Where Is The Disconnect?? Filipina Is Telling Me $1K Is A Lot!!

[BrettGC]

When I was staying near Cebu, I had a handful of foreigner acquaintances who made no effort to integrate into Filipino society. They were always complaining and didn't really have any friends other than foreigners. I cannot imagine living in the Philippines and not living alongside Filipinos. They are so much easier to get along with than foreigners. But I'm rambling now, which I always seem to do when discussing the Philippines.

 

^^ This is exactly my attitude and has gotten me a long way in the past in a few different countries.  

[tomaw]

Ok. I don't live in The Philippines I live in S. California in Orange County. When we move to Cebu I plan on having my house and all the western appliances and other luxuries paid for BEFORE moving there. I work now as an airport shuttle driver and spend a fortune on gas. In Cebu or Cebu province I'll have a car but even if gas costs the same as here I won't be driving nearly as much or as far. Could my wife and I live on $1,000 a month in The Philippines? Ha, ha, If I didn't haze to pay rent and spend a fortune on gas for my van We could live comfortably on $1,000 a month in CALIFORNIA! ($1,000/ 30 days=$33.33 a day.).

[robert k]

Tomaw, I agree you could live a less expensive lifestyle than you do now while you are working but $33.33 a day is not alot there. If you own your own place, there is still property taxes. My taxes were pretty reasonable at around $1k a year for my house in Tx. Utilities still have a service charge even if you aren't using them. If you had the water and electricity turned off, the city could condemn your home. I would figure about $10 per day for taxes and utilities at a minimum and maybe you could squeeze bundled basic cable-internet-phone into that. Fuel, registration, maintainance, insurance and inspection for a vehicle would be a budget buster in my opinion, maybe you could do it on a bycycle for some time but not forever. Living in suburbia, you just don't have as much option of going native to save on expenses. I call the Philippines the a-la-carte lifes tyle, I live as good as I am willing to pay for and nobody requires me to pay more.

[Thomas]

Someone mentioned this earlier in the thread, but a big key to being able to spend less is make a good Filipino friend or two. They will be happy to help you find things you are looking for more easily and get better prices on many things. And they are invaluable in answering questions about culture. You will be much happier there if you try to understand the culture. And, of course, it's always good to have friends. Filipinos make good and loyal friends if you are friendly in return.

Yes, IF they are real friends, not expecting to much for helping you.

A FilipinA can save more or cost more   :mocking:   If she believe she has good chance you will marry her and she will inherit you when you die, she can see it as she save to herself too    :)      BUT it can become expensive IF she has a family, which cost much.  An "odd" thing is that families with MORE accets can demand MUCH, while POOR ask for LESS/NOTHING.  It depend much of their attitude...

 

Yes, there are rents for 150 USD good enough APPARTMENTS even houses, harder to find it a calm nice neighbourhood. Some are very loud...

 

Yes, it's possible to manage at 850 USD the FOLLOWING months,

BUT in STARTUP I suppouse you will need to buy some needed things, which you don't bring.

[tomaw]

Tomaw, I agree you could live a less expensive lifestyle than you do now while yIou are working but $33.33 a day is not alot there. If you own your own place, there is still property taxes. My taxes were pretty reasonable at around $1k a year for my house in Tx. Utilities still have a service charge even if you aren't using them. If you had the water and electricity turned off, the city could condemn your home. I would figure about $10 per day for taxes and utilities at a minimum and maybe you could squeeze bundled basic cable-internet-phone into that. Fuel, registration, maintainance, insurance and inspection for a vehicle would be a budget buster in my opinion, maybe you could do it on a bycycle for some time but not forever. Living in suburbia, you just don't have as much option of going native to save on expenses. I call the Philippines the a-la-carte lifes tyle, I live as good as I am willing to pay for and nobody requires me to pay more.

No doubt you're right. But the main point I was trying to make (although I didn't come right out and say it) is if I can live on that in a place as expensive as L.A./OC California, I should easily be able to do it in Cebu or Cebu province. Also about a year ago I looked into buying a lot in a gated community in Compostela. After the house would be built a realtor estimated my taxes and HOA Fees would be about $60 a month. That's in a gated subdivision with 24/7 security and lots of amenities. Another member on Sariago (not sure of spelling) has over an acre of land his house is on and only pays $50 a year! :-) Edited September 30, 2014 by tomaw

[robert k]

Tomaw, I agree it's doable in the Philippines. My point was that in any incorporated area in the US they won't allow you to live cheap, you will meet their minimum standard in all things and pay their fees.

[tomaw]

Someone mentioned this earlier in the thread, but a big key to being able to spend less is make a good Filipino friend or two. They will be happy to help you find things you are looking for more easily and get better prices on many things. And they are invaluable in answering questions about culture. You will be much happier there if you try to understand the culture. And, of course, it's always good to have friends. Filipinos make good and loyal friends if you are friendly in return.

Yes, IF they are real friends, not expecting to much for helping you.

A FilipinA can save more or cost more :mocking: If she believe she has good chance you will marry her and she will inherit you when you die, she can see it as she save to herself too :) BUT it can become expensive IF she has a family, which cost much. An "odd" thing is that families with MORE accets can demand MUCH, while POOR ask for LESS/NOTHING. It depend much of their attitude...

Yes, there are rents for 150 USD good enough APPARTMENTS even houses, harder to find it a calm nice neighbourhood. Some are very loud...

Yes, it's possible to manage at 850 USD the FOLLOWING months,

BUT in STARTUP I suppouse you will need to buy some needed things, which you don't bring.

My wife is from Cebu and lived there all her life till she married me. Her oldest sister lives in Florida with her American husband. They plan on moving to Cebu as well. Her other sister lives in Cebu with her Filipino husband and 3 kids and her mother. Her husband delivers produce from the farms in the province to markets in the city. He can get fruits and vegetables at a large discount if not for cc free! We plan on getting a place to build 3 houses. This immediate family I have no problems with. The very large extended family will be far from us. Edited September 30, 2014 by tomaw

[John Mogusar]

Yes, it's possible to manage at 850 USD the FOLLOWING months,

BUT in STARTUP I suppouse you will need to buy some needed things, which you don't bring.

 

 

 

Someone mentioned this earlier in the thread, but a big key to being able to spend less is make a good Filipino friend or two. They will be happy to help you find things you are looking for more easily and get better prices on many things. And they are invaluable in answering questions about culture. You will be much happier there if you try to understand the culture. And, of course, it's always good to have friends. Filipinos make good and loyal friends if you are friendly in return.

Yes, IF they are real friends, not expecting to much for helping you.

A FilipinA can save more or cost more   :mocking:   If she believe she has good chance you will marry her and she will inherit you when you die, she can see it as she save to herself too    :)      BUT it can become expensive IF she has a family, which cost much.  An "odd" thing is that families with MORE accets can demand MUCH, while POOR ask for LESS/NOTHING.  It depend much of their attitude...

 

Yes, there are rents for 150 USD good enough APPARTMENTS even houses, harder to find it a calm nice neighbourhood. Some are very loud...

 

Yes, it's possible to manage at 850 USD the FOLLOWING months,

BUT in STARTUP I suppouse you will need to buy some needed things, which you don't bring.

 

Yes, I did neglect to mention that I have a separate budget for purchasing things when I first arrive in the Philippines. This includes three months rent, additional money for use before I've located a house to rent, $830 for "stuff" (bed, refrigerator, chairs, etc.), a karaoke rig, a TV, and a computer (most of which parts I will buy at home). Also, three months living expenses, as I will be working (via the Internet) and need to make sure I have plenty of time to get my Internet up and running. Things can sometimes move VERY slowly in the Philippines. But that's part of its charm. :) And the plane ticket, of course.

 

When I say "make a good friend," I'm not thinking of a girlfriend...just a friend. Invite them over for dinner sometimes, play sports together, just chat, whatever. If they are asking for money, this is not the kind of "good friend" I mean. I know many cynical foreigners who would never believe that there are those kinds of Filipinos, but as I've said in other posts, if you respect them, they will respect you and expect only friendship in return. (By no means meaning this is always the case!)

[pokermike]

Wow thats incredible i know Orange County well one of most expensive areas in the US . ihave never heard of anyone living on $1,000 a month . i think the norm is about $6000 a month. i here some amazing things on this site. even living on a $1,000 in the Philpiines i dont see as possible. I see surviving but not really living. I dont live there now but soon will hopefully by December my budget there will be $3,500 per month which i think i can pull off.  Here in Scottsdale it is around $7,000 per month.

I think too many guys read about the Philippines but have not visited there or mabybe have been there once and think they have it figured out. I suggest many visits differnet times of the year and even plan to visit in the rainy season , give your self a chance to see if you can rerally handle it. i am going back on the 30th of this month which will be my second visit this month and my 4th since the begining of the year and 10th overall, two weeks at a time. i am still learning alot about the country from you guys on the forum and thanks for that , but nothing beats being there to actually get the feel. The thing i do know is that there is no way i can live there on $1,000 a month. I have 6 of my ex employees that have retired there and they all spend well over $1,000 a month. One of them turned me on to this site and first thing he told me was forget about that $1,000 a month idea.   later poker mike

[robert k]

Mike, it might have been because he knows your lifestyle. From what little you have posted, I wonder if $3,500 will be enough because it can be more expensive to transplant a first world life to a 3rd world country than it is to live it in the first world.