The "Ipon" (Savings) Challenge - Yey or Nay

My friends and I were discussing how hard it is to budget nowadays. We all have responsibilities of our own and others have been blessed to have landed on high-paying jobs. But in the course of the discussion, I was just wondering why my Professor friend who receives a 5-digit-paycheck monthly complains just the same as the businesswoman friend whose business, she says, barely earns -- having an average of Php500 a day gross sales.

Having read about @franbel's post on how to budget, it is really inspiring to think about the bits of wisdom she wrote:

Not all the time we have everything we want and need, so, we should learn how to budget our money and make savings, if possible, while it lasts.

Make savings.

Truly, life is a challenge. But it is even more challenging to get through life comfortably. Given the high costs of living, the meager salary, and the unending material things that make us drool, taking on this IPON CHALLENGE (Saving Challenge) is not an easy task.

You too can download it HERE

Are you up for the challenge?

I started this year. I do not know if I will be successful or not. But I am fervently hoping I will.

The drive is there nonetheless.

See my progress, I have shaded a few circles there. Yey!

The hard part though is that sometimes there is nothing left in the wallet to put into the box. Given the high prices of almost everything, and the unending "wants" my little one requests, I am almost always left with nothing.

The fun part of this is the length of the challenge, which is for 365 days. So that gives you a pretty neat chance to be able to ipon (save).

The Reward

You will be able to get a heaping Php53,750. Yup, you read that right, 53,750!

My friends and I were up for the challenge. What are we going to do with the money? More than anything material, we had a deal that it is for Travel. I believe traveling is a very good way to learn and enjoy life. Make memories. See places. Meet people.

We love to travel, who doesn't anyway?

IPON CHALLENGE - Are you up for it?

I see some points that would be successful:

- Think twice before buying anything, because more often than not, we buy something just because we like it, but do we really need it?

- Keep any loose change, you have a circle to shade

- Walk, if possible. Apart from it is a good form of exercise, it could save you a few peso.

- Drink water instead. Cut that softdrinks or going to SB for coffee (well, once in a while won't hurt though), you not only save some money, apparently sweetened beverages were affected by the TRAIN Lawbut might even save your health.

So yes, this is doable.

*By the way, it was my first time to used this AppBase steemitSTAGE.com in posting this article. The experience is as close as the real steemit.. Hurray to the developers!

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You can check my recent posts:
5-Minute Freewrite
TreeTuesday: That Old Leafless Tree Gave Me Hope
Clay Art Contest: Old Olaf in the House
Pagbubuwis -- Susi sa Kaunlaran
Street Photography: Balloon Kinda-Day

Brother Terry a.k.a. @surpassinggoogle has been a supportive and kind person. So I give my support to him as a witness by voting him at https://steemit.com/~witnesses.

You can do the same by voting him HERE Type in "steemgigs" at the first search box. Or you can give him witness voting decisions on your behalf, by typing in "surpassinggoogle" in the second box as a proxy.

I also support his project @teardrops SMT.