Top 10 Lifestyle Upgrades to Kickstart Your New Year

The New Year always feels like a reset, inspiring many of us to upgrade our lifestyle or improve our homes. According to Yernar Ashimov, head of POS Key Accounts of Skyro, a reliable SEC-registered lending app in the country, “Filipinos often adopt a fresh mindset, seeing it as an ideal moment to improve lifestyles, upgrade homes, and invest in personal growth.”

If you’re looking for a little inspiration as you step into the year, here are 10 trending items worth considering as you welcome the year ahead:

1. Home Appliances

The New Year is the perfect time to upgrade your home appliances. Choosing energy-efficient models can help lower electricity and maintenance costs while making daily chores more convenient and efficient. Smart and modern appliances can also improve comfort and overall quality of life at home.

For gamers and entertainment lovers, investing in a television with a high refresh rate and excellent picture quality can greatly enhance viewing and gaming experiences. We recently got a TCL C755 QD-Mini LED 4K TV and we're very happy with it. 

2. Home Cooling

Start the year with cool comfort by investing in a modern air conditioning system. Today’s units not only cool the air but also help improve indoor air quality through advanced filtration, removing dust, allergens, and even bacteria for a healthier living environment.

3. Smartphones

Filipinos are willing to spend more on smartphones because they represent connection, practicality, and identity. These devices are essential tools for communication, education, work, and social interaction, making them an important part of everyday life.

Though we are deeply immersed in the Apple ecosystem and would recommend their products, we still suggest exploring other brands and phone models that may be better suited to your specific needs and lifestyle. Choosing a gadget doesn’t have to be about following trends or owning the latest release; what matters most is finding a device whose features, performance, and price align with how you actually use it. By focusing on functionality and long-term value rather than hype, you can make a smarter and more practical choice.

4. Laptops and Tablets

Aside from smartphones, laptops and tablets can strongly support your New Year goals and resolutions. They help boost productivity and personal or career growth, whether through online learning, digital wellness apps, or creative work.

5. Fitness Equipment

Many people set health- and fitness-related goals at the start of the year. Investing in basic fitness equipment makes exercise more accessible, consistent, and convenient, helping individuals stay committed to an active lifestyle.

6. Home Office Essentials

As hybrid work continues, more Filipinos are upgrading their home offices and study spaces to prioritize comfort and productivity. Ergonomic furniture, proper lighting, and functional accessories can greatly improve focus and work efficiency.

7. Self-care Products

With the hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s important to take time to reset and decompress. Creating a small self-care space at home with relaxation and wellness items can help reduce stress and promote better mental health.

8. Wellness Products

Welcome the year with better health and a positive mindset. Home health devices, air purifiers, and healthier food choices can support overall well-being and help families stay prepared and proactive about their health.

9. Furniture for Home Improvement

If you are planning to refresh your living space, consider multifunctional furniture and better storage solutions. Minimalist designs and practical layouts can help create a more open, organized, and clutter-free home.

10. Hobbies and Personal Growth Items

Beyond material upgrades, the New Year also encourages Filipinos to invest in personal development. This may include exploring new hobbies, enrolling in online courses, using fitness trackers, or engaging in activities that promote creativity and learning. Entertainment systems and gaming consoles can also support mental well-being by reducing stress, boosting mood, and keeping the mind active and socially connected so  you might want to consider getting a PS5. They may even help support memory and cognitive skills, which can contribute to long-term brain health.

Make upgrading easy

This New Year, Skyro remains committed to provide hope, happiness and financial support to Filipinos, helping them upgrade their lifestyles with flexible installment payment options.

Yernar stresses that customers can enjoy 0% interest via the Skyro Zero Plan and other installment terms with low or even zero down payments. Skyro also offers the SkyroCredit, a revolving credit line that customers can use, repay, and use again in 675,000 merchants nationwide with QR Ph.

“Exclusive merchant deals on gadgets, appliances, and home essentials make upgrades even more rewarding. These promotions allow Filipinos to start the year with smarter spending, meaningful lifestyle improvements, and memorable experiences, without straining their budgets. With Skyro, upgrading for the New Year is accessible, convenient, and budget-friendly,” he concluded.

Launched in August 2022, Skyro has quickly earned recognition for its innovative digital financial services. It is now present in over 6,000 partner merchant stores nationwide with more than 1,000,000 loan customers.

Start your lifestyle upgrades this New Year with Skyro. Experience flexible loans for your lifestyle and home essentials through the Skyro Zero Plan. The app is available for free on the Apple Store and Google Play, or visit skyro.ph and follow its social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

Your Next Literary Break: Apply to the 25th IYAS La Salle National Writers’ Workshop

Calling all poets, fictionists, playwrights, and creative nonfiction writers: the country’s longest-running national writers’ workshop is opening its doors once again.

The 25th IYAS La Salle National Writers’ Workshop is now accepting applications, with the deadline set on January 30, 2026. The milestone edition of the workshop will be held from May 11 to 16, 2026 at the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, bringing together emerging voices from across the Philippines for a week of intensive writing, critique, and community.

Organized by the University of St. La Salle in partnership with the DLSU Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing Center, IYAS continues its tradition of nurturing literary talent in multiple Philippine languages. The workshop is supported by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, the Constantino Foundation, and the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities. Serving as workshop director is National Artist nominee John Iremil Teodoro, with Tanya Lopez as project director.

This year’s distinguished panel of writers and critics includes Marjorie Evasco, Rayboy Pandan, Grace Monte de Ramos, Susan Lara, Isidoro Cruz, Adrian Ho, and Elsa Martinez Coscoluella, with Coscoluella and Pandan also serving on the panel.

The fellowship screening committee accepts original, unpublished work in Hiligaynon, Cebuano, Kinaray-a, Filipino, and English. Fellowships are awarded by genre and by language, with special consideration given to works that explore human relationships with the environment. Twelve fellows will be selected, each receiving a travel subsidy in addition to the opportunity to participate in the workshop.

Applicants may submit in only one genre and one language, choosing from:

• Six poems

• Two short stories

• Two one-act plays

• Two creative nonfiction pieces

All entries must be original, unpublished, and not previously or concurrently submitted to other workshops. Manuscripts should be in DOCX format, double-spaced, using 12-point font.

In addition to the creative work, applicants must submit:

• A one- to two-page resume in PDF format with an ID photo and complete contact details

• A cover letter in PDF addressed to Dr. John Iremil E. Teodoro, explaining the reasons for applying

All application materials should be submitted through this Google Form:

https://forms.gle/jRhTvzoHSbERvGbp7

For further inquiries, you may contact the organizers at iyas@usls.edu.ph.

Whether you write in the languages of the regions or in English, and whether your work speaks of landscapes, memory, or the urgent realities of our changing environment, IYAS 2026 offers a rare space to grow, be challenged, and join a community of writers shaping Philippine literature today.