Noet Ravalo is back, and in his latest column, revealed that he and his family “dissaved” over the holidays. Check out his column on the real point of saving for the future.
Here’s an excerpt:
Over the holidays, my family and I dissaved. We took an unplanned family vacation to see relatives and friends we have not seen in over 10 years. My family thoroughly enjoyed it.
We always stress the virtue of saving because what we save is the treasure that we bring to the future. But what we often forget is that saving, in practice, does not mean that we should stop spending.
The point of saving is not only to accumulate but also to save for something. We cannot minimize for the sake of minimizing. Ibenizer Scrooge was a miser until the three ghosts put cause-and-effect in perspective. He had that privilege; some of us may come to that conclusion too late.
Think of this when, next time, your more good-looking and more popular younger brother visits you and you want to lecture him about saving for the future! Nyahaha.
Seriously, I wouldn’t even dream of stopping to take annual vacations for the extra money it will add to the retirement kitty. We all must save for the future. As my previous blog post says “no one can afford NOT to save.” But it’s a balancing act between now and that distant year ahead.
Having said that, here are some moments of frantic frugality I have observed in myself and some people around me. Perhaps you can add yours, in the interest of sharing and humor:
1. Clipping coupons from the newspaper. Do you also have those McDonalds coupons in your wallet?
2. Waiting for more than 30 minutes to withdraw from my bank’s ATM machine when another one close by doesn’t have a long line
3. Using a National Bookstore plastic bag – yep the red one – to cover a book (seriously, I saw someone do this)
It may take awhile to remember those moments, but I’m sure you can come up with one or two. 
February 1st, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Salve,
Here’s my list to save :
1. Turn off lights / electric fans when nobody is in the area ..
2. Fix all leaking faucets
3. Change to flouriscent lights if possible , consumes less electricity
4. Walk if the destination is near , good excercise as well.
5. Do garage sale every 2 years keep profit in the bank.
6. Have list when going to grocery and stick to it, we noticed without a list our cart goes full to the rim…;-)
7. Recycle grocery plastics as garbage bags.
February 1st, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Salve, ako din I find my tita amusing. But she’s no Scrooge. She put up her own foundation and gives generously to charity. I don’t know if she has a vow of poverty since she’s deeply religious. I’m too shy to say we’ll be happy to help you get rid of that temptation of wealth.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:13 am
salina and pinoy investor, please don’t think i was laughing at your tita! in fact, bilib ako sa kanya :-).
January 31st, 2008 at 11:45 pm
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Salve Says:
January 31st, 2008 at 3:05 pm
eicon aviva, i got a lot of those recycled christmas gifts last December hahaha. this is a good thing to ask people: do you get offended when you get a recycled christmas gift? YEs or NO?
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If you’re asking me, I’ll say NO! gifts is not really important to me. Chrismas card or just say, Merry christmas will do.
After all is not all the people in the world can afford to buy gifts! Whats in a person heart the most important.
January 31st, 2008 at 11:39 pm
5
Salve Says:
January 31st, 2008 at 3:06 pm
pinoy investor, THAT’s really frugal! hahaha. di kaya ng powers ko yan :). Maybe that’s why I don’t have 160M hahaha.
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Salve: Being FRUGAL nothing to be ashame of I’m very frugal when it comes to money and proud of it. While most of my friends losing their homes I’m on top of the world. If you know what I mean.
Like your blog say, “Money smarts”