Cherie H. Caringal, AFP®, is a financial professional, Marketing Director at International Marketing Group, Life License Agent with Manila Bankers Life Insurance, and Financial Educator. She is also an Industrial Engineer with a Master of Business Administration specializing in Supply Chain, bringing together analytical discipline, practical financial education, and a strong commitment to helping families manage money more wisely.
Caringal’s financial journey is shaped by early lessons on thrift, family responsibility, and the reality that earning money is different from managing it well. Her experiences with family debts, raising her own family, saving, investing, and learning through financial education helped her develop a practical and values-based approach to money. Through her AFP® journey, she continues to strengthen her ability to guide others with empathy, discipline, and real-life understanding.
AFP® Certification Story
Early Money Lessons from Family Responsibility
“Growing up, we didn’t have much. But our parents and grandparents always provided for us. We never had to worry about our basic needs, although there was little room for wants or luxuries.
When I started working, I learned from my older siblings that our parents had debts that needed to be paid. Since I was working too, I knew that I had a responsibility to help my siblings provide for our family and contribute to paying off those debts.
It wasn’t always easy, but we did what we could for our family. Fast forward to today, we made it through. Looking back, I’m grateful for how we supported one another and persevered through those difficult times.”
Learning That Earning and Managing Money Are Different
“Be thrifty! Money doesn’t grow on trees.
That was the constant reminder my grandmother gave to her children. And because I lived with her, I heard it over and over again. Her words were instilled in my mind, even though, at that time, I didn’t fully understand what she meant.
Looking back, I wish someone in our family had really taught us how to manage money and build a sustainable livelihood. We learned how to work hard, provide for the family, and get by, but we were not really taught how to manage what we earned.
Then came my adulting years, and I realized how much I hated having debt. Ang hirap noong sumusweldo ka, pero hindi naman sa bulsa mo o sa ipon mo napupunta. You have a job, you receive a salary, but you don’t really feel free because a large part of what you earn is already committed to paying debts.
That experience taught me that earning money is one thing, but knowing how to manage it is another.”
Financial Turning Point Through Family Planning and Investing
“When I had my own family at 25 years old, that’s when I realized that I didn’t want us to be the kind of parents who would have to say no to our children’s skills development because we couldn’t afford it. I wanted us to have the financial ability and capacity to support their extracurricular activities, give them opportunities to develop their skills, and, most importantly, make sure that we could send them to college and allow them to choose the course they wanted to pursue.
But we needed money to make that possible, right?
That’s when I started taking on side hustles. Little by little, they helped us increase our income and build our savings.
I also started researching other ways to grow our savings. Eventually, I attended a stock market seminar, where I learned the basics of investing. That’s when I began to see the beauty of saving and investing in the stock market.
It was a small beginning, but it opened my eyes to the importance of making our money work for us—not just earning money, but learning how to grow and manage it wisely.”
Becoming a Saver, Spender, and Investor
“I consider myself a saver, spender, and investor.
As a saver, I’ve learned to wait for sales, discounts, and promos, especially for things that I want but don’t necessarily need right away. Before buying anything, I try to plan for it. When I go grocery shopping, I make a list and check our inventory first so I know what we actually need. I also monitor our utility bills. Kapag tumaas ang bill, I review our usage and see where we can adjust. These simple habits help us spend intentionally and avoid unnecessary expenses.
As a spender, yes, I spend, but I try to spend on what matters. Before making a purchase, I ask myself: Do we really need this? Will this add value to our family? I do spend on wants, but I make sure I save for them first. I try my best to avoid impulse buying and make sure that our spending is within what we can afford.
As an investor, yes, and I’m so grateful that I learned about investing in my 30s. It has helped our family tremendously. Through investing and saving, we were able to build funds that helped cover a significant portion of our children’s college tuition and other expenses. And up until now, it continues to help us.
Looking back, I can truly say, Glory to God! He allowed me to discover this at the right time. It found me, and it has been such a blessing to our family.”
Best Financial Advice on Money as a Tool
“One powerful thing I came to understand is that money is a very powerful tool. It helps us provide for our needs and afford things that can bring happiness and comfort to our lives. And that’s a good thing, right?
That made me realize that if money is a tool, then I need to learn how to take care of it, manage it wisely, and, more importantly, learn how to grow and multiply it. But where could I get that kind of education without having to spend a lot of money?
Then I attended the Feast Conference and came across a company called International Marketing Group. They had a book called The Secret to Saving and Building Your Future. I got a copy and started researching the company. I wanted to know: Is it legitimate? What can it offer me? And can it help address my desire to learn how to grow and multiply my money?
And then, I felt that my prayers had been answered!
But more than the financial education, I chose this company because I found that they share the same values that I have. I believe that if we want to experience true abundance in life, we need to include God in the equation and live according to what they call the Abundance Formula.”
Budgeting Through the Abundance Formula
“I now live by the Abundance Formula, one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned from financial education:
Salary – Tithes – Savings = Expenses.
For me, managing money doesn’t have to be complicated. A simple Excel spreadsheet is enough to help me monitor my income, savings, and expenses. There’s no need for complicated tracking systems unless I am a company owner.
The key is not making money management complicated—it’s developing the discipline and habit to follow the formula consistently, maliit man o malaki ang amount na ima-manage.”
Investment Lesson from Listening to Hearsay
“Yes. I listened to hearsay about investing in a certain stock, and then it did not go my way. So I pulled it out kahit lugi and reinvested it.”
Balancing Risk and Reward Through Mentorship and Learning
“Think about it 100 times before making a decision, and always listen to your mentors.
I attended the free seminars offered by IMG to improve my knowledge about money and wealth. I also learned to listen to experienced mentors and make investment decisions based on the safer investment options available in the market.
For me, the goal is not to rush into investing, but to learn first, seek guidance, and make wise decisions.”
Current Goal of Education, Retirement, Healthcare, and Legacy Planning
“In our current season, our goal is to save and invest for our youngest child’s medical education, if she really pursues it, our retirement, future travels, and our healthcare needs in our senior years.
More than just preparing financially, we want to be role models for our children. We want them to learn from us and develop the same discipline and wisdom in managing their finances for themselves and their future families.
Our hope is to completely break the cycle of financial ignorance in our family lineage and leave behind a legacy of financial wisdom, responsibility, and abundance.”
Motivation for Joining the AFP® Program
“There are many women and mothers who may be like me before—looking and searching for better ways to manage their finances. That’s why I want to make sure that I am equipped with correct and reliable information about money and finances.
Before I teach or encourage others, I want to make sure that what I’ve learned actually works and that I am applying it to my own life. For me, it would be difficult to influence others if I am not practicing what I teach or if I haven’t personally experienced meaningful results.
I want to share not only what I have learned, but also what I have lived and experienced. I believe that our own journey can become a testimony and encouragement to others.
And I am truly grateful for RFP because it has given me the confidence to share what I’ve learned about money and personal finance. Thank you for equipping individuals like me with the knowledge, confidence, and tools to educate and empower others.”
Better Wealth-Building Decisions Through Continuous Learning
“I’ve learned a lot, and I continue to learn every day.
I realized that change is not the only constant in this world. The use of money is also constant. Its value may change because of inflation, but its purpose remains the same. ’Yon pa rin ang function niya simula’t simula.
Because of this, I’ve gained a better understanding of how to manage money wisely. I may not earn as much as business owners do, but I believe I can still be ahead by knowing which investments can help me grow my money, recover from losses, and stay on track toward achieving my financial goals.
I truly appreciate the knowledge and lessons I’ve gained along the way. More than the money itself, I value the understanding that has helped me become more intentional and wiser in managing what I have.”
Most Valuable Lesson on Securing the Family’s Financial Foundation
“Securing our family’s financial foundation as a starting point was an eye-opener for both me and my husband. It brought us so much peace and clarity. During our family financial planning, everything seemed to fall into place, and we gained a better understanding of where we are, where we want to go, and how we can get there together.”