Finances and Such ... Philippines

[soon2bmrsanderson 14]

Filipinos, if they come into any money they will try to live like a king for one day. They don't care if they are poor the next day. They have a lot of pride, too. As was mentioned, they care about the brand name only. Levi's over there are knock-offs. I met one guy making the counterfits. Money goes a long way there, esp in certain islands. Manila, is mahal. Boracay, mahal. A coconut from the market in Boracay is like $3 US. I know one small market it was p15. It was p45 at a larger market. They will make due with whatever you send.

Don't generalize Filipinos. There are just those who are capable of spending money for extravagant things, it is because they strive hard to earn their degrees and work hard for it everyday. It's definitely not for everyone. Filipino cares for the brand names only? Not true. I have a specific favorite Coach bag that i often wore. I have had it for almost 3 years now and it's still as good as new. And as for Levi's, if you tell me it's not of good quality, you'd be fooling yourself. Just sayin'.

[soon2bmrsanderson 14]

This makes me think of a woman the other day whom bought food with food stamps yet drove off in her Mercedes. A lot of good brand names do when you can't afford to eat. I'm sure the down payment alone would have fed her for months. It's sad what some consider a priority, but what is worse is that our tax dollars get to pay for other people's poor choices and abuse of the system, Yay!

Don't be too quick to judge. You wouldn't know if it's for herself or plans to give it away to people who lives in the streets. Who knows? As long as you don't know the person, you can leave your judgment to your self. And hey, wherever your money goes, aren't you happy you can help?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Filipinos, if they come into any money they will try to live like a king for one day. They don't care if they are poor the next day. They have a lot of pride, too. As was mentioned, they care about the brand name only. Levi's over there are knock-offs. I met one guy making the counterfits. Money goes a long way there, esp in certain islands. Manila, is mahal. Boracay, mahal. A coconut from the market in Boracay is like $3 US. I know one small market it was p15. It was p45 at a larger market. They will make due with whatever you send.

Everything is an emergency as well because they wait until the last minute. No planning ahead, no saving for the bills that will be due soon. "Send us money now, because the bill is overdue." Or, "The examination is in the morning, and if you don't pay, I can't take the test."

But they all have the latest smart phones, and brand name clothes.

[soon2bmrsanderson 14]

Everything is an emergency as well because they wait until the last minute. No planning ahead, no saving for the bills that will be due soon. "Send us money now, because the bill is overdue." Or, "The examination is in the morning, and if you don't pay, I can't take the test."

But they all have the latest smart phones, and brand name clothes.

Haha She's probably overly dependent on you!

[adiiann 163]

Filipinos, if they come into any money they will try to live like a king for one day. They don't care if they are poor the next day. They have a lot of pride, too. As was mentioned, they care about the brand name only. Levi's over there are knock-offs. I met one guy making the counterfits. Money goes a long way there, esp in certain islands. Manila, is mahal. Boracay, mahal. A coconut from the market in Boracay is like $3 US. I know one small market it was p15. It was p45 at a larger market. They will make due with whatever you send.

Huh... So, I earned a lot here, I have my husband resigned and went to school, I was breadwinner for a year.... does it in mean I live like queen? Or I am not a Filipino because I earned a lot and yet I am not living like a queen? Your statement said "Filipinos", so how will I categorize my self then?

One more thing, I don't wear Levi's pants. Well, my actions don't conform your idea of Filipinos, so I am not a Filipino? But I was born in the Philippines.

[Hank_ 9,173]

I don't think generalizations of people is ever a good thing...

but if you ask me.... I would say you are good woman and your husband is a lucky man, and I am sure he appreciates you totally.

I know I appreciate my Bride for sure!

[Leatherneck 693]

Thanks Leatherneck...We're really looking forward to it. Vacations the past three years have been road trips throughout the western U.S., so this cruise will be a nice change of pace.

Thanks Hank...Looks like you'll be plenty busy too. The bike trip to Disneyland sounds great and I hope you get some flawless weather for it. Keep the rubber side down!

Chinook and I are planning an August road trip from Seattle to LA via the coast highway, and I'm trying to convince Chinook that Disneyland is a must-see in LA.

Yeah...Chinook and I love Vegas too! We stayed at Caesar's Palace last year and enjoyed a Celine Dion concert at Caesars.

Alaska cruises are not exactly party boats, so there mercifully won't be any hairy-chest contests.

Chinook and I enjoy photography, and this cruise is all about scenery, wildlife, and historic Alaska-panhandle towns. Glacier Bay National Park is a highlight of the trip.

We also enjoy the slots, so you can bet that we'll be hitting the ship's casino. We plan to enjoy the evening shows, and the music and dancing too. There's also a lot of classes on board that are free to attend.

I doubt that we'll feel like a captive on the ship since there are stops in Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Victoria, B.C., and we have shore excursions planned at the first three towns.

You bet Tahoma! A cruise to Alaska is on my bucket list, however, as you know, the Western U.S. is beautiful country. That drive along the CA. coast is one spectacular drive -- the 123 +/- from Monterey, CA. to Morro Bay is breath taking in many areas. Much better scenery than looking at cattle and tumbleweed along the 5 Fwy. Have a great time!

[Leatherneck 693]

We took one cruise, and it will be our last cruise. It's boring, self-indulging, and ya feel like a captive on a ship. Seeing so many fat people just feeding at the trough every day made me sick. I think it was the "Best Hairy Chest" contest on the promenade deck, that put me over the edge. A weekend trip to Vegas,,,,,Now U R talking!

Sounds like the cruise from hell! You can't go wrong with a weekend in Vegas.

[xtianj 10]

Don't be too quick to judge. You wouldn't know if it's for herself or plans to give it away to people who lives in the streets. Who knows? As long as you don't know the person, you can leave your judgment to your self. And hey, wherever your money goes, aren't you happy you can help?

Or the car she was driving maybe not hers. :-)

[xtianj 10]

I know this is a touchy subject for most and it is directly related to the petitioners income ... but I would be interested in if your Fiancee' is working and what you support her (on average) with financially. I see some Pinay come here in SoCal and just love all the name brand things and expensive accessories when most have come from less to do provinces.

Id say to each his own. I wouldnt mind how people spend their moneys and would care less where they come from. So women from a less to do provinces cant buy expensive accessories and name brand things? I dont see the logic.

Edited May 26, 2012 by xtianj

[rlogan 2,036]

Everything is an emergency as well because they wait until the last minute. No planning ahead, no saving for the bills that will be due soon. "Send us money now, because the bill is overdue." Or, "The examination is in the morning, and if you don't pay, I can't take the test."

But they all have the latest smart phones, and brand name clothes.

Actually, they do plan ahead, and this was something very important my 19 year old had to agree with me about or else I wouldn't marry her.

When the electric bill arrived, knowing that it would be shut off in 30 days without payment, her mom instantly thought "I'll wait until the day it is about to be shut off and then tell him about the emergency". Every day for 30 days the bill is concealed from me while non-essential requests are made of me. It is important to ask for them instead of revealing the electric bill being due, because if we tell him about the electric bill, he will pay that instead of the non-essentials. If we play this cruel trick on him and make it look like it is his fault the electricity is shut off, then we get both the non-essentials and the electric bill paid for.

She was either going to agree with me about how calculated and cruel this was, or I was out of there like I had JATO rocket boosters strapped on. Each of her little tricks was played just once on me: like borrowing money behind my back to spend on frivolous things and then springing the "emergency" of debt being due. I went back to the moment of borrowing and discussed the planning involved: I'll conceal this from him so I can spend frivolously, and spring it on him like a vicious predator pouncing on a stupid rabbit later.

All predators camoflage their true nature. This kind of behavior is played like they are innocent victims, hapless infantile boobs that can't plan - but the fact is their planning is actually very cunning and without mercy. She was honest about this, and had to admit some hard things about the people she loved most. But the result was we have great relations with the family and none of this ####### has been played on me for years. She had an aunt supporting the family from Japan who allowed this kind of behavior, pissing away tragic amounts of income with nothing to show for it. The father had not worked for two years when I met her. But now he's been working for four years straight and none of this kind of thing happens any more. The Aunt had facilitated bad behavior, so that was the result. It wasn't bad planning or failure to plan so much as it was cunning and cruel planning on how to set ambushes to manipulate others into paying your way.

Enjoy Glacier Bay Tahoma. Pretty neat place. We don't get to the deep South much. Hard to understand their accents down there.

[Iyawo Ijebu 157]

We get all kinds of name brand stuff. Shirts are $2, pants $6 at the thrift store. I got sweatshirts from obscure religious camps, rock bands I don't like, and sometimes get comments..."Oh dood those guys are great, saw them in L.A."

For cars we have mostly Subarus - eight of them including the one I buried for a septic system. The most expensive thing in the yard is a 55,000 lb dump truck. That was five grand, but looks like four. We prefer the newer rigs, the newest one is a '91 Toyota truck, and we use that for logging so it's by far our favorite. I had a Honda CRX we got for $300, but they clocked me at 104 mph in that thing so it was best to get rid of it. The ticket cost more than the car.

We like to keep our car payments to a few hundred ideally. Not per month. Total. She helps her family, but that is her business.

Anyway, it is real important how we look to others so clothes are important. If you don't wear clothes people are going to stare. With cars, they have to be reliable. If you have eight of one model, it's a cinch you can get at least two running at the same time.

You Sir are my new hero. I completely love your lifestyle.

[Iyawo Ijebu 157]

Sounds like the cruise from hell! You can't go wrong with a weekend in Vegas.

Really?

Have you heard the term "Come on Vacation, Leave on Probation?"

Not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas (my second child is a good example of that)

[Leatherneck 693]

Really?

Have you heard the term "Come on Vacation, Leave on Probation?"

Not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas (my second child is a good example of that)

Well, I guess some folks do return to their homes with evidence of a weekend in Vegas that you can't get ride of.

The food at Clark County Detention Center -- not to my liking. I prefer the Italian and Japanese food at Rao's or Monta, respectfully.

Oh, the baby thingy -- a box of Trojans... and doubled up, worked for me.

Guess I was lucky, I managed to only come home with less money, a lot less.

[TnJ 131]

Don't be too quick to judge. You wouldn't know if it's for herself or plans to give it away to people who lives in the streets. Who knows? As long as you don't know the person, you can leave your judgment to your self. And hey, wherever your money goes, aren't you happy you can help?

I am not trying to judge. Please, don't get me wrong. I don't know if you understand how food stamps work, but normally, people who can afford to buy a Mercedes would not qualify. That was the point. If she plans on giving food to the homeless out of charity, she should do it on her own dime. Using US citizens' tax dollars to feed self or others is not charity. Now, about those people on the streets. This is where logic comes in. People with enough money, no food stamps. People on the streets, food stamps. No, I care about "wherever" my money goes. If I want to contribute to charity, I will. That is what makes it charity. I have no say in what the government does with my money. I am not against welfare at all. I am against people whom don't need it and take it the same way I am against people whom would enter my home and decide what they would like from me.

Edited May 27, 2012 by ToddnJessa