The Journey to a Healthy, Wealthy Life

Brighter Life Philippines

I had always been chubby. I grew up with the so called “baby fat” that eventually turned into “college weight” and transformed into what I’d call the “stubborn last five (or so) pounds” during my 20s. When I hit my early 30s, I finally gave up my dream of ever wearing a two-piece bikini at the beach and accepted the reality that I may never see my collarbone or waist ever again.

That is, until my younger sister got engaged in 2012. It sent all the girls in my family into a diet frenzy – myself included.

First, I went the gym-and-salad route, but I lost only a pound or two. Frustrated, I shelled out close to P10,000 on nutritional shakes and herbal supplements that promised to help me lose unwanted pounds. But the wedding day came, and I wasn’t anywhere near the weight I wanted. [brightideas]

I gave up and…

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Throwback Thursdays: How to Save during the 90s

Brighter Life Philippines

I was rummaging through my closet when I came across an old piggy bank. This white, breakable piggy bank with a rubber hole on its belly where coins can be inserted was my strategy for saving, way before I came to know about personal finance apps or even had my very first passbook.

I found myself taking a trip down memory lane and reminiscing about the toys and activities that taught me how to manage finances as a child. Are any of these familiar to you?

1. Alkansya
Apart from piggy banks like the one I own, the popular alkansya comes in all shapes and sizes – cylindrical and rectangular, small and humongous – made from a variety of materials like cardboard and porcelain. It always has that ubiquitous opening where coins snuggly fit in.

2. Paluwagan
It works this way: members give a fixed amount (usually from their allowances)…

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How I Prepared for the Freelance Life

Brighter Life Philippines

 

My name is Frances and I’m a freelance writer and editor. I used to work for a magazine publishing company and it was a really sweet deal—flexible hours, great pay, and the work was fun—but all good things must come to an end. The celebrity magazine I handled was shut down and for the first time in 13 years, I was out of work.

Wait. That’s not true. I was out of employment but I was thrust into the world of freelance writing, and it’s been tremendously exciting. I have never been this happy in my life! I choose when I want to work and who I want to work with. I no longer know what EDSA traffic is. But happiest of all, I get to be with my two young sons all day, every single day.

While you may think I’m trying to tempt you to leave your…

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How Mutual Funds turned me into a millionaire in 5 years

Brighter Life Philippines

I was 30 years old then and had been working in the corporate world for 9 years when a friend of mine asked me if I had any savings.  I told him that I had a savings account and a time deposit amounting to no more than Php300,000 combined.  He was surprised to hear that after spending 9 years in the corporate world, a middle level manager like me, with no dependents, would only have that amount of money.  And so he started to lecture me about the need to invest.  This friend of mine was just a couple of years older than I was but he told me that he had accumulated millions over the years he’s been investing in stocks.

This got me thinking. I wanted to start investing right then and there but I didn’t understand stocks and I was afraid of the risks associated with stock…

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5 Old-Fashioned Money Beliefs (That You Should Toss Out the Window)

Brighter Life Philippines

Our culture dictates that we follow what our elders say and this is why through the years, certain beliefs and traditions have managed to survive. Adhering to what the elders say, we believe, is a sign of respect; at the same time, we trust that they have our best interests in mind. After all, our parents and older relatives surely want what’s best for us, right?

But while they all have the best intentions, times do change. And while we aim to be respectful and obedient all the time, there are times when we need to decide for ourselves. Old fashioned beliefs may have withstood the test of time, it is with new and innovative thinking that one can pave the way to a successful and a brighter life.

This holds true as well when it comes to money matters: there are certain old-fashioned beliefs that you should start tossing…

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WATCH: Brighter Ideas Ep. 10 – “Make your money work hard”

Brighter Life Philippines

Where can you put your money to work hard for you? Ginger Conejero clues you in on what financial instruments you can try here.

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