Living in the Philippines and its crowded cities isn’t complete without having your time wasted sitting in traffic. It’s become part of our daily routine, an inevitable variable that we factor into how we go about our daily lives.
It doesn’t help that we have very few options to go around. Sure, there are trains, taxis, buses, jeeps, and vans to get us where we want to be, but the day-to-day rush hours just have one clear picture painted for us: Cramped up city trains and buses, long lines at terminals, and people taking over highway lanes in hopes of spotting a ride.
And then technology provided the answer: ride-hailing services that get us easily from point a to point b. Before the year ended, the public was given access to a link that summed up the annual expenses of Grab users, which remains to be the only company not challenged by the local transportation authorities.
Filipinos, being the active social media users that they are, posted screenshots of their annual Grab ride reports. It tallied the cost of one’s most recent 300 trips. Most Grab users were dismayed by their totaled commuting costs, with some having it amount to a quarter of their annual salary. Defeated, most of them held on to this dilemma: What else are we left to do but trade some of our hard-earned cash for a little bit of convenience?
If they could only turn back time, they shared these are the things they wished they spent their money on instead:
Roundtrip tickets
Honestly, right now, I’m saving money to buy myself a plane ticket going to France. It has so many beautiful places I’d like to visit and take photographs of. I wish I could’ve bought a roundtrip ticket with the huge amount of money I spent on Grab. I used Grab almost everyday, mainly for work and when I found myself going home at a late hour.—Kian Ang, spent P74,734
I am so upset. Out of 281 rides, 226 were personal—that means P47,743 out of P60,364 were spent on personal Grab trips. I could’ve spent in on a roundtrip ticket to Siargao, already with lodging and pocket money. This also amounts to literally the same price as my ticket last year to New York. Regrets! It could’ve been money spent for ACTUAL travel.—Alex Castillo, spent P60,364
Apartment downpayment
Grab can be a little tough sometimes, the rates get quite high or the driver isn’t all that great (or late) but I still use it because, first; there’s no Uber. Second; it’s a fairly reliable, convenient way to get from point a to point b (And c if you add a stop). The bulk of my Grab bill tracked the first half of this year abroad. I lived in Hanoi and had about 15 mins to an hour away from my work. The bus took too long so I took Grab almost everyday—and a lot in between. In Cebu, I use it on rainy days and when I’m going somewhere a little far and I’d want to be comfortable. Grab makes me feel a little safer.
With 102K, I could’ve had that as a downpayment on my own place in Cebu. Or on my own car! I wanted to get a small studio at IT park Cebu or somewhere close to my job. I love being able to walk to work and I think my days would be more peaceful if the distance between work, my place and where I hang out were more balanced.—Mia Durano, spent over P102,000
I go home late everyday and wouldn’t risk it with the sketchy mass transport system. I thought it was a wise move not to carry cash with me so I’d spend less throughout the day, and I thought I really was. But I hooked up my card for my Grab rides going to work engagements and home. Now after seeing every penny I spent on Grab, I’ve accepted I’m not the wisest when it comes to spending.
Acting on my first instinct, I wish I spent that same amount of money on travel instead. I don’t have any particular place in mind, but preferably somewhere that has a beach. But if you think about it, my Grab rides could easily pay for a downpayment of a simple condo!—Kooch Lumanlan, spent P93,826
Savings
Grab is the safest and most convenient for me, I use it to and from work, as well as going to work-related meetings. Seeing how much of my money went to Grab this year, I wish it were directed to my savings instead. My goal was to be more financially able as a 25-year-old. With that kind of money, I could’ve developed the habit of saving.—Khaila Guiron, spent P51,736
Luxury bag
I’ve always wanted a Givenchy pandora bag, even just the smallest size of that line. It’s priced around P70,000 now. I could’ve covered half of the price tag with my Grab expenses this year! Or I could’ve saved it for my upcoming Visayas backpacking trip this June. This year, I would love to take the bus or train if I had options, too. —Justine Mendoza, spent over P44,000
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