random thoughts

You know the expression do not count the eggs before they’re hatched? (weird saying, BTW … I mean, there can be other analogies … why chicken eggs were used is beyond me! J hehehe) Anyways … I’m doing it right now! Well, I’m not exactly counting them … I just have an elaborate excel spreadsheet on what I’ll do with my separation pay once I get it! – Yep … the operative word is ‘once’ … not ‘if’ … because I am getting it! J hehehehe (I’m claiming it! I’m getting it … it’s just a matter of time … J) Anywho … I think the more apt term is planning … my excel sheet is my Plan 2009! Mayzelle Atienza Plan 2009! Nice … it has a nice, executive ring to it! J hehehe … (I will put sub headings and sub sheets with titles: Project Marriage, Project Europe Trip, Project Investment … and oh yeah … Project Weight Loss! J hehehehe … I think I can finally go to Marie France once I get my separation pay! J hehehehe kidding … I wouldn’t really spend that amount of cash just to lose weight … unless otherwise I’m desperate … which I’m not … yet! J hehe)

Oh well … I think I ought to mention what brought on that spreadsheet … actually, I had that file since year 1999 when I was assigned in Santa Clara … I was trying to project how much I’d save from my per diem G&S allowance … J  Anyways, fast forward to 2008 … the file has been dormant for ages but last month or so I picked it up and religiously updated it again! I am currently tracking every single expenditure I have … down to the Php5 coin I gave the kid who assisted me while backing up from a parking lot in Manggahan! –-Yup, I am that OC on my finances right now! J I created a graph to see the improvement (or fluctuation) from month to month of my overall raw cash expenses and the relative percentage of each expense category!    I have a salary projector based on expected focal increase … I have a per payday payment schedules and a list of must-happens to enable those payments! I have a breakdown of my monthly income, how much I actually take home after all the deductions (which is a lot –- God bless the Philippines!)  and how much budget I have per day for food so I’ll live within my means! J Hehe … Nope, this is not exactly what I learned in MBA … it’s more like basic Excel actually, and a dash of OC-ness! J

Something happened to me last month that made me like this! I am an almost-shopaholic and I always rationalize my shopping spree as gifts for myself … since I’m working so hard and all! J I wouldn’t really go into details of what happened … needless to say it was a wake-up call … I better get my act together on my finances or else … J so I did … and I’ve been at it for the last month. As in every brilliant project I start in my life … I hope I’ll stick to it. I do pray I’ll stick to it! J I think I should mention that I didn’t become stingy in the process (I don’t think! J ) … I still know how to have a good time, how to reward myself and how to share my blessings … they’re just all tracked and graphed! J I still hope to splurge on a Lacoste shirt and I still hope to go to my once-a-month shirt shopping in Mango … J but at least now I know where everything goes … and I know what percentage it is … the graph glaringly tells me so! J hehe