Invest while you are still SINGLE and YOUNG!

People are always saying "Invest while you are young"...But for me, you MUST invest while you are SINGLE and YOUNG. It is true that you should "do something today that your future self will thank you for." There's no such thing as perfect timing.. you just need to have clear GOALS which you can realistically achieve. 1,2,3...set and game!

I can still remember my "24-year old self"... YOUNG, SINGLE, FOOLISH and BROKEN HEARTED haha!

It would be easier if you are "Young and Single" because if you are a parent you need additional min. of10k for your child's needsssss -- diaper, milk, vitamins, vaccines, clothes, and other baby stuff. So, invest while your money is for "yourself".

Yes, being broken hearted and foolish helped me to achieve greater things. I was so motivated years ago to stand up after falling and failing haha. I was able to buy a condo unit at the age of 24!

How did I make it happen? I did my best to save money while moving on --- it took me 3 to 4 months to save money for the down payment. I told myself, "Lahat ng nawala sakin, ibabalik ko ng mag-isa".

There are a lot of great investments like real estate, stocks, mutual funds, and insurance. But, I was so motivated, eager and determined to buy a condo studio unit. I worked as a Marketing Researcher in Megaworld so I learned a lot about real estate investment -- rental rate, capital value, market value and others.

Here's an example of my infographic work for Megaworld about Real Estate:

To give you a background: My goal before was to own a condo worth 2M+, studio unit with 15 to 20k monthly amortization, rentable and market value appreciates every year. If you will buy a studio unit worth 2M, you need to save 5% to 20% Downpayment depending on the available terms; P100k to P400k DP.

You should check your "capacity to buy" before investing; INVEST IF YOU CAN.

So the big question is, "How to invest while you are still SINGLE and YOUNG?"

1) Forget about your "wants" for the mean time: You will never be able to save money without sacrificing your wants -- say goodbye to Bags, shoes, make up, clothes and others. I was so addicted to Forever 21 clothes before, as in shopping every 15th and 30th of the month. So, I realized that I won't be able to save money if I will not let go of unnecessary stuff.

2) 60-20-20 Budget: 60% savings, 20% needs and 20% others!

I was earning 35k++ monthly 3 - 4 years ago so I need to break my income into 3:

60% - 21k - savings for downpayment

20% - 7k - needs (food and transpo)

20% - 7k - bills and others (judith hahaha)

I was able to save around 70k to 80k for 3 to 4 months; TIPID TIPID PAG MAY TIME ang peg.

With the help of my broker, luckily we were able to look for a condo in Mandaluyong City with 5% DP only. Usually, a condo investment requires 10% to 20% DP to move in. You can also invest in pre-selling condominiums if you don't need to move in asap. It ranges from P10k to P20k monthly depending on the features and location and you can move in after 3 to 4 years.

I need P100k+ before I can move in and my money was short around 30k+ so I borrowed money from my parents.

Located in Mandaluyong City, near MRT Boni station.

Look for a condo which is:

- Located in Makati City/Pasay City/Taguig City/Ortigas/Mandaluyong/Quezon City

- Near offices, schools, hospitals, and supermarkets/malls

- Near MRT, LRT, Bus stations / Location with great transportation system

- With P800 to P1000 per sqm rental rate

- Developer has a good reputation

Study and make sure to know more about the location of your real estate investment.

Sample searches:

- No floods

- Area is not near a fault line

- Environment looks safe and peaceful

3) Never rely on a single source of income: As mentioned, I was earning 35k++ years ago and I did not stop there. I created DML BY CHEX to have a new purpose in life and earn additional income. I paint and sell it from 3k to 10k. If you can't paint, you can do something else like sell your baked goodies, sell clothes on FB, sell random stuff.

Use your skills and talents to earn money. You just need 1 skill to earn!

Sample skills:

1) Graphic Designing

2) Baking

3) Writing content

4) Digital Marketing (Online Gigs)

5) Selling

6) Others..

BTW, here's my painting price list:

You can check my paintings on Facebook: Search/Type https://www.facebook.com/dmlbyChex

PAINTING BELOW IS FOR SALE FOR ONLY P3,500

Acrylic on canvas

30” x 24”

SELLING this painting called: “Mundong Pangarap”

Sa mundong walang kasiguraduhan,

Lahat ng iyong pangarap ay hindi magtatapos.

Marami mang takot at pangamba,

Lahat ay babalik sa ganda.

Iiukutin muli ang mundong malawak,

At makikita muling sumibol ang mga bulaklak.

Ang iyong saya ay hindi magtatapos,

Ikaw ay maniwala lang na ang buhay ay patuloy na aagos.

Mundong Pangarap, saglit na hihinto.

Ngunit kailanman ay hindi mawawala.

Mundong Pangarap, ikaw ay makikita ko muli.

Itatago panandalian ang pangarap at muling ipapakita kapag ang aking mundo ay magiging handa muli.

Aking mundong pangarap.

4) Avoid eating and going out: I stopped spending money for expensive meal (P500 to P1k worth of food). Diet + Save = Kill Two Birds with One Stone. Yup, I sacrificed going out with friends. No pizza, pasta, wings, eat-all-you-can, frappe, and etc.. Goodbye Starbucks, goodbye milktea, goodbye expensive foodie for 6 months. Don't worry, I didn't starve myself to save money. No, no, no!

5) Focus on yourself first: There's nothing wrong with loving and prioritizing yourself. It is never wrong to say no to movie dates and food trips. It is never wrong to stay single.

You are not getting any younger, you grow old, and

you need to live without fear of possibilities.

Take care of yourself to avoid getting sick (medicines are expensive), exercise every day and eat healthy. I did everything to be better and fiercer hahaha. I wanted to prove that I can make it happen. I wanted to be proud of myself. I wanted to look in the mirror and say "Thank you, you did it!".

You need to be the best version of yourself before loving someone else.

6) Read more: Buy books about investments, goals and success. Learn more to know more. You need to equip yourself with knowledge by reading a lot. If you don't want to spend money on buying good books, you can download e-books online.

Read articles about real estate investment, consult your professional financial advisor, ask your mentors and have a reliable broker.

Just to share, my favorite book is about Steve Jobs because someday I want to be the female version of him. I want to achieve greater things like him.

"I believe that something very magical can happen when you read a good book." - J.K. Rowling

7) Dream big and aim higher: Do not settle for less and make sure to have short-term and long-term goals. Actually, I believe in Law of Attraction + Faith in God. You should always believe that you can do it, you can have it and you can get it. If you want to achieve it then always remind yourself that you'll achieve it after x days / x months / x years. Anything is possible!

Be specific. Short-tem and long-tem goals should be clear and attainable.

List down your goals and read it before starting your day. Buy a planner (don't just brag your planner haha), use it to write down your dreams and goals.

After achieving your 1st goal, you should aim for your 2nd goal. For example, my next goal 2 years from now is to have a new condo unit for my airbnb business. Will save again to make it happen!

Also, pray a lot!

You can create your own infographic type "to-do-list for a year", here's an example of my work:

I can also help create your own infographic, just visit my website to know more:

https://cescapraceles.wixsite.com/dmlbychex

8) Believe in yourself: HELP and SUPPORT YOURSELF. I know your parents and friends are there for you but the only person you can rely on 100% is YOURSELF. You have to believe that you can invest after saving money for 6 months to 1 year. But, do not pressure yourself. Keep calm and invest haha!