Living Or Existing

[Jollygoodfellow]

I was reading on a Philippines forum the other day,anyway a new member posts that he wanted to live in the Philippines and he should be able to make $250 a week working on line but some weeks nothing,anyway the first reply post appears and says that $250 a week you will be living in relative luxuryIs that really true now days with the cost of everything increasing including visa fees etc ?Oh, he would have girlfriend and child to support on this money.My point of this post is to find out what is really required to live in "relative luxury".

[Demeter]

I was reading on a Philippines forum the other day,anyway a new member posts that he wanted to live in the Philippines and he should be able to make $250 a week working on line but some weeks nothing,anyway the first reply post appears and says that $250 a week you will be living in relative luxuryIs that really true now days with the cost of everything increasing including visa fees etc ?Oh, he would have girlfriend and child to support on this money.My point of this post is to find out what is really required to live in "relative luxury".

There is a specific factor here that will give us a different interpretation of the phrase "relative luxury" and that is lifestyle.If I were earning $250 a week, giving me a monthly income of $1,000, I would say it would be more than enough for me to get by. I am only paying 5,000 pesos for my rent, my utility bills cost me almost 4,000 a month (VECO, PLDT, Water) food and other stuff (medicine, vitamins) cost me around 8,000 more or less. I don't drink, I don't gamble, I don't eat out a lot, I no longer go to the movies as I used to. With this monthly expenses, I can say I am not living miserably. There never was a day that we ran out of food in the house or we starved. If I were earning that much, I would surely be saving some of it just in case, someone in the family falls sick and for the education expenses of my daughter and I would probably get me a small vehicle.We all have different lifestyles, what one considers to be too much might not be enough for others.

[Jollygoodfellow]

I was reading on a Philippines forum the other day,anyway a new member posts that he wanted to live in the Philippines and he should be able to make $250 a week working on line but some weeks nothing,anyway the first reply post appears and says that $250 a week you will be living in relative luxuryIs that really true now days with the cost of everything increasing including visa fees etc ?Oh, he would have girlfriend and child to support on this money.My point of this post is to find out what is really required to live in "relative luxury".

There is a specific factor here that will give us a different interpretation of the phrase "relative luxury" and that is lifestyle.If I were earning $250 a week, giving me a monthly income of $1,000, I would say it would be more than enough for me to get by. I am only paying 5,000 pesos for my rent, my utility bills cost me almost 4,000 a month (VECO, PLDT, Water) food and other stuff (medicine, vitamins) cost me around 8,000 more or less. I don't drink, I don't gamble, I don't eat out a lot, I no longer go to the movies as I used to. With this monthly expenses, I can say I am not living miserably. There never was a day that we ran out of food in the house or we starved. If I were earning that much, I would surely be saving some of it just in case, someone in the family falls sick and for the education expenses of my daughter and I would probably get me a small vehicle.We all have different lifestyles, what one considers to be too much might not be enough for others.

Thanks for your reply,just wondering since you are Filipino,are you living a western life style or Filipino lifestyle? I should have asked in the original post for western life style as that was my interpretation of the advice given else where.

[Panserhansen]

I was reading on a Philippines forum the other day,anyway a new member posts that he wanted to live in the Philippines and he should be able to make $250 a week working on line but some weeks nothing,anyway the first reply post appears and says that $250 a week you will be living in relative luxuryIs that really true now days with the cost of everything increasing including visa fees etc ?Oh, he would have girlfriend and child to support on this money.My point of this post is to find out what is really required to live in "relative luxury".

I had a friend back in Norway(lost contact now) who was VERY economical. He was 50 years old, and very healthy. He walked back and forth to work every day, took him an hour each way. His favorite thing to do was to walk deep into the forest, bringing a termos with coffee, some water, some hot dogs he fried over open fire, and some bread(always the cheapest). Saturdays he allowed himself a bottle of wine. He enjoyed fishing, picking berries or mushrooms which was part of his diet. While the rest of us spent about 1500 USD a month on food, drinks, different items etc(except mortage/rent, phone, electricity etc) - he normally spent 300, saving up the rest. His bank account kept growing and probably still does. When we asked him why he didn't afford himself a little more luxury, he honestly said that it was a privilege for him living like this and wouldn't want it any other way. He sometimes told him that his lifestyle was luxury.So I guess it's very depending on the person you ask. For 1000/month here you can have internet, an ok however not posh place, eat local but good food every day, including fresh fish, vegetables and fruits. Have a few beers or Tanduay. Instead of going to a western restaurant and spend 700-1000 peso, he probably walks to the market, picks up some fresh fish or mussles, and prepares them at home enjoying a cold beer. He could have a lifestyle way better than back home, so I can understand why he calls it relative luxury. Luxury for some is expensive clothes, expensive wines and cheese, while others might not even like that kind of stuff.For me, I would have to adjust a lot to live on 1000/month. If I had to, I think I could make it - but I'm not sure if I would call that luxury..

[tropicalwaste]

The term "luxury" is all depending on the person. We live on around $500 a month but we don't live like we are poor... there is a misunderstanding by many people that would assume that if your living on less than $1000 your living in poverty.. Truth of the matter its all related to what your doing. I cut out most alcohol because its too cheap here and goes down to well so there is at least $200 I have saved on a lot of other expats a month.We rent a small 1 bedroom house although we own land because its cheaper than construction at P3,000 a month there is the obvious saving of around at least another $50 on a lot of others. Most of our food comes from the local market and we have relatives going everyday as regards some of our other businesses so we have no commuting fees to and from the market. We are what some people regard as "provincial" yet our electricity bill seems to be cheaper than most others at P1600 a month on average including use of 1 x A/C which only runs in the evenings as we have adapted to the climate obviously at least another $50+ saving on a lot of peoples electricity. Water is deep well so no bill there either another $6 a month. Internet costs P999 yet we have a neighbour tapped into our router paying P500 of it another saving.Are we living the poor life?? we have at least 4 resorts nearby we can use swimming pools and eat out when we like although generally we order take out. We have "fun days" which are paid for out of the businesses which for the girls in the family are a spa day once a month with massage, facial and nails. Pool days where we bumped into Fanboat for example off "another forum" all paid out of business venture profits.The question I would tell people to ask themselves when arriving in the Philippines is not how they will make money but where are they overspending.. for example I drink a lot of fizzy drinks due to cutting out the beer. Result being we sell from our Sari-Sari so my cokes come out of the profit margin of the business. It also means I drink 2 x RC a day which are P5 each where as having a 1L - 2L bottle in the house I know I would drink that and its not good for the body that much junk drinks. If you want to eat constantly imported foods and drink nearly every day then obviously budgets differ.. But its not luxury its gluttony that are major factors. In the U.S. too much stuff is excessively available which I found crazy when I was there before trying to just find a small carton of milk for coffee in the mornings that everyone sold "half" or "gallon" containers I only want a small carton.. Which is probably why a lot of the perspective of living within a budget may seem extreme to many Americans. But I doubt that Europeans are as affected by the changes of moving here when it comes down to the day to day things because things are generally more expensive especially in the UK.What is a major factor many overlook though is the medical and the affect that it can have. Even if you doubled your budget to $2000 a month and someone had a heart attack they would quickly be hit with big bills followed by ongoing medical care and medicines which would see that $2000 slip into becoming small coins very rapidly. It happens the same with Filipinos as it does us which is why suddenly you get someone knock at the door offering you a lot for 1/3rd of its value or motorbike etc. The same reason im waiting for buying some apartments nearby as I know the family are sick and will need to sell within the next 2 yrs. Not sitting like a vulture but know from last years experience when they sold their lot in Naga for medical expenses that the family has several seriously ill relatives to the point it will get to either sell the lot or let someone die. If I could make it work with them I would develop it and go 50/50 on the rentals but I know the owner is also a compulsive gambler. Anyway back on track.. $250 a month is easily achievable its all relative to the way the person wants to live. Its not downsizing either which a lot of people assume he would have to do its re-jigging to fit into a new country you cant expect to come to the Philippines and go I want to live like im in the U.S. your in RP!

[Inspector]

I would rather exist in a first world country then a third...not even debatable. Of course this has to imply what I consider existing. If this existence meant I had to live in a bed spacer and spend most of my days and nights sh&tfaced, then this is NOT acceptable to my standards of living. Why? Because I "finished" my western living, due to hard back breaking work (16 hour days)..... with a nice home, a lexus/acura and touring bike (toy), with enough dough to blow 100 bucks for a surf and turf on a night out. Sure, like many other western men and especially replanted expats, I lost touch of what made me happy, and lost most of the material things in a divorce...but I could assure anybody that living in a closet, drunk every night, would not be something I can be proud of, and I would have no face (pride) trying to live at this standard. I believe that materialistic ways of living in the west have become over the top and too implanted in our minds causing a drastic negative mindset (I am a perfect example)...but, I am quite certain nobody would turn down a lotto winning. :bonk:I believe it's all in the balance of the two, what you want to put in to the system and what you expect out, and what makes you happy. If living in a box, drunk, is happy to you...more power to you. I could not do it, no matter how good and plenty the pu__y was. Getting a used LS over the ES because your neighbor has a new Lexus ES is NOT the way to live a life either, and I was there.... but having a set of wheels to get you around over a cough inducing jeep is certainly a luxury I can agree to. For those who suggest existing... I ask a simple question.... Would you rather of been born HERE, in a third world country...or where you originally came from? I believe we all know the answer to that one.....:thumbsup:

[Singers]

I would rather exist in a first world country then a third...not even debatable. Of course this has to imply what I consider existing. If this existence meant I had to live in a bed spacer and spend most of my days and nights sh&tfaced, then this is NOT acceptable to my standards of living. Why? Because I "finished" my western living, due to hard back breaking work (16 hour days)..... with a nice home, a lexus/acura and touring bike (toy), with enough dough to blow 100 bucks for a surf and turf on a night out. Sure, like many other western men and especially replanted expats, I lost touch of what made me happy, and lost most of the material things in a divorce...but I could assure anybody that living in a closet, drunk every night, would not be something I can be proud of, and I would have no face (pride) trying to live at this standard. I believe that materialistic ways of living in the west have become over the top and too implanted in our minds causing a drastic negative mindset (I am a perfect example)...but, I am quite certain nobody would turn down a lotto winning. :bonk:I believe it's all in the balance of the two, what you want to put in to the system and what you expect out, and what makes you happy. If living in a box, drunk, is happy to you...more power to you. I could not do it, no matter how good and plenty the pu__y was. Getting a used LS over the ES because your neighbor has a new Lexus ES is NOT the way to live a life either, and I was there.... but having a set of wheels to get you around over a cough inducing jeep is certainly a luxury I can agree to. For those who suggest existing... I ask a simple question.... Would you rather of been born HERE, in a third world country...or where you originally came from? I believe we all know the answer to that one.....:thumbsup:

Hi Inspector, "but having a set of wheels to get you around over a cough inducing jeep"Do you mean a Jeep is cough inducing or a Jeepney RIDE is. ??As I am looking at buying a NEW JEEP Wrangler for PI use.Should see me out and give Tex a good run as opposed to a Japanese saloon car.UK Tom

[Tom in Texas]

My point of this post is to find out what is really required to live in "relative luxury".

I wondered about this same question when I seriously began to consider living at least half the year in the Philippines. There are certainly posts on this and other sites which reflect monthly expenses of less than $1,000... however, there are many more around $1,500, and quite a few ranging $2,500 and above.I collected the highest cost for any item that I saw posted by anyone on this forum and several other sites. The following would seem to be the most one would ever need to spend for a very comfortable lifestyle. I hope to keep my expenses well below those listed below, however, I'd rather not give up too many of life's pleasures (hot showers, cool house, soft bed, good food, cold Coronas, etc.) just so I can live in "Paradise"... or is that an oxymoronic thought. Before the rants about living on $400/mo begin.. I repeat - The following "budget" is not intended to reflect how much it is actually necessary to spend, but rather the upper limit of what is being spent by some who have posted their expenses. Per MonthRent - 40,000Electricity (aircon, etc) - 10,000Fuel/expense (vehicles) - 3,000Propane (cooking) - 500Drinking water (bottled) - 500House water - 800Broadband/DSL - 1,000Cable/Sat - 1,000Cell phone - 1,000Local phone - 800Household Misc (bug spray, cleaning supplies, etc) - 1,000Personal care (shampoo, toothpaste, etc) - 1,000Clothing - 1,500Food (groceries only) - 15,000Food (eating out) - 9,000Entertainment (family outings, birthdays, parties) - 4,000 Entertainment (leisure travel within the Philippines) - 15,000Entertainment (local activities, hobbies, hanging out) - 2,500Annual U.S. trip to visit family, etc. (escrow) - 15,000Helpers - 5,000Insurance (health) - 2,000Medical (spend or escrow) - 10,000 Immigration (13G) - 0Family assistance - 15,000Misc - 10,000Total

[Jollygoodfellow]

Its so easy to change a topic from "Living or existing" to buying a jeep but can we keep on topic here and start a new one if we want to discuss jeeps. :thumbsup:

[Jollygoodfellow]

Jeep thread now found here , http://philippines-expats.com/index.php?showtopic=4795