Mauie Flores

It took me a couple of minutes to think of the appropriate title for this post. I just can't seem to organize my thoughts because I am really bothered with this. For days now, my husband and I have been asking ourselves if we made the right decision to buy a second car. With gas prices rising up weekly, I was just able to let out an awkward sigh. We bought a new car so I can use the old one to and from work. A few months back, I thought that it would really be practical, thinking that it would be a great convenience on my part. Besides, it could have helped me in doing errands without waiting for Dadijun's day off.

Last summer, I was constantly daydreaming of how good it would be coming to my class looking fresh because I won't be riding the jeepney anymore. Now it's July and I'm still riding the jeep to Pasig! Hahaha! With premium gasoline at 60 pesos per liter, I would rather ride the jeep everyday! Going to work, I take the journey that costs me 10 pesos from Cainta to Mercedes Ave., Pasig. From there, I take a special trip on a tricycle that costs 40 pesos to Greenwoods. Going home, I take a regular tricycle trip that costs 10 pesos, and another journey drive to Cainta that's worth another 10 pesos. It's just a total of 70 pesos daily commuting expenses. Daily, I only earn around 500 pesos a day for my 2 to 6 pm tutorial sessions (I put half of the tutorial fees in our funds). My only alternative on days when it's raining hard is to take a cab at 120 pesos, but that should be ONLY on special instances and not on a daily basis. This way, I will able to save up for my youngest brother's tuition fee, which reminds me that it's already July and Prelim is just a few weeks away.

It's hard to save money nowadays with prices of everything rising sky-high everyday. We are just fortunate that, at least, my husband has a high-paying job and he pays for all of our utilities (even my credit card bills). This year, I volunteered to shoulder my brother's tuition fees. My parents are already retired and are living only on pension. My other brother who is still single helps them financially with the payment of other utilities. I still thank God that, somehow, we are able to make ends meet.