Living cost where you live

[GeoffH]

On 8/25/2022 at 10:33 PM, JJReyes said:

We will be living in hotels during our Philippine visit and there has been a large increase in properties advertised on the Internet and search engines. 

We use local hotels a fair bit and since coming back (post covid) it's been my experience that the online booking web sites (Agoda, Booking.com) give me better rates than rocking up at the actual hotel which was the opposite of the situation (for me at least) prior to Covid.

[JJReyes]

1 hour ago, GeoffH said:

We use local hotels a fair bit and since coming back (post covid) it's been my experience that the online booking web sites (Agoda, Booking.com) give me better rates than rocking up at the actual hotel which was the opposite of the situation (for me at least) prior to Covid.

My experience is hotel websites charge more because of threats by search engines.  They will place you at the tail end of 600 properties listed if the hotel offers cheaper prices.  The search engines can do this because the multiple sites are actually owned by only two corporations.  You need to telephone the hotel directly to achieve better rates.  They may give it or upgrade the room if occupancy is low.

My personal preference is Booking.com since my status is at their highest level.  Part of their 30% commission is returned through membership discount.  They also give credit points.  We have enough for my first 5 days at Makati Diamond Hotel.

[RBM]

On 8/25/2022 at 10:33 PM, JJReyes said:

We will be living in hotels during our Philippine visit and there has been a large increase in properties advertised on the Internet and search engines.  My strategy is to book the first few nights only and call direct for rates (requesting for discounts).  I was told this might no longer work because economic prosperity means lots of domestic travel by locals.  The hotels are no longer dependent on foreign visitors.  Some of the more expensive hotels are properties with a casino.  

Do you serious think anyone going to answer the phone.....Best bet F.B.

[JJReyes]

11 hours ago, RBM said:

Do you serious think anyone going to answer the phone.....Best bet F.B.

If F.B. refers to Face Book, we don't use it.  Early in its public release, we were warned by a securities expert that the site is susceptible to data harvesting.  If the hotel's sales department won't answer the phone, I can pass by to inquire since they are usually within the business district area.  We are prepared for the worse, meaning booking through search engines.

[BrettGC]

10 hours ago, JJReyes said:

If F.B. refers to Face Book, we don't use it.  Early in its public release, we were warned by a securities expert that the site is susceptible to data harvesting.

JJ, by extension, you shouldn't be using the internet or a smart phone at all then; just about every site on the planet data harvests these days and are quite open about it.  

[JJReyes]

13 hours ago, BrettGC said:

JJ, by extension, you shouldn't be using the internet or a smart phone at all then; just about every site on the planet data harvests these days and are quite open about it. 

Yes. Agree.  What we do is try to lower our profile.  This includes my not taking pictures with the camera feature and not posting photographs.  Although I have a bachelor's degree in professional advertising photography from Art Center College of Design, I seldom take photographs anymore.  On rare occasions, I use a regular camera.  (Just destroyed 7,000 transparency slides previously housed with a stock photography company in Hong Kong.)

[stevewool]

Well I’ve got a chance of fixing my electric and gas bill for the coming year and to me it’s a joke , I think I am very frugal with bills and I have been happy paying them each month ,my bills use to be just under 6500 peso or £100 each month 

I know my bills won’t effect folk living in the Philippines but I thought I would tell you what they said I would be paying by direct debit each month 22,630 peso or £348 English pounds , I may be moving to the Philippines sooner then I thought 

[Mike J]

5 hours ago, stevewool said:

Well I’ve got a chance of fixing my electric and gas bill for the coming year and to me it’s a joke , I think I am very frugal with bills and I have been happy paying them each month ,my bills use to be just under 6500 peso or £100 each month 

I know my bills won’t effect folk living in the Philippines but I thought I would tell you what they said I would be paying by direct debit each month 22,630 peso or £348 English pounds , I may be moving to the Philippines sooner then I thought 

Your utility bills are set to more than triple?  

[hk blues]

6 hours ago, Mike J said:

Your utility bills are set to more than triple?  

Yes...and No.

What is happening is the ceiling/cap is effectively tripling so anyone who was above the cap before will suffer - that's pretty much everyone.  Not necessarily by x3 but most utility companies are asking people to triple their autopayments to ensure they keep on top of the bills.  

[BrettGC]

1 hour ago, hk blues said:

Yes...and No.

What is happening is the ceiling/cap is effectively tripling so anyone who was above the cap before will suffer - that's pretty much everyone.  Not necessarily by x3 but most utility companies are asking people to triple their autopayments to ensure they keep on top of the bills.  

So they're predicting this is going to continue if not get worse.