When Your Healthcare Plan is Not Enough

When I started online freelancing in 2014, I tried to make the transition as smooth as possible. For someone who's always sick, that meant getting my own healthcare plan and building an emergency fund. 

Freelancing has its own perks such as having a flexible schedule, unlimited earning opportunities, the absence of daily commutes and enjoying full control over tasks and projects. However, it also meant you have to file your taxes yourself, pay the full SSS contribution (no more employer share) as well as getting your own healthcare plan which unfortunately is more expensive compared to corporate plans. 

Since I was trying to be smart and practical, I thought that I was already safe and fully-covered. Not until I got sick and unable to work for 2 months straight. 

Yes, my healthcare plan took care of my hospital bills and medicines, however, being unable to work meant no income for me. I was able to get my sickness benefit from SSS which is way below than my regular income and it is not enough my monthly bills. It was such a rough time for us financially. 

Because of this experience, I realized that our healthcare plans are not enough. We should also consider other HEALTH PROTECTION PLANS such as a Hospital Cash Plan. It is an insurance plan that provides cash benefits not only for hospital confinement but also for ICU coverage, life and disability benefits.

We have to keep in mind that insurance is not ONLY about getting benefits in case we die, instead, these plans also offer security and the living benefits of life insurance. 

YGC Corporate Services Inc. offers several health protection plans such as the YGC Family Protect and the Malayan Family Protect plans depending on your needs. 

• Hospital Cash Plan
• Family Shield
• Malayan Family Protect Plus
• Card For Life
• Malayan Family Protect Elite
• Family Protect Max

One of the most popular and a personal recommendation is the CARD FOR LIFE Plan that provides add-on cash benefits for payment of your annual credit card dues. 

So, what are you waiting for? Check their website for more details. 

4 Important People To Have In Your Life Aside From Your Family and Friends

It is said that we start to remember people and build relationships with others as early as 5 years old. On an average, we meet or interact with at least 3 people a day. So, if we grow old and reach the age of 70, then we can assume that we have met around 71,000+ people in our lifetime. 

A substantial number would be comprised of our family while some become our lifelong friends. Others are simply acquaintances while a few would be the ones whom we build our professional relationships with. 

No matter how many people we meet, here are the 4 important people to have in our lives aside from our family and friends: 

1. Family Doctor -- It is very ideal to have a family physician who knows our medical history. It is very convenient if we do not have to repeat ourselves all over again every time we go for medical consultations. Also, most family doctors feel responsible for monitoring your health thus, they would require you for annual physical examinations and regular check-ups which is very important. 

2. Legal Advisor - Doing things correctly the first time is way cheaper than trying to fix them. Thus, it is a must that we do not allow any errors when making important decisions, especially for our business. By having a legal adviser, we minimize legal risks and cost which will give us the peace of mind when closing contracts and agreements. 

3. Life Coaches and Mentors - Life coaches or mentors are more than just a person telling you what to do. Instead, they are ones who can help us stay focused on our goals and help stir us in the right direction in case we get lost or overwhelmed. They can also help us realize our full potential and what we are capable of. 

In the Philippines, some of the most known life coaches or mentors are Bo Sanchez, Sha Nacino, Francis Kong, Chinkee Tan and Dean Pax Lapid. 

4. Financial Advisor  - Aside from our physical and mental well-being, it is also very important to have someone who can help us take care of our financial well-being and assist us in reaching our financial goals. Though a lot can pose themselves as an insurance agent offering financial plans or insurance, it is very important that we find a financial advisor whom we can trust. 

A good financial advisor is someone who knows their products well and knows how to match the product with the customer's needs --- an important characteristic that I have found from Sunlife Financial Advisors. They are well-trained and do not promise much just to close a sale. Instead, they deliver and bring results when the client needs it most. They also offer Money for Life, a customizable financial planning program to really help clients reach their financial goals.

So, in case you still do not have a Financial Advisor in your life, then look for someone from Sunlife Financial and rest assured you will be taken cared of. 

or if you feel that you can help more people by being a financial advisor yourself, then start a BrighterLife Career. If you are from Bacolod, you can contact Vlad at 0999-8823316 or visit www.sunlife.com.ph for more details. 

Now going back ---- > Do you already have all these 4 important people in your life? Feel free to leave in the comments section below. 

My wife was rushed to the hospital... because of her brassiere

I know that it is unusual for a guy to blog about brassieres but this experience is very important and worth sharing in order to help women avoid the same health concern that my wife had a few months ago.  

It was in early February when Clarice started complaining about chest pain. This would last for 2-3 days then the pain would disappear. After a few weeks, she would experience again the pain in her chest and on her shoulders and there are also instances where she has difficulty breathing.  

Fearing that it is something serious and a possibility of a heart attack, we rushed her to the hospital where she underwent an electrocardiogram (ECG) and some other laboratory tests to find out if her heart is working normally. However, her cardiologist said that all tests are normal. 

Then, her doctor noticed some red marks under her bust line. Her doctor suspected that the chest pains were due to an ill-fitting bra. Then, my wife remembered that, yes it is possible that her brassiere was the culprit of her health concern. The chest pains started about the same time she got the new set of brassieres. She was then asked to stop using these bras and observe if the condition persists.

So, guess what --- no more chest pains! 

We realized that it is very important for women to wear a comfortable bra. Other health effects and risks of wearing the wrong brassiere are: 

1. Skin Problems - these can cause scarring or blisters underneath or along the bust line. 

2. Bad Body Posture - this may consequently lead to back, shoulder and neck pain.

3. Lymph Node Problems - too much pressure from tight-fitting bras can close lymph valves and vessels. 

4. Sagging Breasts - the lack of support spoils the size and shape of the breasts making them heavier that can lead to sagging. 

So, where can you get a comfortable bra but with adequate support?

According to my wife, wireless bras are needed for those who have bigger cup sizes since it requires more support. In her case, she needed to avoid using wired bras thus, she was in a dilemma on where to get some comfortable ones but with adequate support. 

Finally, she found one or let's say I found one for her! 

Last February 15, I got an email from Sample Room PH* and they are introducing Uniqlo Wireless Beauty Bra. Its description in the email got my attention "Beauty Soft Wireless Bra stands out as it has no clips, hooks, wires or stress while retaining its sufficient support." Since it has limited samples available, I immediately grabbed a sample for her.

Uniqlo Wireless Bra holds true to its promise. Here's a message from Clarice after trying the Uniqlo Beauty Soft Wireless Bra. 

Choosing the right bra is not all about looking for fancy ones. Lace, net, and underwires are very tempting but women and men who are getting their ladies some lingerie must keep in mind that it is far more important to choose comfortable ones because women deserve to feel limitless. 

So, if you have more questions about the bra, feel free to message Clarice and not me for obvious reasons (haha!) on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mymetrolifestyle. 

* About Sample Room PH

Sample Room is the Philippine's first and only beauty, health, and lifestyle digital sampling and review website that combines the service of sampling and digital marketing campaigns. 

StarTech Digital Marketing: Making Your Business Look Great Online

We all know that Digital Marketing is a great part of a business or company especially if you are just starting up. A Company based in Corpus Christi, Texas -- StarTech Digital Marketing opened its doors recently to provide exceptional services when it comes to SEO, Social Media, Digital Marketing and many more.

They believe in being accountable for their work. They run regular reports and rankings as well as showing measurable results and improvements. Having the ability each month to see the results alongside the activities they performed, allows the business to calculate their return on investment (ROI). This, in turn, provides peace of mind since they can be assured of, and that their marketing money is being invested wisely and making a difference.

StarTech Digital Marketing pursues relationships based on transparency, persistence, mutual trust, and integrity with their employees, customers and other business partners.

Learn more about them today! Visit their website: https://startechdigitalmarketing.com/

Like their Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTechDigitalMarketing/

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