I want to share with you these 7 Major Mistakes OFW make while they work abroad.
I was once an OFW or Overseas Filipino Worker myself, and during my time as a construction worker in Dubai, I’ve noticed many “kababayans” (fellow countrymen) who have been in the same place for at least a decade. We talk about 10, 20, or for some others, as long as 30 years.
One day, I asked a “kababayan”: “You’ve been here for 30 years, then how’s your finances? Were you able to invest or save some money?
To my surprise, I got a very sad answer: “No savings and investment.”
For some people who spent a decade or more of their lives working abroad, I cannot fathom how they neither have the savings nor the investment with their hard-earned money. I thought I was being pranked—only they are not kidding about it.
Then, I realized, there is definitely something wrong in the picture here.
So, here are the “7 Major Mistakes OFW Make” during their working lifetime.
Mistake 1. They Don’t Plan (this is one of the major mistakes OFW make)
We all were taught to live in the present, which is indeed good. But many find the concept to be an excuse for not seeing things ahead and having plans about it. This is also pretty much applicable with our finances. If we do not prepare for the future with what we have now, chance is good that we would find ourselves in a very uncertain disposition when that which is to arrive does comes.
Mistake 2. No Saving Strategy
We are all entitled to spend all the money we earn. That’s the purpose of money, to begin with, after all. But it does not mean that we should overlook the option to keep some for the next day. One of the best formulas about saving is the “10/10/20/60” guideline, which suggests that 10% of our income goes to tithes or charities, 10% goes to paying debts, 20% goes to savings and investing, while the remaining 60% is used for all other expenses.
Mistake 3. No Strict Savings
The idea of saving money is such a popular concept that many adopt it in one form or another. But not everyone who do adheres to it, do so in complete faith. Others are easily tempted to take some money from their savings when the need for quick cash arise. If you are seriously considering of having a pool of funds to rely on in the distant future, it’s best practice to set aside a savings account which you cannot withdraw from for a certain period. Banks do actually offer this kind of service.
Mistake 4. Not Investing
Do you know why those who have money get more of it while those who have little to nothing of it find it hard to get more? The secret is investment, which requires money. By choosing to invest, you are somewhat metaphorically planting a seed that can grow into a plant, and then soon into a fruit-bearing tree. In other words, you would want to cultivate your hard-earned money through investment for the purpose of harvesting its revenues at a later date.
Mistake 5. No Plan for Building a Home (this is one of the major mistakes OFW make that you should correct)
A home is a necessity for every family as it is the place where a household grows. This makes a real estate, such as a house, so precious that many in the developed countries are even fighting tooth and nail for it.
But a home, unlike a car, is an asset, not a liability. This means that its value grows over time, not the opposite. Whether you plan to make a profit out of it someday or simply to offset the need to pay rent, building an abode with your earned money is one of the best financial decisions you can make.
The sum total of these major mistakes OFW make is that you do not DECIDE. Just decide and eventually, everything will happen.
Mistake 6. Splurging
Impulse buying is a common tendency among us, especially when we hold much money. But the real problem with the habit lies more on the idea of spending excessively—more so if you are not taking into account other expenses. The idea of choosing to stick with beans and rice just to get the latest iPhone is one example of why splurging is a bad practice about money. If you’re sound about money, you do not have to make such a compromise.
Mistake 7. Not investing in Real Estate or Buy a Land
Earlier, we talked about how a roof to you or your family’s heads is such a precious asset. Now, question yourself this—where do houses erect from? The land, right? But lest you want to consider yourself an illegal settler or a squatter, you would also want to own the land where you would be establishing your house from. Even then, land, too, is also an asset that only seem to appreciate in value over time—thus, in a way, making it an investment.
Related Article:
- 10 Greatest Reasons to Hire a General Contractor
- 7 Advantages of Working with a Legitimate Contractor in Building Your Project
We all want to live a life without worries about money that we developed the mentality to be carefree about it. But while it does provide us momentary bliss, this kind of mindset is erratic and only creates a setback for us in the future. The one thing there is about money is that when we care about it, it also has a way of caring back to us when the time comes.
Conversely, when we become too passive about money, it, too, will become dismissive of us. Not to the point of loving money for riches’ sake, but it pays to be wise in how we handle our current wealth, with those we care about and the uncertain future as primary concerns.
Did you make the above 7 major mistakes OFW make while working abroad? If so, please avoid the said mistakes and become wealthy. Please share this good information with your friends.
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If you want us to help you find land or build your home, please don’t hesitate to contact us.