My New Year’s Resolution

(This column appears in today's edition of the Leyte-Samar Daily Express)

Hi there! Happy New Year everyone! It happens every time (or should I say every year?), I mean these new year’s resolutions. Among my memories of my elementary school years are about just that – New Year’s resolution. It was always the first business when classes resumed after the Christmas break. Needless to say, I always had a hard time coming up with a composition enumerating things I promise to resolve in the next twelve months. Well, it was hard for me until I realized that a new year’s resolution is nothing but a list of (empty) promises that one does not intend to keep.

So, what’s my New Year’s resolution? After failing to make good the good number of resolutions I made many ‘New Years’ ago, I have decided that my new year’s resolution is not to make new year’s resolutions anymore (redundant ano?). Seriously, does it always have to take a new year for us to mend our ways? The not-so-good ways, if I may add.

Talking about not-so-good behavior. Do we need to discuss (again) the recent sea tragedies? Well, what else is new? My apologies for that comment.

It’s more than a month away yet, but feng shui experts (both the real and fly-by-night types) are all over the place doing the forecasts for the Chinese New Year. Suddenly I’m lost on which animal they are celebrating next year. So what about it? I just can’t understand why many among us should get gaga over it. I’m still having a hard time looking at the connection between Filipino belief and tradition (or should I say Catholic faith?) and that of the Chinese. Well, the food of course is a different story. And yes, while we are into the topic, I’m sure many among us will end up with rotten fruits days from now. Thanks (again) to that belief of collecting fruits in time for the New Year. I’m wondering how the vendors came up with fruits that were out of season.

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The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Calbayog will hold their first session for 2010 in Oquendo. That will be on Monday next week. Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento is expected to deliver his annual State of the City Address during that session.

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Wedding bells. Congratulations and Best Wishes to Sean Marie Rojas and Leslie Dimakiling. They got married last Sunday. Fr. Dondon Paulino presided over their wedding mass at the Chapel of the Centennial Pastoral Center. The reception was held at the Julio Cardinal Rosales Hall of the CPC

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Let me leave you with something I got from yahoo. It’s an article written by Ann-Marie Murphy for Quizzle.com. Why should I take time to have it in my column? It has something to do with money, managing it that is – something I definitely need for 2010 and beyond; and something worth adding to our New Year’s resolutions:

As we count down to the end of 2009, it’s a good time to reflect back on the year and think about all the things you’d like to do better or differently in 2010.

Making a decision to change is just the first step, however. If you want to see results, you have to know what moves to make to ensure those changes actually happen. After all, saying, “I’d like to lose 10 pounds,” doesn’t mean much if you don’t learn how to eat healthier and establish a new workout routine.

As part of your planning for 2010, consider taking action to improve your personal finances. With the economy beginning to regain its footing, there's no time like the present to add some dollars to your bottom line. To get started, here are 10 goals for 2010, plus tips on how to achieve them:

1. Stop overspending. Credit cards are super convenient, but their ease of use can also lead you to overspend. Need a trick to help you stop the credit card madness? Freeze your credit card. That’s right. Try dropping your card in a plastic bag, add water and stick the baggy in the freezer. You’ll still have access to it if you need it, but having to wait until your card thaws will give you some time to get over the impulse of buying things you don’t need.
2. Stick to a budget. You should know exactly where your money’s going and where you might make improvements. With all the free budgeting tools available online, it’s simple to get started. What’s not so simple for some? Sticking with it. But if you want to break out of the cycle of living paycheck-to-paycheck and learn how to spend within your means, keeping a budget is a smart first step. Schedule “bill time” in your calendar at least monthly to evaluate your budget, pay your bills and figure out if there are places you can cut costs.
3. Pay off debt. There are many strategies out there to help you make a dent in your debt. You can start by paying down the debt that has the highest interest rate first and then work your way down the ladder. Just make sure you’re still making at least the minimum payments on your other credit cards and loans. Or if you feel like you need to experience small wins along the way to keep you motivated, the Debt Snowball might be the way to go. What’s important isn’t what method you use, rather that you get started… now.
4. Manage your credit. Your credit is more important than ever - it’s absolutely key to unlocking the best interest rates and terms for credit cards, home loans and auto loans. Heck, forget the rates - If you have bad credit, you may not be able to qualify for credit at all in this economy. The first step to managing your credit is to check your credit report at least every six months to make sure what’s there is accurate. Staying on top of your credit doesn’t have to cost you a thing either. Sites like Quizzle.com will give you a free credit report, no strings attached. Quizzle will even kick in a free credit score so you can make sense of what’s on your report. (…to be continued)

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This is it for now. Have a Happy New Year everyone! Ciao!