Dave Hounddriver Posted November 7, 2012 Posted November 7, 2012 If it was an ordinary Fillipino on 3,000 to 6,000 Pesos a month salary then THEY could live like a King on $1,000 a month, but the average Westerner? NO! First, keep in mind that I totally agree with Curley. Now I'll tell you the story of my friend Ray. He came over for a coffee yesterday which is why his story comes to mind. He is a foreigner, but not your 'average' Westerner. He has been here for a decade or so and has no income. He survives doing some carpentry and odd jobs at 500 pesos per day and works anywhere from 3 to 7 days a week, depending on what's available. Ray lives like a king, in his view. He rents a nipa hut style place right on the ocean for 500 a month. Many westerners would not stay there even overnight. He eats filipino style food for 20 to 30 pesos per meal. His cigarettes are cheap. Instant, 3 in 1 coffee is cheap. He comes and goes as he likes and does not stress out over the small stuff. He has a wife. She constantly suggests he go back overseas to make the 'big money' but he stands up to her. When they are low on money he sends her home to her family so they can support her. But keep in mind that when they first got together he built her a nice house near her family that turned out to be a typical white elephant in that he was not happy living there but they could not sell it so the family got something out of the deal. He seems happier on that small amount than some people I know who have 1,000 a month income. Its a case of different strokes for different folks. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i am bob Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 Dave - you are bang on! It's not what we have in our pockets to spend, it's what we need to keep ourselves happy! Another point that everyone is bypassing is this: Just where and how are we all going to live? In a big city, sure! It's going to cost quite a bit to live in the comfort we had back in our home countries. Or are we going to one of the more rural islands? Live the good provincial life? Watch those costs drop! What was scraping by on $1000 a month may be luxury for the same person in a different location. For some it could be money in the bank each month! So it really is next to impossible to say if someone can afford to live here or not without knowing where they will be living! :tiphat: 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonjack2847 Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 Dave - you are bang on! It's not what we have in our pockets to spend, it's what we need to keep ourselves happy! Another point that everyone is bypassing is this: Just where and how are we all going to live? In a big city, sure! It's going to cost quite a bit to live in the comfort we had back in our home countries. Or are we going to one of the more rural islands? Live the good provincial life? Watch those costs drop! What was scraping by on $1000 a month may be luxury for the same person in a different location. For some it could be money in the bank each month! So it really is next to impossible to say if someone can afford to live here or not without knowing where they will be living! :tiphat: Yes there are too many variants which need to be known before anyone can answer a question about this fully. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Peterson Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 Yes there are too many variants which need to be known before anyone can answer a question about this fully. :) Sure is! Like What is the cost of beer in the Area you would like to live in? :mocking: sorry could not resist this. BTW, Gasoline has gone down 5/6 peso a liter in Dumaguete. We now have some competition on the Fuel Front, a lot of new service stations all plying for the take. OK! OK! I will get my coat :tiphat: 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hounddriver Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 Related to cost of gas . . is Shellane, Gasul, and similar stuff all exactly the same propane product through different distributors or do some have addititves etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curley Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 Related to cost of gas . . is Shellane, Gasul, and similar stuff all exactly the same propane product through different distributors or do some have addititves etc? Ask Jake, I'm told he's the gas expert around here. :mocking: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 Related to cost of gas . . is Shellane, Gasul, and similar stuff all exactly the same propane product through different distributors or do some have addititves etc? I don't know about them specific, but some of the gases used for living are lighter than air, and some are heavier, which is very important to know when installing gas alarms to be woken up before being saffocated. I GUESS Gasul is same as we call Gasol in Sweden. (Swedish AGA has exported much.) It's heavier than air. (Prophane, butane gases.) An other common gas is metane (="swamp gas", "mine gas"). Metane itself don't smell, which make it very dangerous, killing many people every year e g in mines, it's very explosive. That's why it's normaly blended with something bad smelling before it's sold. It's the main part of "nature gas" and "biogas". It's developed by processes as when plants and maneur cultivates. Some developed many many years ago and can come up e g from vulcanos. Not sure, but I believe it's lighter than air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevewool Posted November 8, 2012 Posted November 8, 2012 again great advice from you lot and most of you live out there already, i will be there in 6 years or before so lots will change before i get there, panglao is the place i would love to live but also parts of bohol would intrest me, rent first i say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike S Posted November 9, 2012 Posted November 9, 2012 could i ask how many are married and how many live alone or with girlfriends Steve I am married and we (both of us) hold the purse strings ..... meaning we discuss all money matters as my asawa has never let me down once in 5 years ...... however I do reserve the final say and my asawa has no problem with that ..... however when she says "it's your money" I know she doesn't agree with me on that particular issue ..... :hystery: :hystery: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cockroach Posted November 9, 2012 Posted November 9, 2012 (edited) Mike S, Actually, I would say it's our money but the last word is mine :mocking: Edited November 9, 2012 by Dr. Cockroach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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