...I started musing more seriously about the future (talk about quarter-life crisis)

Amen to 2009. I am very thankful to be alive. We had lots of deaths and tragedies last year (local and international).

I am uber-excited to explore 2010! Welcome 2010!

The Queen

Nine years

The worst thieves are not found in the streets.

I wonder how the history books will describe our country during her nine years of reign. What's the greatest achievement of this so-called government during all this time.

I wonder how her Wikipedia page will list all the scandals during her time.
I wonder how will the elementary history books describe her.
I wonder if her grandkids would be proud to have her as a Lola.
I wonder what will be written under 2001-2010 Philippine History. No, Pacman is not her achievement.

I bet all those so-called achievement will be blurred compared to all the scandals and shame that was brought to this country.I do hope those 57 lives won't be forgotten.

I wonder how she sleeps at night.
Probably because we let her sleep anyway.

Nine freaking years.

The worst thieves are not found in the streets.
They can steal all they want.
But that will not buy that entrance ticket to heaven.

An Open Letter to Philippine Skies,

Dear Skies of the Philippines,

This week, you may rain all you want. Anytime and anywhere. Kahit mabasa pa ang shoes ko. Kahit dyahe na mabasa ang outfit ko. Kahit pa mawalan ako ng poise. Oo, kahit pa naiwan ko ang payong ko. You can rain all you want this week.

Yes, I understand, the farmers need the raindrops for their crops (it rhymes!). I love to sleep in this weather (kaya nakaktamad eh). Tumataas ang benta ng mga payong at paracetamol. The kids are happy naman kung suspended ang classes.

Pero next week, can you please hold your raindrops muna? Dear Mr. Clouds, can you not make those raindrops fall down muna ha? Mr. Sun, please shine very brightly. Please shine. Please outshine Mr. Clouds. I will be on vacation kasi. Dyahe naman kung umuulan di ba? Ang KJ naman ng Skies of the Philippipnes sa lakad ko. Panget mag-picture taking. Wag naman kayo pasaway.

I love Mother Earth naman. So please consider my request.

Lovelots,
Melodymaker

Prayer for a Lost Pet

This is Moshi, our family cat.

With red eyes:













We got him in 2005. He was given to us by a neighbor. He was already named "Moshi" back then. Neighbor says someone gave his daughter a cat, but they have a lot of dogs in their house (but so did we) that a cat will just cause trouble. My youngest sister, being an animal lover, immediately loooooved him.


Moshi and his offering to his masters. Our house became mice-free ever since.












He is absolutely an amusing and charming pet. I realized that cats are pets that you have to serve - unlike dogs, who will serve you. Moshi will meow and meow to annoy you when you continuously ignore him. You have to pet and cuddle him. He is someone who doesn't like to be ignored - unless he is sleeping. Being a cat, he sleeps most of the time.

Sleeping on our sofa. Lagot kay Mama!



















A little visitor of ours got too amused:



















Initally, we fed him catfood. But then he started not eating it. So we had to feed him fish and milk. The cheapest fish of course, is tuyo and tinapa. We always have a stock of those in our ref. In those days that we do not, Moshi is luckily fed with sardines. Eventually, he started disliking tuyo and tinapa too. Maarteng pusa. So we had to feed him something else.

Moshi na nagbibinata.
Oh yeah.
He is doing "it" with a stuffed bear.














When he is not sleeping, eating or making lambing to us to pet him, he wanders around. I don't know how far he ventures out. But somethimes, it takes him days to comeback. Once, he was gone for four days and we were all worried about him.

Today, he has been gone for a week. We are all worried.
I know I shouldn't be expecting that he will still come back. But of course, the optimist in me wants to believe he will come back.

His disappearance has no closure. We don't know what happened to him. Was he killed because a neighbor was annoyed? (Sumpain ang walang pusong nilalang!) Was he stuck somewhere? Where does he stay when it has been raining nowadays? Was he cat-napped by a intrigued kid and then decided to keep Moshi in a cage? Did he eat something rotten and he died on the way back? These are the questions that will never be answered.

Dead or alive?















Somehow, I think it would be better if Moshi would die in our own house because of something. At least we know what happened and what is the cause. Unlike now, I don't know when to stop hoping. In 10 days? Two weeks? One month? Where is he?

With our dogs. The brown puppy in the picture is now a dog.The white dog already died =(











I hope you find your way home. Soon.
===========================

Prayer for a Lost Pet

Father
We ask you to help us find MOSHI,
our dear pet who is now lost.
We know that you placed animals on the earth
for many reasons, including companionship for man.
We therefore ask you to help us find our lost companion,
and pray that You will keep him (her) safe
and protect him (her) from harm until he (she) is found.
We join our prayers with St. Francis,
St. Anthony of Padua, and all the saints,
and pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen