The Budgeting Hack That Helped Dianne Medina & Rodjun Cruz Build Their Forever Home
DIANNE MEDINA – When people doubted them, Dianne and Rodjun doubled down on their goals—and the result is the beautiful home they now proudly own.
Celebrity couple Dianne Medina and Rodjun Cruz recently shared the story of how they achieved one of their biggest milestones—building their dream home—a goal they reached through years of consistent saving, planning, and financial discipline.
In an interview with Karen Davila on her YouTube vlog, the couple revealed that they had already developed the habit of managing their finances together early on in their relationship. “Nung nagsimula kaming mag-relationship talaga meron kaming joint [bank] account agad na kapag kumikita kami, dun namin nilalagay,” Rodjun relayed.
Their journey began with an early investment in real estate. “Nahuli kami ni mommy na bumili kami ng property, naghulog pa lang naman ng condo, 2009 ‘to, I was doing Banana Split eh, tandang-tanda ko ‘yun kasi bawat sweldo ko, nilalagay namin dun ni Rodjun,” Dianne recalled, emphasizing how they allocated her earnings for their shared goals.
Despite their enthusiasm, Dianne’s mother cautioned her about making such a significant commitment so early in a relationship. “Sabi ni mommy, ‘Ana halika I will talk to you. It’s okay naman for you and Rodjun na mag-ipon ng ganyan but I do not suggest buying a property agad at a very, very early stage [of] your relatonship na hindi ka pa naman sure. Ang hirap i-divide ang property in case maghiwalay kayo,'” she advised.
Taking her mother’s advice to heart, they decided to focus on building up their savings instead. “What she suggested was magbuo na lang kayo ng account. Split it into half [kung] maghiwalay kayo, [hahatiin] ‘yung pera, parang ganun. So ganun ‘yung ginawa namin 2009 onwards,” Dianne explained.
Eventually, their savings enabled them to build their house, a dream they fulfilled just in time for their wedding. “We were saving and saving together. Kaya nung nagkaroon kami ng house, when we had this built, maraming nag-bash because they were thinking na hindi naman kayo big star, hindi naman kayo lead star, paano kayo nakapagpatayo? Nag-iisip sila ng masasama,” Dianne shared.
Rodjun expressed how proud he was of what they accomplished: “Ako siyempre super proud kami sa achievement namin so if ever nagpo-post kami just ito inspire people. […] we are very thankful and blessed kay Lord na meron kaming ganito.”
Dianne left a powerful reminder about their mindset: “Ang thinking lagi namin ni Rodjun it is not about how much you earn but how much you save. So we save more, invest wisely. We just don’t work hard, we work smart.”
READ ALSO: Dianne Medina Reveals Paying 170K Tuition for Nursery Son Joaquin