MANILA, Philippines — There’s nothing like motherhood to stoke the fire of financial wisdom in moms.
Take it from Iya Villania-Arellano. This celebrity mom makes sure her hard-earned money goes where it should go. She is a stickler for financial discipline because she knows the path to economic disaster starts with a loss of self-control.
In a recent Zoom interview for Babyflo, Iya shared the following hacks on how she makes sure to stick to the family budget.
Stick to family essentials but it's okay to reward yourself
Iya said that she believes that family expenses should be confined to essentials.
Yes, she indulges herself with a jacket or a T-shirt she deserves to buy out of her hard-earned money. But she doesn’t splurge.
Don't fall for fancy baby things
Like fellow Babyflo brand ambassador Neri Miranda, Iya thinks parents should pass off fancy baby cribs, whose usefulness is confined to the infant’s first year of life when he/she hasn’t taken those much-awaited first steps yet.
“It’s only good for picture-taking,” the host and mother of three, with the fourth coming soon, said.
Go for neutrals
Iya also reins in spending for baby clothes. When she buys baby clothes, Drew Arellano’s wife chooses neutral colors a boy or girl can wear. She also sticks to unisex styles that help her save a lot.
This allows her to invest in things that last more, like a trust fund for her children.
Don't stop working
Iya is among the devoted moms who are also independent and modern women who believe in a two-income family with separate financial sources for husband and wife.
Iya’s personal investment comes in the form of work. The seasoned host embraces her work because “it helps keep my sanity.”
In fact, she believes moms who busy themselves with things besides taking care of the kids are on the right track. Engaging in something that makes her look beyond her home keeps a mom mentally healthy. In Iya’s case, hosting is her “me” time, a welcome breather that energizes her when she returns to her family at the end of the day.
Lock-in tapings that can take Iya away from the family for one to two months is a different story, however. She will think long and hard about such offers, because family remains her priority.
Iya and Neri prove all over again that the days of the helpless, dependent wife are gone. Today’s wives are financially savvy, independent, yet fiercely attached to family.
They do not rely on their man to stay alive and be happy. Their husbands are proud of them.
That’s because modern moms like Neri and Iya make woman empowerment look and feel good -- all over again.
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