I seemed to have missed out on a rather important item when I prepared my task list the other day. I have forgotten to include going to the bank to open a checking account! Since accepting the Dubai job opportunity, Nico and I have agreed that we should open a checking account for easier handling of selected transactions. Afterall, it would be unwise to always be carrying cash these days, so we need to find ways to make it safe and convenient.

To tell you honestly, I have had my share of troubles in managing our monthly budget in the past. Perhaps because I really didn't have to "handle the budgeting" since we're staying at my parents' house and almost everything is managed by my mom. But since we will soon be on our own once we move to Dubai, I need to brush up on my financial management skills. I will need to review the strategies I employed in budgeting when we used to live on our own, though I will need to alter them a bit to fit the single-income situation that we are in right now.

Can you believe I survived three years without a single credit card? I used to have one but decided not to renew it after I've exhausted my credit limit. I suffered the misery of paying thousands of bucks monthly for purchases I've made, most of which were either worn out or gone long before I was able to pay up. I wasn't really smart when it comes to credit card use.

But in 2005, when the wedding planning started I decided to apply for another credit card. I thought it wise to have one so I could use it to pay for wedding expenses instead of carrying cash when meeting suppliers. I convinced myself that I'd only use it for wedding-related expenses and refrain from using it for shopping. Since there were many credit card providers in the market, my challenge was to find which one offers the lowest interest rate. And since I am fond of promos, I'd like one that has rewards program.

Finally, after doing some research over the internet, I was able to find the right credit card provider. They only required a few documents and my application was approved after two weeks. Since I've learned my lesson on proper credit card use, I didn't go rushing to the mall for shopping, lol :) Instead, I resolved to use it for the specific purpose I applied it for--to pay up wedding-related expenses. Today, I am using it only for emergencies. My urgent desire to get a green tote bag doesn't count as an emergency, lol :) I've also learned it wise to pay for the total amount due on the specified due date to avoid penalties and finance charges.

Recently, I've been getting a lot of calls from different credit card companies offering pre-approved cards. But I now have the guts to resist the temptation. One credit card is enough for me.