Online Money-Making Opportunities: January 7 to 12, 2009

Posted by on Jan 12, 2009 in Online Job Listings | 0 comments

Happy Monday, everyone :)   Below are some online job opportunities this week.

Note: I try to list legitimate job opportunities as much as possible, but some illegitimate ones might fall through the cracks.  Please use your best judgment when communicating with prospective clients, and make sure you get a signed contract before doing any work.

Good luck and happy job hunting!

Blogging and Online Writing:

Web Design & Development:

Miscellaneous:

Read More

Free Ebook: Thriving on Less

Posted by on Jan 11, 2009 in Books, Freebies, Frugality | 2 comments

ebook250.jpg“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein

Almost the entire world is facing a financial crisis.  During times like these, it’s important to cut back on our spending and save for the future.  But is it possible to do that without sacrificing your enjoyment of life?

Leo Babauta’s new free ebook, “Thriving on Less: Simplifying in a Tough Economy” addresses the steps we have to take to lead more enriching lives – and save money in the process. A much needed message in tough economic times.

Here’s what you’ll learn from the ebook:

  • How to create a simple lifestyle
  • How to focus on “enough” instead of “more”
  • How to beat the effects of advertising
  • Steps on how to make small financial changes
  • How to look at large, long term expenses
  • Tips on how to change spending habits
  • How to get out of debt

If you want to download a free copy of this ebook, simply click here.

Read More

Online Money-Making Opportunities: January 1 to 7, 2009

Posted by on Jan 7, 2009 in Online Job Listings | 0 comments

Here is a list of online job opportunities this week.  Please click on the links that interest you to learn more details about each job.

Note: I try to list legitimate job opportunities as much as possible, but some illegitimate ones might fall through the cracks.  Please use your best judgment when communicating with prospective clients, and make sure you get a signed contract before doing any work.

Good luck and happy job hunting!

Blogging and Online Writing:

Design & Development:

Miscellaneous:

Read More

What's in store for Frugal Pinoy in 2009?

Posted by on Jan 6, 2009 in Site News | 0 comments

Hello everyone :) I just wanted to share the list of things I’ll be doing for Frugal Pinoy this year.  Please feel free to send your feedback.  Your comments are always welcome :)

Without further ado, here are the things I will blog about in 2009:

Weekly online job postings.  Many Filipinos are looking for online income streams.  Every week, I’ll post a list of job opportunities that Frugal Pinoy readers can apply to.

I will discuss more of my personal experiences.  I started getting personal by listing my financial goals for 2009.  I’ll be doing regular updates on those goals, as well as share my own experiences with personal finance.

Product reviews and comparisons.  In an effort to make this blog more practical, I will increase my objective product reviews.

Add to my “Money Myths” series.  This is the series of posts where I expose common myths about money.  So far, I only have 2 posts under Money Myths: Buying in bulk is cheaper, and Expensive Wine Tastes Better.

So that all I have for 2009.  Just let me know if there are other things you want me to write about.  ;)

Read More

My Personal Financial Goals for 2009

Posted by on Jan 1, 2009 in Personal financial review | 2 comments

It’s the start of a new year again, and it’s time for planning one’s finances for the rest of the year.  I spent the past few weeks working on my financial goals for 2009, so that I can increase my chances of being financially stable in 2009.

I find that it’s important to make your goals as specific as possible.  For example, “save more money” is a bit vague.   How much will you save and what are you saving it for?  Also, write down the actions you need to take for each goal. If you intend to make more money, how will you do that?  What are the steps you need to take to make it happen?

I encourage you to do the same thing.  Let’s make this year a year of better financial responsibility.  List your financial goals on your blog, and send me a link to your post (either through the contact form or the comments section of this post).  At the end of the month, I’ll compile all your links and share them to other Frugal Pinoy readers.

Note: For privacy, I won’t be including actual figures here, just percentages and placeholders.

My financial goals for 2009

Earn at least P xx,xxx per month.  I’ve raised this by 63% from my previous goal last 2008.  This is my most important goal, because without it, I won’t be as successful with my other goals.  Here’s how I plan to accomplish this goal:

  • Be consistent with my work output.  At least 13 articles per month for one client,
  • Explore other moneymaking opportunities.  This includes a passive income stream (more about this later), applying to travel writing gigs, launching my illustration studio, and earning more from my web content service.
  • Put my money in accounts with better returns.  This means I’ll look into special deposit accounts, time deposits with higher interest rates, and maybe even other investments.

506436_eye_on_the_ball1.jpgFinish saving up for my 1-year emergency fund.  Right now, I only have the money for a 6-month emergency fund.  I’d like the security of knowing that I can pay for my current lifestyle even if I don’t earn anything for a year.  This is especially important since I have dependents.  Based on my calculations,I’ll finish saving up for my emergency fund by September.

Reach a certain amount of savings for my retirement fund.  My retirement fund is doing okay, but every year I have a goal of how much I should set aside for retirement.  Note that my definition of retirement is the time when I am no longer physically or mentally able to work.  I love my work, and I want to do it for as long as I can.  Also, since I don’t have a corporate job, my definition of retirement is different from the traditional definition.

Save up at least P xxx,xxx for Pangasinan house.  I’ve already mentioned before that one of my goals is  to build a house in a farm in Pangasinan by 2011.  To do that, I need to save a certain amount of money this year.

Prepare a will and have it notarized.  Remember Heath Ledger?  When he died, he did not update his will, so there was nothing in it about his daughter and his ex-wife.  I want to make sure that my partner gets the bulk of my savings and personal effects, and the only way to do that legally is through a will.  I’ve seen many Filipino families get torn apart just because people didn’t agree about who was entitled to what.  Something as legally binding as a will prevents these unnecessary arguments.

Here’s a sample of a will that is valid in the Philippines.  Feel free to browse that site as it also has templates of other legal documents, such as deeds of sale and special power of attorney.

Donate more money to causes I support.  I already donate to an animal shelter, but I want to donate to PAWS, Haribon, and maybe an educational NGO.  I welcome suggestions here.  If you also plan on donating to causes in 2009, click here for a list of organizations you can donate to.

Establish a passive income stream.  To ensure that I have an income even if don’t have any clients, I need to establish an income stream that requires little input and maintenance.  I’m thinking of working on an ebook (for an international audience) or online mentorship (for Filipinos).  I haven’t fleshed out this idea yet, but I’ve scheduled the planning stages in my calendar.

I’ll be updating you on my goals each month, to show you whether I’m on track or not.  That’s the point of blogging about your goals – so that there’s public accountability. If you’re writing a list of goals that only you can see, it’s very easy to remove some items or throw the list away altogether.

Now, it’s your turn.  How about you?  What are your financial goals for the year ahead?

Read More