Netizens Weigh In: Worst Financial Habits Of Filipinos

4 min read By eCompareMo on November 9, 2017

Juan dela Cruz isn’t exactly known for his financial wisdom. In 2015, the Asian Development Bank reported that the Philippines had “relatively low access to and usage of financial services in the country compared to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, the three high–middle-income countries in the ASEAN region.” Despite this, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is adamant in making the Philippines wiser and wealthier in the face of ASEAN financial integration in 2025.

And it’s not that Filipinos aren’t aware of this. Members of the reddit Philippines community shared their frustrations about the problem with Filipinos and money (mis)management. Needless to say, they didn’t hold back in pointing out our money flaws.

Maybe it’s time we look at ourselves through the eyes of others and learn a thing or two in becoming better with our finances. We plucked some of the best answers from the thread to save you the trouble of going to the muck.

1. People, you can’t spend what you don’t have! What’s so hard to understand there?

2. We’re pretty sure Bruno Mars’ ‘Millionaire’ isn’t about being one for just a day.

3. There is no shortcut to success. Your uplines and lottery tickets won’t make you filthy rich overnight. Power!

4. Do we have our own version of “keeping up with the Joneses?” Maybe “keeping up with the Santoses” or “Cruzes” to give it a local flavor.

5. If a colleague asks you for a pasalubong the next time you go on a trip, tell him/her “you’re not my supervisor!”

6. This is surprisingly a good point. Nuff said.

7. Your third-degree cousin to your maternal grandmother in-law side called. She said you’re family and she needs money.

8. Weekend warriors, take note! Don’t just go on a trip for likes and #wanderlust. You’ll end up chasing the sunset, which is pointless.

9. This just sounds like debt—but with extra steps.

10. You’re not the crown prince of god-knows-where. You don’t have to throw a banquet whenever something good happens to you.

11. Two words: financial education. Unless, of course, you can hire an assistant to take care of your money. Which you can’t because you’re broke. See how it quickly spins?

12. And then you’ll require your daughter’s guests to participate in fabricated portions like “18 blue bills” or 18 “envelopes” to offset the expenses? Some nerve you have, don’t you?

13. To be fair, you can brag about owning an iPhone X even if you’re broke and broken…until the new one comes out next year and you’re no longer the coolest person in the room.

14. It’s already painstaking to go to the mall during weekends. But brave through a sea of people during weekend sales? That’s brave. And stupid.

15. One word: this.