Financial Literacy Made Available to Filipinos by Gameplay Company Sense for Money - Part 1

Photo by: RSS

“Breaking news! Breaking news!” The game master hollered. 

The players stopped, turned their gaze towards the lovely, but confident voice, and listened intently, as if their lives depended on it. And in a way, it did, because the game highlights how a player thinks and reacts to situations. It re-creates what really happens to players' lives in gameplay without losing real money.

Ms. Tuesday L. Santiago, Sense for Money Gameplay Development Head, and game master during the launch of Praxis Café belted out information in the form of breaking news stories, which changes the external economic conditions in the make-believe world and in turn affect the players’ financial position, either positively or negatively.

The game is engaging, fun, and simulates real-world scenarios and decision points that people make every day. It simulates the financial life of people. It made me think about the importance of getting health insurance and the high interest rate loan sharks charge their customers (I've had the opportunity to get a loan from a 5:6 before so I can really relate to this one). It isn’t far off from my perspective of what my financial world is, and may become, if I haven't learned my lesson yet.

During the game, players start with some money, a job, and hope that they do well. The roll of the dice, the luck of the draw from the deck of cards, breaking news stories, board placement events, and player decisions combine to make for an interesting, stimulating, and sometimes, suspense-filled evening that somehow feels surreal.  

Photo by: RSS

Alas, only one player is left standing when the money count ended. And it wasn’t me (it was that guy with the restrained grin on the right being interviewed by Ms. Santiago). Sigh. Luckily, this is only a simulation, a game. I get to do it over again and aim for better results. I didn’t finish at the bottom, which is a small consolation, but the goal is to be better at it because this will translate into what happens outside the café, when a breaking news story really affects the value of my assets, and the roll of the dice maybe the last paycheck because of contractual work.

I learned much without the dire consequences of wrong financial decisions and others may, also, in a safe and encouraging environment. As a life-stage financial planner (my day-time job), I always think of ways to help educate clients on the importance of savings, income replacement, and sound investments. Praxis Café is a crash-course in what I try to explain to clients daily, without lecturing, and in a gamely atmosphere.

This game is highly recommended for young ones who aim for more awareness in how their personal finances can be improved and also for the more mature with lots of experience and higher expectations. For more information, please get in touch with these lovely ladies ---> see photo below.

The All-Women Sense For Money Philippines Team

www.senseformoney.com

Unit GFC-1A Classica 1 Condominium

112 H.V. dela Costa St. Salcedo Village,

Makati City

+6327205753

fb: @praxiscafePH

p.s. you can sign up for a fun, fantastic, and free game. Just click on the link ---> i want to change my financial life for the better!

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 *March 8 is International Women's Day. Happy Women's Day to All!

**all photos by me. I retain all rights to these images. :)

EDITED: 2 August 2017

True Riches

We are extremely lucky to be alive today. The advances in medicine, technology, and science have increased our life span, decreased mortality rate, reduced poverty, allowed wireless communications at lightning speeds, and information (on just about anything) is just a search away.

Above all this, the number of self-help books, podcasts and video casts, audio and video coaching programs, seminars, distance learning, and other worthwhile personal endeavors, have skyrocketed in the last ten years. I believe that the rising tide of spiritual awareness is the backbone of this revolution in self-development. It continues to grow day-by-day.

And because of the great opportunities available to us, at this time, I cannot help but wonder about its relationship to prosperity. Personally, if I am not a monk or a priest with a vow of poverty, then in all honesty, I would like for me and my family to live a prosperous and abundant life. Sadly, many people still haven't found the prosperity in their lives and live in despicable conditions. In the following quote, the ancient Chinese Sage Lao Tzu already explained how, 2,500 years ago:

Photo Credit: Chiara Abbate Flickr via Compfight cc

“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.”

- Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching 

In the various communities we partake in, both online and offline, we contribute ideas and opinions that shape the collective energy of the group. Helping our community become a positive influence makes it possible to take a step forward to what Stephen Covey calls “the age of wisdom”: the time when insight is the norm, productivity will skyrocket, and peace will occur. Lofty ideas, but something worth aspiring to attain in our lifetime.

On a more personal level, I believe that true riches can be equated with contentment and being grateful with what you have at any particular point in time. One doesn’t need to reach his or her financial goals to be prosperous, but we can simply be happy with what we have already; to strive to reach the peak of the mountain and be happy climbing it at the same time. 

I’ll be ending on this note, hoping to have shared a little light in a dark world. To quote Dr. Wayne Dyer, “there is no way to prosperity, prosperity is the way”. Keep smiling every one.

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*Originally published as “The Way to Prosperity In The Age Of Wisdom – Dr. Wayne Dyer” in Bubblews.

The Facebook For Bloggers

Photo Credit: Kris Krug via Compfight cc

Bloggers and online freelance professionals have a world of their own on the internet. In this world, anything is possible. You can even earn from sharing your thoughts and ideas.

One of the best sites where this can be realized is on Bubblews. It's a site where members share posts, photos and images, ideas, recipes, news, etc. Much like Facebook, one can comment, like, dislike, on the posts. The only difference: members earn from the advertising revenue generated by the site (50/50). Each like/dislike/comment/post has a monetary equivalent! :)

To become a member, one simply needs to register and start earning right away. As newbie on the site, I'm extremely happy with the community. It is positive, helpful, supportive, and fun. It's a great blogging site for new and experienced bloggers alike.

It's easy to become a member, just click ---> here. For me, it's a great site that we can all learn from and harness our writing and blogging skills.

Thanks for the read. All the best to everyone. :)
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P.S. The links are referral links which means that I earn a few cents for the first post you will make.:")

To learn about Bubblews founder and CEO, Arvind Dixit, please visit this article.

Looking for Success in the Year of the Snake (2013)

*Photo courtesy of Jakub Krechowicz

An entrepreneur is, essentially, a man with a vision. Others connect with and follow him because of this vision. At the start of 2013, the Year of the Snake, do something different - adopt a definite purpose and hold on to it until it becomes ingrained into your heart and mind. Success is the offspring of vision.