This Mommy's New Year's Resolution

It’s 2013 and I’m a proud mommy of a toddler! I'm glad that the pressures from P's birthday party are done and gone, sa wakas! I could not be happier, having such an active and healthy son.  I do hope it stays that way.

I have a few targets for the coming year, all for being a better mommy. So  I’m  sharing my resolutions this 2013!

Start saving for P’s education

• In a few years, tuition dues will come knocking on my door so best to start saving right now! A painless way to do this is to automate savings. I plan to have a no-touch account for him and ask my bank to automatically deduct a portion of my salary and transfer that to the no-touch account. This way, I won’t be “aware” of the deposits I’m making to that account since all that’s left in my ATM is salary minus my son’s “education fund”.


• I’ll be scouting for more investments since I’ve noticed a huge, huge hike in tuition! Imagine, when I was in high school an entire school year costs just P8,000. When I went to our high school recently i saw that tuition is P48,000! Just how much would that be my son enters high school?

Start saving for my retirement

• Yes, aside from my son’s schooling, I’m really concerned about my retirement.  I would not want to be old, toothless and penniless!  I have hard working parents who emphasized the value of every centavo they earn and how it’s important to prepare for old age.  In short, huwag daw gawing retirement plan ang pag-asang aalagaan ka ng anak mo pagtanda mo. Let’s face it, by the time i’m about 60 and retired (hopefully), my son will be busy earning for his own child’s future. So best to set aside a portion of your current income for that.


• I'm keeping a coin box on my work station for all my loose change. I'll open a savings account just for this. When it grows big enough i shall transfer the fund to higher earning investments like mutual funds or stocks. This may be loose change, but i gotta start somewhere, right?

[caption id="attachment_1561" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The iconic piggy bank should be always in sight so you'll be reminded of your financial goals.[/caption]

Cook more

• In 2012 i was swamped with lots of food deliveries and eat-outs. May be because the doting mother in me would not want to be away from the baby to cook. We were even introduced to eat-all-you-can restaurants lately! Well, this can be a culprit why i'm having such a hard time saving. So for this coming year,  i vow to cook more!. This way i get to cut back on those expensive meals. Besides, my toddler is starting to taste real foods and i would love to have my son taste my cooking, too!

Be more organized

• Clutter has been permanent in my life. Even when i was still single and living with my dorm mates, i really had that stash of junk that i can't seem to put away.  Now, baby's accumulating a lot of clothes and toys, which occupy a lot of space in our already cramped up room. So for next year, i vow to rid my space of all my junk to give way for his stuff.  It's time to make our space more baby-friendly.


• The diaper bag has also been a cause for concern. It's becoming heavier and harder to lug that around so i'm planning to simplify my life by bringing only the basic necessities. Here's  What to Expect's shortlist of the stuff to put in that bag.

Breastfeed longer

• That little toddler has been more up and about, eager to explore his surroundings but at the end of the day, he still looks for his mommy for that last minute meals... and i'm more than glad to indulge him. After a year of nursing, i'm still excited about it!  Although some can say that it's time to wean baby, i would rather not, not at this time. I guess it's me who’s not yet ready to say good bye to breastfeeding. So for next year I plan to sustain my dwindling milk supply.  No matter how disheartening it is to see how little my pumping output has been lately, I still continue to pump.  There’s really no better way to get more milk than to pump more frequently and to nurse directly whenever possible. I was inspired by this post on how beneficial extended breastfeeding is.

A new year marks the beginning of  another chapter in our lives... so it's never too late to start over and be better. Happy New Year, folks!

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