To Retire At 56? Or Rough It Out...

[earthdome]

To be honest, I really am not looking forward to Cebu prices either. Unfortunately my Special Someone has at least one more year depending on her Master's or Doctorate being the final phase. And then we can head off to somewhere less expensive!

Other factors may effect your choice. Such as where your Special Someone can get work to use her degree.

[bows00]

I was given a quote for $430,000US ($17.6 million P) for a relatively small 2 bdrm Ayala condo.

Did you happen to mention your measly monthly pension to the agent?

Ha! I guess I deserve that one... but no. It was a standard condo price listing on the computer. I spoke to one of those agents that hang out in front entrance of Ayala mall and he took me on a tour on a decent show room at the edge of the mall. And believe it or not, the building was almost sold out - mostly by koreans, chinese, japanese and europeans...

And no, I didn't even consider buying one of these, but I just wanted to point out that Cebu has grown into a legitimate metropolitan city and I can't fathom making it on $800/month here.

And it is my opinion that one shouldn't go backwards at retirement - it's time to live! Or at least be able to live the same standard of life you had prior leaving your job - so when I say "measely pension", everything is relative. In addition, I am afraid my spending would increase with all that extra time I will have (more hobbies, restaurants, bar hopping, etc.)

[i am bob]

To be honest, I really am not looking forward to Cebu prices either. Unfortunately my Special Someone has at least one more year depending on her Master's or Doctorate being the final phase. And then we can head off to somewhere less expensive!

Other factors may effect your choice. Such as where your Special Someone can get work to use her degree.

I"m hoping she will be able to get work at the school in Toledo City so we can live in.... (wait for it...) Lutopan! :mocking:

[i am bob]

I was given a quote for $430,000US ($17.6 million P) for a relatively small 2 bdrm Ayala condo.

Did you happen to mention your measly monthly pension to the agent?

Ha! I guess I deserve that one... but no. It was a standard condo price listing on the computer. I spoke to one of those agents that hang out in front entrance of Ayala mall and he took me on a tour on a decent show room at the edge of the mall. And believe it or not, the building was almost sold out - mostly by koreans, chinese, japanese and europeans...

And no, I didn't even consider buying one of these, but I just wanted to point out that Cebu has grown into a legitimate metropolitan city and I can't fathom making it on $800/month here.

And it is my opinion that one shouldn't go backwards at retirement - it's time to live! Or at least be able to live the same standard of life you had prior leaving your job - so when I say "measely pension", everything is relative. In addition, I am afraid my spending would increase with all that extra time I will have (more hobbies, restaurants, bar hopping, etc.)

I know a person who was living in Cebu on what I believe was $800 but even they are moving on to less expensive pastures. It's the old story - big cities have big city prices, smaller cities have lower prices and living in the country (province) is usually the cheapest. It's all a matter of finding balance with what you want or going back to get what you need to make that square peg fit better into the round hole.

[Dave Hounddriver]

I am afraid my spending would increase with all that extra time I will have (more hobbies, restaurants, bar hopping, etc.)

It does, for a while, and then you start slowing down to live within your means, unless you have the means to keep it up.

[Thomas]

".measly $4800/month ??! In other topics we are talking about 800 - 1000 USD/month... "

Cebu is not cheap! I was given a quote for $430,000US ($17.6 million P) for a relatively small 2 bdrm Ayala condo. That is equivalent to Hawaii prices. And I also noticed how expensive the medicine in there - how can the local people afford it?

I think you got hit with the "Kano" price maybe? Ouch!

It seem so.

Several ASK crazy prices in ads too, but I suppose NOT PAYED prices :santa_smiley:

I read somewhere Manila cost double compared to provinces and Cebu around the middle in between.

--

>bow If you just go outside Cebu, that price you got has a zero much :santa_smiley:

In some other topic I have posted examples from ads ASKING around 1,7 mill for one not so good, but around 2.5 mill for rather good looking stone HOUSES in cities at Bohol. (One of them in Tagbilaran.)

Here are some I know from other than ads:

/Not sure if it's sold yet, but it's close to be, but one "kano standard" house at the tourist island Panglao, ask only 1.0 mill...

/In Trinidad province I know there are/will be for sale nice kano stone houses WITH LAND, so Filipina is official owner. (According to his friend) this house is around 4-5 years old, in subpart of Trinidad city, asked price only 1.6 mill with 15 000 sqm land including over 1000 mahogony trees ! That's some differense from the common house land sizes suiting more to have just as parking space... :mocking:

https://picasaweb.google.com/klyvar/17Februari2012?authuser=0&feat=directlink

(Explainations there are in Swedish. Besides livingroom and such there are one bedroom in the main house, plus there are a "maid room" and a small room used as office in the connected annex house.)

(Myself I plan to solve the land problem (perhaps through company IF my chosen business idea can be enough reason for needing land, BUT then I can only own 40% anyway) or let other own the land, which I long time lease, with me as the owner of the house on it. But then I'm building myself, I don't know if it can be problem to split owner of land and house if the house is built already.)

[Thomas]

I am afraid my spending would increase with all that extra time I will have (more hobbies, restaurants, bar hopping, etc.)

Well. I don't recomend retirement being spend much drinking alcohol :santa_smiley:

Instead I recomend using this basic idea, which can be used for many different hobbies:

I have A LOT of hobbies myself, but they COST ME ALMOST NOTHING (except traveling to competitions and such if want to). The equipment cost some to BUY, but (almost) NOTHING TO USE, so in average per month the COST IS VERY LOW. (Hobbies as e g canoe, chess, table tennis, genealogy (through no limit use per month Internet), small sailing boat...)

Plus when moving to a new country, then can much time be used to learn the CULTURE. And to learn some of the (local or Filipin) language too if want to.

I don't know about city people, but in many villages many find it realy funny/intereting to talk to a foreigner, because they are not used to it. (In Thailand but it can be similar in many places in Phili) a permanent living foreigner, I know a bit, live in a small town. Most days he take his bicycle and drive around some, stoping to talk to people e g an old man fishing in a river/lake, and take a snack break at a food shart and chat with the owner - He don't need to pay "kano price" there no more... He speak bad, but try to talk the local language, which they appriciate - and find funny when he make language errors :mocking: I will surely give them such entertainment for free too myself :santa_smiley: when I will start trying to learn the local language. (I know a little bit Filipin (mainly at understanding level, because of similarities with Spanish, which I know some), but I don't bother to try to learn any local language, before it's definitive where I will settle down.)

NOTE! Many are shy to talk English, because they can't talk good enough they think.

In many provinces where they have other local language than Tagalog, they don't like to speak Tagalog. That's why I plan to concentrate on learning the local language instead of Filipin/Tagalog.

[stevewool]

what you say is so true Thomas, its getting about and mixing with the locals,, i love photography, so a view or a beautiful person is just great for me , thats when you start talking to the people you are taking pictures of, i remember in france many many years ago, if you tried to talk with them in there langauge they loved it and that way you make friends,

[Thomas]

what you say is so true Thomas, its getting about and mixing with the locals,, i love photography, so a view or a beautiful person is just great for me , thats when you start talking to the people you are taking pictures of, i remember in france many many years ago, if you tried to talk with them in there langauge they loved it and that way you make friends,

Yes.

And good photographs can give some income too e g sold by photo selling website.

[stevewool]

without being to nosey, most of the members are living over in the phils, living there dream i hope, but how do you feed that dream, come on if you can tell , is it a business you have over there to help or is it just your pension, some of you may work abroad still but your home is in the phils,there must be lots who has done very very well and wish they did it sooner, but then again is there anyone that wish they never did it at all,yes the thread living on $800 we know the views of many cant do it , some can do it, but you have to get the $800 from somewhere, mines going to be savings till my state pension kicks in but thats at 65 a long time yet, so how do you feed you dream