I am slowly squirrelling away money. My savings last 2007 was erratic, in proportion to my haywire spending. But I managed to save 25% of my gross salary for last year. Amazing! Come payday, the trick was to immediately deposit my savings into the bank and consider the money gone. Then I could spend the remainder on whatever with total peace of mind. And I managed to fill up a coin jar with 5 and 10 peso coins… will count and roll them up tomorrow so I’m in for a happy surprise.

Once I hit a certain amount, I moved that chunk into an equity fund at a bank, which would yield a higher interest rate than a normal savings or time deposit account. Of course, there is some risk involved since UITF’s (unit investment trust funds) are not PDIC insured. But well, I did not put all my eggs in one basket and I’m still young enough to recoup the loss if ever. Eventually, I hope to distribute my savings in the following funds: emergency/rainy day fund and investment/freedom fund.

Saving Goal for 2008: Save at least 20% of my gross income. Learn more tricks to save money.

Sharing

I was very happy that last 2007, I could finally contribute to our family’s household expenses instead of being the one to receive money from my parents. I also share what I learned about personal finance management via this blog or in conversations with my friends. As my thanksgiving to God, I pledged a tithe of my gross income to the kingdom work: part is for my home church, part for my college campus ministry IVCF, and the rest to bless individuals in the ministry.

To end, here is a classification of giving shared by Kuya Boyet during our IVPM discussion group last Friday:

Kinds of Giving:

1. Surplus Giving – giving the extra, or what’s left in my pockets after I have already spent money.

2. Contentment Giving – I give the tithe in time of plenty and I am comfortable with that amount. But that’s it.

3. Sacrificial Giving – giving until it hurts: like the widow’s mite in the New Testament and Abraham sacrificing Isaac in the Old Testament.
  
I have definitely been more blessed in giving than receiving; so far, this verse has been proven true:

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Malachi 3:10 KJV