One massive expense doesn’t typically exhaust your budget. Often, it’s eroded by the "drip, drip, drip" of small, habitual spending. This is the daily coffee or those easy online shopping purchases that are affecting your finances more than any single, once-a-year decision. It’s also the reason why you look at your balance at the end of the month and wonder, “Where did it all go?”
Fortunately, you can fix that drip and redirect the flow whenever and wherever you want. You don’t have to create rigid limits to do it, either. Here’s how to do it, with some help from Maya, the #1 digital bank in the country.
Know Where Every Peso Goes
Before you can control your spending, you have to know where it’s going. So, list down everything you spend on for a month, no matter how tiny. Don’t worry, this isn’t an exercise in guilt-tripping yourself over a cup of coffee. This is about being aware of and understanding your habits. You’ll be surprised how much leaks out in snacks and “just this once” moments.
If you use Maya, it’s easy to spot your spending patterns because every payment you make is neatly recorded. When you review your transaction history and see the numbers in black and white, you’ll clearly face the truth of your daily habits.
Use a System That Rewards You Back
Here’s where you stop being controlled by your expenses and start making them work for you. When you pay using Maya, you get the safety of a bank and the convenience of a wallet. Specifically, when you shop, pay bills, or buy load through Maya, a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)-supervised financial institution, your Maya Savings account can earn up to 15% interest p.a. daily on your first PHP 100,000 deposit balance. That’s right; your money grows just by doing what you already do. In other words, your daily expenses move you closer to healthier finances instead of moving away from them.
Moreover, your money in Maya Bank is safely insured by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) up to PHP 1,000,000. You can also deposit, transfer, or withdraw funds anytime.
And if you like to do your payments with stylish flair, you can get a free Maya Visa or Maya Mastercard. The Maya Card is a cool black debit card that carries your @username and works anywhere Visa or Mastercard is accepted, locally or abroad. Getting and activating your card is easy. Just download the Maya app to create and upgrade your account for free with just one ID. But if you’re already on Maya, you can go straight to step 2, which is opening a Maya Savings account. Then, deposit at least PHP 250 and spend at least PHP 500 on airtime load, bills, QR payments, or online payments.. Complete those three simple steps and you’ll get your Maya card for free!
Create Spending Categories
Creating a budget that works for you is one of the best ways to control small daily expenses. But it’s not just about separating needs and wants. It’s about designing a spending system with labels and categories that mirror your lifestyle and values. The trick is to make your budget personal enough to care about. For example, instead of labeling categories as “Food” and “Entertainment,” try something like “Fuel for Work,” “Family Time,” or “Self-Care.” Suddenly, that PHP 250 dinner out is part of a bigger choice.
When it comes to categorizing your bigger goals, Maya Personal Goals makes it effortless. You can set up to five goals—say, a “Bohol Trip” fund or a “Laptop Upgrade” stash—and see the funds for your goals grow. Each personal goal account earns up to 8% p.a. on balances of up to PHP 100,000, with tiered interest rates that start at 4% for the first PHP 20,000 and gradually increase up to 8% for amounts above PHP 80,000. This is budgeting that actually feels fun.
Review Your “Invisible” Costs
Have you ever checked your subscriptions lately? That old streaming service you haven’t opened in months might still be quietly charging you. Or that app that billed you annually when you thought it was free. These are what’s called sneaky expenses. You can keep them under control by regularly scrolling through your past transactions and looking for recurring costs. Then, cancel what you no longer use.
Eliminate Impulse Buys
Impulse spending is usually because of stress, boredom, or the thrill of seeing that “Add to Cart” button. The trick, therefore, is to create friction before you buy. For example, if you shop online, remove your stored payment details. That extra 30 seconds it takes to grab your Maya card might be all you need to think twice. Also, when you’re tempted to splurge, wait 24 hours before buying. If you still want it tomorrow, maybe it’s worth it. If not, you just saved without feeling punished.
If you want to take things further, why not try a “no-buy” challenge? It’s a fun way to reset your habits. What you do is you choose a week or a month where you commit to buying only essentials. No random Shopee hauls, no new gadgets, no “I deserve this” lattes. At the very least, you might discover your triggers so you can be aware of them in the future. At best, you’ll learn to replace “scroll to shop” with “scroll to save.”
Master Your Money with Maya
Ultimately, your small expenses don't control you; your habits do. In fact, financial success isn't defined by grand, sweeping changes, but by the consistent, conscious choice to direct your money with purpose. When you commit to upgrading your daily habits with solutions from Maya, you gain the clarity and confidence needed to ensure every single peso serves your larger goals. So, stop letting your money disappear without a trace. Get banked with Maya and start building the purposeful financial life you deserve.
