Spending Wisely

They say there are only two things in life that’s certain – these are death and taxes. But come to think of it spending may be added as well. Besides, it is where taxes will come from.

Since the dawn of civilization or at least when people started using money, spending by people for things they both need and want has been as predictable as clock work. Of course with the infamous wealth distribution pyramid, the outflow of money differs from one social class order to another. Fairly, everyone (i.e., rich, middle or lower class) has their own set of financial worries – The Ayalas may worry what Cadillac color to get, The average Juan Dela Cruzes worry which one is a good bang for the buck – Vios or City, while the less privilege worry when the next jeepney fair price hike will happen. All are worries nevertheless. Parang patas, pero hindi (Looks fair yet not).

But before I fully transform (though I truly wish) my blog into something like Francis Kong’s business article, I’d like to share some of my tips with regards to spending wisely – at least I believe so.

·         Obsolete items have to go. The unstoppable electricity bill made me decide to sell (another of my online selling adventure) our old air conditioner and replace it with a new one that has a timer so it can switch the electric fan at a specified time without me having to perform a half-sleepwalk just to reach and turn the air con off.

·         Be on the lookout for best 2^nd hand (used) deals. My wife showed her haggling talent and got a 5-month old Canon IXUS 70 at 25 percent less than the original price - Not bad. But I banned her on my ebay’s buyers list – I can’t handle such hagglers.

·         Drive as if you’re participating in Petron’s Extra Mile challenge. Been doing it lately and I’m seeing an improvement both to my sanity and fuel economy. It’s also one way to discourage your friends from riding with you – who wants to be in a new car without an air conditioning on? Hahaha. Just kidding.

·         Watch only good movies (Catch the bad ones in HBO). Last week we watched “What Happens in Vegas” and we quite had a good laugh at it. Cinema: P240, Watching Aston Kutcher and Cameron Diaz: Priceless.  

·         Read restaurant reviews before dining in. This is what we learned with Fish & Co. where I read in some forums that even those known rich people find it overpriced. Too bad I read about it late enough. Last week was a different story; we had our sweet revenge in Bollywood. I enjoyed our dinner (but my wife didn’t) in this Indian cuisine restaurant and that made me dream of going to India to savor more of their foods. I’m wondering if there’s any other way we can commute there other than their trains – I have some “issues” with it. If there is, Bombay, count me in.

·         Pay and download only the music you like.  When I heard about it from my wife, I immediately agree with the idea; rather than buying a full CD (single artist) and feeling shortchanged later on after learning that your favorite artist himself has actually only one favorite song in his own album. Ti abi. But then again, I’d like to emphasize that this is not a reason to patronize pirated music. Buying pirated materials is not spending wisely. It is stealing. Period.

·         Grab every chance to join a raffle or contest. My wife got her pair of limited edition Havaianas 7 Waves for free after being included in the first 70 entries for their contest.  That will keep her from buying another Spartan enemy…for now. I’m thinking if I can sell this pair in ebay. Shhh.

 

There’s a rule to having a successful diet – do not deny yourself of your cravings as doing so will just make you binge in the end. Instead, eat everything (those obviously not hazardous) in moderation. Spending is no different. Cutting every expense out at once will have its repercussion. It is better to moderate it at first and depending on the availability of resources – i.e., money – try eliminating the unnecessary ones one at a time. Good luck.

 

 

Mother of Re-invention

I was trying to catch up on my multiply.com friends (I already had 90 unread updates) and once again I became curious on what’s new in the lomo world. Unfortunately nothing has been updated as I back track the site of an online buddy. It must have something to do with film developing time (?).

Since I’ve known digital photography and had eventually become an enthusiast or more aptly a fan, the discovery (thru time-killing-googling) of the lomo world never fails to fascinate me. I always wonder who in their right mind would buy an old film camera, spend money, of course, on films and then take the pain to queue at the developing centers and go back to get it at least an hour later. Some of the reasons I can think of are: they have friends in that store, they own the store, they haven’t heard of digital cameras yet. Cost is not in my list. Some of the old film cameras are more expensive than their digital counterparts.

Once again the questions linger. “Why lomo? Why not buy a digital camera instead? What’s the catch?”

Soon after I realized that embracing the old stuffs is not new (pun intended). There are things such as retro, new wave (ironically this genre is already old music), vintage, classic…and yes, lomo. If necessity is the mother of invention, then scarcity is the mother of re-invention – either of which will bring profits to the inventor and “re-inventor.” Moolah.

Some people are just born to sense that something is becoming scarce (and still needed) and have the ability to make the most out of it. And I’m not talking about hoarders. I’m talking about those people who value their things well and still believe in its potential. For lomo, it’s the potential to bring the feeling of nostalgia. It’s the potential to break away from the rules of photography.

That’s what I find good about lomo. It technically doesn’t have any rules. It’s photography’s “rebel without a cause.” And these cameras are deceiving. That is, they look like your typical yaya’s day-off cam but it can capture good photos if you know how to deal with it.

It’s funny but I actually tried looking for our old rusty film camera at home (while on vacation on Dec ’07) thinking that I can still use it. My excitement died down when I discovered that it uses a film that made the photo center sales lady smile when I inquired about it. She must be thinking I’m from out of this world. Ti abi. I think I’ll have to get my dose of lomo from those who are into it already just like I leave my craving for digital quality shots to my DSLR-addicted friends.

Of Writers and Photographers

“…I remember coming home a few days after EDSA 1 and playing it on the piano without interruption, and completing this five minute song in an unbelievable two minutes. How was that possible, if the song takes five minutes to sing…” – Jim Paredes

Athletes call it the “Playing the Zone”. It is a level where most play their best games. And this tends to continue as soon as they get into it and ends until they tire themselves out.

Similarly this applies to everything we do, day in day out. There are times when we spontaneously do something without even having to think about it. These are the times when everything seems to flow consistently in favor of a goal in mind. Even doing a simple household chore has its own zone.

And this zone is just as evident to writers and photographers, pro and non-pro.

The reason why I’m writing this blog because recently I felt as if I miss finding good and properly composed photos in my multiply.com network. Just a few months back there was a barrage of wonderful pictures coming from my on-line buddies but lately it seems none have posted such or as I suspect none captured any good ones. And shall I say composed something worth posting and flaunting? Hopefully, their Canon SLRs aren’t sitting in one corner, collecting molds and dusts. Hey guys keep shooting.

Well, this is also true with bloggers and reviewers. I missed the days when I’d read write ups so nice that I’d wonder if the man behind those articles (blogs) are pro in incognito or just plain individuals like me who haven’t got the bucks to purchase such expensive cameras and so therefore decided (maybe against their will) to write blogs instead. Besides this is what sets the two hobbies or pastimes apart. Photography enthusiasts (I hate it when most claim to be “Photographers”, just as bloggers claim to be as writers. Sometimes I’m guilty too), need at least a $1000 SLRs while all bloggers need is just an idea. Not a tough selection for me, of course.

A couple of weeks ago I reviewed some of my previous (more than a year ago) blogs and some made me smile and pat myself at the back; some made me turn red in embarrassment. My only consolation is my blog traffic is not that high (or could the poor compositions be one of the reasons why). Besides I don’t have a proofreader. There goes the ultimate alibi. Ti abi.

But I still remember the times when I wrote those wonderful blogs (again, just my opinion) were the times when I think I was immersed in the zone. I also observed that these are times when a favorite or good music either plays in the background or just inside my head. I think the rhythm does something with the composition especially if it goes with the emotions behind the idea that is currently set. My keyboard becomes the piano. Only difference is it produces a blog rather than music.

Even the people I admire and envy for having been gifted enough to possess such wonderful talents in both literature and photography, such as Jim Paredes and James Deakin doesn’t come free from blunders – that is, doing something out of the zone. I’ve read and seen some of their works and I can’t help but think, “Hey, this isn’t them”, or, “Did they really do this?” But then, these are busy guys and most likely the pressure of the deadlines just affects the outcome.

And with the Christmas season getting nearer each day, work activities piling up, vacations to consider, parties to attend to are all joining our already chaotic schedule, I still hope that people will still find time to focus on their tasks and duties – that is, to their online world. Let the wonderful blogs come and let those good photographic eyes capture the beauty of everyday life.