Property Tax 2020

Hay, another big gastos! We received na our property tax notice two days ago, kailangan ng magbayad on or before July 2, 2020.

This is one of the drawbacks of owning a house, may property tax na kailangang bayaran. Naalala ko tuloy when we were just renting in Surrey, ang dami naming extra money lol. Rent at electricity lang kasi ang binabayaran namin. Naisip ko na nga rin noon, what if hindi na kami bumili ng bahay forever? We can save a lot! Pero syempre at the end of the day, doon pa rin kami sa magkaroon ng sariling bahay. Iba ang sense of ownership eh, parang feeling mo may lugar ka talaga sa mundo. Pero syempre, you have to 'pay' to experience that feeling.

At eto na nga, it's the time of the year again. My husband opted to pay our property tax once a year na lang para isang gastusan na lang. Pwede rin kasing gawing monthly yan para hindi mabigat (katulad ng ginawa namin sa previouse house namin sa Edmonton).

Are you curious kung magkano ang 2020 tax nitong humble abode namin? Sige disclose ko na tutal wala naman gaanong nagbabasa nitong blog lol.

It's $1,841.86 or approximately Php73,000+.  If you divide it in 12, $153.49 (Php6,140) per month.

Actually dapat $2,686.86 talaga ang tax pero mayroong Home Owner Grant dito na tinatawag wherein makakadiscount ka ng malaking amount if you use the property as your primary residence. Kaya ayun, nakatipid kami ng $845.

Nagkausap kami ng friend ko from Edmonton and I was shocked that they are paying $3500+ yearly tax for their single detached home na may value ng at least $100,000 less than our townhouse. Ang alam ko kasi, based sa assessed value ng property ang tax. So ibig sabihin mas mahal property tax sa Alberta kesa British Columbia?

Ooops, by the way, every year we receive din a Property Assessment Notice. Nakalagay dyan kung magkano na ang current "value" ng property mo at dyan din bine-base ang tax amount syempre.

The value of our townhouse decreased by 5% this year. In general, bumaba talaga ang value ng lahat ng properties ngayon due to many factors -- law of supply and demand, government policies in home-buying, etc. Tapos siguro next year mas bababa pa dahil sa Covid?  Pero ayos lang yan, wag na lang pansinin tutal hindi naman ibebenta pa. Tataas uli yan later on.

Our water and electricity bill

Finally,  dumating na rin ang water at electricity bill namin. Medyo ilang linggo rin kaming na-curious kung magkano aabutin ang konsumo namin dito sa bahay eh.

By the way, this townhouse was turned over to us on November 14, 2018 but we only officially moved on the night of November 20. Here in Canada, every two months sila maningil ng kuryente at tubig kaya nito nga lang namin nakuha ang first ever utility bills namin.

Electricity

From November 14, 2018 to January 16, 2018, they charged us $302.44 (or around Php12,100.00). Dividing it by 58 days (instead of 64 kasi nga November 20 kami lumipat), that's around $5.21 (Php210.00) per day or $160 (Php6,300) per month.

Not bad, actually. Kasi kasama na ang space at water heating dyan. Pati na rin ang cooking (stove) at washing at drying. Winter kasi ngayon kaya 24-7 na nakabukas ang heater. Our townhouse is medium-sized kaya medyo malaki rin ang pinaiinitan. Kung ikukumpara mo sa Pinas, sobrang mura na talaga pumapatak ang kuryente dito. Imagine mo sa Pinas kung magkano aabutin ang bill mo kung maghanapon-magdamag na nakabukas ang centralized aircon. Ginto, grabe.

We'll compare sa summer kung magkano ang bill kapag hindi na kami naka-heater (pero portable aircon naman ang gumagana).


Water.

Sa water naman, $56.27 (discounted final amount) ang binayaran namin for 65 days (November 14, 2018 to January 17, 2019). Dividing it by 59 days, pumapatak na $0.95 (or Php40.00) lang siya per day o around $30.00 (Php1,200) per month. Hindi na rin masama kasi hindi naman ako nagtitipid talaga ng tubig lalo na sa paghuhugas ng pinggan at paliligo (#guilty).

Our water bill could rise up a bit siguro during the summer kung magbababad kami sa bathtub o magi-inflate kami ng swimming pool for Nathan o maghuhugas kami ng car sa labas, pero I am sure hindi pa rin ganun kalaki ang aabutin.

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So there, our water and electricity bill for the past two months. Later on, ita-tabulate ko naman ang kabuuang monthly expenses namin para magka-idea kayo how much we're spending. =)


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NOTE: Other households have natural gas connection (meron din kami nun dati sa Edmonton) for space/water heating, gas oven, barbecue grill, etc. but we opted not to get one kasi nga all our appliances naman are electric-powered. Yung barbecue grill lang namin ang nangangailangan ng gas connection but my husband is planning to replace it na lang kasi sayang daw kung doon lang namin gagamitin. May fixed fee din yata kasi kahit hindi ka nag-konsumo in a month eh hindi naman laging nagba-barbecue lalo na kapag winter o umuulan.

Edmonton Trip 2018: Expenses

Hello, hello! I went MIA again, I know. Ang hirap kasi pag nanggaling ka sa bakasyon di ba, parang gusto mo pa ng isa pang vacation from that vacation? Nakakaloka.

Anyway, before I make kwento about our recent trip to Alberta last August 3-7, 2018, share ko muna sa inyo ang naging expenses namin. Natapos ko na kasing i-compute. Gusto ko lang din talagang ma-document ito kaya iba-blog ko in detail hehe.

So magkano nga ba ang nagastos namin?

We've shelled out at least $1103.10 (or Php44,124.00) for this trip. Eto yung breakdown:

• Gas -- $355.14 (Php14,205.60). Honestly, medyo nagulat ako dito haha. Akala ko around $250 lang ang balikan. Pero sabagay, dumaan pa kasi kami ng Lake Louise at Banff. Mahigit 20+ hours kaming nag-drive noong first day at 14+ hours pauwi.  But take note, maliit lang ang kotse namin ha. Mas magastos pa syempre kapag malaki ang sasakyan.

• Food -- $313.34 (Php12,533.60). Halos wala kaming ginastos sa Edmonton sa pagkain kasi pinakain talaga kami nang husto ng mga kaibigan namin (once lang kami kumain sa labas sa Edmonton kasi namiss namin ang crispy pata ng Manila Grill). Yan lang yung mga kain namin sa biyahe (ang mahal ng pagkain sa Banff!). Ahh, at may beer pa pala dyan na binili ni Ford para sa inuman nila.

• Pasalubong -- $312.57 (Php12,502.80). Almost 30% din pala ng total trip ang napunta sa pasalubong na siopao, Purefoods hotdogs, at Krispy Kreme para sa mga kaibigan namin sa Edmonton. Medyo kulang nga eh, dapat mas marami pa pala, kaso ang bigat din kapag sabay-sabay silang bibigyan hehe.

• Others -- $87.10 (Php3,484.00). Included dito yung Banff Park fees, WEM Galaxyland admission fees, at car wash. Parang yan lang naman.

• Souvenirs -- $34.95 (Php1,398.00). Syempre hindi pwedeng hindi gastusan ang souvenirs. Ref magnets lang naman, actually. Souvenir-shopping ang pinaka-enjoyable part ng trip para sakin haha. Medyo nagsisi pa nga ako kasi I should have bought more, kaso nga namamahalan din ako. Di bale, nandyan lang naman ang Alberta. Babalik uli kami syempre.

Not included in this list pala are other auxiliary expenses like new clothes, gas (in buying pasalubong), other food baon, etc.

Kung tutuusin matipid pa talaga yan kasi nga nag-stay kami sa house ng friends namin tapos libre kain haha. Pinoy hospitality at its finest talaga. #Ilovemyfriends

$1103.10 is not a small amount here in Canada pero I am glad that we were able to reunite with our very good friends in Edmonton for that amount. Priceless ang naging bonding namin. If only we could visit them every year hay.

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Note: $1.00 = Php40.00

On buying toys for Nathan

I've been reviewing our expenses for the past three months (I started making a list since July 1) and was shocked to realize that we've spent quite a lot on Nathan's toys. Around $300 na, hindi pa included yung mga happy meal toys and other educational materials.

At ang dami pa naming naka-line up na bilhin for his birthday and Christmas ha.

I honestly have no idea kung normal ba yun o we are going overboard na. How often should we buy new toys ba?

Now that Nathan is exposed with toy reviews in Youtube, ayun panay na ang request. And mind you, very expensive toys yun ha. Dati-dati kahit isama namin siya sa Toys R Us eh wala lang, ngayon talagang may mga specific toys na siyang gusto.

Mataas pa rin naman ang EQ niya. He's willing to wait. He's expecting us to gift him with a huge Paw Patrol Lookout on his birthday and an animal farm toy set for Christmas. Puwera pa yung requests niyang Peppa Pig House from Lola Lucy and "big" hotwheels from Grandpa. Tapos me batman ang spiderman pa na nadagdag, nakakaloka!

For Christmas, I am planning to wrap at least five toy gifts for him. Para marami siyang bubuksan kasi wala naman ibang magbibigay sa kanya dito. Ngayon pa lang iniisip ko na kung anu-ano ang mga yun at kung magkano ang budget haha.

FORD: "Kaya pala maraming toys si Oliver (his cousin) noong bata. Tingnan mo mukha ng anak mo."

The challenge really is how to control ourselves from buying toys for him. I know that there are many other parents really who spoil their children, but Ford and I grew up in simple families kaya hindi kami sanay sa maraming toys.

Here are the reasons why we keep on buying toys:

• Nathan has no other playmate. I need things to help me entertain him.
• Nathan now appreciates toys. He knows na what he wants. Ford made a promise to him when he was a baby that he will buy him toys pag naglalaro na talaga siya (ayan tuloy, napasubo siya).
• Kahit kami ni Ford, natutuwa sa toys. Dahil nga ba fixated din kami? Katulad sa microwave na ito, ako ang aliw na aliw. And Ford couldn't wait na mas lumaki pa si Nathan para mabilhan niya ng toy soldiers at yung lumilipad na helicopter.
• Toys are relatively cheaper here in Canada kumpara sa Pinas. I am a sucker for great deals, kapag nakakita talaga ako ng mura eh nanghihinayang akong hindi bilhin.
• Because it's hard to say no to your child when you can afford naman yung pinapabili.

Siguro yung last reason ang talagang struggle. Sinabi ko nga yun sa mother ko dati, na mahirap tumanggi sa anak lalo na at may pambili ka naman. Lalo na dito sa Canada na maliit ang denomination ng pera at hindi thousands lol. Parang ang mura-mura lang tuloy ng $49.95 na toy haha.

When I was a kid, I got used to my mom's saying "no" whenever I would ask her to buy me a toy from the market (oo sa palengke na nga lang olats pa rin). Ok lang naman because I knew na wala nga yun sa budget. Hindi naman ako bitter. Kaya nga noong lumaki ako eh saka na lang ako nagbibili ng toys ko. Seriously.

So now that I have a son, ONLY SON mind you, syempre gusto kong malaro niya lahat ng gusto nyang laruin. Isip-isip ko, minsan lang naman siya bata. Saka kinikita naman (ng asawa ko lol) ang pera, ang saya sa mukha ng bata, priceless talaga.

I am thankful though kasi nga hindi pa naman dumarating sa point na nagi-iiyak o nagwawala siya kapag ayaw naming bilhan ng toy (except for the toy vacuum when he was one year old kasi gustung-gusto niyang gayahin ang daddy niya kapag nagva-vacuum). Napapaliwanagan pa namin siya na hindi palaging pwedeng bumili ng toy agad agad and that he has to wait kung may gusto siya. So far, happy na siyang makapag-ikot-ikot lang sa Toys R Us or Disney Store.

Hope he maintains that attitude. I would like to believe that he has his dad's Ilocano blood, matiisiin at matipid haha, kasi pag nagkataon, mapupunta talaga sa kanya ang malaking bulk ng budget namin. Sabi ko naman sa inyo, hindi ko yan matitiis. #BadParenting, I know.

Daily Expenses List

We started tracking down our expenses (again) since July 1st. We did the same thing last year and it was super effective. By listing our daily gastos, we became more cautious and conscious on how we spend. Na-itemize namin lahat ng expenses - food, car, house maintenance, dining out, miscellaneous, etc. Dahil dun, nakapag-stick kami sa budget namin.

And yep, we did it the old-fashioned way. Mano-manong lista. Mas madali kasi kesa i-excel, pwede kang maglista anytime na may libreng oras ka. Hindi mo na kailangang magbukas ng computer. Saka isa pa, I am and will always be a pen and paper girl. At least nagagamit ko ang ballpens ko. Nakakamiss din kasing magsulat sa totoo lang.

Anyway, with the same intention of saving up, mukhang palpak na ang simula namin. Imagine, in 18 days, nakaka-$2100 na kami! Wala pang fixed expenses dun ha (like rent, utility bills, car mortgage, insurance), puro food, kain sa labas at luho lang. Kung kelan pa kami naglista saka pa lumaki ang gastos nakakaloka.

We started the month wrong yata kasi. Canada Day noong July 1 so naumpisahan agad ng gastos that long weekend. We went pa to Seattle Premium Outlets at nakapag-shopping ko konti. Tapos kain kami ng kain sa labas. Idagdag pa ang pag-splurge sa Paw Patrol toys ng mag-amang Coblancs (around $180 na as of this time). Tapos panay bili rin ako (guilty!).

Whew, sa bagay, ok na nga rin na nakapaglista kami. At least may idea na kami kung magkano na ba talaga ang nagagastos namin. Mahirap yung vague eh, ung alam mo lang na malaki pero wala ka naman talagang actual figure.

Tagtipid na kami in the remaining 10 days. Goodluck naman samin.