Hi Rory,
Where were you staying in Argao? It's not a bad place, with Leylands.
As for spending money, whenever your on holiday you of course spend more money because you want to do things.
As for money amongst the family and sharing, its a very complex situation, that takes a bit of experience and time to understand. it's normally the westerner that has a big problem with adapting and sometimes is the cause of early break ups and family fights.