Dumbledore was Gay

Hmmm... I only read about it today. And gosh, if this were true, the article came out eons ago... 2007!

"Harry Potter author JK Rowling has revealed that one of her characters, Hogwarts school headmaster Albus Dumbledore, is gay.

She took audience questions and was asked if Dumbledore found "true love".

"Dumbledore is gay," she said, adding he was smitten with rival Gellert Grindelwald, who he beat in a battle between good and bad wizards long ago.

The audience gasped, then applauded.  "I would have told you earlier if I knew it would make you so happy," she said.

"Falling in love can blind us to an extent," she added, saying Dumbledore was "horribly, terribly let down" and his love for Grindelwald was his "great tragedy"."


Huli na ako sa balita!

Photo credit: www.fanpop.com

So, I started reading the Harry Potter series again.  This is I think my 6th time to read the Sorceror's Stone.  

I was looking for clues to check if J.K. Rowling was really telling the truth and here's what I got in the first book: First, Emerald and Purple and naging outfits dun ni Prof. Albus.  Second, in that Chapter on Christmas day, it was mentioned that they all had fun during the feast and that "Dumbledore traded his hat with a flowered bonnet."

Hmmm... Bakit si Mayor Lito Atienza or si Kuya Kim laging naka flowery-flowery eh hindi naman malambot?

Oh but why do I care? It's not caring really, it's just that I'm a very curious George and I like checking out things for myself just to prove or dispute a fact or thing.  And ayaw kong nahuhuli sa balita. Hmph!

Batatoinks

Kids grow up so fast.  But no matter how fast they grow up, parents would still look at them like babies (they way my parents look at me and my sister and brother).

And kids are sooooooo cute. Ang banat nila, walang katapat.

Here's one from my kid:

Yesterday on the phone...

Me: Hi baby, how are you?
B: I'm fime, uh, fine...
Me: What are you doing?
B: I'm watching. Ay, mali pala. I'm lie downing.

Bwahaahahaahahhaah!!!!

Here's another years ago.

(I just got out of the bathroom, newly bathed and wearing a green, flowery "daster")

B: Hi mom.
Me: Hi babe.
B: Si Princess Fiona ka ba?
Me: (Grrrrr...) Sinong Princess Fiona? Yung ogre or yung princess na talaga?
B: Ahhhh... (smiling that super sweet smile, but the pause was too long...) Yung princess talaga.

(Nag-isip pa!!!)

photo credit: kamangalimbani.blogspot.com 

START THE YEAR RIGHT WITH SULIT.COM.PH + a chance to win from Sulit!

I was telling myself I needed to try to make a "to-do" list and a "to-have" list.  The first, I'm slowly trying to imbibe for my everyday activities and the second is something that I've only done once or twice.

But for the year of the Water Snake, I've decided to really come up with a "to-have" list every year. It should contain all the "material" things that I need for a specific year.  Since it's a "to-have" list, then the list must contain necessities only, not those for my wishful thinking. 

Of course, these things are available at "Sulit.com.ph" so I have included pictures of these items that I really need to have (and also lurv, lurv, lurv to have, ehem, ehem).

Now, first is:

...drum roll please...

1. IPAD!

- I don't mind if it is second generation, so long as it is an Ipad, it's working and it's got all the apps I need like the Safari, iTunes, Facetime, Reminders, Clock, Calendar and the most important -- GAMES!    At least, it's much cheaper than the latest version of the Ipad.

I like this Ipad being offered here: Apple iPad 2 16GB White WIFI white

2. Gas Range -

- I used to burn everything I cooked. It all changed when I started reviewing for my "torture exams".  Since I was getting nauseous reading all the books, I diverted my attention to cooking.  Baking is a different thing though.  When I was still a kid, I remember my mama bringing home goodies and cakes home after her baking classes.  I told myself I want to learn to bake too. So when my sister bought a gas range in 2004, that's when I started baking. I even offer my baked goodies for sale.  Sadly, until now, I still don't have my own "oven" so it is one of my must-have's for this year.  

I think this oven would be perfect:  Oven lagermania with hose and regulator

3.  Bakery Supplies  Bakery Equipment

I am planning to put up my dream of having a Bakery this year.  And I think, this would be one of the necessary equipment that I need. It includes a dough roller, a cake spiral, mixer and slicer.  And I've made a canvass of the different prices of the suppliers -- this one is one of the cheapest.

4.  Bakery Supplies - Cupcake holder (paper/carton).

I love cupcakes. I think they're little pieces of heaven in the mouth. Heheheh. But I haven't sold any of my own cupcakes since I don't have a sturdy cupcake holder.  Since I live in the South of Manila, commuting to the North of  Manila with 50 pieces of cupcakes will be nightmarish for me without a sturdy cupcake holder, box and other essentials. 

This one is good:  12 pcs. Cupcake Holder

5.  When a friend got married, I made cupcakes for her since she lives not too far from me.  But I had a hard  time looking for a sturdy cupcake stand, so I just asked my papa to make one for me.  Good thing, Sulit has great offerings from its members and I found this:  

5 Tier Cupcake Holder - pretty eh?

6. Since I'm into baking, there's still lot of stuff that I need. Like a supplier of eggs. You cannot imagine how many trays of eggs I use when there is an occasion.  So I need a supplier of eggs who can offer them at a great price. Since I will be new in the business, I would need all the discounts and freebies that I can get. 

Hmmm. How about this one:  Eggs Farm Fresh We Supply Angeles City, Mabalacat, Bamban, Capas 

7.  I also need a supplier of flour! I use up about 5 kilos of flour every week (during occasions) so, I have to get someone who could supply me with flour with a discount.  This one's pretty lower from my usual supplier:

Flour Supply at P880.00 per sack? Not bad.

8. I love almonds.  I seldom use them for baking, since they are costly.  I just love roasting them with a little salt, and gobble them up as a snack. Too bad, my kid doesn't like almonds.  But hubby loves it, so we always buy almonds by the kilo.  But I saw this one in Sulit and I felt my heart palpitate because it's only at P650 per kilo!

CRdG/ ACDG Trading: I love you now!

9.  My hubby needs a new ride.  A motorcycle has been very helpful to our family.  It consumes less gasoline, storage is not so big, maintenance is not so costly, (oh well, some say it's not safe, but we try to observe all safety precautions before riding).  And our motorcycle has been serving us for many years already, it is now ready to retire.  

I saw this in Sulit and I think I want to check this out by ALAGAKOITO:

10.  And for my baby: A pair of hammies. He's been begging me to buy him a pair.  We used to have a pair and we gave it to his cousin. Sadly, one died, and the other got away. So he told me, this time, if I buy him a pair of hamsters, he will really take care of them.  But some pet shops offer them at too steep a price, so I found this from Sulit:

Teddy Bear Hamsters for P50.00 each - Like like like!!!

Sulit offers a whole new world of online shopping for you.  This may be your best source for your "must-haves".  For your necessities, Sulit likewise offers a range of products from different trusted sources so that you are assured that you get value for your money at a safe and convenient way.

So this year, start the year right and  choose Sulit.com.ph.!  Check out Sulit's Facebook Fan Page and Twitter account for more updates and choices.

What about you, can you give me your ten must-haves for this year?  Include the links of your must-haves and you may get a chance to win P10,000 worth of GCs from Sulit.  But first, kindly like Sulit's FB page, and follow them on Twitter.

In the comment box, include the name of the item and the link of the ad from Sulit.com.ph.  Commenters must provide their full name, Facebook profile URL or Twitter ID, plus list of the ten items with the link.

Please follow the requirements.  And who knows, if I win courtesy of Sulit, then you get a chance to win too!

Tagaytay Finds

We recently went to Tagaytay to buy beef at the Mahogany Market.  

Buying beef there is really something.  The meat is still warm and even pulsating. (Tumitibok-tibok ang laman!)  (Price: P250 per kilo)

At syempre, hindi pwedeng puro beef lang ang bilhin sa Mahogany.  

Hubby eats veggies voraciously so I bought greens and tomatoes.  Papa likes the raw peanuts.  So I bought these too!

There's the Common Lettuce, Red Romaine
and  Baby Green Romaine

This bag of greens costs P50 only (1/4 kilo)

I bought yellow bell peppers too for only P18 pesos each.

This is almost the size of my palm

While I'm not too fond of tomatoes, I bought them too because they looked good to eat. And I was told that these were grown locally, meaning in Tagaytay.

Cherry tomatoes are sold for P35 for each pack like this

And then I saw the most pretty tomatoes I've ever seen! They're in a vine. I totally forgot what it's called!This is also locally grown and I was told that they don't sell them outside Tagaytay because these beauties are very delicate.  They easily fall of the vine/stem, so one has to be really careful when harvesting or transporting them.  

This whole stem was sold to me for P35.
Anybody who knows what this is called?
 (Pomodorino ba?)

Aside from the usual pineapple (sold at P30 pesos each - haggle - you can buy them at 4 large pieces for P100.00), I bought this:

Persimmon -Tastes like a mix of apple with the texture of a pear
but you have to peel of the skin first.
(Four pieces for P100.00)

Hay, imagine, my P1000.00 went a long, long way! I bought pa bananas, chico, honey and "tank" of sukang kaong (ang laki eh, parang 3 gallons ata yun).

Hubby enjoyed the marketing experience so did the little kid.  Hindi siya natakot sa mga nakasabi na whole cow at mga skull na nakakalat lang sa gilid.  In fact, na-amaze siya. Akala niya nasa museum sya!

So, try visiting Mahogany Market when you visit Tagaytay and you'll be amazed at the various fruit and veggie offerings they have out there. 

On stress and more stress

Sunset from a Tagaytay Window

S-T-R-E-S-S-E-D!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't tell you how much cause words would not suffice to describe how stressed out I am. And considering that it's just the second month of the year! Whew!!!!

BUT...

I know things would soon be more relaxed.  So for now, I would have to contend with a prayer that I will feel better soon (cause I've been sick for what, 3 weeks at least!) and everything would be a breeze soon. 

I remember one of my favorite songs from one of my all-time favorite movies, The Sound of Music, "My Favorite Things."

"When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad."

Who are my favorite people? 

1. Hubby and Baby

2. Mama and Papa

3. Kuya and Eryx

4. Momi G, LA and Donat

5. Caru & Mamater

What are my favorite things?

1. Sunset

2. Chicharon

3. Fried Chicken and Gravy

4. Rain

5. Computer

And when I think of these, then I don't feel soooooo baaaaadddd!!!! (sabay kanta!)

So if you are stressed out there, isipin mo na lang na ako din!

Sunrise from a Tagaytay Window

Birthday Wish

My little boy just celebrated his birthday recently.

When he woke up, his daddy and I sang to him.  And I told him, it's your birthday today.  He said, "talaga?"

Later, while playing, he told me that he didn't want a party.  Kasi he wants to be a carpenter.  I told him that his daddy and I will support him if that's what he wants to be when he grows up.  "Ok lang maging carpenter," I said.

Later, when he was blowing his cake, we asked him to make a wish and he said hurriedly in a hushed voice, "sana maging carpenter ako."

Hahahahahaa!!!!

Yun pala yun, kaya ayaw nyang magparty. Kasi yun ang birthday wish niya. hehehehee.

Babies. They are soooo lovable!

love you forever!

Liebster Award!!! WOoooooHoooOoooo!!!

“the Liebster Award is given to blogs that have less than 200 followers as a way to show appreciation and support to fellow bloggers, as well as to spread the word about new blogs.” (Copied from Alias M. who copied this from two bloggers who nominated her)

At dahil ninominate ako ng aking kaibigan na si Alias M., ito po ay lubos kong tinatanggap!

Salamat Salamat!!!

Palakpakan!

Dahil wala nang libre ngayon, may kapalit ang nomination na ito.  Hmmm... (madugo ang number 3 task ah.)

Kaso... parang di ko yata makocomply ang pinapagawa sa akin na pag nominate.

First:  Post 11 things about yourself.  

1. Mababaw ang kaligayahan ko.  

  Anything can make me laugh.  One time, I was in a jeep, on my way home. It was raining hard, and a man got inside the jeep in a hurry, rushing to close his umbrella.  Then, as soon as he sat, he stood up and got off the jeep and then I realized that he was bald. Somebody said, "Ay yung wig niya, sumabit pala sa payong."

2. When I was 5, I wanted to be a teacher because I like erasing the board.  Now I'm a teacher and I realize that I don't like erasing the board. First, because the board is too high for my short arms. Second, ang kati sa balat ng chalk dust! Buti na lang nauso ang whiteboard marker. Makati pa rin.

3. I hate horror movies.  I have a very wild imagination so you can't imagine what I'm imagining before I fall asleep after watching a horror movie. Good thing, I don't dream of those horror movies, but then again, how can I dream when I can't sleep at all!!!!

4. I like coffee. I'm not an addict. I can survive a week without coffee.  But if offered a cup, I won't refuse.  Like ice cream. No matter how full I am, if I am offered coffee, I'd gladly have it.

(Hay, ang hirap mag-isip. Ubos na yung thoughts ko. hahahah. Seven more to go.)

5. I hate learning math but I'm good at it. Even I surprise myself in this aspect. Enough said.

6. My second choice in college was to take up Music. But I realized I didn't want to study music for at least five years (Come on, five years to study notes, clefts, etc?).  So Pol. Sci. it is.

7. I am a mind reader of professor's attendance to classes.  In law school, I could sense if the professor was going to be absent or not. If my antennae get that signal, expect that I will also be at home, relaxing, than endure at least 3 hours of torture and stomach cramps.

8.  My pet peeve is the use of prepositions. It takes a lot of effort for me to determine which preposition to use. Parang iisa lang sila sa akin. Grrrr! 

(Ano pa ba, tatlo na lang. Tapos mag-iisip na ako ng 11 bloggers! Dalawa pa lang ang kilala ko na may readers na 11 below) 

9. I love sports.  Eto ang mga napag-aralan kong sports - Volleyball, swimming, diving (platform --- that was eons ago), table tennis, bowling, darts, badminton, golf (kahit parang ahas minsan ang takbo ng bola), chess, at... teka, marami pa akong alam, pero di ko maisip ngayon. I-eedit ko na lang in the future.

10. Nung bata pa ako, palagi akong talo sa tamaang-tao. Kaya ayaw ko ng larong yun. I guess I'm just too slow, or the thought that I'm going to be intentionally hit by the ball makes me less agile. Bwahahahahahhah!

11. One of my ultimate dreams is to publish a book worth reading. Don't know if it's ever going to happen since I'm lazier than my usual lazy self these days.   Besides, I'm scared that I might be left with a lot of books in my house because no one else would read it even if I give it away for free.

Second: Answer 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you

These are her questions for her bloggers and friends:

What makes you YOU?-

If you see someone crazy, who laughs at very little things that normal people don't see as funny, who looks at life upside down, sees every moment as an opportunity to do something different, who looks like Mentos (a little tough and crunchy outside, soft and chewy inside) --- that's what makes me Me.

If you could give an advice to a baby, what would it be?

Drink all the breastmilk you can. It's good for you.  When you grow up a little: Love your parents. Take every opportunity to show them that you love and care for them.    

What do you sometimes pretend you understand that you really don’t?

Stocks.

What have you done that you are not proud of?

Lie... a lot...

What do most people envy about you?

I don't think anybody envies me at all.

When you look into the past, what do you miss the most?

My childhood because I don't seem to remember a lot of it.

What are the changes you want to make in your life in the next twelve months?

First, my workplace.

Second, my purse.

Third, my eating and sleeping habits.

What big lesson could people learn from your life?

The world is one big classroom.  Every moment for me is a chance to learn something new. 

What is something you changed your mind about when you grew older?

My self-centeredness was lessened a bit.  My patience grew.    Mali pala ang sagot ko, mali ang basa ko.

I changed my mind about fatty foods when I grew older. Hindi na yata siya ganun kasarap. Hehehehe!

What have you given up on?

I have given up on learning how to play the drums and how to hula hoop.

If your life had absolutely no limits and you could have it all and do whatever you wanted, what would you choose to have and what would you choose to do?

A rocket ship... ride to it space and back. 

Third: Nominate 11 bloggers, notify them about the nomination and ask them to answer 11 new questions.

To my friends and bloggers, please answer the following questions and explain your answers:

Dr Mommy G

blahblahblogchef

jaja's blog-a-dog

My Space, My World

Happy Blue Thoughts

The Flower Duet 

Raebreak 

Scatterbraintures 

freshinista.blogspot.com

pinaymexheartbeats.blogspot.com

lemuelurieta.blogspot.com

1. You'll be given P5,000 if you eat one of two things in 30 minutes: 2 kilos of kwekwek or 2 kilos of chicharon (walang suka), what will you eat?

2. You rode a jeep (alone) and you just realized that you forgot your wallet, halfway into the ride.  What would you do? Get off the jeep, plead to the driver or pawn your belonging/s?

3. Chippy, Mr. Chips or Granny Goose Tortillos?

4. Mashed Potato or French Fries (both with gravy)?

5.  You chanced upon a magic lamp. When you rubbed it, a grumpy genie told you that you had one wish that he will grant, what would it be? (Pwede wag world peace? hehehe)

6. A rich unknown relative suddenly made you an heir to his billion-peso estate. He gave you a bequest of one million pesos in his will. If released to you, what's the first thing that you will buy?

7.  Which holiday would you like to celebrate for at least 3 days in a year?

8. If you become the president of the country, what would your focus be?

9. Name one MMDA project that you do not approve of.

10.  Subject that is necessary in Grade One: Computer, Sex Education, Mandarin

11.  If you were going to have this for free, which would you choose: R2D2, Wall-E, Megatron?

Fourth: Upload the image of the Award on your blog (This may go first) 

 Yahooooo! Isa to sa pinakamahirap sagutin ah! 

Salamat ulit Alias M.!

BAKET Liss - Scuba Diving

After 34 years, one of my dreams came true and an item in my bucket list (baket liss) was crossed out : I went scuba diving!

Why I waited for three decades before doing it?
a. sobrang mahal
b. sobrang mahal
c. sobrang mahal
d. (atsaka akala ko walang magkakasya sa akin na wet suit... shhhhhh...)


I talked about this in my previous post. Check it out here.

Why I finally tried it?

Cause my hubby got it cheap. Period.

Before feeling chicken

At first, practicing breathing only through the mouth can be disconcerting.  I told the instructor that I tend to forget to exhale through my mouth, what if I inhale a lungful of water? But he said to just practice it, keep calm and he taught several things and made me practice them many times before we went to the boat to the dive site.

With my cool instructor

I thought at first that I couldn't do it. Everything seemed so hard in shallow water! Then I remembered that hubby tried it the day before and was so happy with the entire experience! Atsaka, mas magaling akong lumangoy sa kanya. Hindi pwedeng hindi ko itutuloy ito!

I told myself, "you crazy girl, you waited your whole life for this and you will back -out? Tsaka sayang, mura na ito!!!!!"

So, I finally did it! I backrolled to the water and next thing I knEw, I was going down, breathing evenly as if suddenly, breathing through a mouthpiece was what I have been doing since birth.  No more hesitations, just pure excitement at what the ocean offers me to see.

  Why nine fingers? It's supposed to be a "hello" sign
from me, kaso may hawak akong plastic na pinaglagyan
ng bread to feed the fish, so I couldn't extend all fingers.

It was 40 minutes of pure heaven.  Swimming in gigantic corals made me realize how tiny I am in this world. While swimming, I thanked God for the opportunity to see His majesty.  And I promised myself that if my son, when he's at the right age, decides to go scuba diving, I'll tell him, "Anak, gora, kahit mahal!"

Whew! I should do this again and finally enroll in a diving class

Boracay: the Kuripot's Diary about Paradise Part 2

Without Glad Kitchen, that Boracay Trip would not have been possible.  I tell you, we've saved P14,000+ for the accommodation for three days and two nights at Alta Vista.  Considering that it was a perfect accommodation for a family, that amount really made a huge difference.

Ganyan ang kwarto namin. Promise!
(photo credit: www.interaksyon.com)

This Kuripot Mom was able to have a blast in Boracay by her sheer "katipiran".  How? Let me count the ways. (hehehe)

1. Checked out airline promos.

We got our tickets at P2,200.00+ each for round trip airfare from Manila to Kalibo via Tiger Airways. We bought it almost three (3) months before.  What's nice about Tiger Airways is that the terminal fee for Manila to Kalibo is already included (Kalibo to Manila terminal fee is not included, which is alright since the fee is only P40.00).  We couldn't find a promo flight to Caticlan so we had to contend with the Kalibo Trip.

2.  Was prepared for delayed flights.

Our flight to Kalibo was delayed for 8 hours.  Good thing, we had "baon" - rice and corned beef for hubby, chicken with rice and gravy with Yakult and Zest-o Choco for the little boy,  and bread and water for me. At least, we didn't spend a fortune buying food in the airport, which, I tell you, is not worth the price that you'll pay for it.

Tiger Airways flight was delayed for 8 hours:
Eto na ang mukha ko nun

I'll give you an example.  My little boy loves pastillas. He saw a store inside the airport boarding area selling Goldilocks products and other items, including pastillas in microwaveable containers.  He told his dad he wanted it.  The dad, not minding the price, bought him one for P120.00.  How many was the pastillas? Around 30 1x1 inch pieces. Huh! Branded???

Ganito kaliit ang pastillas na ginto na nabili sa airport

We originally scheduled our trip for 4 days and 3 nights (Monday to Thrusday). But since the flight was delayed, I forced the Tiger Airways representative to rebook our flight for Saturday, instead of Thursday free of charge. Ayaw pa nila, eh nabawasan ng isang araw ang bakasyon namin!  Finally, they relented.  The fare at that time was no longer discounted and I chose the more expensive fare. (Para makaganti lang sa pahirap nila sa amin.)  So nakatipid pa rin kami. Kasi kaya yun ang original schedule namin eh kasi mahal na yung pa-weekend. At dahil sa delayed flight, napahaba ang bakasyon namin at di na kami nagbayad ng mas mahal na ticket!

Pero Tiger, di pa ako tapos sa 'yo... Di ka pa nagrereply sa customer feedback form ko... Two weeks na. Baka gusto mong mag super sayan ako!

So for 3 days/2 nights, we stayed at Alta Vista and for the remaining days, we chose a little room at a very cheap price. (P1,275.00 per night only with A/C and cable TV). I didn't take any pictures there, kasi masisira ang image namin... Ang porma-porma ng Alta Vista, tapos mapapadpad na kami sa kawawang kwarto diba?

3. Joined promotional activities for free buffet dinner.

If you are invited by staff of hotels plying the beach, offering free lunch/ dinner, then by all means, agree to join. Imagine lunch/dinner buffet for two persons, free of charge! That's at least P500.00 savings that you could use for other activities in the island like the ATV, which was offered to us at P300.00 per head for an hour.

The catch: You have to listen to their "90 minute presentation" offering you membership to their club.  Well, the 90-minute presentation turned out to be 2 1/2 hours because it included a tour of the hotel facilities and more computation for the payment terms.  (Which for me, was outrageously expensive since I'm kuripot nga!)

May sobra ka bang P800,000 sa wallet mo?
Magmember na, sayang naman ang over-eager nilang spiel na,
"Magagamit niyo po ba? Welcome to the club!"

4.  Used our GCs.

My brother gave me GC's from Starbucks for Christmas. Good thing the barista accepted them even if they were a little bit  soggy! (The waterproof container - thanks Tsa Sin Mi! -where I put my wallet wasn't closed tightly kasi)  I didn't use it right away and saved it for our Boracay Trip. Kaya, sosyal ang kape namin sa Boracay!

GC's!!!

5. Used the microwave!

Ask if your hotel has a microwave so you can bring a microwaveable cup like this (Thanks Reb!)  A pack of chicken noodles can fit in here and it retains the heat inside longer than those ordinary microwaveable containers. Instead of eating out for breakfast, we brought and later on, bought bread, noodles in packs (not the ones in cups because they're more expensive) and even pancit canton. Cooking was a breeze!

Microwaveable Cup: so handy and useful!

6.  Tricycle Style.

If you are going to ride a tricycle because you are tired of walking from one station to another, don't ride in the tricycles that are in the "pila".  They cost thrice as much as a regular fare if you would walk a bit further from the line.  If you are in a "pila", the trip to the port would be P100 to P150 whereas if you ride a tricycle that's just passing by, it only costs P20.00 per head.

Remember: 'Wag pumara sa pila. Maglakad ng konti para mura.

7.  Tawad galore!

If you are searching for activities, don't ever forget to haggle. That's H-A-G-G-L-E! We're Filipinos! We should be experts at haggling.  Hubby and I were able to go scuba diving for only P2,000 each, all-in, with CD (for photos and video footage of ourselves).  The normal price for the scuba is P3,000-P3,500.  It was a dream come true! If we didn't get that deal, my dream to scuba dive would not have become a reality. (Thanks hubby for being super kuripot like me and for being a "Tawad Guru")

Dream come true!

8.  Cocktails all you can.

We saw a "cocktails all you can from 5-9 pm at the Astoria Hotel in Station 1.  I told my husband, to try it.  But on our way there from our room, we passed by Bom Bom Bar which offers buy-1-take-1 cocktails for P130 from 4 pm to 8 pm! Hmmm, mas mura! So that's where we went with the little boy.   Lasing na kami, isang glass pa lang.  So we paid less than P400 for our drinks.  I'm really not much of a drinker. I don't know if the more expensive cocktails taste as icky as the ones we drank.  If the point is to listen to music and looking at the setting sun while getting drunk, then this is the place to go!

9. Prioritized.

Prioritize on what you really need to do while on vacation. Do you want to lie down in your hotel bed for 3 days and 2 nights and just enjoy lying down, or would you want to experience the different activities that the place offers? Once you've identified what you really want, then adjust your budget according to how you want to spend your vacation.  From there, you would know what to splurge on and what to skimp on.

For me, I told myself  that I want to relax and swim and try to do at least one activity in Boracay. Since the scuba diving was one of my ultimate dreams, the savings I made from scrimping on the above made it possible for me to try scuba diving despite the steep price (though I'd love to try the helicopter ride but it's P10,000.00 for the three of us, pffft!)

A vacation can really be expensive.  But little savings here or there really matter.  So if you're on a budget, and not a very picky person, try the tips I gave you and let me know if you still enjoyed and were able to save too.

Cheers to Kakuriputan!!!

photo credit in order of appearance: (salamat po)
1. earthtimes.org
2. kgpanelo.deviantart.com
3. internationaltimeshareexchange.com
4. bluecloud1003.blogspot.com
5. shopgetorganized.com
6. excurshionista.net