Philippines Cell Phones, Cost, Load, Etc

[Redro 4,611]

16 minutes ago, Lemonslice said:

Could be a smaller amount, but, the point is... before investing any more (energy/money/heartache) in this relationship, is it worth a coffee with a friend ($10?) to trust a little... Long distance relationships are never "cheap" - we were only separated by 300 miles, and it still added/adding expenses to our relationship.  If that "little" gesture is breaking the bank, or an incredible expense, then I think OP is in for a life of misery (with trips back home once in a while, moving, immigration expenses).  He is going to always feel cheated out of his money.   Even the most frugal VJer had to up their spending by $10 eventually 

 

I am not even touching the topic of her maybe wanting to send money back home once in a while - because, he already said, they are all hard workers supporting each other.  

Go big or stay home 😉😉😉

Edited March 26, 2023 by ROK2USA

[MarJhi 959]

Honestly, let's think long term here. If by some miracle you could get beyond the nightmare of having to give up monthly pizza night in order to pay to have communication with this woman, what are you going to do if things progress? There will be a lot of costs in the future. If you make a commitment to this woman, are you going to step up and help her with her monthly living expenses until she gets here?  Are you going to argue about the cost of transportation to get her to her medical at St. Lukes or an interview at the embassy? There will be hotels involved, taxis, jeepneys and trikes. She will need to eat while she is there. What about the costs if the whole Visa process itself, are you prepared to shell out that kind of money? She will need to request documents and have things printed, will you stress her out about spending too much money for this or that? Then of course there is the cost of traveling to go see her (staying in better hotels than you would have her stay in of course). Will you try to court her in one trip, or multiple trips. If all goes well, there is flying her to the US, you might have to buy her a suitcase!!

 

Send her $20/$50/whatever, see how she does. It's a drop in the bucket compared to the expenses that lie ahead if this relationship moves forward. If you can't handle spending a small amount on this woman then both of you are wasting time with one another. 

[seekingthetruth 1,246]

I live in the Philippines.  Everyone has missed something important here.  Don't use regular load and regular data to communicate.  That is money down the drain.

 

1.  Get her load by whatever means suggested.  Send her some cash and have her buy it, or Western Union, Xoom, etc.  Send her p500, at least, and have her load it.

 

2.  After she has the load, then have her buy a data plan that does not expire.  SMART and Globe both have them.  On SMART it is called Magic Data.  2 GB 99.  6 GB 199.  24 GB 399.  24 GB lasts me 8-9 months and I use it a lot.  Google maps in the car, etc.  They also have 36 and 48 GB.  Globe has a similar product that never expires.

 

3.  Use an app to call all over the world.  I use Facebook messenger for friends and family in the U.S. but there are others.  Every Filipina has FB.

[smore 19]

13 hours ago, Lemonslice said:

Let's say a childhood friend is visiting the next town over, and you decide to meet up for brunch.  Gasoline there and back, the meal, and then you picking up the tab at ice cream later, you've spent $50. 

 

You have probably spent more time interacting with your faraway friend than at that brunch.  What if you just sent $50 and asked her to spend it on phone usage?  Best 50$ you can spend, you will see how she does, if she gets the best plan, you will be able to keep in touch like never before - and hopefully coordinate your visit.   If things go wrong, you will save yourself the money, and heartache, of continuing to interact.  $50 too much, try with less.  I mean, your time, and not losing it, has to be worth something?

I agree I have probably sent way more on random things or situations like going out and things I did not really need to. When I started this topic it was not about whether I should do this or whether I should not, I had already decided this is what I should do to help out. Seems this thread has turned into about me wanting to or not, again I had already decided this is what I should do, and I probably should of thought of doing this a long time ago. This topic was for some advise on the best way to go about it, and early on someone posted about globe and screen shots of plans, that was the best type of advise and what I was hoping for to steer me in a direction to research more. I agree helping with communication will be the best way for me to figure out if this is going to work or not and to really get things rolling and plan meeting. Instead of this continuing as some slow ongoing thing because of inconstant communication. I have not had the chance to communicate with her, she is probably still not added any load to her phone so I could let her know about this.

[smore 19]

13 hours ago, Adventine said:

So... have you bought that load yet?

I have not had the chance to communicate with her, she is probably still not added any load to her phone so I could let her know about this and start doing it.

 

Seems this thread has turned into about me deciding if I want to do this or not, again I had already decided this is what I should do and want to do, and I probably should of thought of doing this a long time ago. This topic was for some advise on the best way to go about it, give me some knowledge on what cell plans they have, what ways to go about paying for it so I have some knowledge before I talk with her about it, and early on someone posted about globe and screen shots of plans, and that I can pay myself through the app or send money, that was the best type of advise and what I was hoping for to steer me in a direction.

[smore 19]

11 hours ago, Lemonslice said:

Could be a smaller amount, but, the point is... before investing any more (energy/money/heartache) in this relationship, is it worth a coffee with a friend ($10?) to trust a little... Long distance relationships are never "cheap" - we were only separated by 300 miles, and it still added/adding expenses to our relationship.  If that "little" gesture is breaking the bank, or an incredible expense, then I think OP is in for a life of misery (with trips back home once in a while, moving, immigration expenses).  He is going to always feel cheated out of his money.   Even the most frugal VJer had to up their spending by $10 eventually 

 

I am not even touching the topic of her maybe wanting to send money back home once in a while - because, he already said, they are all hard workers supporting each other.  

This topic has gone way off the rails, not sure why its gone off in some other direction of it being about the money. I have never said anything about the money, or about spending 10.00, 50.00, 100.00 being to much, not once. If I don't want to hand over 10.00 and instead pay for it myself through the globe site or whatever site at first that is my choice, in the end it still gets the same accomplished, and probably easier and quicker also.

 

I certainly know that if things move forward I will be paying for most everything in the process, that is not an issue. Of course that would be after we have met, and figured out this is reality.

 

Seems this thread has turned into about me deciding if I want to do this or not, again I had already decided this is what I should do and want to do, and I probably should of thought of doing this a long time ago.

[smore 19]

10 hours ago, MarJhi said:

Honestly, let's think long term here. If by some miracle you could get beyond the nightmare of having to give up monthly pizza night in order to pay to have communication with this woman, what are you going to do if things progress? There will be a lot of costs in the future. If you make a commitment to this woman, are you going to step up and help her with her monthly living expenses until she gets here?  Are you going to argue about the cost of transportation to get her to her medical at St. Lukes or an interview at the embassy? There will be hotels involved, taxis, jeepneys and trikes. She will need to eat while she is there. What about the costs if the whole Visa process itself, are you prepared to shell out that kind of money? She will need to request documents and have things printed, will you stress her out about spending too much money for this or that? Then of course there is the cost of traveling to go see her (staying in better hotels than you would have her stay in of course). Will you try to court her in one trip, or multiple trips. If all goes well, there is flying her to the US, you might have to buy her a suitcase!!

 

Send her $20/$50/whatever, see how she does. It's a drop in the bucket compared to the expenses that lie ahead if this relationship moves forward. If you can't handle spending a small amount on this woman then both of you are wasting time with one another. 

Because of a few posters who obviously just like to make things difficult and feel the need to respond to every topic on here because they know it all (I think you know who you are) they have sent this topic off in another direction for every other poster who might of had great advise based on the original topic, thanks to them for making this into something its not.

 

I have never said anything about the money, or about spending 10.00, 50.00, 100.00 being to much, not once.

 

I certainly know that if things move forward I will be paying for most everything in the process, that is not an issue.

 

Again I had already decided this is what I should do and want to do, has nothing to do with giving up up few dollars, and I probably should of thought of doing this a long time ago. This topic was for some advise on the best way to go about it.

[smore 19]

4 hours ago, seekingthetruth said:

I live in the Philippines.  Everyone has missed something important here.  Don't use regular load and regular data to communicate.  That is money down the drain.

 

1.  Get her load by whatever means suggested.  Send her some cash and have her buy it, or Western Union, Xoom, etc.  Send her p500, at least, and have her load it.

 

2.  After she has the load, then have her buy a data plan that does not expire.  SMART and Globe both have them.  On SMART it is called Magic Data.  2 GB 99.  6 GB 199.  24 GB 399.  24 GB lasts me 8-9 months and I use it a lot.  Google maps in the car, etc.  They also have 36 and 48 GB.  Globe has a similar product that never expires.

 

3.  Use an app to call all over the world.  I use Facebook messenger for friends and family in the U.S. but there are others.  Every Filipina has FB.

Thanks for some good advise that is on the topic I posted about. Finally someone who does not go off on some tangent and gets what the original topic was about. We do use whats app to communicate and seems globe has a good plan for that, I do not have FB and never will for reasons I will not go into. Instead of sending her money as mentioned I would like to start out paying for the plan myself, don't see an issue with that as its my choice and still accomplishes the same thing, this is my risk I am taking so its my choice and probably easier and quicker. But yes I do need to find out what will work for her as far as best load plan and from which carrier. Earlier someone has posted screen shots about some plans, seems whats app is listed as a free option that will not use data against the plan. You seem to suggest some more permanent plans that do not expire from smart or globe which would be nice options for sure. Thanks again for staying on topic.

[Talako 781]

15 hours ago, smore said:

Everyone seems to forget I have not met this woman, I am not married to this woman, Yes I have talked to this woman for a long time, and mainly its been a long time due to covid keeping us from planning things for awhile, now its just figuring out a time frame that works for both of us.

If you're not willing to invest $20-$30 a month after a couple of years to see if she is the one, then she should probably be the one to move on.

 

You know her situation (poverty, province, access), but you are unwilling to invest a few bucks.  This is your future and her future, and you're stuck on this?  Really, ffs?  Why do you think so people here have all kind of alarms going off on you?

[smore 19]

8 minutes ago, Talako said:

If you're not willing to invest $20-$30 a month after a couple of years to see if she is the one, then she should probably be the one to move on.

 

You know her situation (poverty, province, access), but you are unwilling to invest a few bucks.  This is your future and her future, and you're stuck on this?  Really, ffs?  Why do you think so people here have all kind of alarms going off on you?

Never ever said I was not willing to invest, once again this is gone off topic because a few commenters cannot understand what this post was about and had to go off in some other direction and read into things and throw this topic in some direction it never had to go in. Again I had already decided this is what I should do and want to do, has nothing to do with giving up up few dollars, has nothing to do with should I invest or should I not invest, nothing to do with that choice at all. Nothing to do with willing to spend a few dollars, nothing to do with that at all. Please discontinue comments if your thinking is he willing to invest or not.

[Redro 4,611]

3 hours ago, smore said:

Because of a few posters who obviously just like to make things difficult and feel the need to respond to every topic on here because they know it all (I think you know who you are) they have sent this topic off in another direction for every other poster who might of had great advise based on the original topic, thanks to them for making this into something its not.

 

I have never said anything about the money, or about spending 10.00, 50.00, 100.00 being to much, not once.

 

I certainly know that if things move forward I will be paying for most everything in the process, that is not an issue.

 

Again I had already decided this is what I should do and want to do, has nothing to do with giving up up few dollars, and I probably should of thought of doing this a long time ago. This topic was for some advise on the best way to go about it.

I just think you're making things difficult by going through a whole ordeal to give her money specifically for communication through a special system. 

This woman is in her 30s not a teenager. 

Send her money via Western Union. Tell her its for communication. Then see what happens. 

 

[RO_AH 1,659]

5 hours ago, smore said:

Because of a few posters who obviously just like to make things difficult and feel the need to respond to every topic on here because they know it all (I think you know who you are) they have sent this topic off in another direction for every other poster who might of had great advise based on the original topic, thanks to them for making this into something its not.

My posts are based on all of your posts on this forum to date. Just like always you post here and are given lots of advice and chose to make excuses or give explanations of why you you don't want to do anything that has been suggested. I actually gave you a link to do what you are asking. May responses have all been based on what you have said so who is taking it off topic? Maybe if you would have just made a post with a sentence or two like "Is there a way to send load to the Philippines", you would have narrowed the responses to what you desire.

 

 

[RO_AH 1,659]

6 hours ago, smore said:

I have not had the chance to communicate with her, she is probably still not added any load to her phone so I could let her know about this and start doing it.

All you need is her number to send her load. Or you could just call her?

[j&ana 363]

buying load for Philippines is pretty 

cheap So if you are not sure about that. then maybe you do not trust her. I had just the opposite I went to the Philippines to visit my wife before we was marry and bought a sim card over there for my unlock phone and ran out of load and my now wife bought me extra load for it