Perhaps one of the most exciting things about the “ber” months fast approaching is the feelings they bring. For students (both face-to-face and online), it’s potentially a Christmas program, party and most of all, vacation. Para sa karamihan ng mga empleyado, ito ay ang Christmas-bonus, and 13th month pay, at ilang araw na pag hinga sa mahabang oras ng trabaho.

Para sa mga ilang mga OFW sa ibang mga bansa, naiiba ang kanilang ninanais. After all, unless they’ve booked a flight back to the Philippines, they’ll be spending a large portion of their time in their workplace. But it goes without saying, for most of them, ang makapag padala lang ng pamasko sa pamilya nilang naiwan sa Pilipinas ay sapat na upang mabuo ang kanilang Pasko.

Ano ba ang sukatan upang malaman na ang pamilya mo ay nakakuha ng sapat na pang tustos sa kanilang gastusin sa mga kaganapan sa pasko? By readying for the holiday season. It goes without saying that splurging in the current economic climate is a bad idea, but there are ways to make the holidays feel like the holidays without breaking the bank. Here are the top 5 money remittance tips to prepare for this Holiday season.

Set A Schedule For The Transaction

Remittances may be sent monthly or in some other frequency, depending on your agreement with your OFW loved one. Sa paglapit ng Pasko, magandang kausapin ang mga mahal sa buhay tungkol sa iyong padala. Apart of course from the potential delays in money transfers caused by a myriad of reasons, you’d like to be able to get the money at a time that doesn't resemble payday and that’s convenient for both yourself and your OFW loved one.

Ang isa pang bagay na kailangang ikunsidera bago mag padala ng pera ay ang exchange rate. Before remitting, take a quick look at what the exchange rate is like and see if it falls below or above the trends. You can also use an exchange fee calculator to determine how much you’re getting. Kausapin ang pamilya tungkol sa magandang oras na pag padala ng pera base sa pag galaw ng presyo ng peso.

Once you’ve agreed, make sure to contact your loved one abroad via phone or through whatever Internet service is available to thank them for their padala. As much as possible, make this into a video call so they can see how happy you and the family are. While it might not be much for you, to them who've been away from you for a time, ito ay magandang pagpapaalala sakanila ng kanilang inspirasyong upang kumayod ng maigi sa ibang bansa.

Prepare A Budget For Holiday Preparation

After the remittance, it’s time to make a list and check it twice. Determine who’s naughty and nice. Kidding aside, the purpose of having this list is to make sure that you have enough money remittance to last up from your Noche Buena to your Media Noche. Narito ang ilan sa mga bagay na dapat ikunsidera:

Monthly expenses - katulad ng household bills, medical costs, school fees, rent iba pang buanang bayarin. It’s important to have a budget set aside for this so you can proceed with your holiday season without having to worry.

Christmas and The New Year (Along with other holidays within the 4th quarter) - Ito ang mga gastusin pag dating sa mga regalo, tokens, meals at ibang media na kinakailangan para sa pag diriwang ng okasyon. It’s important to create separate lists for each holiday (and smaller lists for Christmas gifts and aguinaldo)

Investment Opportunities - This list should be made in coordination with your OFW loved one when they finally get back home after their job abroad. While it’s true that this list concerns the holidays, every time is always the perfect time to think about investing. Ikunsidera ito, lalo na’t patapos na ang taon. Magandang simulan ang papasok na taon na may bagong pinagkakakitaan.

Remember a budget needs to be followed if you don’t want to unnecessarily lose money. It’s okay to have a bountiful holiday season, what’s not okay is to go above and beyond your allotted budget.

Leave Some For Emergencies

Of course, upon receiving money remittance and budgeting it for the holidays, importante mag tabi ng halaga para sa mga emergency o mga bagay na hindi inaasahan. Bukod sa mga health concerns at medical bills that’s already included in the monthly expenses list, mag tabi ng pera in order to attend to concerns of the same nature but not necessarily in the same list.

For example, statistically speaking, fireworks-related injuries rise before and during the celebration of the New Year. And in spite of a lowered rate of injuries (56% as of 2021), having an emergency fund to help treat that concern can be very helpful and should lessen stress should that happen. Another important factor to worry about would be vehicular road accidents during the holidays. During the holidays, traffic becomes increasingly worse than usual and where there’s a high amount of such, the possibility of an accident increases. So having enough money for a vehicular accident can also lessen the stress and strain it brings.

Sa pag tabi ng emergency fund na madaling hugutin sa panahon ng pangangailangan, you won’t have to worry too much about untimely injuries and accidents. Ang pinakamagandang gawin upang mapababa ang mga gastusin na ito ay sa pag ingat.

Avoid The Holiday Shopping Rush

During the holidays, there’s almost always a sea of people in shopping malls, outlets, and boutiques 2-3 weeks into the holiday season. The reason, of course, is that people want to get the best deals that most brands and shops offer at the time. There’s nothing wrong with hunting for bargains, of course. If there’s a way for you to reduce costs, take it.

But do so only if you’ve not gotten enough gifts for everyone that you care about. To avoid doing so, you have to do your shopping way in advance so you don’t have to deal with the traffic and sea of people you might otherwise encounter during the holiday shopping season.

By following shopping malls and brands’ posts in their respective online channels, you can keep track of sales and promos well in advance of the holiday season. By doing so, you make sure you get what your loved ones want without having to compete with other people.

Start Keeping Track Of Your Expenses

Doing a little bit of accounting and auditing can majorly help your financial situation. Simulan ito sa pag kwenta ng gastusin. While one can argue that that’s what the budget is for, there’s a big chance that you might go over and beyond your budget since it’s the holiday season after all. By keeping track, you’re able to adjust your budget for next year’s celebration without having to worry about whether you'll have enough money for emergencies and other concerns.

Gamitin ang mga app tulad ng Google or Excel spreadsheet upang mapadali ang pag kwenta. Plot out all the expenses and label them accordingly. Make sure to keep all the receipts of all the transactions at the given time. From the transaction receipts you get from the payment centers, to the receipts you get from shopping malls and grocery stores, make sure to have them stored so you have references when you start accounting.

Pagkatapos ma ayos ng listahan na ito, take particular notice of the trends in costs for goods and services. These data can help inform your decisions for the holiday season next year, helping you become a little more financially aware and making sure that your OFW loved ones remittances are used wisely.

As you navigate the holiday season, PERA HUB emerges as your strategic ally, providing not just financial services but a roadmap for thoughtful and efficient money management. From seamless remittances to a comprehensive suite of services encompassing budgeting, emergency preparedness, and smart expense tracking, PERA HUB stands as a beacon of financial empowerment.

Embrace the festive spirit with confidence, knowing that PERA HUB is not just a service provider but a partner committed to ensuring your financial well-being. Make this holiday season a celebration of smart choices, convenience, and the joy that comes with a well-managed budget, all courtesy of PERA HUB.

References:

https://bettermoneyhabits.bankofamerica.com/en/saving-budgeting/holiday-shopping-tips

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/08/speding-holiday.asp

https://www.fscb.com/blog/7-budgeting-hacks-to-help-manage-holiday-spending

https://stories.td.com/ca/en/article/3-ways-to-financially-prepare-for-the-holidays

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1164620

https://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/12/28/17/holidays-heighten-road-accident-risks-analysts

Top 5 Money Remittance Tips To Prepare For This Holiday Season