How Old Were You Guys When You Settled Down In The Philippines & Why?

[GregZ]

hi all, still have 66 more pay days before i make the move, but thinking on i could go sooner, its the nest egg i am trying to make bigger, but for what???.

If my plans come to life we will be able to live on the rental income and my private pension and other little things i may have and that is to last me till my state pension kicks in after another 6 years.

It is getting harder to not think about moving sooner then later but dont we all think that

Keep to your plan steve.  Don't count that rental income and other eggs until they are hatching and the money tree is blooming.  I've been bitten by the "how could that have gone wrong" so encourage your caution even though I remain cautionless.

 

I just came to the Philippines to live 8 months while we got the visa for my wife, so we would stay together.  That was 15 months ago.  I had plenty of funds to cover EVERYTHING until a kidney infection required hospitalization and then the required move to Manila for 6 months observed TB treatment. :1 (103):  Gee, I should have planned for those! ! !  Life is still better here in the Philippines, but there is room for improvement.

[Ynot]

im wary of having sufficient capital reserves generating an income, so unforutnately i will not be coming for a least another 4 years and 2 months. I will be 61 then

[Ynot]

Hey Bundy,

 

Before you hit 67 you may wish to review the guidelines for the Australian pension.  If you return at the age of 67 and try to claim the pension I think you will be disappointed. You need to look a the guidelines.  It may pay to return to Aus for 12 months before you reach retirement age then lodge your application for the pension when you reach retirement age, as opposed to lodging a claim when you are 67 having just returned from the Philippines and being disappointed and having to serve 2 years in Aus to re-qualify.  Do your homework if you are relying on the aged pension

[whiskeyJack]

I am 64 years young, only been here two weeks so not so much settled yet, at least they have started to build the house after some not so gentle persuasion.

cheers

[Americano]

 

hi all, still have 66 more pay days before i make the move, but thinking on i could go sooner, its the nest egg i am trying to make bigger, but for what???.

If my plans come to life we will be able to live on the rental income and my private pension and other little things i may have and that is to last me till my state pension kicks in after another 6 years.

It is getting harder to not think about moving sooner then later but dont we all think that

Keep to your plan steve.  Don't count that rental income and other eggs until they are hatching and the money tree is blooming.  I've been bitten by the "how could that have gone wrong" so encourage your caution even though I remain cautionless.

 

I just came to the Philippines to live 8 months while we got the visa for my wife, so we would stay together.  That was 15 months ago.  I had plenty of funds to cover EVERYTHING until a kidney infection required hospitalization and then the required move to Manila for 6 months observed TB treatment. :1 (103):  Gee, I should have planned for those! ! !  Life is still better here in the Philippines, but there is room for improvement.

 

 

"required move to Manila for 6 months observed TB treatment"  I'm not an expert on this topic just like most doctors are not experts, but why was it necessary to be in Manila when you can take the medication for TB anywhere in the world?  You are the first person I ever heard of that needed to be in Manila while taking TB medication. Sounds like you got ripped off to me.  Filipinos don't go to Manila to take TB medicine, they take it at home but of course under a doctor's advice. Most Filipinos see $ Signs when they see a foreigner so that's probably why you had the inconvenience on staying in Manila and spent so much money. If I ever get TB, I will take the medicine at home.

[GregZ]

"required move to Manila for 6 months observed TB treatment" I'm not an expert on this topic just like most doctors are not experts, but why was it necessary to be in Manila when you can take the medication for TB anywhere in the world? You are the first person I ever heard of that needed to be in Manila while taking TB medication. *YOUR POST WAS FINE TO THIS POINT* Sounds like you got ripped off to me. Filipinos don't go to Manila to take TB medicine, they take it at home but of course under a doctor's advice. Most Filipinos see $ Signs when they see a foreigner so that's probably why you had the inconvenience on staying in Manila and spent so much money. If I ever get TB, I will take the medicine at home.

 

This appears that you are calling me stupid.... I assure you I am not.  Just go ahead and try taking the medicine at home when the US government REQUIRES "DIRECT OBSERVED TREATMENT" or you get no VISA for your fiance or wife.  HELLO!!!  I suggest that next time you should ask the circumstance before making such statements as this. Correct, you are "not an expert".  You can verify that I was not part of some "foreigner money extraction program" on the US Embassy's site and the St. Luke's Medical Extension Clinic's required procedures as part of a visa physical.  I was part of the US CITIZEN FLEECING program set up by the US of A.

 

If you find this a little bit offensive then I feel better. :tiphat:   BTW the treatment was "FREE".

[robert k]

Ok GregZ, point made, but did you want to be in Manilla or could you have done the stint in Cebu or someplace else, "under supervision"? To me Manila is any other big city, good shopping, resteraunts and dirty air, nice to visit occasionally but I would probably develop a breathing aliment if I lived there very long.

 

Back on topic, I'm trying like hell to make it 48 to settle in :).

Edited April 24, 2014 by robert k

[BrettGC]

45 now, was planning on last year as most of you know but family illness (my eldest daughter's cancer - now in full remission), financial circumstances not quite stacking up and some other stuff I'm not going to bother you with all added up to me not arriving full-time yet.  I Recently received a letter from the Child Support Agency stating that I'm not to leave the country for more than 4 weeks at a time until my financial obligation to my youngest daughter is completely discharged.  She's 18 in August and I offered to the entire amount up front but they said no, as there's a chance my financial position may "improve" in intervening months.  They going to rig the lotto for me???  This despite 15 years of never missing a payment and on many occasions paying extra to help out the kids (3 of them) when they needed it.  :1 (103): .   in contradiction some of my previous posts, thankfully SAO is a very patient lady. The house is progressing nicely in my absence, will have the deed to my investment property in my hand by then, my Bisayan is improving and I"ve been picking up some extra money guest lecturing at one of the local universities.  Oh well, all good things come to those that wait.

 

On the upside, many of my friends reckon I have a picture in the attic A'La Dorian Grey as they swear I pass for mid-thirties (read Oscar Wilde - awesome book).  Must have been all that clean living during my 20 years in the Navy :nudie:

Edited April 25, 2014 by BrettGC

[Jake]

45 now, was planning on last year as most of you know but family illness (my eldest daughter's cancer - now in full remission), financial circumstances not quite stacking up and some other stuff I'm not going to bother you with all added up to me not arriving full-time yet.  I Recently received a letter from the Child Support Agency stating that I'm not to leave the country for more than 4 weeks at a time until my financial obligation to my youngest daughter is completely discharged.  She's 18 in August and I offered to the entire amount up front but they said no, as there's a chance my financial position may "improve" in intervening months.  They going to rig the lotto for me???  This despite 15 years of never missing a payment and on many occasions paying extra to help out the kids (3 of them) when they needed it.  :1 (103): .   in contradiction some of my previous posts, thankfully SAO is a very patient lady. The house is progressing nicely in my absence, will have the deed to my investment property in my hand by then, my Bisayan is improving and I"ve been picking up some extra money guest lecturing at one of the local universities.  Oh well, all good things come to those that wait.

 

On the upside, many of my friends reckon I have a picture in the attic A'La Dorian Grey as they swear I pass for mid-thirties (read Oscar Wilde - awesome book).  Must have been all that clean living during my 20 years in the Navy :nudie:

Having a military background, we try to plan ahead and come up with contingencies plan B, C and D.  

Unfortunately, chit happens sometimes but you seem to have it by the balls.  It's good to remain flexible

and try not to sweat the small chit.  Twenty years in the Royal Australian Navy really paid off -- well done! 

 

As for me, I returned to PI at the age of 39 after retiring from USN.  That was back in 1990 where the peso

was 24 to a dollar during Corazon Aquino as president.  My military pension plus my GI bill while attending

college went a long way but eventually I could not stand it anymore.

 

I escaped back to California in 1997 (without my wife Judy) because of serious problems with her family.  

Perhaps I was too Americanized and did not show any patience dealing with the extended family.  She

came back to me after one year because she finally saw the real truth about her own mother and half

sisters.  We have since worked it out and now we are planning to go back to PI but only on an extended

vacation (whenever I hit the lotto).  

 

As a Filipino with an American mindset (don't puck with me and I won't puck with you), I simply cannot see

myself living there permanently.  Sorry guys -- it's just the way I see things for the future of my native land.

 

Respectfully -- Jake

[BrettGC]

As a Filipino with an American mindset (don't puck with me and I won't puck with you), I simply cannot see myself living there permanently. Sorry guys -- it's just the way I see things for the future of my native land.

 

I guess Jake you've lived on both sides of the fence, so you can see the downsides/positives of both rather than "the grass is greener".  You and Judy are always more than welcome to come visit at anytime.  I'll leave a patch of ground next to my doghouse for yours, if we get together I can see us both ending up there :cheersty: .  Seriously kapikas, bisan kanus-a nga imong gusto, San Magoo sa baybayon uban sa usa ka fishing sungkod. Kinabuhi ang dili daghan mas maayo pa kay sa niana nga. Sorry, Tom (JGF), couldn't help myself. 

 

Edit:  Jake, after knowing the story of how you and Judy ended up together, was there ever any doubt?  That's the outsiders perspective anyway.

Edited April 25, 2014 by BrettGC