EXCLUSIVE: Beauty queen Nicole Cordoves shares money handling tips she learned from being raised in a Chinese household

Cristina Malonzo-Balane

In an exclusive interview with beauty queen Nicole Cordoves, she shared a little fact about herself that most people are probably not aware of. “A lot of people actually do not know that I’m pure Chinese,” said Nicole.<a href='https://push.abs-cbn.com/2016/10/27/fresh-scoops/ph-bet-nicole-cordoves-finishes-as-1st-runner-up-i-140492'>READ: PH bet Nicole Cordoves finishes as 1st runner up in Miss Grand International</a>Last night August 15, the beauty queen and former <a href='https://entertainment.abs-cbn.com/tv/shows/itsshowtime/main'>It’s Showtime</a>’s Miss Q & A hurado was honored as an ambassadress of Wit and Intelligence at the Chinatown Ball held at The Tent at the Solaire.Albeit being a hundred percent Chinese by blood, Nicole was quick to point out that she’s pusong Pinoy. This, she said, is a proud quality she shares with a lot of ‘Chi-Noys.’ “Feeling ko we’re one na with the Pinoys. That’s how it feels. We have this special quirks na lang and everything pero we really identify with the Pinoy heart,” Nicole shared. Nicole admitted that being raised in a Chinese household has instilled in her a natural savvy for handling money. A self-confessed “kuripot,” Nicole gamely shared smart money handling tips that serve her well:<ol>	<li>	“When you go on vacation, the total expense mo should be equivalent to one month of your salary. If you cannot pay for that or you lose sleep over that, na parang ‘shucks kaya ko ba itong bayaran?’ That means you’re not ready to go on a vacation.”	</li>	<li>	“Do not compare yourself to others. Know what wealth really is. Because you will see a lot of people buying designer bags, new phones and gadgets and it will look good. Pero yung pinaka-important thing that you will invest in, ako I invested it in my life insurance recently. So you think that way. So once na you have your own house, life insurance, your own car, dun ka na mag-spend ng luho.”	</li>	<li>	“Wag mo laging sundin ang puso mo. It’s small things that amount to big things. Naala ko nung college ako, 1000 PhP lang or 1500 PhP lang ang allowance ko for a whole week. And I had to commute pa dalawang LRT and tricycle or jeep. So that’s hundred na ata a day. I remember na I want to eat KFC pero I didn’t have enough money for it kasi wala naman akong outside income so sinabi sa akin ng younger brother ko na ‘atzi (which is big sister), hindi lahat ng gusto mo kailangan mong makuha.’ Just because you’re craving it, doesn’t mean you need to eat it. It’s a small thing, pero I practice it all the time if I think about uy ang ganda ng Chanel niya … if I buy it, do I need it? Will it make me happy? So I question every small decision that I make.” 	</li></ol>Nicole can even relate to the 2018 novel-based American rom-com movie Crazy Rich Asians. “It’s true ha yung sa Crazy Rich Asians. That why it really resonates sa’yo. Chinese families will make you think that you don’t have money. Like you only have enough for yung necessities mo, but luxury wala,” revealed Nicole.“Even our lola now, she’s our matriarch. She doesn’t buy designer bags… She doesn’t see the value in luxury things,” added Nicole.

Albeit being a hundred percent Chinese by blood, Nicole was quick to point out that she’s pusong Pinoy. This, she said, is a proud quality she shares with a lot of ‘Chi-Noys.’ “Feeling ko we’re one na with the Pinoys. That’s how it feels. We have this special quirks na lang and everything pero we really identify with the Pinoy heart,” Nicole shared. Nicole admitted that being raised in a Chinese household has instilled in her a natural savvy for handling money. A self-confessed “kuripot,” Nicole gamely shared smart money handling tips that serve her well:<ol>	<li>	“When you go on vacation, the total expense mo should be equivalent to one month of your salary. If you cannot pay for that or you lose sleep over that, na parang ‘shucks kaya ko ba itong bayaran?’ That means you’re not ready to go on a vacation.”	</li>	<li>	“Do not compare yourself to others. Know what wealth really is. Because you will see a lot of people buying designer bags, new phones and gadgets and it will look good. Pero yung pinaka-important thing that you will invest in, ako I invested it in my life insurance recently. So you think that way. So once na you have your own house, life insurance, your own car, dun ka na mag-spend ng luho.”	</li>	<li>	“Wag mo laging sundin ang puso mo. It’s small things that amount to big things. Naala ko nung college ako, 1000 PhP lang or 1500 PhP lang ang allowance ko for a whole week. And I had to commute pa dalawang LRT and tricycle or jeep. So that’s hundred na ata a day. I remember na I want to eat KFC pero I didn’t have enough money for it kasi wala naman akong outside income so sinabi sa akin ng younger brother ko na ‘atzi (which is big sister), hindi lahat ng gusto mo kailangan mong makuha.’ Just because you’re craving it, doesn’t mean you need to eat it. It’s a small thing, pero I practice it all the time if I think about uy ang ganda ng Chanel niya … if I buy it, do I need it? Will it make me happy? So I question every small decision that I make.” 	</li></ol>Nicole can even relate to the 2018 novel-based American rom-com movie Crazy Rich Asians. “It’s true ha yung sa Crazy Rich Asians. That why it really resonates sa’yo. Chinese families will make you think that you don’t have money. Like you only have enough for yung necessities mo, but luxury wala,” revealed Nicole.“Even our lola now, she’s our matriarch. She doesn’t buy designer bags… She doesn’t see the value in luxury things,” added Nicole.

In an exclusive interview with beauty queen Nicole Cordoves, she shared a little fact about herself that most people are probably not aware of. “A lot of people actually do not know that I’m pure Chinese,” said Nicole.<a href='https://push.abs-cbn.com/2016/10/27/fresh-scoops/ph-bet-nicole-cordoves-finishes-as-1st-runner-up-i-140492'>READ: PH bet Nicole Cordoves finishes as 1st runner up in Miss Grand International</a>Last night August 15, the beauty queen and former <a href='https://entertainment.abs-cbn.com/tv/shows/itsshowtime/main'>It’s Showtime</a>’s Miss Q & A hurado was honored as an ambassadress of Wit and Intelligence at the Chinatown Ball held at The Tent at the Solaire.

‘Wag mo laging sundin ang puso mo’ beauty queen Nicole Cordoves on handling money.

EXCLUSIVE: Beauty queen Nicole Cordoves shares money handling tips she learned from being raised in a Chinese household | PUSH.COM.PH