How to save money & still enjoy travel/shopping thrills

The time to save is now. When a dog gets a bone, he doesn’t go out and make a down payment on a bigger bone. He buries the one he’s got. —Will Rogers

Men become wise just as they become rich, more by what they save than by what they receive. —Wilbur Wright

MANILA, Philippines - One of the important challenges to our modern lifestyle is how to develop the essential habit of saving money for a more secure future, yet without totally forswearing the thrills of foreign travels, shopping and enjoying comforts now.

How can this be possible?

Enjoying Both Worlds With BPI’s Many Offers

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) has a wide range of savings products and most, if not all, are built to give their client more value for their money either through diverse product features, perks or promos. 

BPI VP Maricris San Diego recently told Philippine Star that “whether you are a young call center agent, a junior manager starting up a family, an executive or a budding business man, we have a savings product for you.”  

For young employees or young career starters, BPI offers a savings account that encourages people to set aside and save as low as P250 per month or P10 a day. For young people who have just started working and earning their own money but also tempted to go shopping, San Diego recommends BPI Save-Up because it automatically transfers your money from your ATM to your Save-Up account to help resist the temptation of impulse buying.

San Diego debunks the wrong notion that “lack of income makes it impossible to save.” She said that it is actually not lack of income that’s the real problem, but the modern trend of many people in consumerist societies to overspend beyond one’s means, or worse, sink into debt.

San Diego mentioned that one of their interesting savings products is called the “Get-Started Savings Account,” which is suitable for their clients who are starting a family. It comes with free life insurance coverage of up to P2 million for peso deposits and up to US$40,000 life insurance coverage for dollar deposits. What’s unique about this is that there’s no need for any medical exam and absolutely no premium payments. BPI is the only local bank providing this benefit to savers.

“We also have Maxi Saver, a savings account that is perfect for businessmen because it earns high interest comparable with that of a time deposit rate but they can easily access their funds via ATM or passbook. They get one percent bonus interest per annum if no withdrawals are made within the month,” San Diego added.

What’s exciting about all this is that as a BPI account holder, they will also enjoy a wide selection of inter-branch transactions at any BPI branch nationwide. So if they are on a vacation in Davao and they suddenly need to encash a check, they can choose any of the 18 branches there and just do it, no hassle. While with the 24/7 Banking, they can expect more than just extended banking hours and do their banking transactions on their own terms. Like if they enroll their account to BPI Online Banking whether at home, in the office, or at a coffee shop or on a Hong Kong trip with the family, they can still manage their finances. More so, if they are always on the move, BPI Mobile banking is the way to go. They can check their balance, transfer funds, pay bills wherever they are, whatever the hour.

Adding to these services, with a BPI ATM Card, they can enjoy access to their money anytime, anywhere, even abroad.

San Diego added: “With all the things that BPI can offer, it is not hard to combine saving and enjoying the thrills and luxury of life, especially going on vacation.” 

Thanks also to BPI’s exciting promo called Real Thrills, BPI clients can go on a trip for free by giving away flight vouchers of the fastest-growing airline Cebu Pacific.

Now fly for free to the scenic spots in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Guangzhou (once called “Canton” by the British opium traders), Taipei, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh (formerly known as “Saigon” before the Communist takeover), Osaka, Kuala Lumpur, Incheon in South Korea and local destinations like Cebu, Caticlan (for Boracay), Busuanga in Palawan, Zamboanga or other places.

They can also enjoy free gadgets and appliances from Abenson or free luxury fashion brand items with Store Specialists, Inc. gift vouchers that can be used for famous international brands (Ferragamo, Prada, Gucci, Polo Ralph Lauren, YSL, Dunhill, Burberry, Cartier, Calvin Klein plus many more brands). It’s a unique win-win strategy for money savers, for one gets to build up a nest egg for the family or for future financial plans, while still enjoying life at its fullest.

San Diego added that the Real Thrills promo is ongoing up to Nov. 30, and that for minimum additional or new deposit of P75,000 a customer gets a Cebu Pacific Air Gift Certificate or an appliance from Abenson and as they increase their deposit, a client can get up to P30,000 worth of flight vouchers that is equivalent to three or four roundtrip tickets to Hongkong or other places depending on where and when they will book their flight.

Enjoying life while saving is truly possible with BPI; just go to any of their branches nationwide to ask for their wide range of products and services. 

I highly recommend that we all habitually save money to ensure a more secure future, even as people can also enjoy the many thrills and adventures that life has to offer.

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