Last winter, our family visited the Philippines for our cousin Jiffy’s wedding:
My cousin is the guy standing next to the girl with bouquet
The whole family (well, most of us) went to the Philippines for vacation & to visit the few family members still back in the old country.
Just got the news that the newlyweds have a new baby girl! Please welcome Ms. Caitlin Aivee S.:
Even before the engagement, I had been thinking about ways that I could save money this year. I still wanted to maintain a comfortable lifestyle, but just eliminate unnecessary spending so I would know where and how my money was being spent. Now that we have a wedding and honeymoon coming up, I am much more accountable for my cost-saving decisions.
There are a few major changes I have made:
1) Going out to eat less.
There were times that I would go out to eat up to four times a week spending on average $12 and up. Sometimes it would be to go out to meet with friends or to get away from the office, but for the most part it was because I had been too lazy to prepare something ahead of time to eat. This year I’ve decided to cut back and limit my eating out to only once a week. Of course if there is a special occasion I will make an exception, but for the most part I’ve stuck to it. Not only is it saving me money, but it also has gotten me to eat healthier, more well balanced meals. I thought it was funny the other day, one of my co-workers came in to the kitchen and said, “Wow, that’s a pretty healthy lunch you’re having. Is there a reason why you’re eating so healthy?” It’s funny because as I was buying the things for my lunch, I wasn’t conciously thinking about how healthly it would be. I just picked things that I liked. The truth is I enjoy healthy food. I like eating fruits and vegetables, whole grains and other things that are good for me because I like the taste. I certainly don’t eat healthy food all the time, but if I’m going to prepare a meal more often than not it’s going to tend towards the healthy side. Another added benefit of cutting back on going out to eat at lunch it’s increased frequency that I go to the gym. We are lucky to have a gym downstairs so it’s easy for me to head down there for an hour or so to workout before I eat. It’s a great way to break up my day and it helps to ensure that I get my workout in.
2) No shoppping!
I thought this was going to be a tough one, but it’s been relatively easy to keep. I’ve realized there are not a whole lot of things other than food that are necessities. To be fair, I’ve bought some things I’ve needed for running and for the wedding, but I’ve really tried to keep it to the basics. It’s been such a simple change, but has definitely made a difference.
3) Holding off on a straight perm
Ever since I lived in Japan and discovered the wonder that is a thermal straight perm, I have been hooked. I used to spend 45 minutes blow-drying my hair straight so even though it’s expensive it is worth every penny for me. While I know that I would not be able to stop getting them, I am trying to decrease the frequency. Before I would get them about once every five months, but I’m trying to extend that out as long as I can. I am doing this by taking better care of myself by washing it with shampoo less often and rinsing and conditioning in between. This has made my hair much softer, making the parts of my hair that has grown out less apparent. I am also keeping my hair long so the weight will also help it lie down straight.
Of course there are some things that I have decided are too important to me that I simply cannot eliminate.
1) Monthly pedicures
I stretch my pedis out to a month, but this is one luxury I cannot give up especially because I have found a clean, affordable and good place. I can get a spa pedicure with flower designs in a massage chair with tip for less than what you would pay for just a basic pedi at a lot of places. As odd as it sounds, my toes have been my pride and joy for a long time so this is one thing I just cannot give up.
2) Netflix
I’ve cut back on the number I get at a time, but I cannot give up my Netflix. With movie prices being ridiculous and my preference to watch a movie cuddled up under a blanket, this is something I cannot give up, at least not yet.
Emerald Across the Bay 12K
3) Race entries
Since running has become one of my hobbies, it only makes sense that I have to invest a little bit in it. While the costs for simply going out for a run are minimal, entering races can add up. I justify the cost because it helps give me motivation to get through the training since I am very much a goal oriented person. I figure it’s a small price to pay for better health and a fun hobby.
I finally had the opportunity to process more photos in my retouching queue. In this edition, we throw my grandpa’s bro, our Lolo Benny, a surprise birthday party. A couple months late, but hey—better late than never!
Our family is huge, & when combined with the 2nd cousins, family parties can definitely be hectic! Down the street from the good ol’ Sunnyvale house is a park where my family was raised from youth. We couldn’t pass up an opportunity to bring the new generation of kiddies down there.
To view the slideshow, start with the thumbnails below:
See the full set at on Flickr account.
by Señor Taco on Flickr
Biking to work
Advantages: outdoor exercise, less carbon emissions, save money on gas.
Challenges: come to work very sweaty, commute time is longer, unsavory motorists.
Using the Gas Savings Calculator, if I rode three times a week for a year, I can save about $350. That, & I’ll have really buff legs by the end of the year.
This also would require me to start my daily routine a bit earlier, since my commute may take longer by bike. It’s a good exercise in diligence: my decision to drive because I didn’t wake up early will put me on a guilt trip for the entire day.
by leesean on Flickr
Cooking our own meals.
Advantages: save money, nutrition-conscious
Challenges: time spent on preparing meals
We’ll go out do dinner on occasion (our area is host to many lovely restaurants), but we find ourselves eating at home more often. At home, we’re more likely to prepare guilt-free meals, as well as many leftovers to spare. This brings me to my next point…
by Alaivani on Flickr
Stretch out our meals.
Advantages: save money
Challenges: less diversity culinary-wise
I used to be adverse to having leftovers because… well, I didn’t really have a good reason. Now the microwave at work is my good friend. A home-c0oked meal can be enjoyed three times.
On those days we do go out, we’ve trained ourselves to portion a part of the meal to bring back home. We’ve lived together in Japan before, & in the country where portions are smaller, our stomachs have shrunk accordingly. It gets some getting used to, but satisfying when you finish half your meal & already feel stuffed.
by yuan2003 on Flickr
Work out at lunch.
Advantage: get myself some fresh air (& away from the computer), exercise routine daily
Challenges: a time-restrained workout
I used to spend half of my work lunch hour enjoying lunch, then the other half taking a nap in my car. Although naps may be are good for you, I felt that my naptime could be directed toward something more productive. I forced myself into this routine & am glad that I did. I still hate running in general, but I hate it even more when I don’t break a sweat in the middle of day in my workout.
by rastrus on Flickr
Drive below the speed limit.
Advantage: saves gas (& money), enjoy a leisurely drive, being a safe motorist
Challenges: more time on the road, the occasional unfriendly gesture on the road
If traffic permits, I set my VW GTI on cruise control at a cool 60 mph in the slow lane. (Tell me, why do Prius drivers insist on flying on the freeways at 85 mph. Doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of a fuel-efficient car?)
by ulterior epicure on Flickr
Cut out desserts.
Advantage: saves you a few bucks a week, less calorie intake
Challenges: overcoming the urge to have something sweet (an arduous task!)
The days of after-dinner desserts to your favorite sweet shops are over. This one is still a hard one for me to overcome. Your best bet is to try to find a healthy alternative. My Magic Bullet definitely helps in this regard. A winning recipe of a splash of orange juice, chopped pinapples, peaches & strawberries, blended with ice usually eases my late night cravings.
The money saved isn’t much, but it all adds up! I’ve been keeping up with most of the things above & the biggest advantage is my health. I’m always looking for ways to cut down without going cold turkey. Any suggestions, shoot us an email!
Is it still an addiction when something is technically good for you? If so, I think I MAY be getting addicted to running. It’s a really an odd thing for me to say that since as recently as the beginning of November I can honestly say that I hated running. Now when I was little I was told that hate was a bad word which when I think about it, I tend to agree, so I strongly disliked running.
Back then running even a mile brought dread to my mind. I never would have begun to imagine that I would get to a point where 3-4 miles is a short run and 6-8 miles is a regular run. It turns out that I was running in the wrong places (on a treadmill) at the run pace (too fast) and for the wrong reasons (to get it done, not for the enjoyment of it.)
Running the half marathon
Now that I’ve trained for a half marathon (couldn’t have done it without Team in Training), I’ve learned that there is no shame in walking and that the miles go by a lot faster if you have someone to chat with I’ve come to enjoy running a lot more. Now while even thinking about hopping on a treadmill still brings dread to my mind, thinking of running outside on a trail or in a race are things I really look forward to. In fact since my half marathon, I’ve been keeping up training runs on the weekend and have entered a couple races. I did a Valentine’s Day 10K Fun Run in Campbell and did the Emerald Across the Bay 12 K this past Sunday. Waking up early for these races or battling the rain as we did during the Emerald Across the Bay were not necessarily fun, but the excitement of meeting or beating my goal times will keep me coming back. I’m sure many people know just how competitive I can be and how true this is.
The most important thing to me though is to keep running fun. If running faster to beat my times stops being fun, I’ll try going further. If my body stops liking the running as my knees have the past couple weeks then I’ll take a break and focus on other workouts, but now that running has become a part of my life, I know that I will nver go back to strongly disliking it again. I think this will remain an addiction for life.
