Always check the receipt

I went back to tracking our expenses since we got back here last June 8. As I have mentioned in my previous post, naglilista na talaga ako ng mga nagagastos namin everyday para namomonitor ko kung magkano ba talaga ang total expenses namin every month.

At nawindang ako ha! In 20 days na nandito kami, would you believe na $2133.04 (o around Php85,500.00) na ang nagastos namin? Walang fixed expenses (like apartment rental, electricity, phone, insurance, etc.) na kasama yan ha. Talagang mga purchases lang.

Grabe, ang gastos ko talaga. When Nathan and I were in the Philippines, sobrang liit lang ng gastos ng asawa ko. Ako talaga ang factor kung bakit hindi kami yumayaman lol!

Oh well, sabi naman ng asawa ko eh ayos lang yan. Kasi may mga pinagkagastusan naman kami na hindi naman palagi -- katulad ng renewal ng costco membership ($60), bike at helmet ni Nathan ($103), graduation cash gift for Ford's inaanak in the US (USD100 or CAD135), etc. Saka dahil matagal kaming nawala, ubos talaga ang grocery stock dito sa bahay (hindi kasi nagluluto ang asawa ko) kaya malaki talaga ang napamili naming pagkain the past 3 weeks. Tapos bumili pa kami ng mga Pyrex glass food containers at ilang frying pans. Ah basta, try kong pababain ang expenses namin next month. Kailangan talagang magtipid kasi nga magkaka-bahay na kami uli. Ang dami-daming gastos!

Anyway, medyo nagka-backlog ako sa pag-tabulate ng expenses namin kasi nga may mga pinagawa sakin ang asawa ko the past nights. Kagabi ko lang naayos uli ang listahan ko.

And guess what, ito ang nadiscover ko:

Twice akong na-charge sa popcorn! Waaaaah!

I know na $1.00 lang yan (plus 5% tax) kaso nakakasama pa rin ng loob syempre. Php42 pesos din yan kung iko-convert.

I don't blame the cashier naman kasi I am sure she didn't intentionally scan the item twice, overly sensitive lang siguro ang scanner. Ako naman was busy putting the other items on the counter kaya hindi ko rin napansin. But I should have checked the receipt after. Pwede namang pasadahan ng tingin saglit.

This isn't the first time that it happened to me in Dollarama. Probably two years ago, I paid $30+ something without checking the receipt. Medyo nabigla ako sa total amount na lumabas sa screen but I paid anyway, without bothering to check the receipt. Two days later, nang makita ko ang resibo sa bag ko, I was shocked kasi may unang tatlong $3 sa list of purchases ko. Talagang wala akong binili na ganun kahit anong isip ko. Kaya pala umabot ng $30+ ang total ko kasi almost $10 na yung na-mischarge sa akin. Pero syempre wala na akong nagawa, pano ko pa babawiin yun? Sobrang nanlata talaga ako.

Hay tapos eto na naman ako. Buti nga yung $1 ang nadoble. Paano kung yung $4?

Lesson learned na talaga! From now on talagang babantayan ko na ang pag-scan ng items ko sa lahat ng bilihan. Tapos iche-check ko ang receipt after.

Movie Tickets From Costco

The last time Ford and I were able to watch a movie here in Canada was in July 2014 pa sa Edmonton. I was five months pregnant with Nathan that time at talagang nanood kami ng KathNiel movie (lol, jologs!) kasi alam namin na after I give birth, matatagalan na talaga uli bago kami makanood ng sine.

And fast forward to four years later, hindi na nga kami nakanood haha! Kung merong Filipino movies that we want to watch, nagpe-pay-per-view na lang kami sa TFC.TV. To be honest, hindi naman kami mahilig talagang manood ng sine kaya keri lang. Sa Netflix lang eh solved na kami.

Pero syempre I still wondered kung kelan nga ba kami uli makakapasok sa sinehan, lalo na at may movie house dito malapit sa amin na palagi naming nadadaanan.

Pero wag ka, just a couple of days ago, we heard our son saying na gusto niyang manood ng Incredibles 2. Puro kasi yan ang laman ng youtube ngayon.

Haha, napag-usapan na namin ni Ford ito not long ago. Sabi namin makakanood kami uli ng sine pero for sure pambata ang palabas dahil nga kay TanTan. Eh parehas pa naman kaming di mahilig sa mga ganyan. Pero syempre no choice kasi ang batang yun ang sentro ng buhay namin lol.

At eto na nga, nag-aya na ang bata. I've seen several FB friends na nagsasama na ng anak sa sinehan, na mga mas bata pa kay Nathan, so I agreed na rin with hubby na manood na nga kami ng sine. Siya naman kasi ang hindi makatiis sa request ng anak hehe.

Ang technique namin kapag manonood ng sine is to buy the tickets in Costco. Mas good deal kasi.

Landmark Cinemas yung movie house na malapit sa amin kaya syempre ito na ang binili namin (meron din silang Cineplex):

For Adults (two pax)

For Kids (one pax)

Haha, medyo naguluhan si Nathaniel kung bakit "big" daw yung ticket. Ang idea niya kasi ng tickets ay maliit -- as in yung tickets na lumalabas sa mga arcade games haha!

Actually yung cardboard na yan ay for payment purposes lang naman. Pagkabayad mo sa cashier, pupunta ka sa may area ng Manager at siya ang magbibigay ng actual tickets.

We paid a total of $42.50 for the tickets ($28.99 + 11.49 = 42.50 + 5% tax). Approximately Php1,700.00 na iyan.

(Note: I didn't know until now na wala palang PST o Provincial Sales Tax na 7% ang movie tickets)

Now how much were we able to save?

Kung sa cinema kami mismo bibili ng tickets, $12.99 each ang adult at 8.99 ang bata. So aabutin ng $36.72 ang three tickets (tax included na).

Yung difference na $5.78 lang bale ang worth ng two medium drinks and two medium popcorn for us ni hubby at snack pack (one small drinks, one small popcorn, at one candy treat) for Nathan. Kaya sobrang good deal na talaga. Ang mahal ng pagkain sa sinehan, alam nyo naman. In fact, yung snack pack nila for kids ay worth $9.00+ na (according to Landmark Cinemas' website).

So there, if you want to watch movies with popcorn and drinks, at dalawa kayo (hindi pwedeng isa o odd number kasi nga good for two ang binebenta nila), better buy sa Costco. Sobrang sulit din yung tickets for kids. Ang drawback nga lang is that you have to be a Costco Member to be able to purchase from them.

We'll be watching later tonight (Friday) and we're excited. Sa totoo lang di kami excited ni Daddy Ford sa Incredibles 2 kasi nga di naman kami mahilig doon pero syempre looking forward kami sa first movie experience namin as a family. Nagreserve na kami ng seats online kaya sure na na makakapanood kami.

Chikahan ko uli kayo later! =)

#CheapEats: Fresh Slice (pizza by the slice)

Ever since I got diagnosed with diabetes last year, ito na lang yatang Fresh Slice ang kinakainan ko sa mga foodcourt. Kasi dito per slice ang bili ng pizza at tantyado ko na that my sugar level wouldn't rise kung isang slice lang naman ang kakainin ko. In fact, I noticed na kapag ito lang ang kinakain ko for dinner, nababawasan ako ng weight haha. Sabi ko friend ko, meron daw isang food talaga na no matter how "unhealthy" or "fattening" ay makakapagpapayat sayo. Hmm, totoo kaya yun?

Anyway, if you're on a budget din at ayaw mong mag-splurge ng $10-13 sa foodcourt, mag-Fresh Slice ka na nga lang.

Maraming flavors to choose from (minsan nga lang you have to wait kung naubos yung gusto mo at nagbe-bake pa sila):

A slice only costs $1.99 (classic flavor) or $2.59 (feast flavor). Pwede ng ipambayad yung mga barya-barya mo sa bulsa. Additional $1.00 if you want to add a cup of pop (or softdrinks).

Ayan for $3.77 (tax included), may dinner na ako. Around Php150.00 na yan pero syempre dito sa Canada mura na yan hehe.

I always order the "all meat" flavor kasi feeling ko sobrang nabubusog ako talaga sa protein. Very filling siya. At ang sarap din ng Diet Pepsi nila ha.

Solb na ako talaga dito! No guilt-feeling pa. =)

Cheap haircut for Nathan

I am so happy -- mukhang graduate na kami ni Daddy Ford sa pagpapa-kiddie salon! =)

Ever since we arrived here in Pinas last January 10, I've been bugging Nathan na to get a haircut. He was asking me kung sa SM (or mall) daw ba (kasi alam niyang may cars doon ang gupitan) but when I said no, nagpa-panic. Ayaw daw niya sa T&T (where his dad gets his haircut) or sa regular adult parlor. So na-delay nang na-delay.

But last Sunday (January 21), I was able to convince him na kasi kumakati na ang tenga niya. Tumutusok na kasi yung buhok. Napansin ko marami na rin siyang butlig-butlig, probably dahil sa pawis na tumutulo from his hair (sobrang pinagpapawisan siya dito), kaya I seriously talked to him. Sabi ko we really need to cut his hair na or else his ears will continue to itch. Ayun, pumayag na rin, on the condition na kasama dapat si Lola Lucy (my mother) and Ate Charry (our kasambahay). So ayun, isang tropa kaming sumugod sa parlor sa "may kanto" haha!

I was expecting na magpa-panic siya pagkakita sa parlor but he was surprisingly calm. Pangiti-ngiti pa. We waited for around twenty minutes pa siguro kasi may nauna sa amin.

The owner of the parlor (my mother's suki) outright told us that he doesn't cut children's hair. Takot daw siya. Sabi namin si Ryan (her assistant and technically my nephew because his father is my second cousin) naman ang ineexpect naming gugupit (because Mamoosh already saw him cutting a small child's hair before). Right there and then, I was confiddent na that we won't have problems with Nathan anymore, na magbe-behave siya (na parang sa dentist at clinic).

And true enough, he willingly sat in the "high" chair when instructed to do so tapos pangiti-ngiti pa haha!

Everyone in the parlor was impressed because he was so behaved. He sat still the whole time. Unlike his previous haircuts na less than five minutes lang yata inabot kasi buzz cut lang, medyo matagal this time kasi nga medyo may style. Hindi plain semi-kal(bo) lang. Pero the little boy was very patient, nakakatuwa talaga.

I was so proud of him. At sa isip-isip ko, sa wakas malaki na matitipid namin ng daddy niya! Pwede na rin namin siyang pagupitan ng madalas sa Canada kasi around $12 na lang din ang babayaran namin.

Because we live in the province, Php50.00 lang ang gupit! I gave Php100.00 to Ryan and told him to keep the change. Sobrang entertain naman din kasi ang ginawa samin haha! Saka ang laki nga rin ng natipid ko, imagine kung sa Cuts 4 Tots Trinoma kami nagpagupit, at least Php400 yan! Plus gas, parking at chibog pa (wala kasing kiddie salon dito sa area namin).

My mother was so happy with the outcome. Hate niya kasi yung sobrang upod na gupit ni Nathan dati. Eh kaso kailangan namin ipaupod talaga para matagal bago humaba.

Parang gusto ko na tuloy uling pagupitan si Nathan next month! Kung ganito ba naman kamura, kahit talaga every month pwede hehe.

New Year's Resolutions 2018

Parang di pa rin nagsi-sink in sa akin na 2018 na. Ambilis talaga ng araw!

Anyway, I made a list of my new year's resolutions. I actually stopped making resolutions a long time ago, ngayon na lang uli. Wala lang, para may pang-reckon hehe.

1. Continue with weight loss. I lost 18lbs since August 16, 2017. Medyo napako na nga ang weight ko recently (lalo na this holiday season) kaya kailangang maging conscious uli sa pagkain at paggalaw-galaw. I am still overweight and I need to lose more pounds.

2. Take better care of self (especially skin). I am now on my late 30s (huhu) and sadly, my physical appearance has deteriorated na rin talaga. Obvious na obvious na na #TitaOfVancouver na ang peg hay. Hindi rin kasi ako maalaga, lalo na nung nagka-anak ako at naburo sa bahay. I used to have great skin pero dahil iba nga rin ang weather at water dito, grabe na sa pagka-dry (and I became dark huhu). I am hoping na mahabol ko pa na madelay ang inevitable aging ko.

3. Dress well again. I was never a fashionista but I can objectively say that I dressed well during my dalaga days. Gusto kong bumalik sa dati. I want my husband and son to be proud of me. I sort of lost my interest in dressing up din kasi when I gained a lot of weight, syempre wala nang bagay na damit. Pero ngayon nakakatuwa kasi nagkakasya na uli sa akin yung mga ibang damit na nakaliitan ko na.

4. Be more mindful in spending. I am naturally magastos. Sobrang hilig kong magshopping at bumili ng kung anu-ano. But this year, I'll try to be more careful sa paggasta, lalo na since we are planning to purchase a place already. Iwas muna sa unnecessary spending.

5. Start purging. Since I shop a lot, I naturally have a lot of things. Ang problema is that I never let go of them. Would you believe na yung mga damit ko noong 20s ako ay nasa closet ko pa sa Marilao? Kung hindi kami na-Ondoy last 2009, kahit mga gamit ko mula pagkabata ay tiyak nandun pa. Dito sa Canada, ang dami-dami naming gamit sa storage na hindi na naman namin kailangan yet hindi ko malet-go. My husband is telling me na dahil sa mga "kalat" ko, nagbabayad kami ng mahal sa storage. I really need to do something about it. I'll dispose all those things na. For sure, we will be moving to a smaller place later on (smaller than our previous home) so wala na talagang space for them. I will declutter and purge.

6. Be a better wife and mother. With all honesty, I will admit that I wasn't able to give my best to my mag-ama the past year. Siguro dahil na rin nagkasakit ako at mas napagtuunan ko ang mga sarili kong concerns. Saka naging too complacent din ako because I know that they love still me even if I am not lovable at times. Ahh basta, babawi ako sa kanila.

7. Document more. I love documenting, orientation ko rin kasi yan as a Sociology graduate. This year, I'll try to "save more memories." I'll produce photo books and get back at journaling. I'll take more photos and videos (especially of my son who's growing up too fast) and share them with my family and friends in social media (what's the use of having all those kung hindi ishe-share lol).

8. Blog as often as possible. I love blogging because this is one form of documentation. Online diary ko ito eh. So I will try to blog as often as I can. Hahanapan ko talaga ng time at energy. I also promise (to myself) na hahabulin ko pati backlogs ko kasi andami-dami kong hindi pa napopost dito. Kumbaga, kulang-kulang ang istorya ng buhay ko kaya dapat buuin.

9. Be grateful always. Bukambibig ko ang salitang grateful pero kadalasan hindi ko rin naiinternalize talaga. More often than not, I dwell on the negative, nakakalimutan kong magpasalamat sa kung ano ang meron ako. I will aspire to develop a grateful heart from now on, yung mas nakakaappreciate ng kahit maliliit na bagay o pangyayari. For sure magiging mas masaya ako.

So there! I will look back at this list a year from now and see what happened.

Kayo, anong new year's resolution ninyo? =)

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.

#CheapEats: KFC's Tuesday Special

I've only known about KFC's Tuesday Special recently. Hindi na rin kasi ako kumakain sa KFC dito. Mas masarap pa kasi ang fried chicken na niluluto ko lol. But since my son only eats fried chicken, minsan napapabili ako ng $5 Fill Ups kapag nasa labas kami para may mapakain ako sa kanya.

But one Tuesday night, ayun nga napansin ko na may special promo sila.

For $3.29 (plus 5% tax, of course), you'll get a 2-piece chicken plus fries.

Hmmm, so ito ang ginawa nilang pamalit sa Toonie Tuesday na matagal nang naglaho. Obviously, di na nila pwedeng tawaging toonie ang tuesday special nila kasi nga 3 dollars plus na siya. I am not sure though kung sa British Columbia lang ito available o meron din sa ibang provinces. Pero hindi ako ito napansin sa Edmonton dati.

So ito ang value ng $3.45 (tax included) mo:

Super liit ng chicken, sa totoo lang. Yung leg part, makakain mo un two bites. Seriously. Bitin tuloy ang anak ko.

Syempre wala rin siyang gravy at drinks. I read from somewhere that you can add a drink for just a dollar (di ko pa lang nasubukan). It makes sense kasi ang mahal na papatak kapag nag-softdrinks ka pa.

Oh well ganun talaga. Mura pa rin yan dito kung tutuusin. Pantawid-gutom.

#CheapEats: Go-Grill (Central City)

Ford and I love eating out. Sa Pinas dati halos everyday akong nagdi-dinner sa labas (mostly fastfood lang naman). Ford naman is used to eating alone (and he doesn't cook) so talagang sanay na siyang magdine-out. At dahil parehas kaming hindi makatiis na lutong-bahay lang ang kinakain all the time, ang laki talaga ng gastos namin talaga.

Katulad nga ng sinasabi ko all time, we might be earning dollars here pero in dollars din ang expenses kaya wala rin. Admittedly, hindi rin naman kami talaga matipid. Ang rationale ko, nagpunta ba kami dito sa Canada para i-deprive ang sarili namin? Parang hindi naman dapat ganun.

Anyway, we usually eat on sit-down restos during weekends or kapag may okasyon. Kapag ordinaryong araw at we feel like eating dinner out (pagkauwi ni hubby from work), maghahanap lang kami ng cheap na makakainan na katulad ng Mc Donald's o sa foodcourt ng mall. Pero naku ha, hindi naman talaga mura ang meal sa foodcourts dito. Maga-average ka rin ng $10-13/pax para sa simpleng pagkain. So kapag kaming dalawa, around $25 (or roughly Php1,000). Wala pang drinks yun ha.

Kaya nga I am thrilled whenever I discover a kainan na "cheap." At least I won't feel guilty kasi nga hindi ganun kamahal.

Just two days ago, we were at the Central City and I got to try Go-Grill's "Specials." Lagi daw kumakain dito ang asawa ko dati (when we were vacationing in Pinas) kasi nga mura.

At $6.25 (5.95 + 5% tax), may nakakabusog na kanin at ulam ka na. Masarap din siya, in fairness. Pero sige na nga, hindi pa rin ganun kamura kung iko-convert sa pesos kasi papatak na Php250 siya, kaso mataas talaga ang cost of living dito sa Canada eh. Lalo na dito sa Vancouver area.

Other Chinese stores in the foodcourt may offer the same one-rice + one dish for the same price but what I like about this Go-Grill Specials is that they cook it after you order kaya mainit pa talaga. Ang dami ring rice saka meat, very filling.

The drawback though is that pure meat siya, walang veggies na kasama. Kung gusto mo ng gulay, add $2.49 (plus tax). Not bad pa rin kung tutuusin kasi may drinks na na kasama.

I wish lahat ng foodcourts ng mall ay may ganitong cheap meal. Para hindi nako magluluto ng dinner haha! Kaso sabi ng asawa ko sa Central City lang meron nito kasi may school sa itaas, pang-student meal kumbaga.

Hanap pa ako ng ibang murang machichibugan dito sa Metro Vancouver. Stay tuned. =)

Nathan @ 2 Months

Thirteen is my new favorite number. And I am so excited to welcome the 13th day of every month because that means another 'birthday' celebration for Nathan!

January 13, 2015. As usual, it was just another party for three. But I told Mylene and Cecil that we'll invite them some time in summer for Nathan's monthly birthday. We just couldn't do that now because it's winter and our house is a big mess. I am also still recovering (yeah, I am taking it soooo slow) and I can't host a party yet.

My two-month old looks so big na on this picture noh? I myself was shocked! It's only been two months but he doesn't look that baby anymore! In fact, he already wore the Baby Mickey shirt which we thought he would wear this summer pa or when we go home in Pinas. It was his first time to wear a t-shirt and he looked so cute!

Anyway, what excites me the most about this day was the cake of course! I think I did pretty well on his first month cake so I have to live with the expectations haha!

But since Ford and I aren't really into eating cakes (in fact, ni hindi nga namin natikman yung first cake), I thought of buying just a slice. Sa Safeway kami nakabili for only $3.

I wasn't able to find a nice cake topper so I just asked Ford to have Nathan's picture printed in their office. I posted it on a card board para matigas saka ko itinusok sa cake. The result is this:

Simple yet 'personalized.' I want my son to know later on that in my own little ways, I tried to make things special for him.

This is the close-up look pala of the picture on the cake. My son's so adorable! #biasedmom

Since Nathan's second month fell on a Tuesday (and we just had buffet dinner the day before for our 3rd wedding anniversary), I just asked Ford to buy pancit palabok and crispy pata at Manila Grill Express. Nagustuhan kasi namin yun the last time we went there. The pork giniling was cooked by yours truly.

Almost all of our plates are Corelle and I've grown tired of them. I wanted something colorful plating for my baby's handa but expensive dinner wares are not on the budget yet. Thankfully, I found some cheap stoneware plates and bowls and glasses at Dollar Tree! Ayan, pati sa table setting ay excited na rin ako!

More than the superficiality of celebrating a monthly birthday, Ford and I are really grateful that our son is growing well. Health wise, we never had any major 'concern' for him. He seems happy and healthy.

I noticed that he started smiling a lot and 'interacting' with us when he was just five weeks old (December 23 to be exact, thanks to my hobby of taking pictures and documenting Nathan's every move!). We were impressed. Physically, he's quite a big boy with nice flawless skin, chubby body, and adorable little face. A lot of people were telling us that he doesn't look like two months only. He can even hold his head steady na. We are very very proud of him!

Thank you for being such a good boy, anak! Keep it up! We are so looking forward to your 3rd month birthday! We love you!

A hair cut, finally!

Finally, my husband had his hair cut and beard shaven! Hallelujah!

This was his BEFORE look:

And the AFTER!

Looks very different, noh?

The last time he had his hair cut was last May pa in Pinas (when he went home to attend the burial of his grandmother). Ngayon lang uli naulit, imagine that!

I couldn't blame him though. Ang mahal magpagupit dito. He would spend around $30 (tip included) for a basic cut eh. My husband is an Ilocano so kuripot talaga (haha!). Despite my nagging for several months, talagang hindi siya nagpagupit. Kapag manganganak na lang daw ako para sulit, kaloka! Hindi na rin siya nag-shave kasi hindi bagay sa long hair niya ang ang bagong-ahit look.

Luckily, he saw an ad for a $12 men's cut near my OB's clinic. He went there last Saturday kaso $15 daw kapag weekend. Sige, pwede na rin. He didn't give tip anymore kasi yung naggupit daw ay yung owner din ng parlor. Plus under the table lang yata kasi walang tax. He paid in cash. Haha, me ganun din pala dito.

I am one happy wifey! My husband looks decent na uli. I remember last week, we were at Old Navy and I saw one of my former co-workers (Pinay din). I deliberately didn't introduce Ford kasi nga mukhang hoodlum. First impressions last pa naman haha! Nahiya talaga ako!

-------------------------------

And because he looks better now, I asked him to join me and Baby Chicklet in our powder room wefie yesterday!

Baby Chicklet at 39 weeks and 3 days

Ooops, I myself need a hair cut na. It's been more than a year since nagpagupit ako. I came here in Edmonton with a very short and newly rebonded hair. Ngayon mahaba na at buhaghag. Pero nahawa na yata ako sa kakuriputan ng asawa ko, mukhang sa Pinas na lang din ako magpapaayos ng buhok pag-uwi ko. I really don't wanna spend at least $50 for a trim haler.

I am glad kasi hindi naman talaga ako parlor-person kahit noong nasa Pilipinas pa ako. I am more of a shoes and bags gal so hindi naman ako feeling deprived kahit na hindi ako nakakapagpa-salon dito.

If only I'll learn how to cut a man's hair, malaki ang matitipid namin. Para pati kay Chicklet ako na rin ang gugupit. Hmmm, mag-aral nga kaya ako?

I don't need a BMW

We dropped by my husband's office last Sunday afternoon because he had to check on something. A BMW car was parked in front of their building.

POD -- Tingnan mo yung technician namin, naka-BMW! Bago!
BIM -- Wow, technician naka-BMW? Talo ka pa, Daddy!
POD -- Oo, kaya ayan linggong-linggo eh nandito. Nago-OT. Palaging naghahanap ng overtime.

I was not surprised though. Common naman dito na crew lang ng McDo ay naka-Mercedez Benz. Iyon nga lang, kailangang mag-triple job para may panghulog.

But this scenario made me remember that many years ago, I wanted a BMW too. Imposible akong magkaroon ng ganun sa Pinas pero dito, kaya naman talaga. I just need to work hard.

But will I buy one later on? Naaah, I don't think so.

You see, Ford and I had a serious talk before I came here. We discussed on what our lifestyle will be like when I come here and we both agreed to a 'simple yet comfortable' living. Actually, my husband has always lived like that (he's an Ilocano eh). It's me who's more materialistic so I was the one who needs to adjust.

Yeah, I would like to think that I've changed. That's the thing with migrating "late" (I came here at the age of 34), you look at things differently. A more matured outlook perhaps? And acquiring a BMW will definitely not be part of the grand plan.

Don't get me wrong. If I am a millionaire, I will surely buy a powerful car as well. But as "ordinary" resident of Canada, I'd be contented with our Subaru that provides us the same comfort and service naman. Nobody really cares about what you drive here anyway.

Many people who came here in Canada are deprived of material things in their respective countries. That's the reason they immigrated in the first place, they aspired for a better life. I honestly respect it if they want to have a nice, big house or a luxury vehicle -- it's their right, of course. But still, it pains me to see them giving up their sleep or precious quality time with family just to be able to afford those expensive stuff. For me, that's not the way to live. You shouldn't spend 15+ hours of your daily life working to pay for a house that you hardly sleep in. You shouldn't spend every minute of your day thinking about your enormous car mortgage. Why put so much pressure on yourself? You are already in Canada, you can relax.

In my observation, most Canadians who were born and bred here are living modestly. I truly admire their simplicity. You can hardly see them carrying Louis Vuitton purses or wearing designer clothes. It's the newcomers (especially Asian haha!) who are very particular with brands.

Oh well, kanya kanya lang talaga siguro yan. But in my almost 11 months of living here, alam ko na kung sino ang peg ko. =)

Dollarama Pregnancy Test

Two of my friends here in Canada have recently announced their pregnancies using these pictures.

Photos taken from my friends' FB and IG accounts

My First Reaction: "Whoaaah! Ang mahal ng pregnancy kit na ginamit nila ha!"

Ako kasi Dollarama lang haha!

When my period hasn't come two weeks past its due (and I was feeling so much pain on my hips and lower back), I went to London Drugs to buy a pregnancy kit. I wasn't that hopeful about being pregnant, I just wanted to make sure that I am not before I go to the doctor.

The prices of pregnancy kits disappointed me. A Clearblue test costs around $20 and I couldn't force myself to buy it. No way! In the Philippines, one can buy a kit for less than Php100  - and there are many choices.

I knew that Dollarama sells pregnancy test so I asked my husband to buy two for me. I've read pretty much good reviews about it and I told myself, "haler, you can never go wrong with $1.25 noh!"

Yep, this pregnancy test only costs $1.25 (plus 5% tax syempre).

Kamukha lang naman ang kit na ito nung mga binebenta sa Pinas, iba lang ang packaging. I honestly never doubted its accuracy.

I used one (bottom) and in less than a minute, two lines appeared. My heart palpitated, I knew it! I used the other one to be sure and again, two lines have appeared.

I showed the two tests to Ford and he wasn't convinced. He told me the two T lines were not as clear as the C lines. Malabo raw.

I reasoned na ganun talaga. Malinaw talaga ang C line kasi constant yun, talagang maga-appear positive man o negative. What's important is that the T lines were clear and distinct enough.

Ford bought two more Dollarama test kits that day and both gave the same results. Positive talaga.

And so for $5.25 (tax included), we've known that I am pregnant. Four tests na yun ha.

So I advise those who are anticipating to get pregnant to try this cheap test kit first. Buy at least two if you wanna be sure. =)

On Commuting and ETS Fare

I started working last February 1 and a few days after that, I asked my husband to get me an ETS Monthly Pass. I really thought it would be sulit (I also anticipated that I can lend it to my sis-in-law for a few days that she was here so she can move on her own), but I was wrong.

An ETS Monthly Pass costs $89 and I certainly wasn't even able to consume half of its worth.

The reasons:

• I only used my pass in going to work (one-way) because Ford picks me up at night.
• My husband sometimes would drop me off at work on his way back to the office ( he eats lunch at home). He did so because buses only operate in our area during peak hours in the morning and late afternoon/evening and I would have to walk at least 1.2km to the next 'nearest' bus stop.
• My in-laws were here so I never had the time to "explore" Edmonton more by riding the bus.
• My sis-in-law never had the chance use my pass.

One of my regrets is that I never had a monthly pass when I was still a 'bum' and we were still living in Downtown. I was hard headed kasi, I told my husband that I didn't want to publicly commute. I got so used to having my own personal driver, that's why.

Up until now, I am still nanghihinayang with my February Pass. Pero di bale na nga, may tax credit naman kahit papaano.

So for this month, Ford just bought a 20-pack Adult Ticket online. I think it cost him around $45 (including shipping). Not bad since one ticket only costs around $2.25 (exact cash fare in the bus is $3.20).

I still find the ETS fare here in Edmonton a bit pricey. Hay, I better get used to it. Riding the bus is still much cheaper than buying and maintaining another car eh.

Veggie, why so expensive?

I was still in the Philippines when I saw a post in Facebook that Lucky Supermarket now offers veggie mix pack. I was so happy that I even showed in to my mother. Asian vegetables kasi are pricey here in Edmonton, plus they come in huge packs. This hinders me in cooking sinigang or kare-kare or even nilaga often, sobrang mahal kasi aabutin because of the vegetables. Ok sana kung malakas kaming kumain ng gulay ni Pod, kaso hindi (we're such bad kids!). Marami talagang masasayang. Vegetables also wither easily (probably because they were imported and not that super fresh) so storing them for long is not a good idea.

I really thought veggie packs is the solution but I was wrong. Sobrang mahal pa rin pala. Around Php500 na agad ang gulay pa lang ng kare-kare.

Same with sinigang.

I've never appreciated the freshness and "cheapness" of vegetables in the Philippines until I moved here. Though one may argue that people here earn dollars, the price of Asian vegetables (plus all the other ingredients that a complicated Filipino dish requires) I guess is still high by Canadian standards. Kaya mas malaki ang grocery expenditure ng Filipino immigrants kesa ordinary Canadians eh, kasi puro "imported" (from their home country) ang gusto nilang kainin syempre.

Oh well, tiis-tiis muna nga kami ngayon na walang kare-kare. Pag-uwi na nga lang sa Pinas kami magpapakasawa.

--------------------------
NOTE: I thought it was best to just eat kare-kare in a Filipino restaurant but I was wrong (because of this and this experience).

KFC's Toonie Tuesday

I kept on saying that even fast food here in Edmonton is very pricey. So pricey (in my Standards) that I don't eat them at all, except for occasional burgers at Wendy's.

I am happy though that once a week, I can eat fried chicken (we Pinoys love fried chicken!) guilt-free!

Thank goodness for KFC's Toonie Tuesday!

For only $2.99 (hindi na nga lang exactly toonie talaga) plus 5% tax (or $3.14 to be precise), you can get a 2-piece fried chicken and a regular fries.

Yan na siguro ang cheapest food court meal na maooder mo dito sa Edmonton.

The drawback?

• The meal doesn't come with drinks. If you're buying pop (i.e. soda) from them, then tataas ang total meal cost mo. I suggest bringing your own drinks or buying at Dollarama.
• We Filipinos are gravy-loving people loving as well. Kaso wag ng mag-attempt bumili pa ng gravy kasi around $1.89 siya. Not worth it. Here in Canada, we should just be contented in pairing our fried chicken with ketchup.
• The chicken pieces are small (one thigh and one leg) so if you are really hungry, you won't be satisfied. 

I am amazed though that despite its 'cheapness,' di pa rin masyadong mahaba ang pila sa mga KFC kapag Tuesday. Siguro kasi sawa na ang mga tao? This promotion has been running for so many years now. Or baka naman hindi lang kasi talaga mahilg sa fried chicken ang ibang lahi.

KFC's chicken here tastes so differently from what we have in the Philippines. For one, wala nga silang regular or hot options. Iisa lang talaga ang timpla ng manok -- take it or leave it. If I am to be asked, parang similar sa KFC Malaysia / Singapore ang chicken dito. Oh well, kahit ano pa man, we Filipinos are still grateful for KFC because it's the only fast food chain (similar to what we have at home) that serves fried chicken.

T&T Gourmet

Dining out is very expensive here in Edmonton. Unlike in the Philippines where I eat out almost everyday, I cannot do that here. A normal foodcourt meal costs $10-13 and it's way too much for me. Yep, I still convert currency until now. I also am not yet working so I cannot afford to splurge. Nakakahiya naman sa asawa ko.

Eating at McDonald's or Wendy's is a bit cheaper but we Filipinos prefer to eat rice most of the time, right?

Now the cheapest rice meal that you can find here in Edmonton is in two giant Asian supermarkets - Lucky Supermarket and T&T Supermarket. Let's focus on T&T Gourmet on this post. 

There are two T&T Supermarkets in Edmonton, one in the North side and the other in West Edmonton Mall. Both serve Asian hot meals for their customers.

T&T Supermarket - West Edmonton Mall

Though they serve Chinese dishes, ok na rin. May Chinese influence naman ang Filipino cuisine. Plus we are all familiar naman with Chinese food.

They do ala-carinderia style. Choose your own combo, turo-turo lang (hirap ngang umintindi ng ingles ang mga tsekwa).

Their combo meals are reasonably priced. For $5.99 (+5% tax), you can already have rice, soup, and a viand of your choice. Add a dollar more and you'll get two viands. Sulit na.

And they give generous serving. Mabubusog ka talaga.

Empress Meal Combo

I love their food, especially their barbeque. I am not Chinese so I don't have high standards in Chinese food. Basta super satisfied ako kapag kumakain ako dito.

Bar-b-q Meal Combo

My only suggestion is that don't buy your drinks there because the total cost of your meal will rise up of course. What my husband and I do is take the meal out, buy soda in Dollarama (a bottle only costs $1), and eat in the foodcourt area (you cannot bring your own drinks in T&T's dining area). I am telling you, we are able to save a by lot doing this.