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"Cash is king."

That quote came from Heart Evangelista when GMANetwork.com asked her about the best financial advice that she's ever received in her life.

And from whom did this golden nugget come? Her husband, Francis "Chiz" Escudero.

"Whenever I'm rushing or I wanna buy something, or I wanna shop, he'd always tell me, 'Darling, cash is king,'" she shared during the February 23 Zoom event hosted by Robinsons Land Corporation, where she was launched as the endorser of RLC Residences.

"'Just keep the saving and one day an opportunity will come up, like buying a property, then you would have something to put out.'"

Tingnan ang post na ito sa Instagram

Isang post na ibinahagi ni Heart Evangelista (@iamhearte)

Heart said that her husband's financial tip also comes in handy whenever she feels the urge to buy a trendy bag or a stylish dress.

"If it's about fashion, if you want a bag, and you really want its style but it's too expensive, just wait, makukuha mo rin 'yan. Kahit sabihin mo na dalawang taon, tatlong taon, makukuha mo rin siya."

"But if you buy so many other things that are of lower quality, 'yun din 'yung gagastusin mong pera eventually kasi palit ka nang palit.

"So patience, and one time big time," she said, implying that it's okay to churn out a huge amount of money from your savings if you're spending it on something worth investing in.

Having that kind of patience in saving and discipline in spending helped Heart manage her finances better.

"Kasi 'pag andyan na, may mailalabas ka."

This doesn't mean that the 36-year-old actress has always been wise about her money. Heart isn't ashamed to admit that she's had her fair share of financial mistakes, especially during her younger years.

"My mom used to handle my finances [when I was younger]," she said while giving a tour of one of the well-appointed show units of RLC. She was, of course, referring to her mom, Cecilia Ongpauco, who at one point in her life became her talent manager.

"But when I started having my own na, I got a little too excited."

Tingnan ang post na ito sa Instagram

Isang post na ibinahagi ni Heart Evangelista (@iamhearte)

While she didn't share in detail the financial pitfalls that she's had in the past, Heart said that she learned her lesson the hard way.

No other time in her life had the lessons of saving money been in sharper focus than in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses stopped, and Heart felt the pandemic's huge blow to her finances.

That's why when work started to pick up again, she decided to be more judicious about her spending and pay her blessings forward.

Not many know that most of the people in Heart's employ have been staying with her since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown. This setup has somehow ensured that work for Heart, and by extension her staff, would not stop even if the entertainment industry came to a standstill.

"Some of the people I work with live with me now. There are things that I just can't do on my own, that's why I needed to have these people stay with me," she said.

"[I'm just thankful] That I can house a lot of employees with me.

"When you have a roof over your head, you know you're already blessed. And when you're blessed, you have to share those blessings with others as well."

The proud homemaker, who revealed that she also has a condo unit in an RLC development in Ortigas, also offered some sound advice to those who have been struggling with (and complaining about) their jobs during this pandemic.

"Know why work is work, because work is supposed to be hard. Don't complain so much about work. You can do your other things on the side.

"You're not necessarily supposed to love what you do all the time. It's work. It's supposed to be hard.

"You can always do something on the side. But work is work and it's supposed to be hard."

Get more of Heart's advice on love, life, and career in this gallery: