By July, many Filipino families and small business owners find it harder to manage their daily expenses. This is the time of the year when the excitement of our January resolutions fades, and we are hit with real-life expenses like school tuition, household bills, and rising prices. To get through this mid-year stretch, simply cutting back isn’t enough—we need a smarter, more practical way to handle our money.
A great example of this is the journey of power couple Cong TV and Viy Cortez. Long before they built their successful businesses, they started in a rented home, facing the exact same budget headaches and financial worries that everyday Filipinos experience today.
To help Pinoys navigate the second half of the year, we took a page out of Cong and Viy’s book. Here is how you can apply the “Team Payaman” mindset to your mid-year financial reset.
Gusto o kailangan? Think twice before you check out.
In their early vlogs, Cong often joked about dreaming of buying expensive things but sticking to what they could afford. Even today, despite their success, they remain grounded, keeping a sharp eye on business expenses and family needs.
“Dati, ‘pag may nakita akong magandang gamit, gusto ko bilhin agad, lalo na nung nagsisimula pa lang kaming kumita. Pero si Viy talaga yung preno ko, eh. Lagi niyang sinasabi sa akin, ‘Cong, kailangan ba talaga natin ‘yan o porma lang?’ Ngayon na may mga anak na kami, bago ko pindutin yung ‘add to cart,’ iniisip ko muna kung pwede na lang pambili ng kailangan ng mga bata, o kaya ilagay na lang sa savings.” – Cong TV
The Mid-Year Tip: July is the perfect time for a quick budget check. Review your bank statements from the last six months and clean out those online shopping carts and forgotten subscriptions.
The “Kaya Mo” Move: Save automatically. Keep your emergency fund in a UD Save account, away from your everyday spending wallet. Out of sight, out of mind—if you don’t see it, you won’t be tempted to spend it.
2. Iwas-gulo: Don’t mix your grocery money with your raket funds.
Viy is a natural entrepreneur, managing a cosmetic line, franchising food carts, and more. Always on the lookout for a smart side hustle, she turned her recent trips overseas into an extra income stream by running a “pasabuy” business. Cong, on the other hand, manages the creative side of their popular YouTube channels. Their secret to success? Keeping their personal lives and business ventures separate.
“Kahit mag-asawa kami, pagdating sa negosyo, may kanya-kanya kaming budget na binabantayan. Mahirap kasi kapag kinuha mo yung pambayad sa supplier mula sa pambili ng grocery sa bahay. Dapat bawat piso, may sariling lagayan.” – Viy Cortez
The Mid-Year Tip: If you have a side hustle, never mix your personal money with your business cash. If you do, it becomes impossible to track if you’re actually making a profit.
The “Kaya Mo” Move: Open a separate account just for your business. UD makes it easy to track your cash flow anytime, anywhere.
3. No more “Bahala na”: Build a solid emergency fund for your family.
Being a parent changes how you look at money. For Cong and Viy, welcoming Kidlat and Tokyo meant shifting their focus from quick spending to long-term security. As kids grow, so do their daily, medical, and school needs.
“Iba yung kaba kapag may anak ka na. Hindi na pwedeng ‘bahala na si Batman’ pagdating sa pera. Dati, okay lang na sakto lang yung laman ng bank account, pero ngayon, kailangan may nakatagong emergency fund para sa pamilya. Iba yung kapayapaan ng isip kapag alam mong may madudukot ka kapag nagkasakit ang anak mo o may emergency.” – Viy Cortez
The Mid-Year Tip: Mid-year is the perfect time to build a safety net, not just cut costs. If you don’t have an emergency fund yet, make it your goal to save up 3 to 6 months’ worth of expenses over the next 6 months.
The “Kaya Mo” Move: Traditional banks can make saving feel like a chore. With UD, it’s easy and hassle-free to do right at your fingertips. With a UD app on your phone, you can easily set apart your money, letting your savings grow faster while giving you peace of mind that your family is secure.
4. Squad goals: Surround yourself with friends who help you save.
What makes Cong TV’s story so inspiring is that he didn’t succeed alone—he pulled his friends up with him so they could all build their own successful businesses. It’s a great lesson: the people you hang out with have a huge impact on your money habits.
“Kaya nga natin tinawag na ‘Team Payaman’ kasi walang iwanan. Hindi masaya maging mayaman nang nag-iisa. Pero para maging ‘payaman’ ang buong barkada, dapat open din kayo mag-usap tungkol sa diskarte sa pera. Kung puro gastos lang ang alam ng tropa mo, mahihirapan ka talaga mag-ipon. Dapat tulungan kayo mag-level up.” – Cong TV
The Mid-Year Tip: Hang out with friends who share your money goals, and talk openly with your partner about your budget. Instead of expensive weekend outings, look for fun, free things to do together.
The “Kaya Mo” Move: UD makes it easy to grow financially disciplined as a team. Whether you’re pooling money with friends for a business or budgeting with your partner, sending and managing cash on the app is simple.
If Cong and Viy’s journey proves anything, their success shows that financial freedom isn’t just for the lucky few. It is built through small, smart choices and having the right support. Don’t let budget stress get the best of you this mid-year. Review your goals, take a deep breath, and let UnionDigital Bank help you make growing your money simple.
Ready to start your own “Payaman” journey? Download the UnionDigital Bank app today and experience banking built around your real life dahil With UD, Kaya Mo!
