10 Ways Being A “Tita” Actually Saves You A Lot Of Money

The most basic definition of a tita is the simplest one. It’s a Spanish term we Filipinos use to call our aunts. But even older family friends are also called “tita” when they’re too senior to be called “ate,” and you’re not that close to address them by their first name.

However, the term has also become an empowering one.

“I’ve become a tita” is now the proud claim of a grown woman who has her life together, someone who has somehow perfected the art of adulting.

And if you’ve grown tired of the usual bar-hopping every Friday night and traded your sexy jumpsuits to onesies, then you can probably relate to these tita activities that are just all too real.

1. Living the zero-waste life

If you’re on board with this all-encompassing zero-waste movement, then high five!

This involves zero waste of time and money as you continuously learn to be more mindful of your choices.

From purchases—are you just trying to fill a void, thus the stress shopping, or do you really need this?—to food. Yep, strawless, plastic-free, and disposable-free means bringing your own baon, coffee, and smoothies!

2. Staying in

Your FOMO-suffering past self would be surprised to see you now: Canceling plans just to be in your PJs on a Friday night, munching a pint of Chocolate Fudge Brownie. Growing up really does mellow you down.

Instead of getting dressed, going out, getting drunk, and blowing cash at trendy spots, you’re happy staying in watching Netflix in the comfort of your warm sheets, or reading until you’re sleepy. Which is around…11-ish?

(Read: 4 Truths You Need To Know About ‘Sale’ Items)

3. Drinking red wine instead of beer

You’ve probably done your research on the health benefits of red wine at this point. Educating yourself on the many varieties of wine helps you feel like an adult. Or really just to justify this change from beer to wine, a healthy way of alcohol consumption.

Beer is an established social drink as it’s cheap, and it does a great job of inebriating you after only a few bottles.

Wine, on the other hand, just tastes way better and it really is meant for chill drinking indoors. There’s also less bloating and hangovers and you’ll be able to wake up early enough to still make it to the gym the next morning.

The cheapest wine is around P300+ and can last you an entire week, while drinking beer in one night can set you back at around P500, depending on how many bottles it takes for you to get faded.

Being a tita rules.

4. Happily getting things done instead of going out on a weekend

Ticking off items on your to-do list is now how you get your thrills. How about rearranging your bedroom, adding some succulents by the bedside, and using those fresh sheets, the ideas of which came from Pinterest?

Living the tita life is really about eliminating the sources of stress within your control. And a great way to start is in your own home.

You can even squeeze in a 20-minute YouTube workout while doing laundry. Get yourself and your life in shape.

5. Ordering water instead of the usual soda or iced tea

Unless it’s club soda, which is just carbonated water, you now pass with the iced tea or soft drinks.

Not only are they expensive in restaurants—about P100+ more on your bill, they’re also high in sugar. Skipping these sugary beverages is better for both your wallet and waistline.

(Read: 2018 Buffet List: Top Affordable Eat-All-You-Can Restaurants In Metro Manila)

6. Learning to say ‘No’

Finally learning to say no and establishing healthy boundaries is great for you, your health, and your pocket. So now you can say no to people you don’t really even want to hang out with in the first place, saving you money and sparing you from an awful time, too.

It’s freeing, it’s refreshing, it’s life-changing.

7. Planned instead of spontaneous

Leaving room for spontaneity will always be fun. But what this means is planning out your budget for such things as groceries, malling (eg., the homeware section of the department store), or travel.

We’ve had those moments in the past where we just mindlessly went with it, with nary a care for the budget. And where did it get us? Yep, not much, in terms of saving money. Well, at least we’ve learned from it all.

8. Cooking your own food instead of eating out

You discover that preparing your own food is not only very satisfying and saves you a lot of money. You feel healthier doing it this way too.

Perfecting your favorite dishes also earns you some lessons on how to be truly independent and is a way to impress long-time friends and future significant others.

9. Creating more sources of income

You used to think having a stable job that you love is the end-all and be-all of your career. But now you’ve learned that it really is possible to have your own steady stream of income from other sources, such as your hobby (photography, blogging, pag-ga-gantsilyo).

Now you don’t need to stick to a tight budget cause you’re well on your way to being a financially independent woman. You’ve learned that the possibilities are just endless and it’s only a matter of time management and creativity.

And because you’ve grown tired of other trivial things, you can really focus on being creative and making more money in the process.

10. Working out

If you’re far along the tita route, then it’s likely that you always try and find time to work out. And with this, you’ve learned to bail on the night-out invitations on weekdays because you’re motivated to work out the next day.

And this doesn’t have to mean going to the gym, because many workouts can be done at home anyway. Talk about being better and stronger every day.

If being a tita means saving a lot of money and getting your life together, then we’re winning, fellow titas! How far have you gone and saved up by embracing this type of life? Share in the comments.