Aaron and Nika's doctor has decided to add the Pneumococcal vaccine into their list of shots. The vaccine is suppose to protect a child from pneumonia, as well as sinusitis, meningitis and a bunch of other illnesses. At first the vaccine was optional, but last week the doctor told us that the Pediatric Association decided to add it to the list of essential shots to be given to babies ages 2 to 23 months. The vaccine is to be taken in every two months until the eight month, with a total of four shots.
Since it was now part of the essential vaccines to be taken, we had Nika injected. The cost of the vaccine and doctor's fee came up to around 4.5k! I could not believe such a small dose would be that expensive and I had to pay for eight of these vaccines for my two kids! Jen went online and checked the local price of the vaccine. Someone at sulit.com.ph was selling the vaccine at 4.1k. So we were sure that the vaccine was around the 4k price range.
This means I would be setting aside a budget of around 36k for Aaron and Nika's vaccine. Since Nika had her shot this month, I told Jen to let Aaron get his first shot next month. That way, I would be paying out an average of 4.5k monthly.
Adding the numbers, I immediately thought about the other families who do not have the money to pay for this medicine. These parents would choose not to have their kids vaccinated. I doubt if there are any other cheaper versions of this vaccine and the local baranggays won't have this on their list of free medicine as well.
Holy Appendicitis!
We had an interesting weekend. One of my parent's househelp got an inflamed appendix and had to be rushed to the hospital for surgery.
At first we thought it was just indigestion or food poisoning. He complained of severe cramps in his abdomen and was unable to stand up. It was when we brought him to the hospital, that we realized the true condition of his sickness.
Then the blame game started.
The househelp accused my mother of giving him rotten hopia for merienda. It was the food that irritated his appendix. We tried to convince him otherwise. The other househelp also had the same food, but he did not get any stomach problem. The resident doctor then explained that his infrequent bowel movements might have triggered the appendicitis. There was no choice but to have surgery and the entire operation would cost around 10k.
In the end, My parents shouldered all the expenses. The househelp had no money and none of his immediate family was willing to help him out. My mother was afraid that he could die at any moment and that would cause more problems.
He got discharged yesterday noon. The bill went up to 16k due to added medicine and cost. He wanted to recuperate at our place but my parents refused. My father insisted that he return to his family and rest. He said that he won't be earning anything while he's staying with his brother. My mother finally got fed up. He still expects us to take care of him and pay him while he's recovering? There is still a matter of 16k that needs to be settled.
In the end, he left with his brother. The whole incident made me think of how the househelp had no foresight to save money. He was a thirty-five year old man, still living a hand-to-mouth existence. I bet his appendix was a ticking time bomb that was ready to explode. He was lucky to that my parents were there help him out.
At first we thought it was just indigestion or food poisoning. He complained of severe cramps in his abdomen and was unable to stand up. It was when we brought him to the hospital, that we realized the true condition of his sickness.
Then the blame game started.
The househelp accused my mother of giving him rotten hopia for merienda. It was the food that irritated his appendix. We tried to convince him otherwise. The other househelp also had the same food, but he did not get any stomach problem. The resident doctor then explained that his infrequent bowel movements might have triggered the appendicitis. There was no choice but to have surgery and the entire operation would cost around 10k.
In the end, My parents shouldered all the expenses. The househelp had no money and none of his immediate family was willing to help him out. My mother was afraid that he could die at any moment and that would cause more problems.
He got discharged yesterday noon. The bill went up to 16k due to added medicine and cost. He wanted to recuperate at our place but my parents refused. My father insisted that he return to his family and rest. He said that he won't be earning anything while he's staying with his brother. My mother finally got fed up. He still expects us to take care of him and pay him while he's recovering? There is still a matter of 16k that needs to be settled.
In the end, he left with his brother. The whole incident made me think of how the househelp had no foresight to save money. He was a thirty-five year old man, still living a hand-to-mouth existence. I bet his appendix was a ticking time bomb that was ready to explode. He was lucky to that my parents were there help him out.
The High Cost of Electricity
We finally got our bill from the electric company. It was definitely higher than the previous month, more than double what we paid two months ago. With all the people protesting and complaining about the added cost, I was expecting our bill to be way much higher. I guess I over prepared myself mentally for this occasion.
This is one of those moments when I'm glad we decided to live with my parents. Since we are living under their roof, they are the ones that are paying for the utility bills. They have the money anyway, and they are willing to provide for us. This is definitely a big blessing on our part since we don't have to worry about the water and electric bill. Still, I guess we have to do our part in conserving energy. It's not that easy to cut back when you have a baby and toddler living with you.
A lot of people are blaming the electric company for the unreasonable price hike, but I think they had no choice. It hasn't rained for months and the water level in the dam is at a critical low. Despite the rotating brownouts and the limited supply of energy, people are still consuming endless amounts of electricity. It made me thing of how much we have taken things for granted. Conservation is probably the path we have to take in the near future.
This is one of those moments when I'm glad we decided to live with my parents. Since we are living under their roof, they are the ones that are paying for the utility bills. They have the money anyway, and they are willing to provide for us. This is definitely a big blessing on our part since we don't have to worry about the water and electric bill. Still, I guess we have to do our part in conserving energy. It's not that easy to cut back when you have a baby and toddler living with you.
A lot of people are blaming the electric company for the unreasonable price hike, but I think they had no choice. It hasn't rained for months and the water level in the dam is at a critical low. Despite the rotating brownouts and the limited supply of energy, people are still consuming endless amounts of electricity. It made me thing of how much we have taken things for granted. Conservation is probably the path we have to take in the near future.
Conscious Spending
I've been rereading some of my favorite personal finance blogs and I've decided to become more conscious of my spending habits. It doesn't hurt to tighten my belt and save money, frugality is the way to go nowadays.
So far I've managed to keep my expenses down to less than a hundred a day (during work days). This does not include the transportation expenses to get me to the office and back home. I've already set a budget for gas to cover the monthly driving expenses.
For now, the biggest dent to my savings are the baby supplies. I'm spending an average of 1,200 pesos a week for each child. This money covers milk, diapers, vitamins, and other kid-related expense. It's not that much as other parents would spend, but I am trying to keep track of these expenses as well.
I know I am saving money, but I think it is not enough to cover my long term plans for the family. It would be nice to rebuild the house, add a new room for Aaron and Nika. Jen has been giving me rough estimates as to how much preschool education would cost per child. So it would be wise for me to start saving as early as now.
So far I've managed to keep my expenses down to less than a hundred a day (during work days). This does not include the transportation expenses to get me to the office and back home. I've already set a budget for gas to cover the monthly driving expenses.
For now, the biggest dent to my savings are the baby supplies. I'm spending an average of 1,200 pesos a week for each child. This money covers milk, diapers, vitamins, and other kid-related expense. It's not that much as other parents would spend, but I am trying to keep track of these expenses as well.
I know I am saving money, but I think it is not enough to cover my long term plans for the family. It would be nice to rebuild the house, add a new room for Aaron and Nika. Jen has been giving me rough estimates as to how much preschool education would cost per child. So it would be wise for me to start saving as early as now.
Weekend Reunion with Friends
I was fortunate to catch up with Sunshine, Cessna, Cry, and Iris last Saturday. Cry was visiting the country and invited some classmates from the Malate Literary Folio for a mini reunion. We met up at EDSA Shangrila Plaza around 2pm.
I brought Jen and Aaron with me, while Sunshine had Leo and Basti, Cessna brought Sandra, and Cry was with his entire family. It was fun to see the kids interact with one another. Aaron was feeling a bit sleepy so he wasn't as active as the other kids.
We spent the afternoon catching up, swapping stories, and talking about kids/family life. Iris updated us on the lives of the other Malate writers/artists. Cessna, Sunshine, and Jen were trading mommy stories on how they manage the little ones.
It was nice to see Cry and Kelly again. They appear to be enjoying their vacation here in the Philippines. I forgot the names of their kids but I found them really adorable. They don't resemble their parents. I guess that's what you get if you come from a multiracial stock. The older sister looks Japanese while the younger brother looks like Caucasian.
Jen, Aaron, and I had to leave early because we left Nikka at home alone with the yaya. We tried to keep Aaron awake through the trip by buying some french fries, but he fell asleep on the way home.
I brought Jen and Aaron with me, while Sunshine had Leo and Basti, Cessna brought Sandra, and Cry was with his entire family. It was fun to see the kids interact with one another. Aaron was feeling a bit sleepy so he wasn't as active as the other kids.
We spent the afternoon catching up, swapping stories, and talking about kids/family life. Iris updated us on the lives of the other Malate writers/artists. Cessna, Sunshine, and Jen were trading mommy stories on how they manage the little ones.
It was nice to see Cry and Kelly again. They appear to be enjoying their vacation here in the Philippines. I forgot the names of their kids but I found them really adorable. They don't resemble their parents. I guess that's what you get if you come from a multiracial stock. The older sister looks Japanese while the younger brother looks like Caucasian.
Jen, Aaron, and I had to leave early because we left Nikka at home alone with the yaya. We tried to keep Aaron awake through the trip by buying some french fries, but he fell asleep on the way home.
Scribd
I found an interesting social networking site that focuses on publishing and reading. Scribd is a website that shares electronic documents, allowing its members to post and view documents of various formats.
The site appears to be an online ebook reader that masquerades as a social networking site. You can read the documents in the Scribd without becoming a member. But you must become a member to upload your own document. Once you become a member, you can create your own collection of favorite online documents, scribe to other users' documents, or invite other people to scribe to your documents.
I noticed the site contains numerous works of fiction, instruction manuals, drawings, and other stuff. There are a lot of pirated content as well. I bet the pirated stuff are the reason why people are signing up to this site. At least people will have another free venue for sharing content online.
The site appears to be an online ebook reader that masquerades as a social networking site. You can read the documents in the Scribd without becoming a member. But you must become a member to upload your own document. Once you become a member, you can create your own collection of favorite online documents, scribe to other users' documents, or invite other people to scribe to your documents.
I noticed the site contains numerous works of fiction, instruction manuals, drawings, and other stuff. There are a lot of pirated content as well. I bet the pirated stuff are the reason why people are signing up to this site. At least people will have another free venue for sharing content online.
Alternative Investments
Jen will be celebrating her birthday next week and I have already bought her gift. I had a hard time deciding what to give her, since she's not that particular on things. I thought of buying her a new mobile phone, since her current Sony Ericsson unit is experiencing battery problems. But I decided to buy her something that does not depreciate and could be worn on special occasions.
It's a small 14k Italian gold necklace.
I've been reading a few money/finance blogs that talk about alternative investments. I think gold and jewelry are some things you can invest on, aside from putting money in the bank. These things do not depreciate over time and they can be traded for food during times of war (or when the local economy collapses and paper money becomes useless).
Anyway, I spent last Friday morning visiting the jewelry shops at a nearby mall. I had around 5k as my budget for Jen's gift. I wasn't planning on buying anything yet. I just wanted to look around and see what's available in the gold market. There was a shop that was selling its jewelries at 40% off. I took a look at the stuff on their display case and found a nice looking cross valued at around 10k. Apparently the store is affiliated with the SM Malls and if I buy in cash (and present my SM advantage card), I'd get another 10% discount.
So I bought the gold cross at half its original price. I think it is a wonderful gift for my wife and also a good investment. At least we'll be able to trade it for water/shelter when the Philippine government falls apart or when peak oil actually happens.
It's a small 14k Italian gold necklace.
I've been reading a few money/finance blogs that talk about alternative investments. I think gold and jewelry are some things you can invest on, aside from putting money in the bank. These things do not depreciate over time and they can be traded for food during times of war (or when the local economy collapses and paper money becomes useless).
Anyway, I spent last Friday morning visiting the jewelry shops at a nearby mall. I had around 5k as my budget for Jen's gift. I wasn't planning on buying anything yet. I just wanted to look around and see what's available in the gold market. There was a shop that was selling its jewelries at 40% off. I took a look at the stuff on their display case and found a nice looking cross valued at around 10k. Apparently the store is affiliated with the SM Malls and if I buy in cash (and present my SM advantage card), I'd get another 10% discount.
So I bought the gold cross at half its original price. I think it is a wonderful gift for my wife and also a good investment. At least we'll be able to trade it for water/shelter when the Philippine government falls apart or when peak oil actually happens.
What to do with this oppressive heat...
Make your own solar oven!
Solar oven uses reflectors to re-direct and focus sunlight onto a cooking container enclosed in an insulated box. Creating a solar oven takes only a few hours and you can use cheap materials that can be found around the home. A solar oven works similar to a conventional oven by retaining most of the heat generated, and this allows for shorter cooking times.
The solar oven box is composed of two boxes separated by a small gap and filled with insulating material. They are usually made from cardboard or wood, with the inner box just large enough to hold the cooking container when the oven lid is on. The cardboard won’t catch fire because the temperature inside is about half that required to set paper on fire. Cooking time is reduced if the container is supported by wooden blocks that allow reflected sunlight to reach its underside, and they also allow heated air to completely surround the container. The insulating material can be made from shredded newspaper, wool, fiberglass, or cutoffs from roof and wall insulation.
Solar oven uses reflectors to re-direct and focus sunlight onto a cooking container enclosed in an insulated box. Creating a solar oven takes only a few hours and you can use cheap materials that can be found around the home. A solar oven works similar to a conventional oven by retaining most of the heat generated, and this allows for shorter cooking times.
The solar oven box is composed of two boxes separated by a small gap and filled with insulating material. They are usually made from cardboard or wood, with the inner box just large enough to hold the cooking container when the oven lid is on. The cardboard won’t catch fire because the temperature inside is about half that required to set paper on fire. Cooking time is reduced if the container is supported by wooden blocks that allow reflected sunlight to reach its underside, and they also allow heated air to completely surround the container. The insulating material can be made from shredded newspaper, wool, fiberglass, or cutoffs from roof and wall insulation.
- Find two boxes. One should fit inside the other with a 2- to 3-inch space on each side.
- Line the bottom of the large box with crumpled newspaper.
- Place the smaller box inside the large box.
- Fill the space between the sides of the two boxes with crumpled newspaper.
- Line the sides of the inside of the smaller box with aluminum foil. You can use a non-toxic tape or fold the edges of foil over the top of the box to hold it in place.
- Line the bottom of the inside of the smaller box with black construction paper to absorb heat.
- Lay a piece of cardboard on top of the large box and trace the shape of the box onto the cardboard.
- Add 2 inches around the trace line and cut out to make a reflector.
- Cover the cardboard piece with aluminum foil. Smooth out any wrinkles and secure the aluminum foil to the cardboard with non-toxic glue or tape.
- Staple the reflector to the outside back of the large box.
- Situate the oven with the box opening up and the reflector facing the sun for maximum heat.
- Place food to be cooked in the solar oven.
- Stretch clear plastic wrap across the top of the large box. Secure the plastic with tape around the entire box.
Easter Baptism
Nika finally got baptized on April 4, Easter Sunday. She is two months and nineteen days old.It was a remarkable experience, watching her take this next step in her young life. The whole ceremony took place during the Easter vigil.
I would have invited friends and family to witness the occasion, but I doubt if people would make an effort to go to Church at three in the morning. It was great that Ching was able to make it to the ceremony. She really takes her godmother role seriously.
I'm grateful for everyone who helped out in preparing for the baptismal font, the flowers, and the songs. The godparents were all dressed up for the occasion, welcoming our baby girl to the Christian world. It was truly a wonderful memorable Easter celebration for my family.
Things You Can Do to Simplify Your Work Day
Copied the list below from this post (thanks to Icheb for posting the link).
I think I can really use some of these ideas to improve my working schedule. Time management is one crucial element here, as well as prioritizing what really needs to be done at the office.
To enjoy a simple work day:
I think I can really use some of these ideas to improve my working schedule. Time management is one crucial element here, as well as prioritizing what really needs to be done at the office.
To enjoy a simple work day:
- Start your work early. Going into work early allows you to work in peace. By the time everyone's in the office, you've finished two or three big tasks.
- Limit your hours. Believe it or not, having limits enable to you to be come more productive. Most people think that long hours equal more productivity. It is better to cut back on the hours and set a limit (6 or 7 hours a day) to get the essential work done within that limit.
- Make a short list. List down the tasks you need to do and then create a shorter list of 1-3 things that needs to be done. Choose the more important tasks before doing other things.
- Batch distractions. Identify your common distractions, like reading email and blogs Set a time for these. This allows you to do important work first, but still get in your distraction time.
- Write shorter emails. If email takes up a lot of your time, limit yourself to 3-4 sentences per email makes a big difference.
- Limit meetings. Attend fewer meetings If you can get out of meetings and just get the notes, or find an alternative way to communicate, it could save you hours per week.
- Automate. The fewer repetitive and routine tasks you have to do, the more time you’ll have for important work.
- Eliminate paperwork.
- Clear your desk. Put the most essential items on top of your desk.
- Get away. If you can get out of the office, find a peaceful spot where you can focus on important work. Working from home is a good option here.
- Take breathing breaks. Every 15 or 20 minutes, get up from your desk, and take a break. It could be simply walking around the office, saying hi to someone, or even better, getting outside to get some fresh air.
- Practice a focus ritual. Do a refocus ritual every 1 or 2 hours. It can take a minute or two.
- Schedule big blocks of creative time. When possible, put a big block of 3-4 hours in your schedule for creating or doing other important work. Do not allow meetings or other things to be scheduled during this time.
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