Alex Gonzaga — from spender to saver
when Alex Gonzaga was younger, her practical parents chose to buy new stuff for her older sister, Toni, so she could pass on these items to the family’s bunso.
Of course, that meant Alex, who, even if Toni’s hand me downs were well-preserved and in good condition, naturally wanted to have new things of her own.
“Sa mall umiiyak talaga ako pag hindi ako binibilhan kahit isang pirasong clip or ball pen or head band,” she recalled in a virtual interview.
In effect, when she got older and started earning her own money in show business, she admitted she became a shopaholic for a time,
“Talagang winawaldas ko talaga [ang pera] sa mga bagay bagay. My university was located in Ortigas back then so I was attending school but also working. So kahit lunch break nakaka-puslit ako sa mall para makabili ng kung anu-ano,” she added.
These carefree days of over-shopping and compulsive spending are long behind the actress, host and social media celebrity, however. At 31, and forging a new chapter in her life — she quietly married non-showbiz personality Mikee Morada in november 2020 — Alex has since matured and became wiser with her expenses.
She proudly shares how she can treat herself nowadays without going over her set limit, especially on payday. Invited by e-commerce platform Shopee to share her well-learned lessons in this department, here then are Alex Gonzaga’s tips and tricks on how to be a better shopper just in time for platform’s 5.15 Payday Sale.
1. Don’t spend money you don’t have just yet. It can be tempting to do so but Alex advises against it.
“Kahit yung mga paparating pa lang, wag. You can do that when you are trying to invest pero when you’re buying stuff na gusto mo lang, wag ka muna gumastos ng hindi mo pa hawak ang pera.”
2. Deposit first. Since the nature of Alex’s work earns her varied figures FROM PAYDAY to payday, she says the first thing she does when she gets her paycheck is to deposit a certain portion of her money right away.
“Mas gusto kong nakikita na may pumapasok kesa may lumalabas so deposit muna ako. Pag na deposit ko na saka ako magwiwithdraw or bayad ng bills and bumili ng bagaybagay.
3. And to cart and think again. Admittedly an impulsive buyer, Alex picked up this useful tip from her husband.
“Ever since we’re boyfriend-girlfriend, pag may gustong bilhin si Mikee, may it be a big or small purchase, hindi niya binibili agad, pinag-iisipan niya ng 3,000 times.
“Sabi niya sa akin pag mag online shopping ako like now sa Shopee, i-add to cart ko na lang daw muna. Tapos balikan mo lang ng balikan, pag gusto mo pa rin siya in 3 weeks or, bilhin mo na.”
4. Strategize for big sales. When needs are already taken care of, savings have been set and there’s still money left, buying during big sales is the way to go for Alex, and SHE HAS THIS TIP TO find THE BEST DEAL.
“Usually pag payday sale, two days prior, dapat naka add to cart na lahat ng gusto mo. Pag dun ka pa lang sa mismong day maghahanap, mauubusan ka talaga kasi ang dami ng nakaabang.” 5. Make good use deals on hand. Going through the Shopee 5.15 Payday Sale details, Alex lists: all-day free shipping; P15 deals on health, home, and workfrom-home must-haves; 20-percent cashback for check outs made from 12 midnight to 2 a.m, and 15-percent cashback for the rest of the day, among others. “We’re very lucky now that platforms like Shopee give good deals, discounts and sales. We just have to really know the options available to us,” Gonzaga ended.