03/14/2026
If you are a Filipino living in the U.S., going back home to the Philippines for vacation can sometimes be difficult. Many people expect something from you. Not just relatives but neighbors too. I truly love to give and help when I can, but the reality is that I cannot give to everyone. I have to balance my expenses because I don’t want to return to the U.S. broke.
Even if you only give 500 pesos to someone who asks, once people hear about it, more people will come asking for help. If you don’t control your spending, you may not even notice that you’ve already lost thousands of dollars from your hard-earned money.
I’ve heard many stories of people who came back to the U.S. completely broke because they spent too much during their vacation in the Philippines. Some people say it’s okay because you can earn that money again once you return to the U.S. Yes, we can earn it again—but we still have to work very hard for it. And if we get sick from working too much, who will take care of us? Where will we get the money to pay our bills?
Life abroad is not as easy as many people think. I’ve learned a lot from my experiences, and now I choose to be wise with my money. People back home don’t truly understand the life of someone working far away from home. You will know once you get here.