Mr Lee Posted November 24, 2010 Posted November 24, 2010 Our family and many I read about have the live for today attitude and do not seem to understand that there will be, or should I say might be a tomorrow. I have tried hard to teach our family to save for tomorrow but I have failed miserably and I wonder if any of you have had more luck at it than I have, and if so then how did you succeed? I feel if the PHL is to ever succeed then the people must learn that there has to be a balance between enjoying their lives and saving for tomorrow, and I have often told my wife to explain to her family that I will not be here forever and when I die so does my pensions, so the golden goose would no longer be there to help out, and what would they have done if I never married my wife. The cultural difference has been very hard for me to understand and I suspect that I am not alone in this. Fortunately it seems to have sunk in and our family rarely asks for money nowadays except for occasional real emergencies but now I worry that they have gone full circle and they may not ask when they really need it. :lmao: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art2ro Posted November 24, 2010 Posted November 24, 2010 (edited) IMHO, "live for the moment, because there may be no tomorrow" is a trait of most Filipinos living in poverty, so the thought of saving for their future is almost nonexistent and there's not much anyone can do unless one is a well to do relative or foreigner spouse with a kind heart to help out within reason! I've been there, done that to no avail because when the hand outs ended, they were back to their old ways again of "living for the moment"! I gave up trying to help, too much drama involved and a big of a headache too to explain my "NO" answers to their request for money! I don't need it! The "gravy train" has come to a full stop, the Engineer has retired and moved far far away! Fortunately most of your average Filipinos with steady jobs do save and plan for their future like anyone else in any country! Edited November 24, 2010 by Fil/AmArt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Posted November 24, 2010 Posted November 24, 2010 IMHO, "live for the moment, because there may be no tomorrow" is a trait of most Filipinos living in poverty, so the thought of saving for their future is almost nonexistent and there's not much anyone can do unless one is a well to do relative or foreigner spouse with a kind heart to help out within reason! I've been there, done that to no avail because when the hand outs ended, they're back to their old ways again of "living for the moment"! I gave up trying to help! Too much drama involved! Big headache too! I don't need it! The "gravy train" has come to a full stop! The Engineer has retired and moved far far away! Most of your average Filipino with steady jobs do save and plan for their future like anyone else in any country! Hey Art, I totally agree......it's a classic case of hopelessness brought on by the widening gap between rich and powerful and the poor and oppressed people. In many ways, the typical Filipino is just plain lazy or always trying to find short cuts. Those loan shark Boom-bays (Pakistanis or Indians) riding on scooters will never go away. It's a lucrative but often times a dangerous business.Respectfully -- Jake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hounddriver Posted November 25, 2010 Posted November 25, 2010 I am starting to think the young, poor filipinos are much brighter than me. I worked my whole life so I could retire on a beach in the tropics, swim and fish all day, play cards and have a few drinks with my friends in the evening, and spend some romantic time with my wife.These guys are doing exactly that without having worked a day in their lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jollygoodfellow Posted November 25, 2010 Posted November 25, 2010 I am starting to think the young, poor filipinos are much brighter than me. I worked my whole life so I could retire on a beach in the tropics, swim and fish all day, play cards and have a few drinks with my friends in the evening, and spend some romantic time with my wife.These guys are doing exactly that without having worked a day in their lives. Bloody hell DaveYou have worked out the meaning of life and we dumb ass westerners had it all back to front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp52 Posted November 25, 2010 Posted November 25, 2010 It would be frustating if every time you saved some money it got eaten up by some problem or need in the family. From what I see in my family they look after each other, But there family is so big there is always something that comes up that money is needed and they make so little money As for your family not saving, I have added into my budget 10,000 pesos a month to be put away for emergencies just for them, But I did not tell them about it. I think most of them don,t have a very good education and that contributes to there lack of saving. Even in the west there are lots of people who live day to day and don,t have savings for emergencies, What is their excuse. I try to teach my Filipino family that they need to put some money away for a rainy day but it goes in one ear and out the other, What can you do. Its hard to change the ideas that poverty puts into peoples heads. It has taken many years for them to think this way and it will take many years to change that way of thinking if it is all possible. They are a proud and stubborn people ( not all ) and that makes it even harder to learn new ways. I think it needs to be taught in school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom in Texas Posted November 25, 2010 Posted November 25, 2010 IMHO, "live for the moment, because there may be no tomorrow" is a trait of most Filipinos living in poverty, so the thought of saving for their future is almost nonexistent and there's not much anyone can do unless one is a well to do relative or foreigner spouse with a kind heart to help out within reason! I've been there, done that to no avail because when the hand outs ended, they're back to their old ways again of "living for the moment"! I gave up trying to help! Too much drama involved! Big headache too! I don't need it! The "gravy train" has come to a full stop! The Engineer has retired and moved far far away! Most of your average Filipino with steady jobs do save and plan for their future like anyone else in any country! Hey Art, I totally agree......it's a classic case of hopelessness brought on by the widening gap between rich and powerful and the poor and oppressed people. In many ways, the typical Filipino is just plain lazy or always trying to find short cuts. Those loan shark Boom-bays (Pakistanis or Indians) riding on scooters will never go away. It's a lucrative but often times a dangerous business.Respectfully -- Jake I'm with Art and Jake.... "live for today" and even the perception of "lazy" for some... I believe to be a symptom of poverty. It is a common reaction to a feeling of hopelessness, financial or otherwise.If the PH government would fully open the PH to foreign investment and ownership... truly make the PH foreign investment friendly... and have a concerted national effort to modernize the PH infrastructure... I believe there would be a boom in the PH just as has occurred with many Asian countries. Hopelessness would be replaced for many with opportunity and optimism... and I believe many Filipinos would soon be seen as resourceful and hard working.Maybe I'm just an eternal optimist... but at least it makes me feel better. Tom in Texas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum Support Old55 Posted November 26, 2010 Forum Support Posted November 26, 2010 (edited) I agree with you Tom (Texas) but its not going to happen because of corruption.The family's holding power will do anything to stay on the corruption gravy train and could care less about the well being of anyone but them self's. Edited November 26, 2010 by Old55 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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