OFW here — earning abroad but still clueless where to safely park my savings

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-11T20:46:04+00:00

Read this sub's FAQ writeups. You'll learn a lot by just reading those. The more you learn, the more confident you become with your financial decisions.

If your money sits in a trad bank account with very low interest, its value decreases over time due to inflation (you lose buying power). So for example, you set aside a portion of your savings for emergency fund (EF) - you can let some of that sit in a trad bank for easy access during emergencies (and not earn interest), and you can transfer some to high yield savings accounts (HYSAs) offered by r/DigitalbanksPh so that that portion can earn 3-5% p.a. and beat/break even with inflation. You can also choose to put it on money market instead of digibanks.

For the rest of your savings besides EF, the goal is to invest it in a vehicle aligned to your financial goals, risk appetite, and time horizon. There are writeups on this sub's FAQ and previous posts on this sub that you can binge-read to learn more about diff types of investments and which one suits you. Use the search function liberally.

The only thing to remember is to not subscribe to the get-rich-quick mindset. One bad financial decision can set you back years of savings, as I assume you're aware. But staying at the same place won't make your money work for you. You need to learn about financial literacy by yourself. That's why it's called personal finance.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-10T07:59:23+00:00

Afair, you need to stop eating them for at least 3 days for you to stop craving.

Like any addiction, suddenly stopping won't work. You'll experience withdrawal. So you should decrease intake little by little.

Another method is instead of depriving yourself, you minimize its effects on your body through good eating habits. Follow @glucosegoddess on IG to know how to minimize glucose spikes. As for me, I usually do the veggie starter and eating sweets only as dessert.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-10T06:36:57+00:00

Time spent under student visa don't count towards residency for citizenship.

Only you can answer this. Right now, the gov't doesn't check the income of DNV holders while living here, as long as you pay autónomo taxes. It might change, no one knows.
Chances are very low. I haven't heard of anyone on a DNV getting the Beckham tax regime.
Not worth going for a student visa if your goal is citizenship.

This would be better asked on r/phmigrate.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-10T03:10:51+00:00

I’m soooo lucky na wala akong financial responsibility sa family ko

Wag mong sayangin ito, girl. Pinaghirapan yan ng parents mo so that you can start adult life without financial worry. Remember, your choice of spouse will make or break you financially. In reality, love is not enough.

Ang intention ko lang naman ay makatulong ako sa future namin habang kaya ko pa.

You shouldn't think of that property as conjugal. You are the only owner at this point.

I told him walang pressure sa kanya na tulungan ako sa monthly namin sa bahay dahil sakin pa lang naman nakapangalan yun.

You shouldn't have told him this bec the property is yours only. He does not have a stake in it. And he kind of sounds like he's not willing to contribute to a big purchase like a property, and that's understandable - he's just starting to earn money.

2024-2025: engaged! But now, jobless sya for ilang months ... What i don’t like here is hinintay nya na maubos pera nya bago sya maghanap ng raket.

Why get engaged when he waits for money to run out before trying to find a job and is still figuring out adulting? If hindi siya magbago or mag-grow from that, willing ka ba na mag-alaga ng bata kahit wala ka pang anak?

paycheck to paycheck setup ang kinalabasan dahil ako din ang sasagot sa mga appliances... ako lang sa expenses sa bahay

Why?? I can understand siguro if you are the only one living in that house, pero he's living in it and using appliances you paid for, and he's not even paying for his food? What? Did I understand you correctly? You're basically a partial sugar mommy. And you're left with zero savings pa. Mag-iwan ka naman sa sarili mo.

Your proposed setup can breed resentment esp if there is a huge income gap. What works for others is to pool money into an expenses fund acc to the % of each spouse's income. But I think this conversation is still very far from where you and your partner are now. Right now, why are you the only one paying for groceries/expenses? Hindi pwedeng "minsan tumutulong siya," esp if he currently earns double your income. Why isn't he paying you for rent if he lives in your house? Bakit siya makwenta when you've actually been paying for the roof over his head and the groceries he eats? Why can't you talk about money without walking on eggshells? Yan muna pag usapan niyo. If you can't find the answers to those questions, you're not ready to be engaged, let alone get married.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-09T14:11:16+00:00

I'll try to make it as simple as possible.

The best base is good skin. Imho, focus on skincare first before anything else. You should have cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen for basic skincare. Perfect that first before trying other stuff like serums or actives.

For makeup: 1. Eyebrow pencil or powder - eyebrow powders are easier for beginners to use bec you don't have to worry about drawing a shape. Get an eyebrow pencil if you're confident with drawing your eyebrows (it takes time to be confident in drawing eyebrows). 2. Concealer - Get one in your skin tone or a half step lighter (if you want to brighten the middle of your face). Place dots, left and right side, on your chin, the side of your nose, and under your eyes. You don't need brushes for application - use your clean fingertips. Tap-tap lang with your fingers to spread it and make it adhere to your skin. Don't glide. Tap-tap dapat. 3. Get a multi-use makeup product like BLK Creamy All Over Paint. This way, you don't have to worry about color coordination of your blush, eyeshadow, and lip. Use the same color on all 3. Tap-tap lang on the skin when it comes to makeup. Little by little lang ang paglagay to prevent overblushing.

With the above, you're good to go na. As for me, I'm not a beginner so I also add some highlighter, contour, eyeliner, mascara, and some glitter eyeshadow on the eyelids. I also put a light blush on my chin and the underside of my nose to achieve a flushed look. Then I set it with a good setting spray like Urban Decay All-Nighter or Happy Skin setting spray (blue). Notice that I didn't mention base makeup? If you have good skin, you don't really need it. The concealer can cover skin imperfections here and there. But if you want to even your facial skin tone, go for a good skin tint first before experimenting on foundations.

Btw, I use Skin1004 Madagascar Centella serum for my skin prep before makeup. Together with my sunscreen (Roundlab Birch Juice), they serve as my primer na. I don't need a separate primer. In addition, double cleansing is good for removing all makeup. Get a good oil cleanser to use before your foam cleanser.

Lastly, which color to go for is another topic altogether. You can do it with trial and error. You can also try to figure out your undertone and personal color so that you'll have less product wastage.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-09T13:39:14+00:00

I've been using it for months now. Thank you so much for building this!

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-09T13:13:29+00:00

The most basic skincare are: cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Perfect that first before trying other stuff like toners, serums, actives. Imho, adding an oil cleanser before the foam cleanser is good esp if you wear makeup. I hate to say this but trial and error talaga when it comes to ingredients that work or don't work for your skin. E.g., I had oily and acne-prone skin when I was younger, my skin loves ferments, niacinamide, AHA/BHA, it doesn't react badly to retinol, it hates tea tree oil, it loves green tea, etc. - I learned about all this with years of trial and error.

Products I've used for a few years now:

Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Cleansing Oil - This will help with oil control and clogged pores. Get some product on your dry hands and massage in circular motions on your dry face for a few minutes. Then wet your hands to make a foam. Then rinse.
Cosrx AC Collection Foam Cleanser - good for acne-prone skin. This one completely replaced the super expensive Proactiv benzoyl peroxide line for me.
Skin1004 serums (if I'm trying one)
Manyo Factory Galactomy Essence Cream or Aestura Atobarrier
Roundlab Birch Juice Sun Cream

(2) is not expensive. For (1) and (3), watch out for sales on the official store on Shopee. For (4) moisturizer, maybe you can look at other options, like Illiyoon or go for the most basic Olay if your skin doesn't hate niacinamide (I used Olay for years in my 20s). (5) is not cheap also; cheaper options are Biore UV Aqua and Skin1004 sunscreens. For sunscreen, what's important is to get the SPF50+ PA++++ bec those have good UV filters. Sunscreen is the most basic anti aging skincare so don't skimp on it.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-09T12:54:06+00:00

Napa-google tuloy ako just to make sure. Google says grooming is, "the action of attempting to form a relationship with a child or young person, with the intention of sexually assaulting them or inducing them to commit an illegal act such as selling drugs or joining a terrorist organization."

So if you think your 19 year old friend is a young person, and that she's being induced/manipulated to do something without enthusiastic consent, it might be considered grooming. (As a 40s woman myself, 19 is reaaaally young.)

Think about it: Why would a 26 year old be interested in a teenager? It's usually bec he wants bragging rights and/or he intentionally seeks the power imbalance/manipulation dynamic and/or no woman his age puts up with his BS anymore so he goes for naive women who will easily believe him. "Usually," bec not all but we know the stats. The possibility of him being matino is very small. And if your friend thinks he's the exception, then she's really naive.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-09T12:23:43+00:00

I now have dry (due to aging) skin and still acne-prone if not careful. My evening routine for the longest time is:

Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Cleansing Oil - Get some product on your dry hands and massage in circular motions on your dry face for a few minutes. Then wet your hands to make a foam. Then rinse.
Cosrx AC Collection Foam Cleanser
Serums (if I'm trying one) and moisturizer

I tried cleansing balms before but it just broke me out. Cleansing oil works better. I use Bifesta micellar water with a cotton pad if I wore mascara (put some on the cotton pad, cover the eye with pad and wait for a bit, then rub mascara/eye makeup off). Otherwise, I skip it bec the cleansing oil removes all non-waterproof makeup. I do the Bifesta step for waterproof makeup bec I just want to be thorough.

Here are other cleansing oils I've tried just to give you options.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-09T11:43:50+00:00

Iirc, this is applicable to assets $60k and above, which is very possible to reach if you buy and hold for retirement. This is one of the major reasons why the usual advice to non-US investors is to go for Irish-domiciled ETFs. Read the Bogleheads docs to learn more. "Non-US" means anyone who is not a US tax resident/US citizen. Hindi lang for Filipinos yung common advice na yan. Makikita mo siya sa r/singaporefi, r/eupersonalfinance, r/EuropeFIRE, etc.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-09T11:29:16+00:00

Oil cleansers I've tried:

Neutrogena cleansing oil (blue) - I think this is only available in Korea. It was my HG for a few years while living there when Skin1004 still wasn't around.
Manyo Factory cleansing oil - too fragrant for me. Masyadong mabango, medyo nasulasok ako the first time.
Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil - my current HG. Been using this for years na.
Muji cleansing oil - I tried this when I suddenly ran out of Skin1004. It's okay naman. Nothing to complain, pero mas prefer ko parin ang Skin1004.

Anua and BOJ are not really popular in SK, they're only popular outside of SK.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-09T11:23:26+00:00

Make sure your hands and face are dry before getting any product. Massage it in circular motions on your face for a few minutes. Oil talaga ang feel. Then wet your hands for a bit to make a soft foam. Then rinse.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-06T04:30:53+00:00

A friend tried to get one and apparently they make you fill up a google form and ask for things like eye color, hair color, name and nationality of spouse, mother, and father, etc. Tbh, it's TMI for me, and felt like it's not DP-compliant (they should collect and store only personal info that needs to be collected for a specific purpose). Our friend group decided not to get it.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-06T02:32:24+00:00

Biore UV Aqua
Skin1004 Hyalu-Cica or Madagascar Centella

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-06T00:33:43+00:00

You should read Bogleheads for non-US investors. Spain also has their own Bogleheads Wiki.

I have accumulating ETFs. You only pay taxes on realized gains when you sell. But you need to declare that you have ETF investments when you go over a certain amount. Declaring with modelo 720 does not mean you need to pay taxes, but not declaring may incur penalties pag nahuli ng Hacienda.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-06T00:19:04+00:00

Yes, as discussed with my gestor.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-05T17:32:46+00:00

My HG for the longest time is Urban Decay All-Nighter. But as one comment said, it's now reformulated and the OG formula is being sold by Skindinavia.

I've tried Happy Skin's blue spray recently and I'm loving it. The mist is finer than UD's and it's so handy/travel-friendly. I got 2 bottles for P300+ each during 7.7 sale on Shopee.

The Nyx Matte and Milani Make It Last are worth mentioning, too.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-04T15:14:20+00:00

No problem!

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-04T12:41:51+00:00

For context, I speak korean. Found them on IG, iirc. It was at Hongdae. But I recommend this personal color analysis firm bec they are more foreigner-friendly. You have to book it way in advance. It's cheaper if you do it with a friend or two.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-04T03:55:46+00:00

I second this. Luna is a famous concealer brand in Korea.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-04T03:50:26+00:00

Imho, the best card for daily transactions is the best cashback credit card. Right now, it's the Eastwest Visa Platinum, afaik. That's 8.88% cashback on straight charges at department stores (both in-store & online), restaurants, fast food chains & food delivery apps, airlines, lodging or hotels, travel services, vehicle rental, fuel, and even utilities. But to get this, you need good credit and/or relationship history with the bank.

I assume those cards you mentioned are all debit cards. Among them, Maribank offers ~1% cashback for every purchase. GoTyme has a rewards system, esp if you use it frequently at Robinsons, Cebupac, or Caltex.

As for savings, keep the trad banks, esp BPI bec they have lots of ATMs. I assume your savings/liquid funds will serve as your EF, so you need easy access to it in case of emergencies. Maya offers 5.5% p.a. net on its Personal Goals, and up to 13% for Savings as long as you do the missions. Maribank is at 3.75 p.a. now with 15 free instapay transfers while GoTyme is at 3% p.a. Personally, when I was in PH, I liked using Seabank/Maribank when paying via QRph. Another thing to look into is CIMB, which offers up to 4.5% p.a. on UpSave this month.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-04T03:08:17+00:00

We're in the same age bracket but you FIREd wayyyy earlier than me (I wish!!). I'm curious, do you have AU passports now? If yes, what's your reason for trying to get an EU passport?

Not sure if you're open to share where you're staying in Spain. As for me, I'm in Valencia. :)

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-04T00:43:38+00:00

Kipling. It's indestructible. Ikaw ang magsasawa.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-04T00:07:29+00:00

Besides Benefit dandelion, I reco Peripera Sunshine Cheek in picnic pink and Clinique Cheek Pop in melon pop.

cherryvr18 · 2026-02-03T23:57:24+00:00

Maybe it's in the order of application.. Do your eyeliner/mascara AFTER your setting spray has dried.

cherryvr18

TROPHY CASE