Stay at Home Wife and Mother

Home and Family from a SAHWM's Perspective

Staying at Home Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Earn

Prior to getting married, I can say that I’ve been a successful careerwoman.

Unbelievable as it may seem, I got offered the job of a chief accountant right after passing the CPA Board Exams when I was 21 years old. After some time, I got tired of the job and wanted to learn something new so I applied at a multi-national company and became a financial analyst. Too much stress in the metropolis made me go back to the slow-paced provincial life where I worked as a provincial accountant of a national government agency. Then I was recruited to work as a chief finance officer of another multi-national shipping agency whose manning agency in the Philippines just caters solely to the needs of their vessels.

Fast forward to the present. I am now a stay at home wife and mother.

I thought losing a career meant losing my financial independence but after discovering the ways to earn online, I am now back to being financially independent. My income is still less than what I was earning when I was still working (way less) but now, I can buy things that I wanted without having to ask for my hubby for money. I can now buy and give him gifts from my own pocket. There are even times when I can even afford to do our groceries, treat my family to a sumptuous meal in a cozy restaurant.

Most of my income came from writing blog posts. I used to accept paid posts that costs $3 per article but now, my paid articles are $15 on the average. I also earned from affiliate commissions and the free stuffs that I receive from reviews can be considered income too (in a way). I am also earning from doing blog designs although that one is more of a hobby and a way to sharpen my mind (I love tweaking codes!).

There are other ways to earn from home. I just focus on earning online because I love the internet as well. Seems like a win-win situation for me.

How about you, do you earn from home too?

Hats as Baby Gifts

Last Christmas, my little daughter received three kinds of toddler hats from her aunt and older cousins. One was a knitted bonnet, another is a pink and white checkered hat and the last one is a cotton pull-down cap. She just loves them all!

As a mother, I believe that baby hat is a practical gift for babies. I am glad that her aunt and cousins gave my little toddler those gifts because as a fast-growing toddler, it seems that she’ll outgrow most of her hats in the next few months.

Why are hats practical gifts? Well, aside from the fact that hats give protection from the cold during winter and the heat during summer, they can serve as great accessories too. Babies look cuter when they wear cutey hats.

It seems that my little one knows that fact. At her young age, my daughter already loves wearing hats. It started when she keeps on receiving compliments when she’s wearing her summer hat earlier this year. Now, she makes it a point to always wear a hat when she leaves the house. I even remember her Sunday school teacher mentioning that she doesn’t want to remove her hat even inside the classroom. Now that she received new hats, for sure it’s gonna be a “hat-ty” winter for her.

Thank You Lord!

thank-you-GodNew year’s day is usually full of optimism. As the first day of the year, it somehow represents a new start, a fresh beginning – hope.

As my first post for this year, I want to look back at four gifts from God, not only during the past year but my whole life. I’ll also be sharing some bible verses about this different aspects where God has shown his love for me.

I Thank You Lord for Your PROVIDENCE Over My Life

… tell him: ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand…” Deuteronomy 6:21

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

I Thank You Lord for Your PRESENCE in My Life

“Before our eyes the Lord sent miraculous signs and wonders – great and terrible – upon Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household.” Deuteronomy 6:22

“And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b”

I Thank You Lord for Your PROVISION For My Life

“But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land that he promised on oath to our forefathers.” Deuteronomy 6:23

“My God shall supply ALL OF YOUR NEEDS according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

I Thank You Lord for Your PROTECTION of My Life

“The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today.” Deuteronomy 6:24

Our GOD is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.” Psalm 68:20

A Card from a Friend

merry-christmas-cardToday, I received a special christmas card from my friend, Julie. She lives in and has established a career as an auditor in United Kingdom. She’s also found her own prince charming there and they already have her own family there too.

We manage to keep in touch via social networking sites in the internet and a few phone calls in between. We used to exchange cards during special occasions but I completely forgot to send her any card this Christmas. It will be too late to send her one right now, right?

Oh, I feel so guilty!

Anyway, since she loves flowers, I leaning toward sending her flowers instead of a christmas card. Of course, I won’t be shipping it from here ’cause it’s gonna take forever before it reaches her. There are online stores specializing in flower delivery uk and that’s gonna solve my dilemma. I just order the items and with just a few clicks, my gifts will be on her way.

Do you also have friends and relatives overseas? Do you find it hard to send them something during special occasions? If you haven’t tried ordering online, I suggest that you do that. It’s fast, convenient and sometimes a lot cheaper than sending theme anything from here.

Do You Love Traveling?

I’m not really into traveling, probably because I came from a middle class family. Even though both my parents are working, most of their income went to basic necessities: food, shelter, clothing and education. Traveling was a “luxury” for us at that time – and I still look at it that way now.

I remember a friend, Emmie, who comes from a well-off family. Her dad used to work in a prestigious law firm and her mother on the other hand kept herself busy with her chain of stores. As a way to bond as a family, they would usually travel during summer to another state and even abroad.

There was a time when they visited Russia. I can still recall that they hired a Russian translator from a Russian translation company when they arrived there.

Emmie said that without someone from a Russian translation agency to provide them with Russian translations, they might be lost or would have a hard time going from place to place so her parents hired a translator.

Can you imagine that? For us, thinking of the travel expenses are already overwhelming. Just the plane tickets, hotels and accommodations would already leave a hole in our pockets – to pay for some Russian translation service will be too much.

Oh well, if I can afford it, I probably would have loved traveling worldwide too but for now, there are other practical things that I should consider and prepare for.

Preparing for the Future

MedicareHave you considered getting Medicare Supplemental Insurance?

I’ll understand if you say that those things are not yet on your mind. While we are young and still feeling healthy, we don’t really think much about insurance and medical costs. But as we age, we’ll start feeling all those things we don’t usually feel when we are younger. And then that’s the time we’ll start thinking of medical costs, right?

Many believe that Medicare alone is enough for your medical costs and expenses but do you know that there are some medical bills and expenses that are not covered by Medicare? If you research on CMS, there’s some Medicare coverage gap (Parts A and B) and some examples of these are deductibles, co pays, and a lot of other various expenses.

If we are over 65 and relying on a fixed pension for survival, how can we manage to cover all the costs that Medicare doesn’t cover?

My husband and I are already retired from the workforce so we make it as a point to consider the health costs when planning for the future. It is important that everything’s covered so that things like Medigap won’t be a source of headache in the future. When you are younger, it’s much cheaper to prepare for those because premiums are relatively cheaper. Plus, you’re still at a working age and can work to pay the bills.

Are you prepared for the future?

Christmas Gift Ideas for Pre-school Girls

Christmas is just around the corner. While most gifts children receive at Christmas usually come from “Santa Claus,” it’s still imperative for “Santa Claus” to give the gift that your child will love and enjoy.

I have a little daughter who is of pre-school age. If you are looking for gift ideas for girls aged two to five years old, let me share with you these christmas gift ideas for pre-school girls:

  • Clothing – clothing for girls is probably one of the more practical gifts to give your little one. Be sure to consider your child’s growth rate, quality of the clothes, comfort and style.
  • Dolls and toys – little girls love dolls and toys. It’s something they can share with their friends, it can be their “companion and friend,” and a way to keep them busy. It would be nice to give them educational toys and ones that will help them explore their creativity and other passions or interests. Examples of these are educational toys and gadgets and playhouses.
  • Books – some little girls (like my sweetie) show love for reading even when they’re still young. This is a good hobby and interest and giving them books that they will love will continue to nourish their passion to read and learn.
  • Shoes – little girls loves colorful shoes and boots. When you buy her shoes or boots, be sure to take into consideration her current wardrobe (be sure that there’s something that will match it).

Do you have other suggestions? Feel free to share them in the commments section. I would love to hear from you.