Not Your Ordinary Vacation with BDO

Cue in your summer soundtrack and let it drift you away to amazing places beyond your wildest imagination.

It sure would be nice to be able to hit the open road or jet off to stunning destinations all over the world whenever you want to. To live a life filled with adventure and curiosity. To spend your days atop a mountain overlooking captivating landscapes or in a quaint village in the middle of a tropical oasis with the most enthralling view of the sunset.

There’s just so much to see and experience out there that a lifetime may never be enough. So pack your bags and stop wasting another minute being lost in reverie. Your best adventure has yet to happen.

Expand your travel horizon and take what’s left of summer from ordinary to extraordinary with these vacation ideas.

Rent an entire island. Most beach resorts get too crowded especially during this time of the year. For total exclusivity, there are several discreetly hidden private islands in the country (or abroad, if your budget permits!) that you can rent out for a given time. Imagine basking in the sun with your loved ones on your own little paradise—truly, a once-in-a-lifetime experience worth sharing.

Learn to cook abroad. If you want to explore a country’s culture in a new way, try signing up for a cooking class and learn to whip up international dishes straight from their roots.  You can opt for a 1-day class or immerse yourself in a week-long course. This can be a very fun and authentic culinary experience since you will also be able to be one with the locals—haggling for fresh ingredients at the local market and picking organic herbs and vegetables from the community gardens.

Travel with a purpose. Move away from the usual tourist route and explore volunteering for a good cause. You can explore different destinations and at the same time, make a difference by helping others. Look through organizations that offer volunteer vacation programs around the world.  And your options are aplenty, ranging from ecotourism, livelihood, heritage themed projects and more. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s a cause that’s close to your heart.

Go for an adrenaline rush. Ever heard of kiteboarding? How about a flyboard or hoverboard (YES, a real-life hoverboard folks!)? These are the newest extreme water sports.  And instead of just reading about it, why not try it first hand? Go ahead and feed your thrill, you can experience all these aqua adventures in Boracay or go further in Dubai. And while you’re there, you can tick off skydiving in your bucket list too!

Tour Asia in a unicycle. To give you a totally unique travel experience, a tour service in Asia offers week-long scenic trips with the unicycle as your mode of transport. You can cycle your way through Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Mongolia and more. And you don’t even need to go overseas to experience this because they also offer a 7-day unicycle tour here locally in Bohol.

Don’t let anything get in the way of your ultimate summer escapade. It’s not yet too late, you can still book your flights, tour packages, hotel reservations and other activities using your BDO Credit Card. And while your enjoying your vacation of a lifetime, don’t forget to swipe your BDO Credit Card when you dine and shop for those little trinkets that you can take home to your friends and loved ones.

Take advantage of special promos and earn more points every time you use your BDO Credit Card when you travel abroad!

And for BDO Elite Credit Cardholders, your travel perks include access to airport lounges all over the world, the highest Travel Accident & Inconvenience Insurance coverage of up to P20 million every time you travel abroad or locally, and a Dual Currency billing option that gives you the flexibility to pay in US Dollars or in Pesos.

Make A Smart Start, Free Shopping Treats for BDO Credit Cardholders

Every new day comes with a renewed sense of optimism. Whether it’s the beginning of the month or year, your birthday or a random Saturday afternoon, you can get started with your goals whenever you feel inspired and motivated.

And this life is yours to make. Whatever you desire—a journey around the world, a green and healthy lifestyle, a vast expanse of knowledge or even simply gaining financial independence, choose to become the kind of person you’ll most definitely be proud of!

Get into the habit

Spending is part and parcel of everyday life. In order to survive, spending is a must. That is why it is only practical and sensible to pay close attention to how you spend your hard earned money. If you are committed to spend wiser this time around, here are some practical tips you can look into.

Set personal financial goals. The key step towards smarter spending is knowing your priorities. Create specific financial goals—it can be as simple as saving up for a new gadget or a much deserved holiday getaway or as major as setting aside a portion of your income so you can make a down payment for a car or a home that you can truly call you own. Focusing on achieving your financial goals will help you better manage your spending habits.

Keep tabs on your purchases. Start paying close attention to your spending and expenses. Keep all your receipts, list down your daily expenses on a notebook or better yet, download a spending tracker app on your smartphone. This will help you determine where your money is going and identify the areas that you can adjust or cut back on, if need be.

Have a list ready. Every time you head out to the mall or grocery store, make sure to bring a shopping list with you. That way, you can control what you place in your cart and ensure that you only buy the things that are necessary and thus essentially avoid overspending or buying on impulse.

Embrace frugality. Being frugal doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have money to spare or you have to sacrifice enjoying life, it only means you are being wise about where you spend your money on. Making this a habit can take a little getting used to. You can start by preparing your own lunch for work a few days a week instead of eating out everyday. Aside from saving money, you’ll also be able to make healthier choices.

Play the waiting game. Whenever you get that sudden urge to shop and buy something—a new handbag, a game console, the latest smartphone, etc. give yourself plenty of time to think about the purchase. Sleep on it and see how you feel the next day or week. Weigh the pros and cons so you can make an informed decision. Consider your budget or savings if you can really afford the purchase without sacrificing your financial goals. Maybe after waiting it out, you might actually realize that you don’t really need the item and save a good amount of money.

Look around. Before you hit the checkout counter, make sure you’ve done your part in finding out the best deals available for the item/s that you want to purchase. You may take advantage of discount coupons and online group buying site exclusive offers or wait for regular mall-wide sale days. Go ahead and scout different stores and shops for better price options that will suit your budget.

By being conscious of how and where you spend your money, you can get into the habit of spending smart in no time. Remember, it’s not about how much you earn, but how much you save that really matters.

Spend smart with the right credit card!
Smart spending can also equate to savings. You don’t have to deprive yourself of the things that you want, you just need to make the right choices so you can get the most out of your money.

And if you’re a BDO Credit Cardholder, there’s a good smart spending deal that you can take advantage of right now!

With the BDO Shop. Choose. Redeem. Promo, simply use your BDO Credit Card when you shop anywhere and instantly get FREE shopping treats. Every single-receipt transaction meeting the minimum spend requirement entitles you to a FREE SM Gift Pass*.

This promo will run until March 15, 2015. Redemption of SM Gift Pass will be until May 15, 2015.

So, what are you waiting for? Start your smart spending habit today!

To know more about the best deals and exclusive perks for BDO Credit Cardholders, download the BDO Deal Finder App for FREE from the iTunes App Store or Google Play Store.

Not yet a BDO Credit Cardholder? Apply now and avail of other promos and offers from BDO!

5 Tips When Gadget Shopping with a Credit Card

Christmas is fast approaching and this week, most people will be getting their 13th month bonus or Christmas bonus. For the rest of us not getting any extra dough to spend for our holiday gifts, there’s always the ever-reliable credit card.

Here are some of the common tips we’d like to share whenever you’re going to sue your credit card wehn buying or shopping for gifts this holiday season.

  1. Subscribe to SMS Card Charges Alert. A number of credit card companies offer SMS alerts whenever you make a purchase or your card is charged. This gives you a personal confirmation that you actually made the transaction and the amount is correct.

    The alerts become very useful when you are abroad and frequently using the card. And when the unfortunate incident happens that someone else uses it, you get the notification immediately and can call up customer support to cancel or remedy the fraudulent transaction.

  2. Window Shop Online, Buy Offline. In our previous story about “Top 5 Crazy Filipino Gadget Buying Habits“, we pointed out that a lot of Filipinos tend to search online but buy offline. There’s actually a number of inherent benefits in this type of buying behavior which we’ll point out in #3 and #4.
  3. The truth of the matter is, in e-commerce, most customers use the internet for research but prefer the commerce part to be done face to face.

  4. Use Zero Percent Deferred Payment Options. Buying the new iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy Note 4 can poke a huge hole in the pocket if you buy in cash or straight charge into your credit card.

    Ask for a deferred payment — but be careful; make sure the deferred payment option has zero interest charge. Remember that some shops may still give you zero-interest but the SRP will be different from the cash price. Insist that you want to get a zero-interest instalment at the same final price as the cash price. Stores normally offer up to 12 months instalment but in rare cases, there are a few that extends this up to 24 months.

    Remember, credit card companies will only make money if you forget to pay your bill on time. So, don’t forget.

  5. Watch out for Promos. Take a good look if there are on-going promos you can avail when using your card. We’ve seen shops giving additional discounts when using either Visa or Mastercard while others have partnership with banks to give you more discounts when you use their card.

    You can visit the bank’s website or download their app (BDO has Deal Finer here) to check what deals you can get with your intended purchase.

  6. Don’t Forget the Points! Almost all credit card providers have some sort of points for every purchase you make. Other even have a specific card type for specific uses like gas, groceries or flight miles.

    Take advantage of those points, especially the ones which allows you to get double the usual points. You can even use your existing points as partial payment for your purchases (I use SM/BDO Rewards Points to make partial payments for purchases).

The post 5 Tips When Gadget Shopping with a Credit Card appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

5 Tips When Gadget Shopping with a Credit Card

Christmas is fast approaching and this week, most people will be getting their 13th month bonus or Christmas bonus. For the rest of us not getting any extra dough to spend for our holiday gifts, there’s always the ever-reliable credit card.

Here are some of the common tips we’d like to share whenever you’re going to sue your credit card wehn buying or shopping for gifts this holiday season.

  1. Subscribe to SMS Card Charges Alert. A number of credit card companies offer SMS alerts whenever you make a purchase or your card is charged. This gives you a personal confirmation that you actually made the transaction and the amount is correct.

    The alerts become very useful when you are abroad and frequently using the card. And when the unfortunate incident happens that someone else uses it, you get the notification immediately and can call up customer support to cancel or remedy the fraudulent transaction.

  2. Window Shop Online, Buy Offline. In our previous story about “Top 5 Crazy Filipino Gadget Buying Habits“, we pointed out that a lot of Filipinos tend to search online but buy offline. There’s actually a number of inherent benefits in this type of buying behavior which we’ll point out in #3 and #4.
  3. The truth of the matter is, in e-commerce, most customers use the internet for research but prefer the commerce part to be done face to face.

  4. Use Zero Percent Deferred Payment Options. Buying the new iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy Note 4 can poke a huge hole in the pocket if you buy in cash or straight charge into your credit card.

    Ask for a deferred payment — but be careful; make sure the deferred payment option has zero interest charge. Remember that some shops may still give you zero-interest but the SRP will be different from the cash price. Insist that you want to get a zero-interest instalment at the same final price as the cash price. Stores normally offer up to 12 months instalment but in rare cases, there are a few that extends this up to 24 months.

    Remember, credit card companies will only make money if you forget to pay your bill on time. So, don’t forget.

  5. Watch out for Promos. Take a good look if there are on-going promos you can avail when using your card. We’ve seen shops giving additional discounts when using either Visa or Mastercard while others have partnership with banks to give you more discounts when you use their card.

    You can visit the bank’s website or download their app (BDO has Deal Finer here) to check what deals you can get with your intended purchase.

  6. Don’t Forget the Points! Almost all credit card providers have some sort of points for every purchase you make. Other even have a specific card type for specific uses like gas, groceries or flight miles.

    Take advantage of those points, especially the ones which allows you to get double the usual points. You can even use your existing points as partial payment for your purchases (I use SM/BDO Rewards Points to make partial payments for purchases).

The post 5 Tips When Gadget Shopping with a Credit Card appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

5 Tips When Gadget Shopping with a Credit Card

Christmas is fast approaching and this week, most people will be getting their 13th month bonus or Christmas bonus. For the rest of us not getting any extra dough to spend for our holiday gifts, there’s always the ever-reliable credit card.

Here are some of the common tips we’d like to share whenever you’re going to sue your credit card wehn buying or shopping for gifts this holiday season.

  1. Subscribe to SMS Card Charges Alert. A number of credit card companies offer SMS alerts whenever you make a purchase or your card is charged. This gives you a personal confirmation that you actually made the transaction and the amount is correct.

    The alerts become very useful when you are abroad and frequently using the card. And when the unfortunate incident happens that someone else uses it, you get the notification immediately and can call up customer support to cancel or remedy the fraudulent transaction.

  2. Window Shop Online, Buy Offline. In our previous story about “Top 5 Crazy Filipino Gadget Buying Habits“, we pointed out that a lot of Filipinos tend to search online but buy offline. There’s actually a number of inherent benefits in this type of buying behavior which we’ll point out in #3 and #4.
  3. The truth of the matter is, in e-commerce, most customers use the internet for research but prefer the commerce part to be done face to face.

  4. Use Zero Percent Deferred Payment Options. Buying the new iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy Note 4 can poke a huge hole in the pocket if you buy in cash or straight charge into your credit card.

    Ask for a deferred payment — but be careful; make sure the deferred payment option has zero interest charge. Remember that some shops may still give you zero-interest but the SRP will be different from the cash price. Insist that you want to get a zero-interest instalment at the same final price as the cash price. Stores normally offer up to 12 months instalment but in rare cases, there are a few that extends this up to 24 months.

    Remember, credit card companies will only make money if you forget to pay your bill on time. So, don’t forget.

  5. Watch out for Promos. Take a good look if there are on-going promos you can avail when using your card. We’ve seen shops giving additional discounts when using either Visa or Mastercard while others have partnership with banks to give you more discounts when you use their card.

    You can visit the bank’s website or download their app (BDO has Deal Finer here) to check what deals you can get with your intended purchase.

  6. Don’t Forget the Points! Almost all credit card providers have some sort of points for every purchase you make. Other even have a specific card type for specific uses like gas, groceries or flight miles.

    Take advantage of those points, especially the ones which allows you to get double the usual points. You can even use your existing points as partial payment for your purchases (I use SM/BDO Rewards Points to make partial payments for purchases).

The post 5 Tips When Gadget Shopping with a Credit Card appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.