money Archives - Life in Manila

I overspent last year. I actually got ashamed of myself, but not to the point of frustration. I knew that my “overspending” was still at the normal level. I didn’t accumulate any debts because everything was well-accounted for. It was just that I felt regretful because I could have saved more money had I not succumbed to overspending.

So, what did I spend my money on? Bigger clothes because I gained weight (this I’m admittedly quite disappointed about!). More pasyal which translated to bigger transportation and eating-out expenses. Some home stuff that I could live without but were too nice and convenient not to indulge myself in (you know, products of the I-deserve-these-comforts-because-I-work-hard attitude that I get on occasions). And other unexpected miscellaneous expenses that I’m too lazy to remember right now.

Continue reading “Finances 2018”

I didn’t expect changing my Philippine pesos to Malaysian ringgits and Singaporian dollars would make me feel a little sad about the economic state of my home country. Imagine, the value of our currency is way below those of the two. As our currency continues to fall, those of our neighbor countries continue to be strong and stable.

No wonder, more and more Filipinos are trying hard to work abroad where they could earn foreign currencies that their families could exchange for higher rates in Manila. It’s a sure fire way to solve their financial problems and bolster their credit repair efforts. But as promising as it sounds, there are sacrifices that need to be made. The overseas Filipino worker has to stay in a foreign land away from his family.

Continue reading “Foreign Exchange Rates”