My wish list: (1) Wilbur & Gussie Edith crystal-embellished bee print satin clutch £110 (from £220) at TheOutnet.com, (2) Threshold Starburst Mirror Set – 3 pieces $24.99 at Target.com, (3) Nate Berkus Frame with Brass Detail (4 x 6) $12.99 at Target.com, (4) Pierre Hardy Printed calf hair and suede pumps $259.75 at TheOutnet.com, (5) Nate Berkus Aluminum Enameled Decorative Box Black/White (8.6 x 5.6) $24.99 at Target.com, (6) Brian Atwood Dolores two-tone leather sandals £267 (from £666) at TheOutnet.com, (7) Nate Berkus Gold Mirrored Decorative Tray $34.99 at Target.com, (8) Matthew Williamson Embroidered jacquard and suede clutch £605 (from £1513) at TheOutnet.com.

It’s sale season in the States (the 4th of July sale is coming up), which means ill be spending a lot of time on my computer, online shopping! Yes, this is my guilty pleasure, only because it is so much cheaper to buy things like shoes, bags, clothes, and even beddings, towels, appliances and books, especially when they’re on clearance. Like most of you, I have relatives in the States who can receive my orders and lovingly send back my things in a box. And when that box gets delivered, it feels like Christmas all over again haha. I even love the smell of the box when I first open it–it smells like the States hahaha.

I am sure most of you can relate! It is so easy and convenient nowadays, it is no longer about having to make pabili to someone who’s going to travel and having to beg them to bring your items home even though it will cause their luggage to be overweight hahaha. Now you can just order things online and have it delivered to family or friends who already live abroad. My best friend when it comes to these things is Western Union, as I can easily remit money to pay for some of my pabili (if its not available online I ask family/friends to purchase the items from the store–usually these are food items or toiletries) and of course, the shipping service!

Sending money any other way can be such a headache to deal with–sometimes my relatives/friends don’t receive the money, there is a huge deduction (which means I’ll need to send more money), or there is a delay. Of course, I used to go through banks when sending money and I found out there are big disadvantages compared to going through Western Union (which I only recently started using–hay, I should’ve known about this years ago). For instance, banks take A LONG TIME. Your money goes through after 2-4 banking days, which can be more than a week if you count the weekend. If you need to get the money to that person immediately, Western Union can do it. They claim the money is sent in MINUTES (beat that)!!! Accessibility is another thing: banks are open only on weekdays, from Monday to Friday from 9am to around 4pm. Once the bank is closed, that’s it. Banks are also dependent on its network of banks and partners in host countries, and sometimes the transaction may not even go through. Western Union is open 7 days a week, with extensive networks worldwide! And lastly, Western Union is just so much easier to use. You only need to provide 1 valid ID to make a transaction, and it doesn’t require a US bank account or any other document/s. Banks require several documents to get the money transfer processed, and you’ll probably need to open a bank account to send the money through. Really, you can’t beat the service of Western Union–its fast, easy, hassle-free and super reliable. It just makes online shopping so much more FUN!!!

If you’re a newbie user, here’s how it works:

1.) Complete the ‘To Send Money’ form. Fill out the appropriate ‘To Send Money’ form provided and present to the Agent the original copy of your valid photo identification. You can call the Philippines Customer Hotline at 02 888-1200 (for calls within Metro Manila) or 1-800-1-888-1200 (toll-free nationwide via PLDT Lines), 1-800-9-888-1200 (toll-free nationwide via Globe Lines) or +632 888-1200 (for calls from overseas) for more information.
 If you have a Western Union^® Gold Card issued in the Philippines, please present the card along with your valid photo identification or other supporting documents to the Agent.

2.) Pay for your money transfer. Give the Agent the amount of money that you (the Sender) want to send together with the necessary service fees.

3.) Sign and receive your receipt. You will be required to sign a receipt after you have verified that all the details printed on the receipt are correct.  One of the details printed on the receipt is your Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN). The MTCN is important and must only be disclosed to your intended recipient.

4.) Inform your receiver. It is time to contact the intended Receiver (or beneficiary) of your money, and relay the necessary information to him/her, such as the MTCN, your complete name (as signed in the ‘To Send Money’ form), amount sent, and the country the money was sent from.

5.) Track your money. Go to the ‘Transfer Status’ link that’s on the homepage of their website. You can then track the status of your money by typing in your name (as signed in the ‘To Send Money’ form) and MTCN.
 Check the status of your money transfer. 
You can also call the Philippines Customer Hotline at 02 888-1200 (for calls within Metro Manila) or 1-800-1-888-1200 (toll-free nationwide via PLDT Lines), 1-800-9-888-1200 (toll-free nationwide via Globe Lines), to check the status of your money transfer.