First of all, congratulations for moving out and making it on your own! Di biro ang gawin lahat mag-isa, but some of the realisations / life hacks I’ve learned for the past decade:

1. Write your monthly budget in bold letters in a big piece of paper and stick it to your ref and/or a wall that you often pass by at. Seeing this daily reminder has also helped me deal with delayed gratification (lalo na sa milk tea and coffee lol)

2. This is a no brainer in every household, but always have an emergency stash of medicines, ready to eat food, first aid kit. What actually helped me more is have emergency cash hidden in plain sight. Even as small as 100p can sometimes save you from being food less.

3. Have a beer / alcoholic drink in the ref. You never know when you’ll have company. If you’re not into alcohol and want to destress, a pint of ice cream is very handy for alone time.

4. DGAF about what people say about your outfit, especially if you’re just picking up Shoppee or dropping off laundry. I seriously saw my neighbor pick up her parcels in her NIGHTIES, and she looked at everyone as if they were crazy. You do you!

What’s yours?