The Money Paradox by Efren Ll. Cruz

Funny, I haven’t thought about this until Sir Efren posted this in our yahoogroups.

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Money	High Price/Return	Low Price/Return
Spending	with warranty	without warranty
Investing	not guaranteed	guaranteed

by Efren Ll. Cruz, RFP

Are you an impulse buyer?

I’m sure you are, if you got to read this far.

I must admit, there were times when I considered myself an impulse buyer.

When I was in college, my favorite weekend past time was to visit my favorite bookstores (plural, mind you). I’d stay there and browse every aisle. Eventually, when I leave the place, after hours of immersing myself in “literature”, I’d have bought myself a book. Did I need the book?

No.

Same goes for those cute pairs of slippers at 50% off. Those one-of-a-kind dangling earrings in the little shop around the corner. That new mp3 player… And the list goes on.

So I found this article by Marshall Loeb and I’d like to share it with you.

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Six ways to curb impulse spending

By Marshall Loeb, MarketWatch

Last Update: 12:01 AM ET Oct 23, 2007

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Is impulse buying taking a heavy toll on your budget? Here are six ways to get a handle on your spending:

1. Identify your triggers. Many people use shopping as an emotional outlet. But letting your emotions dictate your spending is nearly always a bad idea. To break yourself of the habit, try to determine what prompts you to spend unwisely and take steps to change your behavior.

2. Avoid temptation. If you’re inclined to overspend, consider a self-imposed ban on window shopping, casual browsing and unnecessary trips to the mall. Hint: If you know you’re going to be in a situation where you’re likely to be tempted, leave your credit card at home and only bring as much cash as you absolutely need.

3. Be a cautious consumer. You may think you’re immune to advertising, but even the savviest shoppers fall prey to marketing tactics now and again. Next time you find yourself eyeing a “new and improved” product, ask yourself why you feel compelled to buy it. Will that new golf club/razor/skin cream substantially improve your life or just deplete your bank account?

4. Take a time-out. If you stumble on a “must have” item, don’t get caught up in the excitement, advises MSN Money columnist Liz Pulliam Weston. Take a deep breath and walk away. Give yourself anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to figure out if this is something that you can afford and really need. After the cool-down period, if you can truthfully answer yes to both questions, go ahead and splurge.

5. Remember long-term goals. Before you buy, ask yourself if you’ll get more long-term satisfaction out of owning this item, paying down your debt or putting money toward that dream vacation. You may get a temporary boost from buying that scarf, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best use of your money.

6. Check you balance. If you find yourself standing in the checkout line, ready to buy something you’re not sure you can afford, hold off, suggests Weston. Go to your local bank or log on to your bank account online. Once you’ve viewed your balance, the purchase may appear far less enticing.

Marshall Loeb, former editor of Fortune, Money, and the Columbia Journalism Review, writes for MarketWatch.

Pacquiao’s Paycheck

$7 million or 308 million pesos.

That’s how much money Manny the Pacman made after his fight with Antonio Barrera last Sunday. (Inquirer story here.)

Not bad for a day in the ring, eh?

I just hope he won’t hurt his body too much.

Peso seen to hit P43:$1

According to visiting HSBC economist, Frederic Neumann, our peso would hit P43 against the dollar by the end of this year. He also added that by next year it would hit P41 and would further rally to P40 towards 2009. (Inquirer story here.)

The rise of the peso is mainly driven by the huge inflow of dollars due to remittances of Filipino workers overseas.

Well, this is good news for some…

1. Importers
2. Travellers (to US)
3. Consumers

Bad news for the others…

1. Exporters
2. Families relying on dollar remittances
3. People with dollar funds.