My helper has had a death in the family and is going home for the funeral. She has asked for a loan,$15 000 to cover the funeral cost. Does anyone have any idea what a funeral costs?
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@@
18 yrs ago
A helper friend had to bury her brother recently, I don't know the exact figure but she was talking more then 10K.
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pzam
18 yrs ago
Maybe this article will help you understand the cost of funerals in the philippines. http://www.philpost.com/1101pages/dying1101.html
Lend only what you are comfortable lending (or losing) and also discuss with her how she plans to pay you back; i.e. how much deducted from her salary every month.
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15,000 is 4.7 Months salary if you count the total amount. if she is able to pay you back at $2,000 per month (which she won't) - it will take 7.5 months to recoup, if she pays $1000 per month - it will take $15 months to pay back and so on....this is risk you will take if you lend it to her - if you have a good relationship with her, this will change, if you don't it will get worse. You will have consider the loan ' a gift" and not be prepared to get it back.
I have heard this story before and invariably the helper does not return and neither does the money.
You have to decide for yourself - but I wouldn't do it without a death certificate and receipts - that may mean they have to pay up front - which means the funeral won't be a lavish as they may have wanted...you are not a money lender or a cash cow or a door mat.
And why is this girl bearing the brunt of the whole funeral costs?
Be careful.
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Just as an indicator - $100,000 pesos is $14,621HKD which would 'buy' a fairly decent burial according to that article posted.
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Thanks for your help, I read the article posted and I do have trust issues with this helper.
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I know what the reaction would be if I asked for 4.7 months of my wage in advance - or even to borrow - it would be a definite no - and then I would probably lose my job for the audacity of asking!
Why is it that DH are "allowed" to ask their employers for money whereas the rest of us have to find it elsewhere - from others, banks and yes loan institutions that charge far too much interest.
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The old advice is often the best:
"Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend..."
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Kek
18 yrs ago
Agree.
Don't do this.
I know you feel compassionate and want to help.
But there are so many scams out there.Really.I know of so many people being caught like this.You don't know if someone is forcing her to yank your heartstrings.
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just lend your helper the money
then
plan on never seeing it again
it's really a question of whether you feel close enough to your helper to trust her judgment. HK$15K is a lot of money, probably just slightly less than what a helper will be able to save over the course her first year in Hong Kong. Spending almost a year's wages on a funeral sounds excessive to me, unless you are some property tycoon.
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Kek
18 yrs ago
Yes.Why don't you check the thread 'money lenders' on this DH entry further down?
She may have borrowed money from one of them and now needs your help to get her out of the problem.
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Basic coffins in the philippines cost around 30,000-50,000 pesos (that's about hk$4,600 to hk$7,600). Add her transportation going home which should be around hk$2,000. And then there's the miscellaneous expenses.
I think you don't need to give the full hk$15,000 -- hk$10,000 is generous enough.
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