Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Getting a Home You Always Dreamed Of

I reckon that most families thought that owning a house can really be a dream come true. I remember in the late 80’s when my dad told us that we’ll finally build our new house. What a joy to hear and know that my parents’ wish will finally become a reality in no time. Though there are some hiccups along the way in the construction, my late dad who is an engineer was able to pull it through. We’re all very much ecstatic to see our new house and moving there was exciting and pure bliss. 

Construction of a house can be finished in just few months as long as you have a competent builder/contractor and of course the money budget. However, not all families are capable of building their own house from scratch like what my parents had done. I know families would love to have one but since not all are financially stable or prepared. Some just resort in renting a house or an apartment/flat and just settle paying monthly dues. Regular income wage earners that solely get their payments and family expenses on their salaries mostly can’t afford to build or buy a house to settle. 

The COVID-19 pandemic that crippled every business including the real estate market and displaced a lot of workers added a major blow in everyone’s finances. It’s hard to even think how we all have managed to survived on those trying times. Also, how can anyone think of buying / constructing a new house or even getting a housing loan when your business is down and you are out of job during the pandemic. Ahhh.. what a burden. 

Now, that the world is slowing moving on and accepting covid-19 situation as part of our lives, we can breathe a little and the light at the end of the tunnel is becoming bright. A lot of businesses are back on its toes and workers are generally happy and excited to be back at work as well. The economy are gradually flourishing back again for many countries and workers can now save some money for their rentals or future house mortgage payments. 

Getting a housing loan can be an option but it should be considered a major financial decision on your part as a borrower. Different banks and or financial institutions have their own interest rates. Usually loans can be from 15-to 20 years payments and as a borrower, you need to calculate your monthly income and finances to be able to know if you have the means to pay the loans. You can figure your loan and start from there. 

Calculating loan payments and managing your finances are your best tools in getting a home that you are dreaming. Reading about some tips on getting mortgage rates can also help you on your decisions. Homebuyers also need to know that rushing in getting a home loan without proper thinking and financial capability can be a bad decision and can result in a great debt. So deep thinking should be considered. 

Lately, I have been thinking of renovating or extending part of our kitchen in our home. Since cooking and preparing food in our kitchen has become busy each, the small space is not conducive anymore in working around the area. That situation has led me into thinking that a renovation is much needed soon. However, I also need to consider my financial status right now in that way I can have a better decision if ever I’ll apply for a loan. Poor decision and planning on my part are not good options. 

So, let’s plan, research and aim for our home vision.

Monday, August 15, 2022

Finding Time to Enjoy a Hobby on Spare Time

Life can be pretty demanding most of the times that we occasionally tend to forget that we all need to calm down a bit and rest. A lot of us have many responsibilities and our minds are preoccupied with our own problems and worries most especially when the pandemic started. May we all be reminded that, having a “me time” or time for ourselves are much needed to keep us healthy since all-work and no fun will make us dull and unproductive. 

As a graphic artist, content creator and entrepreneur, I have to make it sure that I allot some time for myself to relax and have some fun. I usually do some gardening on the weekends if time permits and play with my cats and dog on my breaktime as I work-from-home. Also, as a K-pop fan, I collect merch of my fave idols and join some meet-ups; -this needs a separate post as I have a lot to talk about, and of course another fave of mine is to play board and online games. Playing games is not only a way to keep us entertained or kill boring times but also helps our mind to think more and focus on reasoning and strategy. Some games are complicated that requires a lot of time to play and plan but some games are basic yet still fun and amusing. 

There are even times that I playfully compete with my niece and nephew on a game that we all fond playing. One such game is the Letter Scramble  as this game can test our vocabulary and quick thinking. Letters will appear one by one and you need to create a word out of those letters then type and submit it, then scores will be shown. I have to be fast in creating a word in my mind or else the words will file up just what you saw on the image I have posted. There are 3 levels and it’s quite exciting and interesting to play. If you play it all the time, it will hone your skills in creating words instantly. Such a fun game indeed and definitely worth a try! 


 My nephew who is a certified game addict always needs to be entertained and challenge from all the games that he is playing. From simple card game, crossword puzzles, to complicated math games, he is up to a challenge. One time I asked him to play the Pirates and Treasures to test his skills in finding hidden objects and he seemed to like it. Puzzles are always exciting to play but can be frustrating at times if you can’t solve or find the missing word or objects. 

Another game that I like to play online is the Daily Maze that I enjoy.  There are 10x10, 15x15, or 20x20 grids to choose from. Just find the path that you think is correct then connect the 2 dots and you can choose to your game difficulty. Another fun part is that you can even print the puzzle. 


 Kids can also find this game amusing and enjoyable. It’s always nice to see them play games be it online or offline as they can learn and at the same time have fun. However, we also need to guide them and set a time schedule for playtime or else they will just play all day, which kids always love to do. Also, we don’t need to buy games anymore as there are free online games that we can easily take advantage of. 

We don’t need to be a pro-gamer because as long as we enjoy our time in playing games it’s already enough. Just in case you don’t have a hobby yet on your spare time, find what will make you happy, help you learn new things and will bring out your creative skill.