I am always broke

I'm not really sure if I should write a post like this. But I just want to let it off my chest. And at the same time try to tell to my fellow Filipinos back home that being an OFW is not easy. And I hope time will come that the we will not be synonymous to rich. Yes this is about my life and my financial status but a lot of OFW's are in the same boat with me. First of all I did not come from a rich family. I used to think that we belong to the middle class but later on in life I start to question that. And just a month ago I had a discussion with a colleague as he was insisting that yes we belong to the middle class. And I strongly contradicts him by saying that even though we are OFW's we belong to the group of people living in Poverty. He says that people living in poverty line doesn't have anything to eat anymore. I think poor people are those people like me who has work but living on hand to mouth kind of life and those who doesn't have work at all and have to beg. In the end it is still all the same both don't have money in the pocket. So both are poor.

Well for me middle class means you have an extra money in your bank account for other things. Or you have a budget for your every needs. But I don't even have an extra budget and therefore I consider myself poor. Yes I have work but the salary is just enough to pay bills and send home. I don't have budget for other things like clothes, shoes, bags, cosmetics, gadgets and vacation. If ever that I'm able to afford any of those things still it does not make me belong to the middle class. If ever here is what I do. Either I don't pay my bills on time or I just pay it partially. Or I take a loan. Second quarter of the year I purchased a lot of items that I need and wants. At the expense of my supposed to be ticket money so instead of going home for vacation I just stayed at home. This month I was able to hoard toiletries but then I used all my food money. Do people in middle class families to that?

There are far too many factors why I am broke and not only me but most of us. The salary is not equal to the cost of living. If I will rant about it and so the millions of people all over the world. I guess this is the way it is everywhere. Everything are so expensive nowadays. Both in the Philippines and in the UAE. And how can I not help my family when helping them was the main reason why I have chosen to work overseas in the first place. Well I'm the one who send one of the brothers to college and right now he's working. He got work after applying for companies for 6 months. And the other one is still studying and yes I am the one supporting him. He'll finish by October next year. Because of this I have to send up to 60% of my salary. And even if he finish studying it will not mean that my financial status will change. By then I will be paying whatever loans/arrears I'm having now. Not advisable but I can't avoid most of the time. Even if I am done helping my family here comes another factor. The cost of living here just keeps on going up. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide.

I don't know when will my situation (or every OFW's situation) will change. I don't know if there is still hope. One thing is for sure. Life goes on. As with it one must he happy in spite of whatever circumstances he is in. And that is what I am doing. Trying to be happy. Trying to be positive. But then at times I'm getting depressed. But I am fighting it. I just turn into writing so at least even once I can release the emotions building up inside of me.