chris49 Posted July 28, 2015 Posted July 28, 2015 Guys, I have been contemplating this one quite a while. As a means to save money, how would you play it out? Have to assume you have your own place/no rent. And in my case Gina has her child allowance separate. Now it terms of USD, @ 45, $10=450 pesos. I reckon I can live well under the $10, but will average it out to $10, spend the extra pesos for a once a week treat, probably breakfast at Maccas. Today I dropped into a carinderia while I hade my bike looked at. I paid 85 pesos, for a main dish and 2 gulay, vegetable dishes, half rice I would normally have a coke but they did not have any. It was about 9 45, so I counted that as lunch. We got in some mushrooms this afternoon, so lucky to have that this evening. Usually won't count that. So maybe: Breakfast/lunch: 150 all inclusive if I eat a little more, maybe a coffee or soft drink. Merienda mid afternoon: not essential for me. Some fruits, a few bananas, mango/avocado in season. From our farm but only in season. Dinner: I don't mind a full tin of baked beans, tuna with mayo, as a sandwich, any pasta dish which I could probably roll over to AM......100-150, depends. If I have a beer which is rare and I will limit it, but lets sat one Pilsen with a chicharon. A few coffees throughout the day and maybe one at night, from sachet. That should get me in at 350 for a day. That gives me 600-700 in a week for my Mc Donalds, any little extra. If Gina manages, that would put me at plus $900 US for a month. Maybe 2-3 times a year esp on the 30 day months or in February. How would you play it? If it gave you an extra $2700=120k pesos, would you do it? September will be the go and it will give me a $900 kicker for the baptisimal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumper0155 Posted July 28, 2015 Posted July 28, 2015 If I have a beer which is rare and I will limit it, Sorry, but I tapped out after the thought of this! :cheersty: You have more willpower than I! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris49 Posted July 28, 2015 Author Posted July 28, 2015 If I have a beer which is rare and I will limit it, Sorry, but I tapped out after the thought of this! :cheersty: You have more willpower than I! I actually love a beer or 2, but it's the rainy season now, quite cool in this area. However under my budget plan I could probably have 2 Pilsens a day inclusive. Not right now though, 1-2 a week I reckon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gratefuled Posted July 28, 2015 Posted July 28, 2015 Sorry Chris. I would not come here to pinch pennies. I'm high maintenance. I like nice things. Good food, nice place to stay in the heart of the city. Air condition, nice big screen tv, internet access. Oh, but I'm married and have a nice place to stay. Not so close to the city but it's home. Still, I have my complaints. It's not my home. I have to put up with a lot of inconveniences. You've probably heard it from me before. I miss my So Cal home, family and friends. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerald Glatt Posted July 28, 2015 Posted July 28, 2015 I have tried mightily, even when I was a bit more comfortable than now, living the high life. Without travel, and eating two meals out I was hard pressed to spend more than $500 usd per day, most days came in at $50-$100, so for a month at home without taking the boat out more than 4 times and putting lease than 2 hours on the aerocoupe I could sneak by for under $5k. Now with the house paid, the boat and plane sold and eating out maybe two times a month I come in at about 1-1200 per month. I seem to have a bit more fun too. It maybe that @ 67 I am more easily amused than at 47, oh and the kids are gone, that may save a $ or two. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Posted July 28, 2015 Posted July 28, 2015 Have to assume you have your own place/no rent. If you are talking about a few months, I can spend almost nothing in that case, because I have enough sustainable food to live of 2- 3 months :) (It's an habbit got by here can the weather make so my house can't be reached for a while by car and unpleasant weather make it's nicer to stay inside. I will settle rural in Phils too, so thyphons can make such situations too, so I suppouse I will have much in store there too.)It don't cost anything to go to the city if using bicycle :) When it's fruit/berry season, I don't need to buy any such either. For amusements I have many things, which cost to buy, but (almost) nothing to use, so during saving months I have no problem spending nothing. Beside some of them need electricity and some transport, I don't spend anything at amusements anyway :) So during the cheapest months, I need to pay only electric, mobile and internet... Better pay some health insurance fee too. If not having much food stored, then it depend some of season, but I suppouse I plus one more can live of 10 000 pesos per month for food without problem, because of cooking from scratch. I mean if not having a high maintenance wife, and her relatives live far enough away :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris49 Posted July 28, 2015 Author Posted July 28, 2015 (edited) Sorry Chris. I would not come here to pinch pennies. I'm high maintenance. I like nice things. Good food, nice place to stay in the heart of the city. Air condition, nice big screen tv, internet access. Oh, but I'm married and have a nice place to stay. Not so close to the city but it's home. Still, I have my complaints. It's not my home. I have to put up with a lot of inconveniences. You've probably heard it from me before. I miss my So Cal home, family and friends. I think there's one massive discrepancy in this country over "good food" and the actual cost of decent food. Ilive up north, but I know my way around the Metro area. I have paid in the thousands for stuff I find quite ordinary, and I have eaten in certain small outlets for under 100 and have some amazing finds. Having said that, next trip down, we will definitely look for a Japanese place, one we know, and a few of our favorite spots. I am talking here about a one month exercise, and take it as an experiment of if I can get through it or not. Edited July 28, 2015 by chris49 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrettGC Posted July 28, 2015 Posted July 28, 2015 (edited) As an Australian on a military pension plus some rental income on a place I own outright in Sydney (the most expensive city in the world vs average national income now real estate wise), I've seen my potential income drop by at least 25% in the last 2 years in the Phils with the tanking of the AUD vs the USD; from above parity about 73c/USD official so best case scenario 69/70c USD. You know what? I can still live there a lot better than I can here in Australia. Edited July 28, 2015 by BrettGC 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris49 Posted July 28, 2015 Author Posted July 28, 2015 (edited) My small US pension has been handy in that respect. Gina gets around $400 while mine is $1000 US. And my Aussie pension will add to that. However. $1000 USD=45, 500 pesos at today's rate. It could drift down but unlikely to change dramatically. $1000 AUD=32, 900 today at the money changer, bank rate would be less. Over 9 years I have seen the AUD trend from 42 downwards. And it might lose more. Getting back to my original point, since plenty of guys have talked of setting up small businesses. If I applied my plan 4 months/year and saved $3600 US, that's 162, 000, which would be 13, 500 pesos a month. Isn't that a good small business alternative in itself? Edited July 28, 2015 by chris49 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevewool Posted July 28, 2015 Posted July 28, 2015 I reckon I can live well under the $10, but will average it out to $10, spend the extra pesos for a once a week treat, probably breakfast at Maccas. $10, is this the amount for the month :thumbsup: 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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