How I fly to Manila 2x a year

I’ve had questions and assumptions about my pay because of how frequent I fly to the Philippines. I always answer, “I wired my brain to decide it’s a non-negotiable expense, a need, similar to paying rent or bills. My pay is enough, but not lavish.”

I plan and budget ahead. We book tickets a year ahead of the flight, and I pay in 12 mo. installments. By the time I fly, it’s fully paid. Interests are reasonable with good banks.

Roughly $300 or Php 12,000 per month for 2 flights (mid and end of year).

A night out in Manila can cost ~Php 2k = Php 8k per month if done weekly.

A Grab delivery or a meal out is ~Php 700, do it at least 3x a week = Php 8.4k a month.

So yeah, I sacrifice a couple of nights out, and I rarely eat out or get deliveries to pay for the flights.

Nor do I bring home any fancy presents. I refuse to pretend that I can afford things outside my means.

It’s both a blessing, and a lifestyle choice. Simply because I don’t want to die regretting not doing things.

If you can order from Grab, you can afford that flight. Choose wisely, friends.