Attending face-to-face classes is costly, especially since I'm studying at a private university. We only have two days of face-to-face classes, while the rest is through remote coaching. Some of my teachers provide learning materials, while most only order us to learn independently. My uncle is the financer of my studies, and he's already providing my allowance in advance.

On some occasions, you can't deny the fact that we are sometimes spending on something that we don't need. Purchasing the things that we thought we deserved is inevitable for our self-gratification. During our CAS Days, I was surprised that I spent a lot. I need to disburse my money on fares, lunch from fast food chains, and even purchase things I know I don't immediately need. My allowance, good for two weeks, was gone for only two days and became problematic as I struggled with time management to insert writing.

I can't elaborate on how much I spent, but I guess I spent more than $30 in three days. I included it when we went to the business interview, as I admit that I purchased a lot of snacks. Just exposing how much I'm luxurious to serve it as a lesson to plan them in advance. It is just a couple of lessons and realizations that I've learned to avoid making that mistake again.

List down my expenses and earnings

Personally, I don't have a permanent job like my other classmates. I was impressed when they revealed that they have different sidelines to support their wants. I'm a bit jealous of them as they can provide what they want without seeking from their parents. Meanwhile, I only have passive income aside from my allowance. I have mentioned all those passive jobs specialized through crypto blogging. I only earn flexibly, but it doesn't mean it didn't help me increase my allowance. That's why I learned that I should always note all the money I get and list down all of my expenses. I only have little money and can only focus on grinding if I am not busy.

Save money in a diversified way

This thought doesn't only refer to a single way. One of my goals in the first quarter of 2023 is to diversify my savings. This year, I am aiming to do the following to save money. I want to do that to minimize my shortage in allocating money for my needs and wants.

• Not holding all of my HBD into Savings. My biggest mistake back then was keeping all my earnings in my Savings. Although it is not a bad mindset, I had a problem before where I still needed to wait more than three days to receive the money I saved in my Hive Savings account. That was when I regretted my decision because of my "one-day millionaire" mindset.
• Building an emergency fund. I always hear from others that we must conserve money if something bad happens. But as a poor spender, I admit I was not following it. Therefore, my ultimate plan is to build my Emergency fund, but I can't do it as I still need further research. I am rooting myself that I can do it.
• Opening a bank account. As I am already a legal citizen of this country, I've been eyeing this goal for a long time since I want to use the funds I will be collecting for my dream PC set. I'm not encouraging you to save in the bank, in my personal opinion, due to the extreme inflation we're facing today. I would rather save lump sum money in stocks, bonds, or estate to earn more from my capital. But of course, I am not yet equipped since I am not yet literate and ready for risks.
• Saving money in a traditional way. But instead of a piggy bank, I'll reserve it in an aloe vera container. I plan to keep 5% of my allowances and earnings.

Additional sources of income

Of course, how would we save money if we don't have additional sources? I heard somewhere that having more than seven earning opportunities can make you financially stable. As usual, my plans will be wasted if I don't have any resources. So far, here are some of the options I've been looking forward to earning additional income.

• Freelance. Two days ago, I saw a TikTok video where her trainee secured a job in a freelance career. I affirm that she is not a scammer as her only purpose is to train their niche, and her goal is to secure their trainee a client. She also has a good rating on her social media accounts, and I already privately messaged her a while ago. I am ready to be trained anytime, as I want to make this vacation productive by earning money. Learning from YouTube videos is a good option, but it is not that specific.
• Finding more scholarship programs and educational assistance. Last semester, I applied for one scholarship program and one educational assistance. The only scholarship program is the UniFast scholarship, where I can get free tuition once I get accepted. I wish they would include me on the list, as I don't want to burden my uncle. I'm sure that my parents would be happy if I were eligible. But the one thing I am sure about is the educational assistance I will receive from the governor worth ₱5,000. The distribution will be per semester so I can get ₱10,000 per year. I wish they would be added, and I've been doing my best in academics for more opportunities.
• Printing business. It was already in my plans, but I don't have a printer yet. Aside from my convenience, I can earn money by establishing a business whenever they need to print something. I have already completed my dream of having a laptop, so I guess I must buy more to maximize my study set-up.

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Anyway, thank you for reading, everyone. This is my entry for Self Improvement. I hope you are all doing fine. Always remember that there's no enough reason to give up as long it is still visible that there's still hope. For more microblog and blog updates, follow me in these accounts.

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