Friday, April 06, 2018

Frances Finds: Manulife GradMaker app to make college tuition not so scary

The school year has finally ended! Let me tell you, mamas, that when I paid the last quarterly installment of my boys' tuition, I literally felt weak in the knees as I stood at the cashier window of my sons' school. "Nakaraos din," I breathed out and I felt a bit like crying, too. I'm not being melodramatic. Last year was tough financially mostly because clients weren't paying on time. Plus, I was sick a lot and busy with the kids too much to take on more projects that could've eased the money situation. Only by the grace of God that we made it.

And while I'm again breathing a sigh of relief that summer has come and I won't be so caught up with the boys' activities (which hopefully means I can focus on making more money), the summer only lasts 2 months. After these short months, it's tuition time again and now I'll have 3 kids in school. Three little boys who are so smart and deserve the best education, an education that costs a lot of money. 

The climb to success starts with a good education.

I seriously get terrified thinking of the next 20 years. I mean, people worry about their kids' college years but where my kids go now, the tuition is already a lot. So I'm not even thinking of college yet—so far off into the future—because I worry if we can afford their basic education now! I have to keep reminding myself to take it one day at a time and trust God to provide. 

I was forced to think about the boys' college tuition when I attended a Manulife event launching their new app, the GradMaker, and introducing their new brand ambassador, Bianca Gonzalez-Intal. It was a small event, very intimate. Bianca and the Manulife officials went to sit at every table to answer questions. So in that setting, instead of volunteering to go up to a mic and asking in front of the whole audience, we were really able to throw questions at them. 

L-R: Mommies Michelle Aventejado, Bianca Gonzalez-Intal, me

Bianca sat and ate her lunch beside me—I know her from my magazine days when she was a Candy Girl and then a Preview Girl—so I was able to whisper personal questions to her, too. Not revealing those! But anyway, Bianca told us how she valued her career so much and that she and her husband, JC, are working so hard now so that they can send their kids to their alma mater, Ateneo. Why? Because by the time their baby girl gets to college, P3,000,000 na ang tuition! That's the total for a 4-year course naman. Let's not panic. 

THREE MILLION PESOSES! Panic!!!

Bianca said she loved how the app was so easy to use and when we saw a demo, it really is so easy to use! Check it out: 


You can get a Manulife GradMaker policy on your phone! You can pay your premiums on your phone! You can see how much your investment is growing in real time on your phone! What! I love it!

To start an investment, you need at least P10,000. You don't have to pay every month or even every quarter. Just every time you have 10K extra, you can put it on your policy and see your money grow. Syempre, the more P10,000 you put in, the faster your college worries will disappear!

I don't have money right now to actually get three policies, but I downloaded the app anyway so that when I do have an extra P30,000 lying around, I can put it towards my kids' college education. To be honest, I'm not aiming for Ateneo. I studied in UP Diliman and I am so very proud of our legacy of free thinking, resistance, and uprising. I want my kids to be steeped in that culture of defiance, too. In 10 years, a UP education will cost just P800,000 (vs Ateneo's P3M yo!) so that's a big plus. But I guess it's a good idea to save up for a pricier school anyway. Just in case my boys would rather go to the AreNEyo (my husband is from ADMU so this is me teasing him).


To learn more about this fantastic financial tool, visit the Manulife website. I highly recommend you check out the Manulife GradMaker app, mamas. You can download it from the App Store or from Google Play.


*GradMaker is a Variable Life Product. This post is brought to you by Manulife.

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Wednesday, April 04, 2018

You know your life is complete when...

Vince and I are super enjoying Netflix's shelter show, "World's Most Extraordinary Homes." If you have Netflix and don't know what to watch, I'm sure you'll like this. I don't know any mommy who doesn't like looking at other people's houses!

It's fun seeing other people's dream homes and judging if these people have taste or not haha One thing they do have is lotsa money. These houses are crazy! And yes, the show inspired me to blog about it. Ya know, my home may not be huge and my bank account may not be awe-inspiring but I do love my life. It's very happy and full. Messy and chaotic at the moment because of the kids, and a little worrisome sometimes because of all the bills, but it is full of love and joy. And that makes my very ordinary life extraordinary!

I don't have everything I want but I have everything I need. Sometimes I even think that if I ask for more, then I'll be greedy and greed is a sin. To paraphrase an old country song, I have four walls, three kids, two hearts, one love. What more do I need? My life is complete.

Of course, I still have dreams, but my dreams now revolve around the happiness and success of my husband and our three boys. I work now because I want to support them. There is a certain peace that comes with just working for others. If you had told a younger me that I'd come to think this way in my 40s, that younger me will scream in fright or anger or despair. I don't know. I'm a different person now. My career dreams already came true more than a decade ago. It was fantastic while it lasted. It ended and I loved it. I had my chance at career happiness and I'm grateful. So now I just want to devote myself to work that puts food on our table and sends my kids to school. There is a nobility to that, a simplicity, a different kind of joy that brings me so much fulfilment. Growing up I was always told, "Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life." And yes, that was true. But this, at this stage in my life, is also so true: "Work every day of your life so you can give everything to the people you love." It's beautiful, this selflessness that I finally finally (and never thought I would) have.

Anyway, thanks for sharing my journey with me! If you've been around since the start of this blog, you know I've always been selfishly devoted to my career. I love working! I love earning money! So I hope you're proud of me that I'm changing. I still love working and I still love earning money but now I do it for love of others. 

Here's a guest post about how you'll know your life is complete, mamas. Enjoy!

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There are many people who struggle when it comes to knowing when to relax and enjoy the fruits of their labor. For instance, think about how many individuals you know who keep moving through the ranks at their workplace and gain extra qualifications until the day they retire. Those folks never have time to enjoy their achievements because they’re always looking to succeed at something else. However, money and job progression isn’t everything in life, and sometimes you need to put things in perspective. Regardless of what else is happening at the moment, you know your life is complete when… 
They make my life not just complete but so extra!

 You’ve found someone who loves you.
Human beings are needy creatures, and they continually seek the approval and reassurance of their peers. However, humans also have a sincere desire to feel love and affection from others. You know your life is complete when you find someone who’s willing to spend a couple of months salary with specialists like 77 Diamonds, pop the question, and then spend the rest of their lives making you happy. Be aware that some people go through life without ever meeting that special someone, and that could happen to any of us. So, think yourself lucky for what you have. 

You have an excellent group of friends.
What are the most important things in life? While some people might argue they are fame and fortune, others know that it’s friends according to the guys at the Huffington Post. If you don’t have a fantastic group of friends around you at the moment, that is something you need to change as soon as possible. If you’re one of those lucky people who’s had the same mates since they were young’ your life is near to being complete. Those people will be around when you need them most, and so you will always have support or a shoulder on which to place your head. 

You live in your dream home.
While it’s slightly materialistic, most people would agree that buying a comfortable home in the right location is one of the most critical milestones in their lives. If you live in a suitable property at the moment and you plan to stay there indefinitely; there is a decent chance your life is near to being complete. Your dream home should contain all the elements you imagined when you were young. Maybe you used to dream of having an indoor pool or something similar? Perhaps you wanted to live in a bustling city like London or somewhere like that? When you achieve all those goals, you know your life is complete. 

As you can see from the information on this page, lots of people have different ideas about what the perfect life involves. However, if you have somewhere warm and safe to live, someone who loves you, and lots of friends to call on the telephone whenever you need a chat; you’re richer than some of the most wealthy people in the world. So, consider yourself lucky, and make sure you never mope about your situation again. 

Enjoy your life!

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I like that: "If you have somewhere warm and safe to live, someone who loves you, and lots of friends to call on the telephone whenever you need a chat; you’re richer than some of the most wealthy people in the world."

Truer words were never spoken!

But if you do feel like looking at how the 1% live, turn on Netflix and watch this fantabulous show!


*This is a guest post, with my edits. To place a guest post, email frances@topazhorizon.com for my rates.

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Thursday, March 29, 2018

Pros & Cons of Returning to a Former Relationship

Marriage, or rather the failure of it, is quite the topic these days. Recently, a celebrity stylist introduced her child to the world and people were horrified—not because she had a baby while unmarried but because the father of her baby was still very much married. No one likes a homewrecker. Not ever and never ever. Also recently, it looks like divorce will finally be legal in our country. So there's a lot of talk on how that is good news and bad news.

I'm a great believer in marriage and that is why I never wanted to get married because it honestly is an institution meant for superhumans. Marriage is HARD. But I also believe that it's one of the most beautiful things about the human experience, and so I am glad I did get married. Even when being married is not easy.

That said, I will always support divorce as a civic right. As I said, marriage is for superhumans and I don't know any superhuman haha. Joking aside, even though I believe in marriage, I also believe that people should feel safe and secure. Anyone who feels threatened and abused in a marriage should have the option to leave it. A marriage should be a good thing so if it is a very harmful situation, a spouse should be legally allowed to leave for his or her (usually her) and the children's safety.

I'm glad that our divorce bill allows for a cooling-off period because I believe that a couple should work out their differences. (Except when there's abuse. Leave. Period!) Sometimes time apart helps a husband and wife realize what the problem is and they may forgive and try again.

What do you think, mamas? What do you think of the divorce bill? What will make you leave your husband? Will you forgive your husband if he had an affair?

Anyway, I'm publishing a guest post because I think it's relevant today (coincidentally, it's the season where we're all asked to forgive so...). Tell me what you think!

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The decision of whether or not to return to a former love can be a challenging one. At one point or another, everyone is likely to have weighed up the pros and cons in their mind of going back to a past flame. Well, in this article, we are going to weigh up some of the main ones. If you are currently going through this dilemma, hopefully, this article can go some way towards making this decision just a little bit clearer to you. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

Reasons Not to Go Back

First of all, when you go back to an old relationship, it is very difficult to recapture the initial rush of excitement that you had in the first place. If you are planning to give your ex another chance, don’t dive straight back into a full-on relationship. Instead, you should meet up on a more casual basis to find out if what you once had is still there. Another reason not to go back is that you are doing it for the wrong reasons like because you are simply feeling lonely. Though going back to a past lover may provide a temporary fix, you are unlikely to get the long-term fulfillment that you are looking for.

If the reason that you broke up in the first place is that the other person hurt you in a major way, you need to be totally confident that they are not going to do the same thing all over again - something which is very difficult to achieve. After all, you don’t want to end up getting taken advantage of all over again. Finally, if you go back to a former relationship, you have no room to meet new people and perhaps grow and develop yourself.

 Reasons to Return

There is a power in forgiveness, and if you are sure that you can move past what went wrong in the first place, you may find that this is the right path for you. Perhaps the other person has undergone some profound changes in their life after losing you. However, if you are the one who did wrong, it may be worth taking a look at Get Your Ex Back: Super System Program. There is always the danger that if you don’t give it a go, you may end up regretting it.

There is always a chance that you vow to do things better the second time around. You can learn from your past mistakes and establish a relationship which works better for the two of you. You may have both had the chance to grow and develop, and you are bringing these positive changes back into each other’s lives.

As you have probably gathered, the decision to bring a past lover back into your life is always going to be somewhat of a gamble. Ultimately, it is all up to you as to whether it is one that it worth taking or not.

* This is a guest post, with my edits. To place a guest post, email frances@topazhorizon.com for my rates. Photo 1 and 2 from Pexels.com.
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