Take It Or Leave It!
by Isabelita Manalastas -Watanabe
Dear Tita Lita,
How do you forecast the value of dollars in the future? Would you advice to buy dollars now and save them until their value comes up again in the next few years? Or I would just stick with my yen, which is what I'm earning from my company?
Dory
Dear Dory:
Iyan ang one million dollar question! Kung masasagot natin iyan precisely, siguradong yayaman tayo (or mayaman na, if we could have predicted in the past what would have happened to the currency market in the future).
I was assigned in Europe for 4 years, from 2006-2010, and I was receiving Euro for my salary. I remember exchanging Euro for the Yen while I was there, and I received Yen 145, for my Euro 1.
If I still live in the Euro zone and spend in Euro – it does not make any difference for me whatever happens to the value of the Euro against the Yen or the US$. I earn in Euro, and I also spend in Euro.
But to convert my Euro savings now into Yen, that is where it will hurt, and hurt badly. I am back in Japan, and converted some of my Euro savings into Yen in July, and I got a little over JPY 90 Yen for Euro 1, or a loss of around 38% of the value of my Euro savings in terms of Yen.
If you earn in Yen, and you live in Japan and spend in Yen (for your apartment, for your daily living expenses, etc.), it does not make any difference whether the yen is strong or weak against the US$. Earn in Yen, spend in Yen.
Your savings in Yen is another matter. In terms of US$, your Yen 80,000 is now equivalent to around US$1,000 (@Yen/US$ = 80). If you think those who predict that the Yen will strengthen further against the US$, to Yen 50 (yes, JPY 50!!! – this prediction appeared in one Japanese magazine), then your Yen 80,000 will then be worth more in US$ - to US$1,600! (Yen 80,000 divided by 50). If the Yen/USD rate goes to JPY 100, then your JPY 80,000 will be worth US$800 (Yen 80,000 divided by 100).The same amount of Yen, but different equivalent in US$, depending on how strong or how weak the Yen is/will be against the US$. I personally think that Yen 80 = US$ 1 is already a very good exchange rate if you want to convert some of your savings into US$. But I also think you should go for not more than 20% of your current savings. This is the rule of thumb, when making “unsure” investments like stocks, etc. You should also be willing to wait for at least another 2 years, hoping for the US$ to regain its lost strength against the Yen, and then convert back your US$ back into Yen. Remember that there is at least a Yen 2 cost for every US$ currency conversion.
Always remember: currency speculation is really a gamble – you may win big, but you may also lose big.
Tita Lita
Dear Tita Lita,
Permanent resident na po ako ng Japan for more than 30 years. Naguguluhan po ako ngayon kung saan ako mag re-retire in a few more years. Gustuhin ko man sa Pinas, pero para na rin akong turista doon. Hindi ko na rin alam ang mga pasikot-sikot sa atin. Well-adjusted na po ako sa Japan at feeling at home na rin ako dito. Kapag umuuwi sa Pinas, parang hinahanap ko yung disiplina ng mga tao sa Japan, yung modern technology, cleanliness and safeness. Kapag nandito naman ako, miss ko naman ang pagkain, bonding ng family and friends, at kulturang Pinoy. Ano po ang advice ninyo?
Clarissa
Dear Clarissa:
Talagang ang buhay ay give and take – may dapat i-give up, to be able to get something in return, tulad na rin ng nasabi mo sa iyong sulat.
Ang hindi ko alam ay kung single ka or married na. Kung dito ka mag-re-retire, at wala kang pamilya sa Japan, sino kaya ang mag-aalaga sa iyo kung ikaw ay magkasakit, or kaya’y ma-ospital? Or kung retired ka na, at matanda na, willing ka bang tumirang nag-iisa sa iyong condo/apartment sa Japan? Paano kung mga 70+ ka na, at hindi mo na kayang alagaan ang sarili mo, willing ka ba, at kaya mo bang pumasok na lang sa old-age home sa Japan?
Hindi ko rin alam kung maganda ang sweldo mo sa Japan, at enrolled ka sa pension system dito sa Japan. If yes, e-di medyo malaki ang iyong magiging monthly pension. Kung ganoon, pwede kang mag-best of both worlds. Uwi ka sa atin kapag winter season dito sa Japan, dahil habang tumatanda tayo, mas bumababa na ang resistance natin to the cold weather (feel na feel na ng ating tired and ageing bones ang lamig!). November – February siguro, at doon ka sa atin mag-Pasko palagi, para masaya. The rest of the time, sa Japan ka.
Pero kapag tumanda ka na talaga at hindi mo na kayang magluto at alagaan ang sarili mo, uwi ka na sa atin. Kahit hindi ka alagaan ng pamilya/kamag-anak mo, you can afford to get your own private nurse, using your monthly pension.
Tita Lita
Dear Tita Lita,
Ganyan na ba talaga ang krus na dinadala nating mga OFW? Mukhang lapad na lang ang tingin ng aking mga pamilya sa akin. Bawat tawag, bawat e-mail at bawat text, siguradong humihingi ng lapad. Hindi naman umuulan ng pera sa Japan. Parang hindi nila alam ang pagdurusa at pagtitipid na ginagawa natin dito. Paano ko maipamumukha sa kanila na hindi ako isang bangko? Feeling guilty naman kung hindi ko sila bibigyan kahit meron akong konti. Saklolo!
Boy
Dear Boy:
Sinabi mo pa! Tama ka talaga diyan, Boy. Hindi tayo namumulot ng lapad dito sa Japan. Pawis at dugo (at maraming kalungkutan) ang ating puhunan para lang kumita ng Yen. At parang Pinoy na ugali talaga ang mag-remit ng walang sawa sa ating mga magulang, mga kapatid, mga pamangkin, pati mga apo! At tama ka rin, naririnig ko sa mga remitters namin sa Speed na may tawag lang sa kanilang pamilya/kamag-anak nila sa Pilipinas kapag may problema sila (generally money-related).
Ang sabi ko nga sa mga kliyente namin, huwag ipadala lahat, dahil ke kaunti, ke marami ang i-remit, ubos na ubos pa rin iyan. Kapag sinanay ng malaki palagi padala, wala ng incentive na mag-trabaho ang ating mga sinusuportahan sa Pilipinas – aasa na lang palagi sa ating dole-outs. Magandang kaugalian ang pagtulong, ngunit kailangan din naman nating matutong mag-save para sa ating sarili. Kapag tayo ang nagkasakit, sino ang tutulong sa atin, di-ba sarili lang natin?
So tulong tayo, pero huwag ibuhos halos lahat. Magtabi rin para sa ating sariling panga-ngailangan. At matutong tumanggi, at huwag ma-guilty, kung sa luho lamang mapupunta, ang padala nating pera.
Tita Lita
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