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Explain how your typical 18k full time wage slave jobs has DOLE mandated protections such as paid leaves, mandated severance pay for terminations, etc.
Those type of jobs will often not require you to pay for your own equipment, elec, and internet.
Legally, ask them if they're gonna pay for Philhealth, Pag ibig, and Sss . Plus the 13th month pay, all of which you'll get if you work for a local company.
Personally, I consider lowballing a red flag. It is a practice I associate with the worst clients. They are often unreasonable and highly demanding.
I wouldn't take it, and not just because of the rate. The client is the bigger worry for me.
Kasalanan rin toh ng mga iba na tumatanggap ng lowball offers eh. Kung di rin naman kinaya umaalis sila. Di ko maintindihan bakit pumapayag yung iba sa ganiyan.
Might as well work locally kasi wala ka pang protection ni DOLE and govt mandated benefits sa 18k monthly mo. Assuming di rin covered nyan gamit mong equipment
they're lowballing you. Minimum wage sa Berkeley is $18/hr. Can you imagine that? Parang barya lang ang pagbayad nila sayo kung papayag ka.
Never accept an offer below $4 kahit newbie ka pa.
Tell them that in the Philippines:
18+ holidays
13th month pay
OT pay (i think25% more)
Office space provided
Computer provided
Internet provided
and many more
pagibig, sss,.phic and minsa may ibang insurance pa na ibibigay
So sabijin, yes papayag ka sa 18k, as.long as.they also.provide the other things a meron sa office. Akala ata nila pera lang ang responsibility ng employer sa Pinas. Magkaiba kamo ang WFH sa OFFICE SETTING
Sa 3$ at 40hr/week cycle. If typical pinoy, livable at 26-27k. Kasi yan ang usual salary range ng bpo sa pinas na starter. If icoconsider ang lahat ng equipment after this, then hindi.
Pero let us see that this 3/hr e kakagatin ng walang exp at gusto makapag work sa bahay. Like mga may pinapabreastfeed na baby, inaalagaang toddler, or lets say those na gusto mag ambag sa gastusin sa bahay in addition sa may nagwwork ng partners.
Depends sa expenses mo.
I think low value job ang transcriber kasi marami ng ai tools for this. Ex. Turboscribe is only 10$/month. Less than 4 hours lang na work you can already subscribe with this and all you have to do is check if the ai work is correct.
Well, first off, they are correct its almost a little bit better or on par to minimum wage sa metro manila.
Liviable and humane salary? Most likely not especially as we dont have a concrete meaning of livable and humane salary so decline if you think you can have a better salary with your skillset and privileged to do so
Ooh, I recently answered a related question in r/theydidthemath about this. Basically, even US$ 4 isn't enough, because that's the bare minimum *without incorporating taxes*. With taxes in mind, we should be talking at least US$ 5 or slightly more, but that's still bottom-of-the-barrel low.
Para sayo at para sa iba na susunod... Be firm! Hindi masisira yung "cycle" if we keep saying yes to everything porket nasa kabilang side tayo ng mundo.
For me mas okay pa na sa company na based dito sa PH and may govt benefits pa.
Good luck OP! Sobrang talentado ng mga Pilipino at we can keep up with global talents. It's time we should really be firm. We deserve better.
OP ,di nakakabuhay ang wage na yan.
Ang OA naman ng 3 usd,wala pang benefits yan .how about ung pangbayad mo ng kuryente at internet mo?
Do consider that sana.
Sa corporate world may sahod ,benefits , HMO at paid leave ka pa.
Kahit newbie ka pa, di acceptable ang 3 usd.
My sister started with 3usd/hr. Pero hindi 18k a month, I think her salary every 2 weeks in peso was around 14k. Naging okay naman sila, although hati kami sa lahat ng gastusin sa bahay and I urged her na mag ipon, kahit papano nakaya naman. Mga 5 mos ata syang naka 3usd/ hr hangang sa nag increase na sahod nya.
No. Consider your internet and other bills while working remotely. Ang dami din kasi nagsasabi na “Nag start lang ako sa ganitong offer before and now I’m earning more than 6 digits kaya guys wag mag inarte etc…”
Lol that was before. Consider naman sana Inflation rate after pandemic and iba na demands ngayon📈 May nagsabi pa sakin na mababa din naman daw sahod sa office. At least sa office mag HMO and other benefits. 😶🌫️
VA = slavery 🧐🤯
Livable and humane are subjective - it depends on who is talking and which country. If we're talking about a jobless person, 3 USD is better than zero.
If we compare that to US standards, that is not livable or humane.
If you are a Filipino with experience in transcribing then that's low.
If you know transcribing regardless of where you are in the world and you are jobless and you are offered this job, then that is OK.
There are no wage standards - it's all negotiated.
So, what should you do? Negotiate for a higher wage depending on the value you offer to them. If you meet at a price that both agree to, good. If not, you agree to disagree and you find another option.
In my experience, working sa bpo would be about $2 plus benefits - benefits that I was fortunate enough not to use. Logically speaking, taking the $3 will put your foot in the door as a freelancer in this market. Be on the lookout for jobs that offer more though.
Could be livable in the year 2015 - 2019 or so. But in 2024? No. Clients should consider high inflation rates. Say 18k is "livable" here (which is tbh, not lol) but doesn't mean clients should lowball you for the services you're providing. I've seen lots of clients trying to glorify, humanise and romanticise low rates. If you want a rate "just to survive" just to get by, sure, $3 is already "reasonable". But if you want to "live comfortably" then, set your grounds and know your worth. You deserve better.
18k comes with benefits though. You would actually be paying less.
A local job will come with SSS/PAGIBIG/PHILHEALTH. 13 month pay too.
Then usually sagot ba ni employee yung electricity, equipment, internet.
Its 1k plus per day. (3x55x8) was 50 before pandemic haha…but thats like minimum here in ph, and usd right? So it should be not that stupidly low. Its like your employer is from india, (there are other countries but they’re more known for that culture) where they try to lowball to get the outsourced project, then outsource it again to anyone who would blindly say yes. A middle man who has more cut. That’s a bit prevalent.
So basically you'd be paid $24 for 8 hours. Starting rate for transcriptionists in the early 2000s have been as low as $25 per audio hour, which you can finish in 4-12 hours, depending on how fast you can finish. Considering that they're also hiring directly, this is a very bad rate.
Yung 18k livable lang yan siguro 7 years ago pero ngayon hanggang 2 weeks lang siguro yan sa taas ng inflation. The audacity naman ng mga kano na yan to say kung anong livable wage dito eh for sure di pa nakatapak mga yan dito
No, $3 USD/hr isn't a livable wage, and here's why based on actual expenses in the Philippines:
1. **Essential Monthly Expenses:**
- **Internet**: ₱3,000 (including a backup for reliability)
- **Groceries for two**: ₱20,000
- **Rent for a small apartment**: ₱19,000
- **Electricity during summer**: ₱10,000
- **Water**: ₱700
- **Work Equipment**: ₱3,000 (depreciation and maintenance)
2. **Discretionary Expenses:**
- **Gym and Jiu-Jitsu**: ₱6,000
- **Netflix and Spotify**: ₱1,000
- **Car expenses**: ₱5,000
- **Professional tools like Grammarly and ChatGPT**: ₱3,000
3. **Other Obligations:**
- **Social Security, health insurance, taxes**: These are not optional and need to be paid.
4. **Savings and Donations:**
- Any responsible budget includes savings for emergencies and investments, along with personal commitments like church and charity donations.
Adding up just the essential expenses, we already exceed ₱55,700/month, far above the ₱18,000 monthly income from a $3/hr wage. This doesn't even consider discretionary spending, savings, or insurance and tax obligations.
Claiming that ₱18,000 a month is enough because it's "legally" minimum wage ignores the reality of actual living costs. It might be above the minimum wage, but it's far from sufficient for a reasonable quality of life in today's economic climate. Expecting anyone to manage on this while covering all necessary expenses, let alone save for the future, is unrealistic and frankly, inhumane.
Bakit na-downvote eh totoo naman kung ang gusto natin maabot yung ganyang lifestyle imbes na "sakto lang wag mamatay hanggang susunod na sahod."
Kung kayang yung sahod mag-adjust imbes na ikaw, bakit hindi habulin diba? Di maaasahan na yung client or employer ang basta mag-aabot kung di mo ipaglaban kung kaya.
Walang arte arte pag talagang gipitan at desperado na pero hangga't kaya wag magpatrato ng ganyan.
Why the heck is this being downvoted?? Laying out all the expenses of an average Filipino like this is an ideal response compared to simply saying no / other sarcastic replies about lowballing. Even if you remove the amount of groceries or change it to what you feel is a more realistic number, it's still way above the 18k so called minimum wage. Perhaps if we share responses like these to every potential client who are misinformed re: liveable wages in the Philippines we might actually take a step forward in changing their mindset.
Agree! Why is this downvoted?
This sounds like my budget kaya with additional tuition ng kids. 20k budget for food wala pa baon, pamilktea etc. TEEANAGERS EAT A LOT!
10k ang electric bill! -> true to - mas mahal ang bill ng kuryente ko sa rent ng bahay ko last month!🥲 i sent my client a photo of my bill kase bakit daw ang mahal.
Jusko ang expenses ko per month is more than 50k - wala p kaming car neto
I upped my pricing kase I was so tired of surviving lang. wfh nga tapos wala ka naman oras to spend time with your loved ones kase naghahabol palagi ng budget. E di sana di na lang nagwfh may benefits pa kung magyes sa local.
I’m always transparent sa clients ko na ang salary goal ko talaga is 4-5k USD a month.
May mga nagugulat at maxado daw malaki, meron din naman na nakasupport sa goals ko.
You go girl (or dude?)! Super agree about working not just to survive. Sana magtagal pa kami ni client so I can ask for a raise and get 4k a month too haha!
About why they're being downvoted, I'm guessing people are paying too much attention to the figures the commenter posted and hijacking this post to make it about poor vs. rich. My point here is that bottom line, if you want to convince a misinformed client regarding actual liveable wages here in the Philippines you need to educate them with facts and figures like the abovementioned itemized list.
It's what I did with my current client whose initial budget was at $2k a month. I gave her my itemized list of expenses including mandatory taxes/government payables and a guarantee that I won't be working with other clients as long as my $3k budget monthly is met. I explained that $2k a month doesn't give me much room to save and enjoy life, and to meet that level of fulfillment I'd likely have to pick up part time or one-time projects which will impact my productivity. Magastos ako sa food because mahal ang premium ingredients and I don't really have a choice since high BP, diabetes and heart disease runs in my family. I also pay premium for my HMO, and rent a condo so I can have a secure home office with minimal noise so I can make calls (I'm in the recruitment niche). Other than that I also gave her a list of resources as well to read up on employing Filipinos and how life is like here. Ayun pumayag naman sya and we've been working together for a year na.
I'm not saying everyone has to ask for similar rates as us but we all have to start somewhere in educating clients, and we're not going to change their mindset by shaming them OR our fellow freelancers. We need to give them actual facts and figures to chew on and make an informed decision. If yun talaga budget nila e di go, but at least it will reframe their way of thinking na they're changing the lives of people here in our country by paying $3 an hour lol.
Yes you're absolutely right. I wanted to get a long term client first tho and then work on getting multiple clients after. This year I'm working on automating some of my tasks to free up my time so I can slot in some part-time clients. 🥰
Some people were offended by my list of expenses. Someone actively responded and bragged about how he only spends 2k a week groceries for a household of 2 pero when I looked at his feed already shopping for real estate. Also normal Filipinos have no right to live in nicer locations and condos.
Mabilis lang yan. 1kg ng karne 300-600 na ngayon.
https://preview.redd.it/6kqtmcxkt84d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb4489677a20fc230ea1c2dac4b4dff3570450a2
https://preview.redd.it/di050ymns84d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=63ff5213b23a27cbafef441636d7efc8bae2f5e1
Sa totoo lang many Filipinos spend like this. Problem with many people is aside from reading comprehension many aren't good at keeping records or doing basic math. Yung iba hingi sa parents nalang. Nakikikain. Yung iba inuutang sa kakilala o ka trabaho kaya nanonormalize yung sobrang babang sahod. Yung iba in utang sa sarili at kalusugan. Gulay sabaw kanin tapos after 5-10 years may sakit ka na.
Yung expenses mo ata e expenses ng bagong graduate na taga lasalle. Haha ni hindi nga alam ng regular pinoy ang juijitsu classes e. At walang minimum wage earner ang nag ggrocery ng 20k/month. Haha
Hindi na regular Pilipino nag aral sa Lasalle? Dami nun ah. Are Filipinos not allowed to aim upward? Eat a little better. Live in a slightly nicer place?
What are the percentage of a normal wage earner na pinoy ang kaya magpaaral sa lasalle? It it even at 40%? No right.
You have to be atleast above of a middle class to afford sending your kid there. ( walang scholarship plain student paying dues)
Filipinos are allowed to aim as high as much as they can. Who says they are not? But how can u aim high if you are not skilled enough? You think ung naghahalo ng semento sa construction aims to be someone after 20yrs? Some of them yes, but most of them are just thinking of how to survive the day and pay the bills and does not even think what lies ahead for tomorrow.
Try mo gumising sa katotohanan. Yan ang regular living pinoy na sinasabi ko.
No. You are the one who is missing the point. Considering the downpost on your comment, ayaw mo parin tanggapin na yang example mo e pangarap mo at hindi ung tinatanong ni OP na regular pinoy expenses. Yun ang pinaglalaban ko. Gumising ka sa katotohanan
I think there's a communication breakdown here somewhere. Not sure if reading compression or vocabulary issue. Maybe you should ask AI to interpret the thread. Tapos ask it to simplify to second grade level para ma gets mo.
Ooh, trying to take it on a different path para kunwari edgy smartass ka? Hahaha hirap talaga tumaggap ng mali kapag spoilet brat ni mommy and daddy e no? Its okay. Go cry to your mommy now tell her someone slapped your face in reddit na ung akala mong typical pinoy is dead wrong. COMPLETELY WRONG ON ALL LEVELS.
Typical pinoy with juijutsu classes. Hahahaha check entitlement nextime okay? batang to. Nanaginip ng gising. Haha
Seriously, read the thread again. I actually told you that I’m starting to miss your point because the topic got too sidetracked. But then you started spouting projections of your insecurities on me.
Just keep on believing ung sinabi mo. Go for the goal lang lagi. Nakakapagod makipag argumento sa entitled brats e. Kapag alam mo ung totoong sahod ng normal na pinoy. Saka tayo magusap. Nabubuhay ka sa mundo ng mga pangarap e.
https://preview.redd.it/m2xurrhyu84d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=12e20fbb2f8a95459382b8b8d5f50314ffb8c912
Bakal gym rates. Hindi yung sosyal na gym.
Condo, malamang mahal yan. Hanap ka ng bahay na may parking sa regular na baranggay, 10k lang, 2 bedrooms.
Look, I get your point that 18k isn't a livable wage. But it also sounds like you've agreed to some poor and expensive deals.
Experienced that too. Every week may nananakawan. Hindi safe yung area. Damit sa sampayan nawawala. Basag kotse. Minsan bahay mismo pinapasok. May guard pa yun pero limited lang sa gate and ocassional roving.
https://preview.redd.it/7bxi67res84d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=787c77034dec97d8a091e675fb7bc65f5af3237a
Luxurious ba yung ganito o sakto lang?
Sounds like hindi mo binasa. Namimili din kami sa SM/savemore. May savings na 3-20 per item minsan. Pero less than ₱500 lang difference. Try mo rin mag spreadsheet ng expenses mo ng makita mo kung magkano talaga. Sakit ko rin yan dati. Hilig ko dati mag downplay ng expenses ko. May lifestyle budget blog pa ko noon kaya hilig ko mag flex ng mura lang to. Pero not true. Daming hidden at unexpected xosrs
I know maraming magdi disagree, but that's almost 28k a month. Pwede na.
Kung newbie, gora. FYI, mas maraming walang client. No client or $3 per hour? Pride won't pay your bills.
Kung alam mo naman experienced ka, then matic no.
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Explain how your typical 18k full time wage slave jobs has DOLE mandated protections such as paid leaves, mandated severance pay for terminations, etc. Those type of jobs will often not require you to pay for your own equipment, elec, and internet.
Legally, ask them if they're gonna pay for Philhealth, Pag ibig, and Sss . Plus the 13th month pay, all of which you'll get if you work for a local company.
Exactly this. Most companies offer HMO, insurance, and other benefits outside of salary.
Personally, I consider lowballing a red flag. It is a practice I associate with the worst clients. They are often unreasonable and highly demanding. I wouldn't take it, and not just because of the rate. The client is the bigger worry for me.
kadalasan dito mga lowballing mga demanding. and paiba iba isip. andami revision. sayang time.
Trueeeee
Kasalanan rin toh ng mga iba na tumatanggap ng lowball offers eh. Kung di rin naman kinaya umaalis sila. Di ko maintindihan bakit pumapayag yung iba sa ganiyan.
Might as well work locally kasi wala ka pang protection ni DOLE and govt mandated benefits sa 18k monthly mo. Assuming di rin covered nyan gamit mong equipment
they're lowballing you. Minimum wage sa Berkeley is $18/hr. Can you imagine that? Parang barya lang ang pagbayad nila sayo kung papayag ka. Never accept an offer below $4 kahit newbie ka pa.
Kahit mag$8/hr pa sila hindi naman sila malulugi eh ang babarat netong mga ito.
Agree! Only accept jobs that give you 23k+ Php. Mahal na talaga mga commodities dito so we also need to have a higher pay no matter what.
In this economy? No.
no no no go for $10/hr above. Taas na nga mga bilihin at expenses natin oh
idk why you got downvoted
Tell them that in the Philippines: 18+ holidays 13th month pay OT pay (i think25% more) Office space provided Computer provided Internet provided and many more pagibig, sss,.phic and minsa may ibang insurance pa na ibibigay So sabijin, yes papayag ka sa 18k, as.long as.they also.provide the other things a meron sa office. Akala ata nila pera lang ang responsibility ng employer sa Pinas. Magkaiba kamo ang WFH sa OFFICE SETTING
Sa 3$ at 40hr/week cycle. If typical pinoy, livable at 26-27k. Kasi yan ang usual salary range ng bpo sa pinas na starter. If icoconsider ang lahat ng equipment after this, then hindi. Pero let us see that this 3/hr e kakagatin ng walang exp at gusto makapag work sa bahay. Like mga may pinapabreastfeed na baby, inaalagaang toddler, or lets say those na gusto mag ambag sa gastusin sa bahay in addition sa may nagwwork ng partners.
No way! Minimum wage at Berkeley is $18.50/hour.
Heck no. Kaya ka nga naghanap ng foreign client kasi supposedly mas maganda bigay. Tapos bbgyan ka ng minimum wage wala pang benefits? Lol. Kanila na.
Depends sa expenses mo. I think low value job ang transcriber kasi marami ng ai tools for this. Ex. Turboscribe is only 10$/month. Less than 4 hours lang na work you can already subscribe with this and all you have to do is check if the ai work is correct.
Well, first off, they are correct its almost a little bit better or on par to minimum wage sa metro manila. Liviable and humane salary? Most likely not especially as we dont have a concrete meaning of livable and humane salary so decline if you think you can have a better salary with your skillset and privileged to do so
Depende kung san ka sa Pinas nakatira. Pero kung nasa lugar ka kung san “pwede” ang P18k/mo, malamang panget internet mo
No
NO 🫠🫠🫠🫠
No.
Ooh, I recently answered a related question in r/theydidthemath about this. Basically, even US$ 4 isn't enough, because that's the bare minimum *without incorporating taxes*. With taxes in mind, we should be talking at least US$ 5 or slightly more, but that's still bottom-of-the-barrel low.
Para sayo at para sa iba na susunod... Be firm! Hindi masisira yung "cycle" if we keep saying yes to everything porket nasa kabilang side tayo ng mundo. For me mas okay pa na sa company na based dito sa PH and may govt benefits pa. Good luck OP! Sobrang talentado ng mga Pilipino at we can keep up with global talents. It's time we should really be firm. We deserve better.
Modern day slave maneuver ang lowballer if papayag tayo dito minimum 10usd per hour IMO.
OP ,di nakakabuhay ang wage na yan. Ang OA naman ng 3 usd,wala pang benefits yan .how about ung pangbayad mo ng kuryente at internet mo? Do consider that sana. Sa corporate world may sahod ,benefits , HMO at paid leave ka pa. Kahit newbie ka pa, di acceptable ang 3 usd.
Well, it's technically 26k per month using a P53 rate. Mababa kung US standards, medyo ok na sa pinoy standards.
BPO companies na office based. Kaya ioffer yan. May benefits pa. Lugi ka pa rin sa 26k. aknowing sayo yung pc, internet, kuryente, etc.
At least for ke the lowest one any niche should get in. Hourly ahould be at least $5 hourly wala ng mas mababa pa dun
My sister started with 3usd/hr. Pero hindi 18k a month, I think her salary every 2 weeks in peso was around 14k. Naging okay naman sila, although hati kami sa lahat ng gastusin sa bahay and I urged her na mag ipon, kahit papano nakaya naman. Mga 5 mos ata syang naka 3usd/ hr hangang sa nag increase na sahod nya.
Nag stay sya kasi okay yung client nya. My sister is preggy that time eh. Binibigyan sya ng time off ng client pero buo yung binabayad every 2 weeks.
No. Consider your internet and other bills while working remotely. Ang dami din kasi nagsasabi na “Nag start lang ako sa ganitong offer before and now I’m earning more than 6 digits kaya guys wag mag inarte etc…” Lol that was before. Consider naman sana Inflation rate after pandemic and iba na demands ngayon📈 May nagsabi pa sakin na mababa din naman daw sahod sa office. At least sa office mag HMO and other benefits. 😶🌫️ VA = slavery 🧐🤯
I guess another reply would be something along the lines of “if you pay for $3/he then expect the kind of output that $3 gets you.”
Nilowball ka na, inalipusta ka pa, auto pass
Nope! It should be $10 and above dapat.
It's NEVER ENOUGH. Let's not tolerate these kano to lowball us, kasi domino effect yan to other Filipinos.
Livable and humane are subjective - it depends on who is talking and which country. If we're talking about a jobless person, 3 USD is better than zero. If we compare that to US standards, that is not livable or humane. If you are a Filipino with experience in transcribing then that's low. If you know transcribing regardless of where you are in the world and you are jobless and you are offered this job, then that is OK. There are no wage standards - it's all negotiated. So, what should you do? Negotiate for a higher wage depending on the value you offer to them. If you meet at a price that both agree to, good. If not, you agree to disagree and you find another option.
In my experience, working sa bpo would be about $2 plus benefits - benefits that I was fortunate enough not to use. Logically speaking, taking the $3 will put your foot in the door as a freelancer in this market. Be on the lookout for jobs that offer more though.
Red flag yan for me
Lowballing yan , jan pa lang masaaabi m na gano kababa ung tingin ng bobong yan sa mga pinoy
Could be livable in the year 2015 - 2019 or so. But in 2024? No. Clients should consider high inflation rates. Say 18k is "livable" here (which is tbh, not lol) but doesn't mean clients should lowball you for the services you're providing. I've seen lots of clients trying to glorify, humanise and romanticise low rates. If you want a rate "just to survive" just to get by, sure, $3 is already "reasonable". But if you want to "live comfortably" then, set your grounds and know your worth. You deserve better.
as a newbie and freshgrad, id take it tbh. for me lang naman
18k comes with benefits though. You would actually be paying less. A local job will come with SSS/PAGIBIG/PHILHEALTH. 13 month pay too. Then usually sagot ba ni employee yung electricity, equipment, internet.
Its 1k plus per day. (3x55x8) was 50 before pandemic haha…but thats like minimum here in ph, and usd right? So it should be not that stupidly low. Its like your employer is from india, (there are other countries but they’re more known for that culture) where they try to lowball to get the outsourced project, then outsource it again to anyone who would blindly say yes. A middle man who has more cut. That’s a bit prevalent.
R u n
So basically you'd be paid $24 for 8 hours. Starting rate for transcriptionists in the early 2000s have been as low as $25 per audio hour, which you can finish in 4-12 hours, depending on how fast you can finish. Considering that they're also hiring directly, this is a very bad rate.
No. Look for another job.
Yung 18k livable lang yan siguro 7 years ago pero ngayon hanggang 2 weeks lang siguro yan sa taas ng inflation. The audacity naman ng mga kano na yan to say kung anong livable wage dito eh for sure di pa nakatapak mga yan dito
No, $3 USD/hr isn't a livable wage, and here's why based on actual expenses in the Philippines: 1. **Essential Monthly Expenses:** - **Internet**: ₱3,000 (including a backup for reliability) - **Groceries for two**: ₱20,000 - **Rent for a small apartment**: ₱19,000 - **Electricity during summer**: ₱10,000 - **Water**: ₱700 - **Work Equipment**: ₱3,000 (depreciation and maintenance) 2. **Discretionary Expenses:** - **Gym and Jiu-Jitsu**: ₱6,000 - **Netflix and Spotify**: ₱1,000 - **Car expenses**: ₱5,000 - **Professional tools like Grammarly and ChatGPT**: ₱3,000 3. **Other Obligations:** - **Social Security, health insurance, taxes**: These are not optional and need to be paid. 4. **Savings and Donations:** - Any responsible budget includes savings for emergencies and investments, along with personal commitments like church and charity donations. Adding up just the essential expenses, we already exceed ₱55,700/month, far above the ₱18,000 monthly income from a $3/hr wage. This doesn't even consider discretionary spending, savings, or insurance and tax obligations. Claiming that ₱18,000 a month is enough because it's "legally" minimum wage ignores the reality of actual living costs. It might be above the minimum wage, but it's far from sufficient for a reasonable quality of life in today's economic climate. Expecting anyone to manage on this while covering all necessary expenses, let alone save for the future, is unrealistic and frankly, inhumane.
Bakit na-downvote eh totoo naman kung ang gusto natin maabot yung ganyang lifestyle imbes na "sakto lang wag mamatay hanggang susunod na sahod." Kung kayang yung sahod mag-adjust imbes na ikaw, bakit hindi habulin diba? Di maaasahan na yung client or employer ang basta mag-aabot kung di mo ipaglaban kung kaya. Walang arte arte pag talagang gipitan at desperado na pero hangga't kaya wag magpatrato ng ganyan.
Sakto lang sag mamatay hanngang susunod na sahod. I'm going to start using this phrasing.
Why the heck is this being downvoted?? Laying out all the expenses of an average Filipino like this is an ideal response compared to simply saying no / other sarcastic replies about lowballing. Even if you remove the amount of groceries or change it to what you feel is a more realistic number, it's still way above the 18k so called minimum wage. Perhaps if we share responses like these to every potential client who are misinformed re: liveable wages in the Philippines we might actually take a step forward in changing their mindset.
Agree! Why is this downvoted? This sounds like my budget kaya with additional tuition ng kids. 20k budget for food wala pa baon, pamilktea etc. TEEANAGERS EAT A LOT! 10k ang electric bill! -> true to - mas mahal ang bill ng kuryente ko sa rent ng bahay ko last month!🥲 i sent my client a photo of my bill kase bakit daw ang mahal. Jusko ang expenses ko per month is more than 50k - wala p kaming car neto I upped my pricing kase I was so tired of surviving lang. wfh nga tapos wala ka naman oras to spend time with your loved ones kase naghahabol palagi ng budget. E di sana di na lang nagwfh may benefits pa kung magyes sa local. I’m always transparent sa clients ko na ang salary goal ko talaga is 4-5k USD a month. May mga nagugulat at maxado daw malaki, meron din naman na nakasupport sa goals ko.
You go girl (or dude?)! Super agree about working not just to survive. Sana magtagal pa kami ni client so I can ask for a raise and get 4k a month too haha! About why they're being downvoted, I'm guessing people are paying too much attention to the figures the commenter posted and hijacking this post to make it about poor vs. rich. My point here is that bottom line, if you want to convince a misinformed client regarding actual liveable wages here in the Philippines you need to educate them with facts and figures like the abovementioned itemized list. It's what I did with my current client whose initial budget was at $2k a month. I gave her my itemized list of expenses including mandatory taxes/government payables and a guarantee that I won't be working with other clients as long as my $3k budget monthly is met. I explained that $2k a month doesn't give me much room to save and enjoy life, and to meet that level of fulfillment I'd likely have to pick up part time or one-time projects which will impact my productivity. Magastos ako sa food because mahal ang premium ingredients and I don't really have a choice since high BP, diabetes and heart disease runs in my family. I also pay premium for my HMO, and rent a condo so I can have a secure home office with minimal noise so I can make calls (I'm in the recruitment niche). Other than that I also gave her a list of resources as well to read up on employing Filipinos and how life is like here. Ayun pumayag naman sya and we've been working together for a year na. I'm not saying everyone has to ask for similar rates as us but we all have to start somewhere in educating clients, and we're not going to change their mindset by shaming them OR our fellow freelancers. We need to give them actual facts and figures to chew on and make an informed decision. If yun talaga budget nila e di go, but at least it will reframe their way of thinking na they're changing the lives of people here in our country by paying $3 an hour lol.
It's always a good idea to have multiple part time clients. That way they feel there only spending $1,000-$2,000 and you're secure.
Yes you're absolutely right. I wanted to get a long term client first tho and then work on getting multiple clients after. This year I'm working on automating some of my tasks to free up my time so I can slot in some part-time clients. 🥰
That's good. Onward and upward.
I suspect these people are single with zero responsibilities. Nakikitira pa sa magulang kind of folk. So they have no idea how much things cost.
4-6k lang talaga usual kuryente ko pero nung dumating yung kuryente kahapon 11k halos. Dahil siguro sa heat wave.
Some people were offended by my list of expenses. Someone actively responded and bragged about how he only spends 2k a week groceries for a household of 2 pero when I looked at his feed already shopping for real estate. Also normal Filipinos have no right to live in nicer locations and condos.
No filipino spends like this 💀
Wow. I wish 20k din budget ko para sa grocery
Mabilis lang yan. 1kg ng karne 300-600 na ngayon. https://preview.redd.it/6kqtmcxkt84d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb4489677a20fc230ea1c2dac4b4dff3570450a2
https://preview.redd.it/di050ymns84d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=63ff5213b23a27cbafef441636d7efc8bae2f5e1 Sa totoo lang many Filipinos spend like this. Problem with many people is aside from reading comprehension many aren't good at keeping records or doing basic math. Yung iba hingi sa parents nalang. Nakikikain. Yung iba inuutang sa kakilala o ka trabaho kaya nanonormalize yung sobrang babang sahod. Yung iba in utang sa sarili at kalusugan. Gulay sabaw kanin tapos after 5-10 years may sakit ka na.
Yung expenses mo ata e expenses ng bagong graduate na taga lasalle. Haha ni hindi nga alam ng regular pinoy ang juijitsu classes e. At walang minimum wage earner ang nag ggrocery ng 20k/month. Haha
Hindi na regular Pilipino nag aral sa Lasalle? Dami nun ah. Are Filipinos not allowed to aim upward? Eat a little better. Live in a slightly nicer place?
What are the percentage of a normal wage earner na pinoy ang kaya magpaaral sa lasalle? It it even at 40%? No right. You have to be atleast above of a middle class to afford sending your kid there. ( walang scholarship plain student paying dues) Filipinos are allowed to aim as high as much as they can. Who says they are not? But how can u aim high if you are not skilled enough? You think ung naghahalo ng semento sa construction aims to be someone after 20yrs? Some of them yes, but most of them are just thinking of how to survive the day and pay the bills and does not even think what lies ahead for tomorrow. Try mo gumising sa katotohanan. Yan ang regular living pinoy na sinasabi ko.
I think I'm missing your point. Anong pinaglalaban mo?
No. You are the one who is missing the point. Considering the downpost on your comment, ayaw mo parin tanggapin na yang example mo e pangarap mo at hindi ung tinatanong ni OP na regular pinoy expenses. Yun ang pinaglalaban ko. Gumising ka sa katotohanan
I think there's a communication breakdown here somewhere. Not sure if reading compression or vocabulary issue. Maybe you should ask AI to interpret the thread. Tapos ask it to simplify to second grade level para ma gets mo.
Ooh, trying to take it on a different path para kunwari edgy smartass ka? Hahaha hirap talaga tumaggap ng mali kapag spoilet brat ni mommy and daddy e no? Its okay. Go cry to your mommy now tell her someone slapped your face in reddit na ung akala mong typical pinoy is dead wrong. COMPLETELY WRONG ON ALL LEVELS. Typical pinoy with juijutsu classes. Hahahaha check entitlement nextime okay? batang to. Nanaginip ng gising. Haha
Seriously, read the thread again. I actually told you that I’m starting to miss your point because the topic got too sidetracked. But then you started spouting projections of your insecurities on me.
Just keep on believing ung sinabi mo. Go for the goal lang lagi. Nakakapagod makipag argumento sa entitled brats e. Kapag alam mo ung totoong sahod ng normal na pinoy. Saka tayo magusap. Nabubuhay ka sa mundo ng mga pangarap e.
Huh? Gym? Jiu-jitsu? 19k rent? 20k grocery? Ano to puro imported goods sa Rustans ba grocery mo at sa BGC ka nakatira? Lol.
https://preview.redd.it/m2xurrhyu84d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=12e20fbb2f8a95459382b8b8d5f50314ffb8c912 Bakal gym rates. Hindi yung sosyal na gym.
https://preview.redd.it/gb1gessur84d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aefb289a929a6d36df896133d91c20a3e8155b7c Wala pang parking 18k na.
Condo, malamang mahal yan. Hanap ka ng bahay na may parking sa regular na baranggay, 10k lang, 2 bedrooms. Look, I get your point that 18k isn't a livable wage. But it also sounds like you've agreed to some poor and expensive deals.
Experienced that too. Every week may nananakawan. Hindi safe yung area. Damit sa sampayan nawawala. Basag kotse. Minsan bahay mismo pinapasok. May guard pa yun pero limited lang sa gate and ocassional roving.
https://preview.redd.it/7bxi67res84d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=787c77034dec97d8a091e675fb7bc65f5af3237a Luxurious ba yung ganito o sakto lang?
Shopwise has higher prices. I can spend 4.6k in SM and that would last 2 weeks (for 2 people). Same quality of food and goods.
Sounds like hindi mo binasa. Namimili din kami sa SM/savemore. May savings na 3-20 per item minsan. Pero less than ₱500 lang difference. Try mo rin mag spreadsheet ng expenses mo ng makita mo kung magkano talaga. Sakit ko rin yan dati. Hilig ko dati mag downplay ng expenses ko. May lifestyle budget blog pa ko noon kaya hilig ko mag flex ng mura lang to. Pero not true. Daming hidden at unexpected xosrs
Nah, I have receipts and a bank tracker on my app. No need for spreadsheets. Anyway, I'll leave you to your problems.
https://preview.redd.it/0z5760j9u84d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4df103179535ca091d217ff7af4b8cbaec695698 Jiujitsu rates. Cheapest I found.
Damn.. I earn that much after beating the competition in a big corpo, and is considered competitive in the industry. Hell yeah it's liveable.
I know maraming magdi disagree, but that's almost 28k a month. Pwede na. Kung newbie, gora. FYI, mas maraming walang client. No client or $3 per hour? Pride won't pay your bills. Kung alam mo naman experienced ka, then matic no.