Seafarers Family Vacation Tips!

TIPS  On SEAFARERS In Planning Their Vacation

 Abroad With Their Family

Hello This is Christopher Founder Of: cecventures.com

and today I just wanna share one of the favourite stuff of my fellow seafarers and one of those is a family vacation.

Seafarer's Travel a lot in every part of the world because that is a part and nature of our work and I know everyone likes it.

But who among us is very proud if we can travel some part of the world together with our loved ones such as your wife and children.

So I just wanna share what we have experienced from planning this vacation I will give all TIPS! that we can give so that every seafarer can benefit from it.

Please watch all the links that I will give because everything will be important during vacation planning.

Before I forgot I just wanna share my compelling reason why did I start my goals to have a family vacation abroad.

last time I join the ship I am in manila airport bound for Hongkong and I saw a family husband and wife together with their children and I look at them that they are very happy on their journey.

So I ask myself in this way " How many years I am travelling as a seafarer and yet  my family does not have an opportunity to travel with me.

So before I start my job at sea I set my goals last year that I need to start travelling with my family while I am young.

And I know no all seafarer's have the opportunity to travel abroad with their family so that's why I wrote this blog for you to have an inspiration and to start planning your next vacation with your family.

So here are my FREE Tips!

Tip #  1

Make a plan!

Do you remember our SMS ( safety management system ) onboard ?

" Plan what you do and Do what you plan "

Many things we want doesn't happen not just because lack of money but because lack of planning and goals if you want to achieve your personal goals you need to plan it ahead of time and work for it to make it happen.

This is the screen shot of my excel file when I started to wrote this plan when I'm still onboard on my last vessel.

wrote it and feel it that It will gonna happen.

Tip # 2

Save a budget for the vacation

How much you want to have a vacation with your family it will not happen if you will not save an amount for that, so for you to feel that it will happen you need to discipline yourself through savings.

every month we receive our cash advance from captain separate immediately your budget for family vacation.

Tip # 3

Make a list of your things to bring for travel

One of the most common mistake and problem you will encounter in family vacation is when you missed something at home like smart phone charger, medicine or whatever important thing we need during our vacation and that is one of my observation on my fellow seafarers they go onboard with lack of the things they need because they don't make a list for their stuff onboard and sometimes due to urgent joining the ship so that is one of my practice before I join the ship I have my list so that in my computer so that I can update it anytime and I will print it so that while I am preparing my stuff onboard I am sure that all things I need will be on my luggage.

and in fact some I generate small amount in selling onboard because my colleagues forgot the following like:

* Mouse

* Comb

* Nail cutter

* personal flashlight

* USB

and many more, some of my fellow seafarers in our company knows that I am selling these following stuff that they forgot to bring and they are glad that I bring something they forgot on their stuff onboard.

So here is my " List to bring "  you can click here to download your own copy

--->>>>  http://cecventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/List-To-Bring.xlsx

Tip # 4

Choose between the two vacation options:

1. Plan your vacation with the help of travel agency.

Advantage - You don't need to plan for your vacation you will just choose their vacation promo package and then pay for it.

Disadvantage - Probably it will be Expensive

2. Plan your vacation with your own booking style.

Advantage - You can plan your own travel with your own budget and you can save some money from it you are the boss of your own vacation.

Disadvantage - You need to plan diligently for you schedule, booking and you will experience a lot of effort from it because the plan came from you.

Tip # 5

Book your vacation ahead of time:

If you will book ahead of time your vacation becomes cheaper since you book your vacation ahead of time let's say 1 month ahead in this way you can avail some promo, so plan your schedule diligently and book ahead of time.

Make sure you will be there on the schedule that you book unless time and chance won't permit you to be there so we don't have a choice but to cancel the vacation when you cancel the vacation on your flights and hotels expect that re - book will be more expensive.

Tip # 6

How to have a sure vacation budget?

There are two options on how you can save your vacation budget

1. Is saving an amount every month when captain gave you your cash advance.

2. Try to ask an extension of your contract and then use that amount base on your destination you want to go, although this will be a sacrifice because we need to work more than our contract but who among us doesn't know how to sacrifice for our families sake? we work hard for them so why not ask an extension?

Tip # 7

Hotel Selection

In Singapore one of the famous and expensive hotel is in marina bay sands.

We did not book our hotel here since we have our specific budget but base on my fellow Filipino tourist came from Singapore what they did is they book first the cheap hotel for 2 days and after they book their hotel in marina bay sands for 1 day, meaning they will transfer another hotel which is in marina bay after 2 days in these way they can experience the expensive and well-known hotel in Singapore.

It's not important how much you spend in vacation what matters most is what you have enjoy and experience.

Tip # 8

Book your vacation out of peak season

If possible in your vacation schedule try to book in non peak season because peak season is not just only expensive but also it will make your vacation very tiring.

Because a lot of people is going on the place that you plan to go.

Tip # 9

Prepare for your cameras memory

Nowadays we preferred to post a picture and videos in our social media account on what's happening on our vacation but It will become a sad thing if you don't have an excess memory for the moments that you need to captured it.

By the way I will gave my list including my gadgets that I am suggesting that you need to bring on your vacation.

Tip # 10

Be careful on your travel in crowd places

If you  have a child that needs to have a guardian you don't want to ruin yourself regarding on your vacation because you lost your child in your hand. before it may happen you need to bare in your mind that you did not go for vacation just for the place attraction you are there together with your loved once because you need to take care of them too while you are on vacation. so be very careful and also your belongings.

Tip # 11

Watch your daily budget

I learned vacation budgeting in my mentor Capt. Christopher Cervantes founder of cardinalbouy.com

I one thing he suggest is like this let's say if you will stay around 3 days and your budget is around 300 for 3 days probably you need to spent only 100 $ per day in these way your budget will be evenly distributed for 3 days.

if you spent more than your budget definitely your budget the following day is not enough.

You may buy an accordion enveloped because these tool is very effective in monitoring your budget daily.

Tip # 12

Observe for opportunities in Business and Investments

Some of great businesses and Investments came from other places that had bring it's concept in other places.

One of my friend when he travel he did not just make himself happy in his vacation  he also look and observe for other opportunities for business and investments that he can be learned and possible he can apply.

Tip # 13

Baggage Space:

You need to prepare some space in your luggage before you start departing for vacation or you can bring some extra bag for preparation for some souvenirs that you want to buy.

Tip # 14

Avoid broadcasting on social media while you are in vacation

Some people if they know you that you have a big and elegant house or they knew you have a lot of money if they will see that you are on vacation if there is someone who wants to make a bad thing like theft. be careful unless you have a lot of security guards in your house.

In our case before we leave my parents is in our house so we don't need to think about our house while we are enjoying our vacation.

If you will just leave your house alone make sure that all faucet are properly close refrigerator are only in # 1 setting to avoid to much ice or if does not have anything inside much better shut it down. close all window and all the doors properly.

Tip # 15

Prepare your local currency money on your destination

When I receive my unpaid wages in the office I did not change all my dollar currency I separate an amount for our vacation. In this way you don't need to buy a dollar in your place like banks which is more expensive rather than separating some amount for your vacation.

Before we fly in Singapore we change some amount of Singaporean dollars so that when we arrive in Singapore we have already a money for our taxi fare to travel in our hotel.

In our case we don't go in travel agency we book our flight and hotel through online.

Set your budget for how many days you will stay and when you arrive in airport of your destination you can change your money for their local currency.

Tip # 16

Prepare extra cash:

Though you have your certain budget you really don't know how much amount you need to spend when you are already in vacation since every stuff price tends to go higher and higher much better you have an extra cash than nothing.

Tip # 17

Padlock your luggage anytime you leave your hotel

Before you leave your hotel before you start your tour make sure you have your padlock and lock all your luggage as possible so that you are sure that it is more safer than to leave it open when you leave better than safe than never.

In addition much better to paint your key and padlock for colour coding in this way you can easily select the right key and you don't need to waste a lot of time.

Tip # 18

Plan your schedule

Sometimes you wanna go to look for some stuff that you want but the problem is your time is ruined because your partner or your family is busy looking for souvenirs for other people. make a schedule for buying time for souvenirs because you go there to enjoy your vacation not to please other people just only for buying their souvenirs.

Tip # 19

Additional savings for vacation

We all know that our salary onboard has it's different range from officers to ratings so if you think your salary is not enough to have your dream vacation with your family you can do some practical things such as cutting down your expenses onboard such as slop chest or expenses in going ashore you are not depriving yourself in this way you are just practicing discipline on savings that you probably the amount you can save will be for your family vacation.

Tip # 20

Bring extra clothes:

Don't think that you will just wear a one shirt for the whole day of travelling other country in their famous places most of them are outdoor so before you get sick of not changing your back with a new shirt. bring an extra at least you have two shirts per day.

Tip # 21

Try your new recipe with their signatures dishes:

Family vacation will be a lot of eating and drinking. but if you are a cook at your home it will be a good opportunity for you to copy their signature dish specially when it is a healthy food try to explore their dishes for you to serve a new taste at your kitchen.

Tip # 22

Charging Slot:

I know a lot of seafarers travel and spent some times in hotels when joining and signing off the ship. as you can see some hotels have a limited electrical slots.

If you want to charge you smart phone or power bank you may use the side slot of USB in their Led television it can charge our electrical device such as smart phones , MP3, power bank and many more.

Tip # 23

Travel Tax expenses:

We seafarers are tax free when we are joining our ship but being a tourist and spending your vacation in abroad is a different.

We need to pay our " travelling tax " when we travel.

 In our case from manila to Singapore adult travel tax is around 1,620 pesos or 33 US dollars about the children the tax is reduced up to 800 pesos or 16  US dollars.

for more info you may check this out in the Philippine airlines --->>

https://www.philippineairlines.com/FAQs/TaxesFeesandSurcharges

Do you want to have a copy of these blog?

Click It here! --- >>>  http://cecventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Seafarers-family-Vacation-Tips.docx

I hope you learned something on my Tips and I hope it will be helpful some of those I have written.

So I am happy not just to share my tips but also to share my FREE eBook on Seafarer's!

Which I called:

A Seafarer's Financial Compass

How To Multiply Your Income While You Are Still a Seafarer

I am offering these book for Free! Yes! Absolutely FREE!!!

These FREE eBook is all about income multiplier topic on how we can grow our hard earned money onboard while we are still a seafarer.

What the readers say about my book?

Read it her --->>>  cecventures.com

To Have my FREE eBook you can download your copy at cecventures.com

Goodbye for now!

Bon Voyage.

Tips on Seafarer's on how to manage our " Unpaid Wages and Leave Pay " when we finally receive it!

Tips on Seafarer's on how to manage our " Unpaid Wages and Leave Pay " when we finally receive it!

1. Giving / Tithing's:

Many people and even some seafarer's neglect the word giving because we think normally that the time we receive our salary it has to be spent only for or family.

I personally believe that what you sow you will reap, In my recent blogs I said that God doesn't gave us enough or some excess resources for us alone.

If you think that God blessed you a lot from the job you have you should know your purpose by means of giving.

Some resources had been given to us so that we could be a channel of blessing to others.

2. Prepare your Financial accounting:

These is one of the practices that some seafarer's doesn't have an idea and they don't have any plan for managing it.

Normally we know is when we receive it we just need to manage that resources until the next vessel that we will sign on.

But that is the mistake of many  even me, And from what I have learned from Financial seminar I learned how to calculate the SAL ( statement of asset and liabilities ) how to prioritize your budget and some allocation such as investment and protection.

You need to have your own financial accounting so that you will know what you need to prioritize first.

3. Eliminate you debts:

Before you buy your newest gadget or anything you love to buy you need to eliminate your debt first.

Because if not it will accumulate it's interest or if it doesn't have, some people ruin their personality by neglecting to pay their debt first.

And they hurry to bought the stuff that will make them poorer instead of richer.

4. Separate immediately your emergency fund:

many seafarers know how to save but they forgot to save for much serious savings such as emergency fund.

Emergency fund will be your buffer in any case of loss of job or any serious need  of money or whatever it can be used for urgent purposes.

You have your fancy car amazing house or anything you gave a deeper value. but if you forgot to save your emergency fund.

later on you will sell what you have in a negative profit.

5. Freewill Fund:

There is a lot of terms of Freewill fund like happy fund, play fund or anything you want to call it.

I save some amount for my freewill fund is for the purpose of buying the things that I love such as eating in a fine dine restaurant or buying a stuff that I loved.

These fund is outside of your monthly budget! meaning these fund can be spent wherever and whenever you want.

so typically  save around 20 - 30 dollars per month of my salary so it could be like this 30 $ x 45 pesos ( samples exchange rate ) x 8 months of contract = 10,800 pesos.

These is only an example you may set your own budget base on your monthly income.

6. Invest on protection like life insurance:

We need to understand that being a seafarer is not a lifetime and we know a Lot of stories that many seafarers when their reach their retirement age how many of them are really prepared to retire? how many of them are financially stable that they don't need to return onboard just to save for their retirement?

You need to understand that you should obliged  yourself to save and invest for your life protection known as life insurance because you never know what will gonna happen to you for tomorrow what if you die today do you have something for your family when you need to leave?

Life insurance is a different topic that you need to learn first to learn about investing in life insurance please follow these link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-B9618b_GE&t=13s

7. Don't just save learn how to invest.

As I said many of seafarers when they reach their retirement age they don't have the guts to face it because when the time they are earning a lot they don't pay attention in managing their finances though some of them gave all they have to their children and other extended families that sometimes we need to consider.

But what need to learn here is we need to know how to invest our money in may investment vehicles out there.

So in these way you can maximize the potential growth of your money.

These investments that accumulated will help you when you are in your retirement age.

If you want to know more about different types of investments please watch these link on you tube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-bhM0zu57c&t=77s

8. Prepare your monthly budget:

If you have a budget around 35,000 pesos or 714 $ per month and if your vacation is around 3 months you need to keep around 105, 000 pesos or 4,285 $

so that you can make sure within 3 months you can lived a normal life.

after that if you exceed your vacation and suddenly you loss your company or whatever reason you may use now your emergency fund.

9. Eliminate Unnecessary expenses:

If you have some expenses that you think you don't need to waste money then eliminate it immediately there are a lot or expenses which is more in need rather wasting it on the things that will never help you to build your financial stability that leads to financial freedom in the future.

My fellow seafarers if you will ignore this what I have written be careful!

Don't be too overconfident with the current salary range.

Everything can be removed to us in a twinkling of an eye. If we will neglect to manage what God has entrusted to us when we are in our earning capacity.

If you enjoy and you learned something please share it to your friends and community.

I hope I shared something useful for you today!

Until next time.

God bless to all my fellow seafarers.

Christmas Bonus

Christmas Bonus Tips!

Hi There this is Christopher Founder of cecventures.com and once again I wrote another blog of mine just yesterday which is usually based normally in my daily learning and what I have learned from many people, I hope you can get some tip's this coming Christmas Season.

1. Gift:

In selecting your Christmas gift try find out the personality of the person you want to gave a gift that will fit to them, buy a cheaper stuff and yet usable. because what is the point of giving expensive gift if they cannot use the gift or they have already  what you have given.

Try to buy in cheaper market such as Divisoria that absolutely you can have a discount. But if you want to buy here make sure you have enough energy for the whole day because you need to surf at least some stores or sellers for you to make sure you bought the cheaper price before you bought something.  

2. Going Online Stores:

 Try to buy in online stores specially if the owner is your friend. because it is less effort because you can choose the item you want in just a matter of looking it in your PC screen or in your smart phone.

3. Making List:

Prepare your list of items that you need to buy, Plan how much budget for the gifts and other expenses this Christmas season.

4. Manage your Debt first:

Before you spend first and enjoy your shopping time, make sure you already paid your debt, because financial freedom does not consist of having your budget this Christmas season what matter is you are Debt Free though you don't have a new clothes it is much important that you don't have a Debt this Christmas Season!

5. Christmas Bonus:

If you have a Christmas bonus one of the best way is to divide it in savings and later you can invest it in some investment instrument such as stock market and mutual fund the other portion can be use in your Christmas budget since normally Filipinos Plan their budget in Christmas season after they received their Christmas bonus. But Don't let your Christmas bonus decide where they wanted to go, you work hard for that so you are the one who will dictate them where they can go profitably and likewise they can feed your needs This Christmas Season.

6. de clutter   

de clutter is also needed before you shop for your new stuff, Sort all your stuff from shirt, to pants up to your footwear, I know some of you have a lot of stuff that you don't need to use it anymore if it's still possible to use by others  give it away to the people who possible can use your stuff.. so your cabinet will have a new space when you shop this Christmas season.

Some said if within 1 year you don't use that stuff that you have in your closet the next year there is a big possibility that you will not use it anymore, give it away before it will lose its value because of being unused.

7. Budgeting:

Setting your budget will identify where your limit is, be creative to your budget as much as possible buy cheaper price and yet usable unlike expensive and yet they will just kept it in their cabinet or closet because they have already or they don't like your gift. And yet the purpose of giving is that you have remembered them despite how much is the cost of your gift. Stick to your budget no matter what.

8. Prepare extra gift:

Even you have accounted your list in gift giving, sometimes you never know you forgot someone or you have a new baby nephew or niece. We never know much better to prepare for some excess before they forgot you as their relatives. Hahahah..

9. Giving cash as a gift:

Better to exchange in the banks a new money paper ahead of time and also much better bills of 20's and then put in small envelope in this way whatever amount you have given will be secret if the other one is smaller amount than the other. Remember? Inaanak?

10.Gave a gift to yourself:

 And before you over spend your bonus don't forget to give yourself a gift, it could be material or non it depends where you want to spend it. Spend it in a way you deserve and worth it.

ex: New gadgets, Charity, Investing in seminars like Financial Literacy, Buying your favourite stuff it depends on you.

Everything I learned is what I am want to share to everyone of you. I hope you got some tips from what I have written. If this blogs helps you may I ask to please share it to your family, friends and love ones.

To learn more Tips in Money Management. Please visit me at cecventures.com

See you there!

Financial Planning Ala batman!

Did you know that financial planning is a big waste of money?

article written by: Christopher  Joseph t. Torralba ( seafarer )

You don't need to read this article because  you don't need to enhance your understanding in money management much better not to prepare for my future needs, I will just enjoy everything I can afford right now and later I will beg my company to take care of me later and I think it is pretty awesome!

Here are some notes that you need to understand why you don't need a financial planning.

 Work :

I don't need to plan for my  future because  every year I became stronger and younger  I can work until the age of 100 and I am happy to achieve that I am still working even I cannot stand alone already .

 Savings :

I don't need to learn the different and effective ways to save because there is a 5/6  in our community that can help me when I am out of cash.

I preferred to barrow from them because it is cheaper than to save money, as a matter of fact they have freebies! they have a stuff that I need to pay first before they can lend me some money,  so that is cool and awesome!

Retirement:

I don't need to plan for my retirement because I invest already in my children's education  all of them are  in earning stage already that's why they have their obligation  to return the favour we did as their parents.

and did you know that our SSS ( Social Security System ) will take care of me and also when I got sick they are offering "limited" amount for my hospitalization.

and my savings in SSS gives me a high yield because the inflation beat's it every year and that is the advice of my friends which is top at our class since high school.

This is my option in my retirement rather than investing in life insurance that they called

VUL ( life insurance + investment )

that can grow much better than banks does.

Risk:

Risk is " risk " why I will gamble if there is a risk hey it's common sense!

much better to buy my unnecessary stuff such as

vices that can destroy my body,

too much intake of soda and sweet's to lessen my diabetes problem in the future

hard liquor that makes me a monster after a heavy drinking session

or buying too much gadgets stuff that I cannot use all them one at a time.

or much better for my own pleasure on the girls in the club to strengthen my relationship with my wife and my children.

maybe also in gambling that I may have the fortune to win.

much better to avail these stuff because all of these are risk free indeed and I think it is a FACT,

rather than buying  a financial book & attending financial seminars that can enhance my understanding of money management so that I can able to identify and how to make more money in risk of investing and how to manage the risk.

Security and protection:

Whatever may happen to me my family will take care of me when I die.

Including my debt and all of my estate tax that they need to pay when I die.

Rather than saving all my unnecessary expenses  and human vices .

so that I can buy my own life insurance policy for an affordable price so that when I pass away my death benefit will take care of my family when I am not with them anymore.

Since this is some of my suggestions that's why you don't need to learn how financial planning works, just ignore it. Because actually all of my examples will might not happen in the future.

This is Christopher once again founder of cecventures.com and we are here to share more latest and useful articles in our daily living.

I hope you learned something from us.

please share this article as you don't care with your loved ones.

God bless..

The Story Behind The Muster Station

Did You Know That Ship's Muster Station Is Like Seafarer's Financial Foundation?

Written By: Christopher Torralba ( Seafarer )

Founder of:  cecventures.com

One day when I am working on deck in aft station my vision goes in Muster Station and I think that I can elaborate some short story in one of the most important location onboard, because I Think muster station have a similarity in Seafarer's Financial Management.

Muster station

1. Is the location where we conduct our mustering every time we need to perform an actual drill.  

and almost every month we perform it continuously.

2. Before we go here in our designated place in muster station you knew already what is your duties and responsibilities right?

3. We conduct a drill because we never knew when and where an emergency might happen. we have our duties to know our impart on how we can respond in such kinds of emergencies.

4. We never expect a fire, abandon ship, oil spill etc in real situation, but still why this thing should be implemented when we are onboard? simply because our ship has a plan for us in any case of emergency we have almost everything we need for us to survive.

The big question is If our ship has a master plan in our safety and escape if ever we need to leave the ship for whatever emergency might happen, Why many of us spend a decade already in their sea career and yet we don't have any plan for our financial management such as , retirement, back up fund , personal life insurance or even preparation in unexpected disability or worse might death?

Do we really need to plan for this stuff ? you don't need to answer because I know that you understand what I mean.

Seafarer's Finances

1. From the very first time that you've got your first job at sea we practice at the ship that we need to be informed in any emergencies and what is your duties and responsibilities in " ship's familiarization.

meaning from the very first time.

so from the very first time you've been onboard you should know your plan in your finances, you should able yourself to learn the capabilities to grow your money even in your very first contract.

2. When you got onboard you have your duties and responsibilities onboard in any case of any emergencies. remember your cabin card?  

same as your finances do you have  a personal plan or duties where to grow your money, where to invest it and how you can protect it,  so that while we are working as a seafarer likewise our money works hard for us as well.

3.We conduct a drills so that we can practice our duties and responsibilities in any case of emergencies so that we know what to do in real emergencies,

likewise in our finances we should have these duties and we should know how to respond in any financial crisis such as loss of job,  leaving too long, having a long vacation & many more.

4. We never expect any emergency and the truth is most of the time actual drill sometimes is just making fun. but Financial crisis is not a good joke financial crisis is a real deal.

So before it's too late, learn how to manage your finances well and be prepared in the real and true to life emergencies.

Learn from the people who already did it, and how they can help you as well.

I hope you learned something from my short story, Ship is just a piece of metal that can be put into junk if it's useless anymore, Seafarer's lives is more precious than that.

God bless to my fellow seafarer's

Other Interesting Site's

Christopher Cervantes RFP ( registered Financial Planner )

Financial Planning Seminar

cecventures.com blogs

Goodbye " CHOCOLATE "

Goodbye " CHOCOLATE "

Written by: Christopher Torralba

Founder of: cecventures.com

OFW'S and Seafarer's Families

Please READ it carefully!

I am christopher Torralba an active seafarer and I just want to share a short story about OFW'S "pasalubong " and one of those is chocolates.

and I just wanna share what I have learned from my mentor

Capt. Christopher Cervantes ( my financial advisor ) Founder of cardinalbuoy.com

Actually around end of this month I am about to finish my contract onboard so I remember that when I arrived in the manila airport I need to buy a bunch of chocolate again for my relatives and families.

So before my mentality that I learned from OFW'S is to bought a chocolate for " pasalubong " before you go home to your family.

But suddenly this year I have another NEW goal which is to create a fund for emergencies but not for me but for my relatives which is in " GREAT FINANCIAL NEEDS " Whether it is amount for applying a job, lack of allowance for daily needs, hospitalization and other important basic matters that needs to be addressed in a most critical period of time.

so I since I don't have any salary increase I think other alternative ways to produce or to save some resources not for me but for the other people instead.

so why I choose chocolate?

chocolate is just a piece of snack that we chew for a matter of seconds and after it will digest immediately to the toilet. hahahaha

and actually the average cost of chocolates in duty free in manila is around

40 dollars per bag x 3 bags = 120 $

120 $ x 46 sample exchange rate = 5, 520 pesos

5,520 x 10 years 55, 200 pesos

as you can see 10 years from now I can have a savings around 55,200 pesos  or 1,200 $

at this moment many OFW'S and seafarer's are mocking or laughing at me what I am writing right now

but for me my heart wants to help other people who is in need so it is my compelling reason for me to start this goal this coming 2017 but actually I am about to start before this year get's off.

sometimes I think even how many years I gave a chocolates for my relatives my situation does not have any changes like I never become a wealthy man or even to reach my financial independence it doesn't help me either.

I also think that whether I gave something for them or none their lives continues to run and sometimes if you will gave them they will answer you in this way, " Is this only the chocolate you have for me ? " so I think what's the point of giving chocolates?

but for me I much preferred to eat or dine out with them to have a quality time to hang with

so this year I decided to change my spending habits when I got home I decide to save this 5,520 per year not included the inflation for the following 10 years, instead of buying of chocolates, I will try to save it for a fund, that can be used for the emergency of my relatives or any close friends if I have. hahahaha

So for my family who disagree with my goals this year just tell me that you disagree I will gave you your chocolates but don't expect that I have some funds to help you In any amount I can so that in this way I can cope with your lack of financial management or what we called urgent financial needs.

These are the typical urgent needs that I diligently considering why I wanted to build this fund:

1. lack of monthly budget for basic needs

2. lack of financial knowledge , skills and management

3. Lack of budget in Renewal of Job documents

4. School Tuition Fee

5. Delayed allotment

6. Excessive vacation

7. Barrowing money only their lifestyle but they don't have a plan to pay you back

8. They don't look for their knowledge and skills to produce an income barrowing money is their only solution to survive

9. Hospitalization and medicine

10. Death and burial

and one thing I want to mention probably I have funds because I am working and I have my salary but If you want to help other people you need to help yourself first, and my earnings goes to my family and me as well, my tithe and offerings, sort of investments and some important matter of basic needs but since I have a heart of compassion for the other people's urgent needs my budget is not enough for me to help other people so I decide to remove some of my expenses which is not urgent for me, because giving a chocolates is not a need but helping other people is a need.

For my family I gave most when I got home, instead of receiving a pieces of chocolates you will be honoured and appreciated because through your cooperation I have an opportunity to help other people even in a small amount.

My sample mechanics of the fund that I plan to create:

* whoever is in great need

* We can lend if you will promise to repay for it, because these fund needs to be returned so that other people can have the opportunity to barrow some amount from us in some other time.

* Amount will be subject for basic needs purposes only, It is not created to be lend to worldly things.

* If you will not return what you have borrowed from us, expect that you cannot barrow again from us the next time you will have a financial needs.

This goals of mine is not a joke or any alibi for me not to gave a chocolates for my relatives God my creator knows my heart and mind and one of those is my intention to help other people

some of my relatives and friends known me that I have a heart of a helper in financial crisis though I am not rich but I always try to help whatever amount that I can.

So I hope my  family will cooperate with my goals this year it's not about myself anymore but for the people who does not have the capacity to bought the stuff that they cannot bought because of their situation.

If you will cooperate with me some of these funds will proceed also to some peoples urgent financial needs but to make things clear! this amount should be "re pay" so that I can help other people some other times meaning this fund is for the purpose of helping people

other intention would be for a small charity or some street children that cannot afford to buy some food like JOLLIBEE that they cannot afford through their lifetime because of their bad situation.

in the future the usage of these fund will be posted in my social media accounts for the purpose of encouraging my fellow OFW'S and Seafarer's how we can help other people for whatever amount that we can give.

before I go I just want to share a short story from the bible that can give you an idea how Joseph the dreamer appointed by the pharaoh of Egypt to manage the resources of the land and how to save in their time because of predicted famine in the story

Genesis 41:34-36 

Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.

I hope you learned something in my short story of my goal this year!

If you want to be encourage more in handling finances you may visit my official website:

cecventures.com

cecventures.blogspot.com

Thank you and God be with you!

What If Your "EX" Who Left You Behind Suddenly,.. Cross Your Path in Them Unexpectedly? What Will You Do?

What If Your "EX" Who Left You Behind Suddenly,..

Cross Your Path in Them Unexpectedly?  What Will You Do?

Written By: Christopher Torralba ( Family man )

Christopher Torralba is the founder of cecventures.com he is an OFW and a family man.

One Day when I am at work in the middle of the sun, I always love to think about some memories like high school life my first job my life experiences or maybe  past love life? 

But Today my mind lead me into my past relationship's and I remember that the woman that I love who left me in the middle of nowhere, though it is past but I say to myself that oh God! I am very lucky for what I have given to me.

My Salvation, my work, my wife my daughter and my family.

I am so thankful because there are some things we wanted in this life but even how hard we work to have it the more our creator try to remove or to make it further for us not to have it, you know why?

It's simple! It is not meant for us.

That's why when I start to build my own family and when I have my first daughter I realized how am I lucky because I don't need to pretend That I am happy for my wife and my daughter.

It's a natural thing to be happy with the one you marry and God blessed us with my precious daughter.

I wonder sometimes if my ex girlfriend will see my situation right now that I am so happy for what I have, I don't know if she will cry or whatever emotion If! until now she is still single.

Well maybe you are asking why am I sharing my life story and I always answer a one reason.

Learn from my experiences.

The Time I am broke I try to make myself busy doing something productive and one of those is my passion to paint, yeah I paint! and most of the time I am doing some art piece when I am so emotional I put my emotion into the canvass to build a story instead of wasting my precious time to the one who disregard me not knowing what kind of person I could be in the future.

by the way if you want to view my stuff you can visit my website at:   cecventures.com -> art works

I continue my journey to fulfil my much awaited job at sea as a seafarer and it's quite good and it is a big blessing from God because when became a seafarer I realized many things in life actually  A LOT!

I learned to work as an OFW I learned to develop myself as an individual I learned to trust God in any circumstances of my life I learned how to use a gadgets I learned to make money out of being an employee I learned to pursue my goal's even many people around me doesn't understand what is the true success means to me.

To make the story short as one of my business partner said to me,..

" life is full of opportunity "

Mr. Razon Owner of ICT ( Manila International Container Terminal )

yes! I am his Business partner, because I am a stock holder of his company how did I do that?

learn how to invest in the Philippine Stock Market because it is awesome to earn money from it.

You can visit my website cecventures.com to receive your FREE Report on

 " How To Multiply Your Income " because you can learn here on how to invest in the stock market.

Sometimes being left alone by our past relationships gave us the courage, and not just to endure the pain but to remodel, re - arranged our broken lives.

And being broke is one of the precious life experiences that we could have, It can teach us a lot of things it can help us to realize how precious we are as an individual and sometimes you can realize it when someone left you behind.

Don't lose hope when someone left you behind, It's not the end of the world.

I am brave to say that because I've been there before so to speak that's why I wrote this short story of mine so that I can inspired some people.

 Actually leaving us by the one we love is the hint of God that means " I have something better for you "

because the one you love is not for you It is for the other people which I intended for Him or Her.

Be brave! and enjoy the life of freewill and realization so that when the wounds in our hearts are healed God Is waiting for you to reveal the one that He set's for you even you weren't born yet.

Rejoice! and celebrate the process of learning to love yourself more.

And I hope you learned something from my short story and I know you will share this story too...

May God bless you in your brokenness and hardships because there is a greater reward from it.

To be updated in my latest Blogs and Articles you may visit my official website and my official blogsite.

Thank you so much!

And God loves you.