looking at the rates now...its not that big i can say with all the bills and baby stuff...cost of living in the philippines is continously increasing each day while pounds decline at the same time.Originally Posted by stevewool
£500 to £600 wow you are lucky
I think 500-600 GBP is reasonable if the man has a baby to support.
However, if the g/f or fiancee does not have children and is able to work, I see no reason why she shouldn't make an effort to find work even if it is only for a couple of hundred pesos a day. In my situation, I would make up the difference from her earnings to ensure she had a decent standard of living. I don't think anyone should be picky about what job they do to make a living.
Personally, I have a good professional job and have been well educated and I don't want to do a hard physical manual working job, but if I was unable to do my current job and needed to earn money to survive, I would take on anything for an income - Street cleaner, toilet cleaner, security guard ...etc.
I seem to be missing something !!!!
Checking on the internet it apears the average income in Philippines is 14,000 P a month, at the present rate about £200 a month.
I don't know where some posters here are getting their figures from !
From some of the figues being mentioned here, I could live pretty well in Spain let alone in the Philippines !!!
if i am a man i wouldn't let my gf/fiancee/spouse cleaning the street, toilet...ect same with my husband....aim high
I think that someone could live on that in the provinces, but they would probably struggle in Manila or Cebu. It also depends what quality of life you want your other half to have, and how often you want them to contact you.
I've been to the P.I twice this year, and was surprised at how expensive some things are. For example, toileteries are the same price or more expensive than they are in my local Asda/Tesco's. Clothes are no cheaper over there, phone credit is about the same. Sure, food and accomodation is cheaper, but most accomodation is very basic, and for 5000 a month, you are not going to getting anything like teh same luxury we have here.
My g/f needs at least 2000 pm just to keep her Blackberry on line and to pay for her text messages to me. I would guess that basic food is in the region of at least 4000 a month, add to that accomodation costs, transport, toileteries and money for a few clothes, you are soon looking at 25K pesos per month...and that is for a basic standard of living, not one which I am used to or would want to live.
I agree you should aim high, but if you hit rock bottom, you still need to survive. No one should be picky about what job they do if they can't afford to eat. I have a good job now, but I did some rotten jobs when I left school to ensure I could survive, including cleaning out live sewers and repairing drainsif i am a man i wouldn't let my gf/fiancee/spouse cleaning the street, toilet...ect same with my husband....aim high
Who is kidding who?
I just copied this from the internet, posted by a Brit living in Phil:-
It depends where you are in the Philippines. As with any country, wages vary widely from place to place. Also it depends if you work. Minimum wage is about 300p ($6) per day. Live-in help will make about 2,500 to 3,000 pesos ($50-60) per month and get free food and lodging and some other expenses. A university professor can make 25,000p ($500) per month. More or less depending upon education and seniority. A taxi drive if he is lucky will clear 500p ($10) a day.
I certainly hope so as we know people in full time jobs on P6000 a month.
Keith - Administrator
I agree with you, I have seen the same figures myself and told my g/f what the average earnings are. What I was saying is that it we want our g/fs to have a western standard of living and to be in regular contact with us via internet on a smart phone and text messages then it is going to cost us. Ultimately what anyone sends to their other half is down to them andwhat they think is reasonable based on their own financial position and what kind of lifestyle they want them to have.
hummm ok live in spain for £200 a month ? ok why ent everyone doing it then ?
anyhows jobs in the philippines so you earn 200php minus travel ok 30php for a couple of jeepney rides there and back or 60 to 100 php if its a trike for what ever reason like its very late so a trike is safer as some companys provide a service trike which you still have to pay for.. a meal whilst you are work then take off the tax and medical phil health/sss and you almost end up paying them for the privalge of working.....i know lots of ppl survive out there ofcourse and more power to thier elbow...but hearing some people say that £200 is loads is an insult... yes they can an do survive on that and less...but why let your loved one just survive....if you can only send £10 a week then that should be and is enuff but if you can send more then you should ofcourse, i dont understand why this thread has got anyone saying you can send to much ? Dont be tight its only money its not like you are giving your last breath of oxegen or the last drop of water geez....have a nice day ppl play nicely
That's as much as many Filipino families have to live on each week. I think that if you send much more than is required then it's likely to create a dependancy culture within the whole family which will continue long after your mahal gets to the UK and which could cause problems in your relationship at a later stage. You should always remember, they all survived long before they had a foriegner in the family and on far far less in most cases.
Wow. Some people are going to get burned I think. Of course it all depends on circumstances but we must not think in £ but in pesos. Most people earn no more than 6000 per month, and survive OK. Most live within a family who share. Please remember that in the Philippines there is no concept of saving for a rainy day so if you send money it will get spent. In addition you might think you are supporting your girl but in fact her brothers, uncles and half the baragay are rejoicing at this blessing of a foreigner arriving in their midst and sales of San Miguel and Tandory have never been better.
If she was managing before you then anything you give should just be for very specific items. Get her to show the receipts too. When it comes to visa costs etc it is different of course but for regular living my advice is be very very cynical and careful.
Hear Hear. Much better to save your hard earned cash until she gets to the UK and for your future together.
I must be a lucky filipina girl then being a single child of my parents and not having a leeching family like ur saying everyone elses..but even if i did have i wouldnt let them abuse my situation of having a foreign husband...i get whatever i want my husband loves me to bits..his money is our money ..and ones its ours it becomes mine and whats mine he leaves it alone
''Don't be serious..Be Sincere''
I send about £160 a month to Jonalyn,which out of that she pays her share of the bills and I pay for the internet.
she live with her parents so her cost of living are low.
I do send more for birthdays and special occasions.
What I send is the amount that I can afford and still save to go in October.
I think a distinction here needs to be made? If it is for a girlfriend, then I wasn't paying anything, just some load for her phone.
I'm talking about my wife here, a big difference.
The thread dosen't state that, it just says partner.
I think a distinction here needs to be made? If it is for a girlfriend, then I wasn't paying anything, just some load for her phone.
I'm talking about my wife here, a big difference.
The thread dosen't state that, it just says partner.
how many people do you know who earn 40kphp a month in the phils ?
lots joeblogs lots...includes some of my relatives and neighbors
There can't be many. Perhaps a very small % of the overall population earn even half of or a quarter of that. Speaking for myself, I know my g/f could never expect to earn anything close to that in the P.I, and as such she should not expect me to provide that kind of lifestyle for her yet.
What we are talking about is survival, load for the phone or internet and a few luxuries every now and then. Someone made the distinction between g/f and wife earlier in the thread. I agree, if it is your wife then you should give more. In my case, it is my g/f, she is in her 20's intelligent, able bodied and has no good reason to not get a job. I have to work for a living and to help her out, there are some days when I hate my job, but I still have to go to work everyday because if I don't I wont be able to pay the mortgage, bills or eat. There is no one who is going to help me, and you can forget the state, £64 a week doesn't even pay my gas and electricity bills let alone everything else. It has always been my view that everyone should try their hardest to help themselves first, and if there is someone who is prepared to assist them, they should consider themselves to be very fortunate and should neither expect it or demand more.
i agree with you regarding no concept of savings just b'coz one might not have enough to save and one more thing in the philippines when any circumstances arises they can always rely to family member and no matter how poor and how much money they got if someone needs it they surely give their share...i must say..if someone marry a filipino or any other national they should hold and accept their values and tradition as well....give and take and meet halfways
Precisely ...!
s, also ... and very true!!
Some people have no choice!! Never take advantage of a good thing!if i am a man i wouldn't let my gf/fiancee/spouse cleaning the street, toilet...ect same with my husband....aim high
I believe you have been extremely lucky, some of us are not so lucky.
Exactly my point Ian
looking back...me and my family had a hard time surviving in some point of our lives...we strive till it gets better again...it's not we just lucky but we believe there's always a choice it may be difficult to achieve things at times but choices always there i believe.
I don't see what the problem is here. Everyone earns a different amount so you send what you can afford to send. As has been said previously our g/f / wife managed before we came into their lives. Its only natural as time goes on in a relationship, things become more serious and so will probably warrent more money. After all she is your loved one and so in theory you'd want to be able to provide more and look after her, its human nature. You'd certainly give more money to you wife, fiancee than to a girl you've just got together with, wouldn't you?
THere is a lack of saving culture in the phils because lets face it life is nearly always lived day to day there with little concern about the future because very few can afford to think of the future. I know my wifes family are basically on the bread line so its hand to mouth living day to day. So if money is sent for them its (hopefully) for a specific thing, not just to wazz up the wall. When sending money to the g/f, wife or whatever it'd be for specifics obviously, rent, food etc but if possible there'd be some there for other stuff. New clothes, go to the parlour etc.
At the end of day the day you send what you can to help suplement what she may earn out there. I know that month to month the amount I sent varied but LIza was ok with that. And that is also the other important thing. As long as your other half realises that there are bills to pay, food to buy in the uk I'm sure everything works out.
Trust is another element here, It'd fairly obvious if shes been out partying etc and not paying the rent , bills etc wouldn't it. Next time you visit and its a different smaller apartment or theres no elec, alarm bells would be ringing.
It's been emontional
We send money to the family for specific things, banka boat, fishing nets etc. This is to try to get them as self suficent as possible. THen they in theory can provide for their kids, send them to school and on to a reasonable job. So hopefully they're not overly dependant on me, thats the plan anyway.Exactly my point Ian
It's been emontional
it was i who started this and lots of very good comments like i said and emma is my gf but once here will be my wife i hope
it was i who started this and emma is my gf living there with her family once here we hope to marry an
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