Overseas Cash Flow

[Thomas-n-Elena 0]

One thing I forgot yesterday was I sent an AMEX traveller's check a couple of years ago for her birthday. It took her a couple of weeks to cash it because the only bank that would actually accept it was the large branch headquarters bank in the big city. (And that was 29 hours away by train!)

They are readily accepted in Moscow at most larger bank branches. But, if she's from "the sticks" then you're better off using Western Union, Money Gram, or the ATM method. Or yeah, gold fillings will work too. I'm sure they've got some kind of kick-back program over there that as long as the clinic got their take, it would be all good. There's an infomercial here about "order your free gold-kit right now... you could be making hundreds, even thousands of dollars from your old gold fillings, jewelry, and coins that are just taking up space around the house. Don't delay, act now!" You could order that gold-kit, put a couple hundred bucks in it, send it to her, and have her fill it up with gold teeth then send it in!

Problem solved!

Well I spoke with Elena about her money making opportunities but she said something about an oath she took to do no harm. Its seems to me to be a little hypocritical to turn down the chance to make so much money. I think that I am going to send her a letter and enclose an ATM card with the mailing. There may be a few other items that I will send. I did learn the hard way no jewelry.

[mrsushi66 0]

I sent an ATM card and she has used it no problem. She just tells me when she is going to use it I dump the cash in my side and she pulls it out her side.

Paul Misses Anna

[slim 1,530]

What a great system... you dump in cash... she spends it!

(I guess that's what getting married's all about!... Cause that's what I'll be doing too.)

[Thomas-n-Elena 0]

I am going to get an ATM card for Elena but I made her promise the money is for plane tickets and exams and such NO SHOES. Im not sure what it is but everytime we talk she tells me about more shoes, its kind of funny but a little scary my sister has the same problem so those two dont get to shop together I will be in the poor house for sure.

[slim 1,530]

Join the club!

Elena always tells me (jokingly.... I hope) that when she comes here, she's going to have one bag for clothes and personal items, then another bag just for SHOES!!!

[Neonred 3,581]

LOL

I am always hearing about SHOES and BAGS.....and have to visit every shoe store in every shopping mall!

[Thomas-n-Elena 0]

LOL

I am always hearing about SHOES and BAGS.....and have to visit every shoe store in every shopping mall!

Must just be some shoe thing One day I hope to understand women just a little bit.

[slim 1,530]

LOL

I am always hearing about SHOES and BAGS.....and have to visit every shoe store in every shopping mall!

Must just be some shoe thing One day I hope to understand women just a little bit.

I can help you out just a little bit...

SHOES = SATISFACTTION

And also, shoes go hand-in-hand with another little woman-satisfaction maker.... CHOCOLATE!

(If you're ever in the dog house, shoes and chocolate can go a long way in getting you out!)

[Ron-n-Natasha 0]

We use IKOBO :ikobo it is fast and doesnt cost so much per transaction... It's basically a visa debit card I fund with my direct deposit account..

Believe it or not though, I had the hardest time getting Natasha to use it!! She would simply leave $$ on the card for so long, I was begging her to go spend some money on some things she wanted..

[mrsushi66 0]

When I went to visit Anna and practically had to beg her to let me buy her some nice shoes. She kept saying they were to expensive and I told her we had the rest of our lives to be practical. She is very much like me in that I think she rather be a bit more practical but does enjoy the occasional splurge.

I never set any limits on how Anna should use the money I put in her account, after all once she agreed to marry me I felt like money is a family resource. Also, she has been looking after herself for 36 years and we have had long talks about our individual approach to handling money. I think we are both cautious savers but set aside our fun money to so we can enjoy life now while still saving for the future.

Paul

[newredtabby 0]

Have you looked into xoom.com? Very cheap and has worked well to get cash to the Philippines. Not sure about Russia, but I believe they are worldwide?????

[slim 1,530]

I don't know guys, I'm not knocking what you're doing here, but it's almost like you're giving your girls an "allowance" just for agreeing to marry you. I don't think it's necessarily wrong, I'm just wondering if you're planning on supporting her once she's here too. I mean, if you're "paying" her to sit at home and do nothing when you're not even married, what's it going to be like when you are married?

And furthermore, isn't giving her money kind of making it look like you're just paying her so she'll wait until you guys get married? If you met on the internet, exchanged messages for a few months, then went to see her, then started paying all her bills for her, isn't she "hitting the jackpot" with you? And don't say "yeah, but I'm hitting the jackpot with her too, becuase she loves me and I love her, and we found each other... and.. " I've heard all that before. That's exactly what it says over at scamsbyrussianwomen.com.

Once again, I'm not knocking what you guys are doing. I've sent Elena plenty of cash too, but she's never asked for it, and it's never been a regular thing. If you want to share your money with your fiancee, that's great, and I wish I had money like that to share with mine too, I'm just hoping that those of you who are giving your wife a monthly "allowance" simply because you're engaged now think it over long and hard and consider what you're spending your money on.

If it really is the "dude, she's different, she loves me" thing, then great. Have at it. But please, guys, ask yourself this...

Did she ask for the money? Or maybe not ask, but let you know that it's so hard for her to pay her bills, have money for food, electric, hot water, etc., without someone to "help" her out?

Did she tell you how she can't work because of the visa process, or because she's too busy preparing for her new life together with you?

Did she get happier over the money, or you?

(Once again guys... not pointing any fingers, not referring to anyone specific, just saying "Please, if you're sending your girl money on the regular, have a gut-check, think long and hard about the whole situation and be real with yourself." Don't get caught up in something that you're going to regret down the road.)

[mrsushi66 0]

I don't know guys, I'm not knocking what you're doing here, but it's almost like you're giving your girls an "allowance" just for agreeing to marry you. I don't think it's necessarily wrong, I'm just wondering if you're planning on supporting her once she's here too. I mean, if you're "paying" her to sit at home and do nothing when you're not even married, what's it going to be like when you are married?

And furthermore, isn't giving her money kind of making it look like you're just paying her so she'll wait until you guys get married? If you met on the internet, exchanged messages for a few months, then went to see her, then started paying all her bills for her, isn't she "hitting the jackpot" with you? And don't say "yeah, but I'm hitting the jackpot with her too, becuase she loves me and I love her, and we found each other... and.. " I've heard all that before. That's exactly what it says over at scamsbyrussianwomen.com.

Once again, I'm not knocking what you guys are doing. I've sent Elena plenty of cash too, but she's never asked for it, and it's never been a regular thing. If you want to share your money with your fiancee, that's great, and I wish I had money like that to share with mine too, I'm just hoping that those of you who are giving your wife a monthly "allowance" simply because you're engaged now think it over long and hard and consider what you're spending your money on.

If it really is the "dude, she's different, she loves me" thing, then great. Have at it. But please, guys, ask yourself this...

Did she ask for the money? Or maybe not ask, but let you know that it's so hard for her to pay her bills, have money for food, electric, hot water, etc., without someone to "help" her out?

Did she tell you how she can't work because of the visa process, or because she's too busy preparing for her new life together with you?

Did she get happier over the money, or you?

(Once again guys... not pointing any fingers, not referring to anyone specific, just saying "Please, if you're sending your girl money on the regular, have a gut-check, think long and hard about the whole situation and be real with yourself." Don't get caught up in something that you're going to regret down the road.)

You will notice I called money a resource. As I said Anna and I have a very similar view to money. Have you talked to your fiance about money? Anna is still working at her job and has her own money while back in Russia. We agreed that I would make money available to her that would be used for expenses that arise as a result of OUR decision to marry. As for what she does when she gets here we have talked about that to. She may stay home or she may work or she may go to school. Point is I think people are asking about the logistics and while I know you dont feel like you are pointing fingers but your questions/observatioins imply to me that you think I have not discussed such important matters with my fiance when in fact I can tell you exactly what we have talked about what we have agreed upon. If she stayed home should would not be sitting at home eating bon bons and watching opera. She will be doing what I would be doing if I stayed home while she worked, taking care of our home. Anna is perfectly free to do what she likes and I am sure will. She may at first want to stay home, eventaully she may work, but we have talked about having children and we both agree we will make sacrafices so that she can stay home with the kids as long as she wants to.

We make wise cracks about shoes and such but I am sure that each of us has had serious family talks about money management and determined what each of us can truly afford to offer our partners untill they are able to tavel to their new home.

I realize that we are not husband and wife until she is here and says I DO but I made the choice to trust my fiance as I would if she were my wife since doing anything less (at least in my opinion) would be the first sign I should not consider marrying this lady. If I get taken to the cleaners I will post and you can say I told you so... grin.

Paul

[newredtabby 0]

I don't know guys, I'm not knocking what you're doing here, but it's almost like you're giving your girls an "allowance" just for agreeing to marry you. I don't think it's necessarily wrong, I'm just wondering if you're planning on supporting her once she's here too. I mean, if you're "paying" her to sit at home and do nothing when you're not even married, what's it going to be like when you are married?

And furthermore, isn't giving her money kind of making it look like you're just paying her so she'll wait until you guys get married? If you met on the internet, exchanged messages for a few months, then went to see her, then started paying all her bills for her, isn't she "hitting the jackpot" with you? And don't say "yeah, but I'm hitting the jackpot with her too, becuase she loves me and I love her, and we found each other... and.. " I've heard all that before. That's exactly what it says over at scamsbyrussianwomen.com.

Once again, I'm not knocking what you guys are doing. I've sent Elena plenty of cash too, but she's never asked for it, and it's never been a regular thing. If you want to share your money with your fiancee, that's great, and I wish I had money like that to share with mine too, I'm just hoping that those of you who are giving your wife a monthly "allowance" simply because you're engaged now think it over long and hard and consider what you're spending your money on.

If it really is the "dude, she's different, she loves me" thing, then great. Have at it. But please, guys, ask yourself this...

Did she ask for the money? Or maybe not ask, but let you know that it's so hard for her to pay her bills, have money for food, electric, hot water, etc., without someone to "help" her out?

Did she tell you how she can't work because of the visa process, or because she's too busy preparing for her new life together with you?

Did she get happier over the money, or you?

(Once again guys... not pointing any fingers, not referring to anyone specific, just saying "Please, if you're sending your girl money on the regular, have a gut-check, think long and hard about the whole situation and be real with yourself." Don't get caught up in something that you're going to regret down the road.)

What are you talking about? This post started with "What has everyone done to get money over to their SO for visa, physical exam, plane fair etc?" Sounds like you're a little bitter dude! I know I'll be paying the $1000.00 plane ticket to get my Fincee here from the Philippines when the time arrives and I am happy to do so. There's no way she could ever afford to do that. This is an expensive process, we all knew that going in. And, the answer to your question of supporting them once they get here, well sure, why not? Not all homes are two family incomes.

[Ron-n-Natasha 0]

Actually, I don't mind the questions at all.. Natasha not only did not ask at all for any assistance, but she is a very diligent worker, and has the praise of her very close friends, pastors and missionaries for being a hard worker, and supporting herself alone sine she was 17 (She is 34 now). She is extremely thrifty with her money, and very spending cautious. When we went to EK to buy her engagement ring, I asked her to pick what she liked. Well, she wanted a ring that would start at around $80US.. I told her no, and said she should pick something she really wanted.. Well.. I managed to get her to go up to around $375US but that was it..

Also, when we first were talking (every day, twice for about 2 - 3 hours) I asked her to allow me to just get a debit card into her hands, in case I needed to assist her in some way.. First, she didn't like the idea, and wouldn't have it.. She would say "And what I need?" But later after I kept telling her I wanted to care for her, she said I could only send it, knowing that she didn't want me thinking she has some interest in my only my finances.

What is it telling her? We already talked about it, she knows very well, she no longer has to work; there, or here, and will be able to rely on me to support her. She was happy to begin learning to make that change. So, in a turn of events, some months after all this, when she was let go from a job because her translation services were not needed at the church so much anymore, did she ask I support her, or send her all my money? No, she got another job, and even moved to share an apartment with another girl there, and was determined to make her own.. Only after I begged her, and saw there was some strife with the mission there she was working with, and then getting news to leave the shared apartment in a week, because an owner needed it for a son, would she agree to stop working and let me care for her. Then, she decided that it's best that she move to her parents, and live with them until she comes, because she doesn't like being a burden to me.

So, I am happy, and even proud to answer all this, and hope that each of you have a similar trust and love for one another.