u/Admirable_Nature4811 — reddlx

This post is about my struggles about money as an 18 year old. First of all I’d like to say that we are a middle class family that has sufficient income to fund our expenses, needs, and splurge on wants occasionally. I came from a childhood where I used to get what I want, from begging to buy the things I need. We used to be a 2 dual-income household where my father was an OFW and my mother was a seamstress, then it changed now, my baby brother happened, pandemic hit and now we have a Bridal Shop that generates all our income. I can say that our business is stable and is doing good, there may be seasons where profits hit low but yet again we manage through it every time.

Here is the problem, since we have a tight budget for our expenses, I rarely get to ask for extra. I get money either from saving my allowance money ~ note that I get 400 a day and I only go to school 4 times a week, so I get 1,600 of allowance a week. You may see thats a lot but let me show you how it’s not, my everyday commute is 100, my daily food consumption with recess and lunch is about 200. But since the food in my school is giving low quality, unhealthy, and hindi nakakabusog while the price still remains high, I tend to eat outside of school. AND TAKE NOTE HA, the affordable stores in our campus was removed! And now we’re left with coffee shops and mall foods that is sometimes too expensive and not healthy. Pero sige, since I’ve had trauma with carenderias around the school ( they gave me LBM, and that was separate carenderias ) my choice is those expensive food places. Alam nyo sawang sawa na ako sa 7/11, jollibee, mcdo and fast foods na minsan I opt talaga for the coffee shops and expensive food stalls kasi yung food nila ay mas fresh and ok kaysa dun sa preservatives na kinakain namin. Pero we sometimes do eat inside school or random street stalls. Anyways I’m left with either 100 pesos or nothing, and sometimes the little money I have be used for ambagan sa school, bayaran, group projects and miscellaneous spending for school essentials. Sometimes I’ll be left with only 200 or 300 a week, but since I’m a graduating student right now, ang daming kailangang bayaran this past few months with all the amabagan, katulad ng research, business proposals, dance practices and filming. Halos wala ng matira sa baon ko, I strictly budget that 400 and make sure na walang kulang kasi nahihiya ako humingi sa parents ko ng extra, why you may ask? Kasi sasabihin nila lalayas ako or gagala lang at gagamitin ang pera na extra na hinihingi ko. And fun fact ha, pagagala ako with friends, I make sure that I always have extra money from the money I have saved. From the December to January this school year I was able to save 1k-2k of money that is saved for my needs.

I also get money from special occasions, for Christmas, I regularly get 6k, for me madami yun, pero if you compare that with other people, isang tao lang nagbigay ng ganun sa kanila. The problem with receiving money from Christmas is that my relatives are too far away and out of touch, and the people that give me money only gives small amount because they’re not rich and I don’t blame them for that. This Christmas I got 5k and 1 gift from my cousin, a Issy liptint. And in my opnion, I’d rather be gifted gifts than money because it shows you had to think of me and what I would like. Alam nyo nakakakniggit lng, makikita mo sa social media, yung mga tao nakakakuha ng 10k+ pataas. Ok lang, inggit lang ng kaunti budget na ulit.

Now for Bday money, not gonna lie, I kinda cried and is still grieving my 18th birthday. I got 4k and was already given an IpadA16 in advance (that I’ve been wanting since pandemic but never begged because I’m scared na sumpa lang ang maiibigay instead ng Ipad) My family also gave 2k para daw ilibre friends ko and they also spent money to celebrate my Bday in a restaurant with my other relatives. Sa tunay madami rin sila nagastos for my bday, and that was enough, but nakaka sad lang na nung bday ko rin mismo, nakakatanggap pa rin ako ng sumpa dahil ang mahal daw nagastos sakin. 2k for the libre with friends and 1k for the additional for my bday photoshoot and the money spent on the small restaurant celebration. Anyways, Alam nyo wala na ako paki dun sa pera that time. What I was crying about is how I felt invisible, lonely and depressed during my special day. No one greeted me in insta while I always greet people and give gifts during their birthdays, wala man lang bumati sakin, yung friends ko lang na 3. Kung hindi pa ako magpopost, walang babati and take note ha, late na ako nag post ng bday pics ko. Bumati sila ng late, pero walang bumati nung mismong bday ko. And ang masakit, walang nagpost sakin greeting me, not one, even my bffs’. Pero nung bday ng friends nila, nag ig story pa sila. For you its not a big deal, but for me oo. I turned 18, the legal age, and not one of my friend was their beside me to welcome me in the start of becoming an adult. Ayun anyways. I got 4k (3k from relatives and the 1k for my photoshoot) and an advance bday gift. Plus I mentioned diba, that I’d rather want gifts than money, well nakakalungkot lang na no one made an effort to get me anything…

Now Let’s do calculations. I had 7k of money on January, after getting 5k from gifts and 2k of savings from the last month. Here is what I spent
Skincare*:*
Cetaphil Cleanser: is provided by my father (its a fixed expense, he buys me when I ran out, I usually make it last for 2 and a half months)
YOU Red Serum- 400
Luxe organix cica moisturizer- 350
Hikari Tinted Sunscreen- 360
2 oxecure mudpowder 5g- 300 (150 each)
Questre hydrocolloid roll- 280
Questre scar sheet-290
Vasline lip balm-170

Makeup:
Luxe Organix matte powder- 250
Glad2glow cusion foundation- 220
Dazzle me primer-220

Gift for myself
5 hothweels - 600
Ipad case - 265 (Ipad was a early Bday gift)
Hirono figure- 480
New mouse- 1,200 (first big purchase)

Hobby
Action figure display - 130
Car Display- 390
1/64 car wheels- 410
Spray paint- 310

Other items
Mouse pad- 130
Coaster- 130

Now I’m left with 115 pesos that I used for pamasahe.
Now the 7k is gone.
I managed to stretch my skincare and makeup for 3 months. Now the money is dry again, and school expense is drying my allowance. Those past few months was hell, ito yung sinasabing ko na research, filming and proposals. Wala talaga matira sa baon ko, tapos lagi pa kami nagmemeet up or do filmings in expensive places, so I really have to spend.

Ayan so March na, its my birth month! Now I got 4k, mas kakaunti, pero pagkakasyahin ulit
What I spent again:

Skincare
Cetaphil Cleanser: is provided by my father (its a fixed expense, he buys me when I ran out, I usually make it last for 2 and a half months)
YOU Red Serum- 400
(No moisturizer, hindi na kasya so I used my baby brother’s baby moisturizer)
Hikari Tinted Sunscreen- 360
2 oxecure mudpowder 5g- 300 (150 each)
(No lip balm, ninakaw ko na lng sa mother ko)

Makeup:
Luxe Organix matte powder- 250
Glad2glow cusion foundation- 220
Dazzle me primer-220

Gift for myself:
Hotwheels - 600

Photoshoot - 1,600

Background story: (I did this photoshoot since prom was cancelled, I made a deal that since prom is gone, I want a bday photoshoot so I can somehow replace the experience of prom)

Now I have 50 pesos left, that I used for load.
And its now May, 1 month after replenishing my supplies, I managed to bought a moisturizer, gel brow and new glasses thanks to the pa unti unti ko na iipon na pera. I’ll be honest, wala na ako masyado na ipon this may since halos wala ng pasok, since naging 3 days na lng ang pasok due to economic crisis diba, and nagtatapos kami ng requirements for graduation so dumagdag gastos ko pabalik balik ng school kahit sa araw na hindi ko naman need pumunta ay need ko. Plus madami kami naging gala this May to cherish our last time as Senior High School students before we part ways with my friends in College.

My problem, is how will I gain money now, now that class is ending and summer vacation is coming. Kalhati na nga lang mga needs ko nabibili ko and I have to stretch it out pa and There will be times I won’t do skincare since nagtitipid ako. People may ask, paano mga other needs ko? Food, of course provided and other basic necessities are met. Well in terms of hygiene, ang sabon, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste is of course binibilhan naman ako. Pero I also wish sana I had the money too replace my hair products, kasi my hair is frizzy, prone to dandruff and my hair falls out a lot. I also would like the whitening toothpaste to be presentable for graduation and a new silicone facial scrub that I’ve been using for 5 months that should be replaced every 2 months. And a body wash to make me smell good but then again I don’t have money for either of those.

There is so many things I want to buy right now but I just never can’t because sasabihin nila I’m too much so I just tend to not ask. There are certain things I need to buy for me too look presentable for graduation but I don’t even have the money. My graduation is in 5 days…

The sad part I think of is wala ako matatanggap this graduation kasi gagawing excuse yung Ipad na regalo sakin ng bday ko as ok na yun. Pero I wish, kahit pinaka bare minimum naman, kahit kaunting pera ay masukliaan ang paghihirap na ginawa ko para makapagtapos. Gusto lang naman masukliaan ang efforts ko, kahit kaunti lang :(

I want a piano, to pursue my passion for music, and that costs 10k. I want to pursue my diorama hobbie, I don’t have the resources, materials and money. I want to buy new clothes because I keep wearing the same clothes over and over. I want to buy a new bag, because my old one broke. I want a small gift for myself to feel proud of my achievement that I have finished Senior High School.

Am I too much for asking those things? Am I too much sa gastos? Am I too maarte at kailangan ko ng ganun? Am I a spoiled brat for wanting those?