From A Newbie

[frosty (chris)]

Well just arrived, 2 weeks in a hotel, found a 2 b/room house in Basak in a gated community for 8000 pesos a month, is ok, nice and quiet and 8 pesos ride from the mall. I thought I would write this for any one thinking of moving here. The food prices are much the same as in Aus, but seafood and friut so much cheaper.Beer is cheap 560 pesos for a 24 crate, cigs Fortune 30 pesos a pack.It cost me around a $1000 aus to furnish the place, fridge, bed, lounge, 2 burner gas cooker, table and chairs, odds and ends,one thing I did learn, when you buy white goods go to the littlier shops in the malls and get the price then bargain them down for CASH, you can get a really good discount. For odds and ends find a Unitop store, like a $2 shop, there is an even cheaper one but cant remember the name, like a $1 store. I find the food here a little limited but then I am not a big eater so no problems.For eating out, unbelieveable value for money, went to a place called the Vue at the Cebu Yacht Club, 3 of us, a good meal, couple of beers, fantastic setting, 800 pesos for 3, well worth a visit.

          Now I will tell you, if you come here on your own, you are in for a hell of a time, I really don't think you could do it, maybe you could, but geez it would be hard. My best advice for any one is make a friend, get a friend or even borrow a mates friend coz it will make anything you do here so much easier.

          I plan to live on $1000 aus a month and will see how that goes, If anyone is interested I wll update this occasionally and tell you how I am going. By the way I am a single guy so that also makes a difference. Take care and be safe

[Poppysambo]

Hi Frosty, I would enjoy hearing your updates thank you. My husband and I are considering Philippines as a retirement option so reading others experiences are terrific, maybe we can skip around some of the difficulties by learning from yours.

Hope all goes well for you.

Best wishes

Di

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[Jollygoodfellow]

Well just arrived, 2 weeks in a hotel, found a 2 b/room house in Basak in a gated community for 8000 pesos a month, is ok, nice and quiet and 8 pesos ride from the mall. I thought I would write this for any one thinking of moving here. The food prices are much the same as in Aus, but seafood and friut so much cheaper.Beer is cheap 560 pesos for a 24 crate, cigs Fortune 30 pesos a pack.It cost me around a $1000 aus to furnish the place, fridge, bed, lounge, 2 burner gas cooker, table and chairs, odds and ends,one thing I did learn, when you buy white goods go to the littlier shops in the malls and get the price then bargain them down for CASH, you can get a really good discount. For odds and ends find a Unitop store, like a $2 shop, there is an even cheaper one but cant remember the name, like a $1 store. I find the food here a little limited but then I am not a big eater so no problems.For eating out, unbelieveable value for money, went to a place called the Vue at the Cebu Yacht Club, 3 of us, a good meal, couple of beers, fantastic setting, 800 pesos for 3, well worth a visit.

          Now I will tell you, if you come here on your own, you are in for a hell of a time, I really don't think you could do it, maybe you could, but geez it would be hard. My best advice for any one is make a friend, get a friend or even borrow a mates friend coz it will make anything you do here so much easier.

          I plan to live on $1000 aus a month and will see how that goes, If anyone is interested I wll update this occasionally and tell you how I am going. By the way I am a single guy so that also makes a difference. Take care and be safe

 

 

Thanks for the run down on your move. :thumbsup:  $1000 seems cheap to furnish the place? 

[frosty (chris)]

Well I have all the receipts and I wanted to be straight up with everything I said, the fridge, gas cooker, fan, toaster, electric jug was 11000 pesos, mattress 4000, bed and cane lounge 3500, plastic table and 4 chairs 1500 pesos, gas bottle and refill 1300 pesos, water dispenser 450 pesos 10 litres of water 25 pesos hahahahhahaha. The rest was spent on pots and pans, knives, shower curtain, plates, cleaning stuff, all the things you need to start out, as I said this friend of mine the Filipina knows all the places and lot's of places to go for cheap goods, I was so lucky to find her and we are just good mates. I still need a few things(extra tables and some lamps) but I reckon no more than another 4000 pesos to finish the place off.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Frosty

[Medic Mike]

Well I have all the receipts and I wanted to be straight up with everything I said, the fridge, gas cooker, fan, toaster, electric jug was 11000 pesos, mattress 4000, bed and cane lounge 3500, plastic table and 4 chairs 1500 pesos, gas bottle and refill 1300 pesos, water dispenser 450 pesos 10 litres of water 25 pesos hahahahhahaha. The rest was spent on pots and pans, knives, shower curtain, plates, cleaning stuff, all the things you need to start out, as I said this friend of mine the Filipina knows all the places and lot's of places to go for cheap goods, I was so lucky to find her and we are just good mates. I still need a few things(extra tables and some lamps) but I reckon no more than another 4000 pesos to finish the place off.

If I was you, even though you are in a gated community, I would spend some extra money on a smoke detector, many of these units don't have one, and also on a good dead bolt and a quality door jammer. You will sleep alot sounder :). Just my 2 cents :)

[MikeB]

And at least 1 small fire extinguisher for the kitchen. I have inexpensive contact alarms on both doors so if the door opens during the night a loud alarm goes off. I sleep better.  

[frosty (chris)]

Thanks you guys, you never remember everything, the doors are double bolted and a good old plastic door stop under the doors, but I like the idea of contact alarms, mike B where did you buy them.

[Medic Mike]

And at least 1 small fire extinguisher for the kitchen. I have inexpensive contact alarms on both doors so if the door opens during the night a loud alarm goes off. I sleep better. 

Good advice on the fire extinguisher, :) ..don't know about the contact alarms....hehe...I don't want anyone opening my doors when I am sleeping...hehe.....when I had my own unit, someone would need a very very big sledge hammer to get in my door with the door jammer engaged.....I am sure the sledge hammer would wake me. Plan B for the holes in the door was the fire extinguiser in the kitchen :)

[Medic Mike]

Thanks you guys, you never remember everything, the doors are double bolted and a good old plastic door stop under the doors, but I like the idea of contact alarms, mike B where did you buy them.

Make sure you get a door jammer. I would never get a good sleep with just deadbolts.

[frosty (chris)]

Thanks Medic Mike, I am just getting settled in, so tomorrow will go to the local hardware store and see what they have in the security line, talking with the neighbours here they say they have no problems, I did come home late one night and a security guard was out walking the compound with what looked like a shot gun under his arm, I didn't go and ask him though.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Frosty