Have you ever experienced or felt like something wrong or unreasonable was done and it seemed ok with the society because of a certain social or cultural norm or practice?

I just bought a new pair of leather shoes. They weren’t really expensive ones… ok they were cheap. But it’s been a while since I had a new pair and it made me feel good that at least I can stop wearing my old worn-out shoes.

I went to school the following day happy because of my new shoes and I excitedly showed them to a group of my classmates. One of them immediately shouted, “NEW SHOES!!”, and suddenly out of nowhere, almost all of my classmates went to me and stepped on my feet. They were all trying to step on my new shoes. Some even are not just stepping on it once, but many times. Some even really hurt – A LOT.

Continue Reading… »

Buying insurance, may it be life (whole life insurance, endowments, etc.) or non-life (auto insurance, property insurance, etc.) is always a big purchase. It involves a lot of headaches from choosing the right insurance company to choosing the best fit insurance plan for you.

So what kind of insurance should you first get? Should you first get a life insurance or a non-life insurance? Should you first protect yourself or your car?

The answer seems obvious isn’t it?

I know many people who have cars and have full auto insurances in all of them, while they don’t even have any insurance for themselves or their loved ones. They’re fully covered for anything that might happen to their car but are completely unprepared for things that might happen to them.

Image Credit: Monkey Suit by Del Far

Continue Reading… »

Technology has undoubtedly brought us to different heights, making tasks lighter and life in general easier. An entire page may not be enough to list the wonders technology has brought to us. But this article is not about the wonders. I discussed wonders in another site (in “Everything but the Ref” article). We have to note that with the positive effects come also some negative ones, which we perhaps might not be even aware of. We might be so preoccupied with the songs we want to download in our so and so gig-capacity gadget, or very busy chatting with our new virtual friend. This article will discuss the risks technology brings. I thought it would be useful to share insights regarding potential harms of the application of science and corresponding probable solutions.

Continue Reading… »

Mimi is a good friend of mine who is a devout Catholic. Although her article is about the risks public malls pose on a person’s Catholic practices, I believe her article is applicable to all religious beliefs.

Religious institutions constructed near malls are becoming a problem. I don’t know if church attendees can still manage to pray solemnly without getting bothered what time the mall closes, what’s up for sale, etc.

Continue Reading… »

When I was a child, I was always asked by my parents, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” As I was then fascinated by cops I said “I want to be a policeman!” Then as my interest shifted to planets, moons, and space, my answer to that question became “I want to be an astronomer!” After a while, I wanted to become a scientist.

That same question was also asked by my parents to my other siblings. They answered all sorts of professions from being a bum to the President. All my friends have also been asked that question at least once in their life. I’m sure you have been, even if you don’t remember it.

Continue Reading… »

I currently have 2 credit cards wherein I am proud to say that I don’t have any outstanding balance in either of them. And I intend to let it stay that way. Yes, I still use them frequently in my purchases. But I know very well the hole credit card debts can put you into.

I have always believed that to solve a problem you have to know what caused the problem and acting upon it. It doesn’t only solve the problem but it also prevents your problem from occurring again.

The Credit Card Trap

So how do we really end up into the deep hole of credit card debt? I have 3 general scenarios. It may not cover all, but these are the most famous of all.

Even very small businesses accept credit cards

  Continue Reading… »

Let’s face it. Most of us, if not all, have had our own share of problems on money and debt. Whether it’s about trying to manage our credit card debts, paying our personal loans, paying our officemate or schoolmate money we lent from them, or simply just staying out of debt if you don’t have one. If you’ve not experienced any or something related of what I’ve mentioned above,then its either your very, very rich and you’ll stay rich. Or maybe you’re not human – you have been living in another planet where the concept of money doesn’t exist.

Let’s first talk about two of the most famous ways to EASILY get into debt.

Continue Reading… »