My Bf is also an american that I met on the net.
Excuse me to nag a bit because this should have been thought very very well before and just not rush on things. How m,uch did you spend on wedding? $2000? Wedding here is sometimes show off. When money is tight, you should have married her in private ceremony and save the rest. Expect expenses when you marry a foreigner.Big expenses. Take what Wolfgangqpublic's advice and here are my tips to save:
1. Get a second job and ask your wife to do the same. If you're sending her money, STOP IT and just save. When you two for you got your 2nd job and paid, put it in a bank and think it doesn't exist.
2.Do you have a line for international calling? Cut it. Tell your wife to buy Sun Cellular Int'l sim (make sure that the signal first works). It only cost her P1 to text u and 10c per minute to call you.
3. To help her on your phone bills, go to
www.aryty.com to send her minutes a.k.a load.
4. Use skype when you talk via computer instead of YM. 30-1hr in the computer every other day is enough (for her to save lil).
5. Lastly, Tell your wife to be brave and resourceful enough because you have been waiting so long . She must move to Manila where the embassy is located and be accesible. What did she finish in college? What doesn't she do for living? If she's really good in english, she can be hired next day in a call center, which pays really really good. Twice as the pay of school teachers. Maybe she just needs $450 to fly to over to Manila.
Best of luck.