My main plan for next year is to move out of my parents' house and rent a small flat with a friend from work. I'm twenty-five and I work as a junior architect in Cebu, and I've been talking about this for ages, so next year I'm finally doing it.
I'm hoping to start around March, after the busy period at the office ends and I've had my annual pay review. My friend Carla and I have already started looking at listings online on weekends, just to get a sense of prices in different areas.
There's quite a lot I need to sort out. The biggest thing is money; I need enough for a deposit, the first two months' rent and basic furniture, so I've set up a separate savings account and I put a fixed amount in every payday. I also need to learn practical things like cooking properly and budgeting for bills, because, to be honest, my mum still does most of that for me.
The plan matters to me because I want to prove to myself that I can be independent. In the Philippines it's very normal to live with your family until you marry, and I love my family, but I sometimes feel like I'm still treated as a teenager. Having my own place would force me to take responsibility for everything, from fixing a leaking tap to managing my time. My parents were a bit hurt at first, but now they're quite supportive, and my dad has even promised to help me paint the walls.