Presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo has this to say about money management: save and don’t splurge on unnecessary things.

She told the mentees of Go Negosyo who joined its “Go Nego Show Kandidatalks” that they should use their money well and only spend on things that will have “returns.”

“Wag gagastos nang more than sa pangangailangan (Don’t spend more than you need),” Robredo said to the two mentees who won P25,000 each during the online show.

This has always been her financial advice to those who ask, and the core of the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) sustainable livelihood and training program which aims to teach the beneficiaries ways on how to manage their finances.

The first thing that any entrepreneur should learn is how to manage finances, which means scrimping on unnecessary things, she said.

“Ang pagkakagastusan lang natin iyong mayroong returns kasi kung walang returns ay ipagpaliban muna. Iyong luho pagkakagastusan natin iyon kapag mayroon na tayong extra (We will only spend on things that will have returns because if there are no returns, put it aside. Let’s spend on luxuries when we only have extra money),” Robredo advised.

In past interviews, the aspiring president admitted to being organized in terms of how she handles their household funds, to the point that she and her daughters would keep a shareable file that they will update with what grocery items they must pick up.

The Vice President said this was to prevent wastage of money, ensuring that they buy only what they truly need.

Robredo and her husband, the late former Interior secretary Jesse Robredo, were also known to keep simple lifestyles, investing instead in their daughters’ education.

Even as the country’s second top official, Robredo live with her daughters in a simple condominium unit in Quezon City.