Questions to Ask Before Shopping for Your Balikbayan Box


Let’s face it: saving up is hard. For OFWs working away from their families, this only makes the task even harder. They ease their sense of longing by sending balikbayan boxes packed with love to the Philippines. And with love, it could mean branded clothes, luxury perfumes, imported chocolates and other expensive goods that are rare to find and can please relatives back home.


Our fellow Pinoys abroad would often go as far as spending the last centavo just to meet their family’s wants and needs. This is where OFWs should draw the line. Working overseas may earn you bucks that you won’t ever make from working in the Philippines, but that doesn’t mean you can go around buying expensive stuff, emptying your pockets just to fill your balikbayan box. That won’t help you save up at all.


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Refraining from sending a balikbayan box to the Philippines won’t do any good, either. Instead, ask yourself these following questions before buying items you’ll put in your balikbayan box. These questions should help get the most out of your shipment while saving up bucks in the process.

What are their wants & what are their needs? 

Giving your kid a pair of brand new shoes before the start of the school year is okay, but giving him another after six months? And in the months after that? You might want to rethink about it before paying for the new pair of shoes. If you want to save up, you should know how to identify what are the needs and what are the wants of your family. Surely, you mean well but continuing on with this setup would only leave you with less money to pay for their actual needs.


Am I sticking with the budget? 

Creating a budget lets you (1) determine if you have enough money to buy the things your family’s needs and wants; (2) know what you should prioritize and focus your spending on; (3) save up easier. Sticking with a budget is where most people fail, what with all the temptations known as credit cards and loans. Don’t let the same mistake happen to you. As hard as it sounds, there are helpful ways to stick with the budget that make the task possible, which starts from creating a realistic goal.


Am I getting the best deals? 

Smart buying involves looking around, doing research, and comparing prices before paying for an item. It also includes checking from legit stores to avoid unwanted instances, i.e. defective products that can cause you more than what you paid for. Always ask yourself if you got the best deals (cheap price, quality item, add-ons) before shelling out.


Can I ship this to the Philippines? 

Finally, always make sure you are buying goods that can be shipped to the Philippines. Sending certain items like clothes in commercial quantity and pieces of jewelry via balikbayan box to the Philippines is prohibited. This can cause issues during shipment and can be put to waste should the customs catch it in your package.




Sending a balibayan box to the Philippines soon? Ask yourself the questions above before shopping for your box’s contents so you and your family get the most out of your shipment.



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