My Blog

When I was in high school, my closest friends and classmates would often rave on how strong my resemblance is to Korina Sanchez, with my long straight hair and chubby cheeks. Because of the resemblance, they have called me a couple of names relating to Korina.  Ina, Cory, Kor-kor, etc.  But the name that stands out in my mind and which I hold dear in my heart is the name Kuring.

My loving the name does not imply that I am indeed confirming that I look like the feisty journalist.  Instead, Kuring stands for something else.  Kuring stands for kuripot or stingy.  My sisters would often call me Kuring especially during family discussions that would revolve around costs.  I would laugh everytime one of my siblings would retort na wag na daw akong isama at magrereklamo na naman ako sa presyo.

I was not always like this.  Back in college, I never really thought about the cost of going to a prestigious school.  Sure, I had only 50 bucks in my wallet and I had to scrimp on my measly allowance to buy some materials for school but I do remember that I always have money to spare to at least watch a movie at Greenbelt.  I did not care when my my wallet was already screaming for a refill because I had to buy the manual I needed for a my Bio class.  All I knew back then was life is too short not to spend.

When I began working, I began to realize the value of money.  I bought a few set of clothes with my very first paycheck and was surprised to find myself complaining of how expensive the clothes were.  I used to take the cab from work to Landmark and that alone would cost me around P30, an amount that I would readily spend for lunch.  So after a few days of adjustment in my work and in my new surroundings, I found ways and means to save money and that was how I became the Kuring in my family.  Instead of buying clothes on a single purchase, I buy at least one piece of clothing every pay day, a good way to reward myself for 15 days of hard labor.  I began to discover shortcuts going to Landmark without having to ride a cab (savior talaga yang mga underpass na yan e). I was also always on the lookout for good buys.  A nice, expensive blouse at Penshoppe would mean that there is an alternative at the local tiangge.  I would find blouses at such a good deal that even if I splurge, I would still get to save a few hundred pesos.  I bring packed lunch to work and get to share this with officemates.  My merienda would consist of one banana que from the stainless stalls and Pepsi Max from 7-11 and my hunger satisfied before hitting the gym.  Coffee is provided by the company and when I feel the urge to nap in the middle of a working day, it is readily available in the pantry.  No more Starbucks and Coffee Bean for me (unless I am challenged to complete stickers for a nice planner or a free macchiato).  I buy DVDs from the tiangge (except Tagalog films which I would buy in original VCD formats).  Sa States naman gawa yun e.  Sila lang ang makikinabang e di ibili ko na lang ng pirated, hehehe.  I take the cab only when I need to see a client.  Pero kung kayang lakarin, nilalakad ko.  Pero in fairness, namaintain ko ang ganda ng paa ko.  At wala pang spa yan, ha.  Hahaha!

Of course, there are times that I feel I deserve to reward myself.  With the money I saved, it could mean a new CD, a digicam, an MP3 or MP4 player, or if I’m really lucky, a new high-tech cellphone.  It does help that I live a very simple lifestyle and my needs are very simple (that would be in another blog soon), and I only have to have the basics just to keep me happy.  Being a Kuring sometimes equates to being practical, and I know that I am being practical when I try to save for the rainy days.  And I’m telling you, I’m about to face a storm sometime soon.  I have not saved enough yet but I have placed my money in something that I know would benefit me and my family in the future.

Kuring na kung kuring.  At least katunog pa rin ng Korina. Come to think of it, Korina and I are the same in some ways.  Feisty, determined, strong…..wait, I digress, hehehehe.  GTG.  Excuse me while I get my newly-bought iPod Nano.