The Farm That Funds My Travel Fancy

By
It has been 4 years since I left the kapamilya network. Since then, I never had a regular day job, never looked back and started to enjoy the freedom of TIME I dearly missed.

I'm not rich and I'm still on the process of working hard to achieve the financial freedom I yearn to have. But somehow, surprisingly, as much as I hate Math, I realized the knack for money matters comes easy for me, and that somehow helps me fund this wanderlust. So how do I do it?

Let me share one in particular...

I'm proud to have come from a really big clan in Southern Mindanao, with both Ilonggo parents together with their siblings owning hectares of farm lots in Sultan Kudarat which I often visit every time I travel back in the province. I love farms as much as I enjoy lakes, falls and mountains, so when offered by a trusted uncle to invest with mom in the clan's farm two years ago, I immediately said yes.


Dad has personally planted fruit seeds in his farm lot. I've tasted fruits from his mango trees, kalamansi and banana trees and seen them grow but it wasn't much as income generating. Mom's farm lot planted with palay on the other hand, while being managed by my uncle who knows heaps about organic farming has made me and many farmers smile big time.


What I like about investing in a farm is the great possibility of return. Based on personal experience, this is by far the least amount of cash I initially invested compared with insurance and stock investing yet the farm yielded the best annual return. ROI can reach to as much as 300% net profit with good weather condition playing a big factor.

With abundance of agricultural lots here in the Philippines, farming deserves a second look, as it can be a rewarding piece of investment.

Some things I learned to enjoy a good harvest:

1. Good location with irrigation. Farms in Mindanao are ideal because they're rarely visited by typhoons.

2. Trusted "farm manager".

3. Maintain a good relationship with farmers.

4. Organic Farming may cost more in the beginning but provides better quality produce in the end.

I haven't visited the farm during the actual harvest to personally thank the hardworking farmers and my uncle we all fondly call "superman" for always checking out the farm every weekends travelling all the way from Davao to Tacurong. 

Farm road

my younger siblings and cousin: on the way to farm during our last visit in 2008

This is the farm that funds my wanderlust ^_^

I started investing from the day I started having my first regular job working for a crazy 24 hours in the world of TV production. While others are enjoying their brand new gadgets, clothes and cars, I save in every way possible even up to the last centavo. Tried my hands too on selling stuffs from World Trade Center to garage sales - fun, tiring and enriching experience. I enjoyed both the world of employment and business at the same time. In fact my first ever trip abroad happened because of another business venture - FREE Asian trip!

Basically, I Save before I Spend. And I SAVE to INVEST. Then I use some of the passive income earned from those investments to fund my passion to travel.

It pays to work hard, but it's rewarding to WORK SMART.


This entry is part of the 20th Pinoy Travel Bloggers' Blog Carnival entitled "How to Fund your Wanderlust" hosted by Journeying James


Popular posts from this blog

Baguio: 2 Days 1 Night Itinerary

By
Here's a sample itinerary of what we did. We actually stayed there for 3 days but I'll just share the places we've seen on the first 2 days since the 3rd day was spent watching the Panagbenga Float Parade. Prior to the trip, I made some internet research before deciding on what places to go to. Feel free to follow our itinerary on your next Baguio trip. The first day was spent touring my friend the basic tourist spots of Baguio. Places me and my cousin has actually visited a number of times except for the Good Taste Restaurant. Day 1 07:00 am:      Check-in into your hotel/lodging house (we went to Benguet State University to follow up on the status of our reservation. BSU is located near Strawberry Farm, a 30 minute and P77 taxi drive from Victory Bus Liner Baguio Terminal) 08:00 am:      Breakfast at McDonald's beside BSU 09:00 am:       Burnham Park | Session Road | Baguio Cathedral          ...
Click here to continue reading

Pagsanjan Falls: The Php150 Challenge

By
Image
I have lived in Laguna for 19 years but it was only this June 2012 was I able to visit the famous Laguna tourist spot, the Pagsanjan Falls. As much as I enjoyed seeing the falls, the journey, however, was much more memorable than the actual falls itself as we had to endure a 45 minute trek, rappel on a 90 degrees enclosed vertical metal ladder and walk past steep staircases - yeah, this is what you get when availing the cheapest Pagsanjan package . The group was extremely excited when I told them that I included Pagsanjan Falls in the itinerary - a plan that I was forced had to put together within 2 hours. From Villa Sylvia Resort , we hopped from one jeep to another until we reached Pagsanjan Aresi Complex. Asking for directions initially from the locals was a breeze but finding our way to Pueblo El Salvador (the jump off point) proved to be a challenge since all the locals we asked knew only of the usual Php1,250 route, doesn't know where Pueblo El Salvador is or what it...
Click here to continue reading

Laguna: 2 Days Itinerary and Budget Expenses

By
Image
Our weekend was full of unforgettable first time experiences. What's great about this trip was that we were able to do many things in just 2 days and swim in different bodies of water - falls, batis  and lake. See, Laguna is more than just hot springs, slides and theme parks. what our Php2000 budget allowed us to do ^_^ Laguna Weekend Series: Travel Video: Laguna Weekend Getaway Laguna: The 2-Hour Plan Challenge Pagsanjan Falls: The Php150 Challenge Villa Sylvia Resort, Nagcarlan Lake Pandin: Not Your Ordinary Outdoor Pool Places we visited: Pagsanjan Falls (via Cavinti Trek), Villa Sylvia Resort in Nagcarlan and Lake Pandin of San Pablo. Here's a rough draft of our itinerary:
Click here to continue reading

2Go: The New Way to Travel to Boracay

By
Image
Last year should have been my first Boracay trip and my first ever Visayas destination. But then it coincided with the  Malaysia trip so I had no choice but to cancel Boracay. We all know that flying from Manila to Caticlan has proven to be quite expensive and Piso Fare promos can be daunting to book especially if we are a big family plus the scheduling date is also tricky. But when I learned about 2Go (yes, the famous courier service) sailing from Batangas to Caticlan at a very affordable price, I pitched the idea to my parents.  2Go Ship docked at Caticlan Port It took quite some convincing before they finally said yes to the idea that we travel by sea to reach Boracay. They probably pictured a crazy, crowded and noisy pier scenario. Well, I can't blame them since those were also my first ship experiences when I traveled from Manila to General Santos many years back. Most importantly, we'll also be traveling with my sister with special needs and her comfort shou...
Click here to continue reading

Boracay: Itinerary, Expenses and Tips

By
Image
Boracay may seem to be an expensive destination. But here's one thing I realized, like many of Philippines finest tourist spots, it can be done on a budget, especially if all you want is to simply enjoy the waters. Afterall, Boracay is really about the powdery sand and the crystal clear waters. 5 members of the family was able to enjoy Boracay in less than Php30,000 (all in!) Feel free to copy our itinerary ^_^
Click here to continue reading