The Cost Of Living

[Dave Hounddriver]

Has your cost of living gone up since you have been there, Ok on the first day of landing there you have your budget to stick too, and after so many months you are managing quite well, then your costs start to rise, do you still manage, or has you income risen too, and if it has not are you still happy being there , We all have to budget to live the way we want but how far does your budget have to fall till you think O HECK I BETTER GET ANOTHER INCOME OR MOVE

 

EXCELLENT topic.  Very timely for me.

 

Cost of living, for me, has gone up a lot in the 8 years I have been living here.  I am sure it will continue to rise.  My income has not gone up, in fact it has gone down due to bad choices in investing and due to the Canadian dollar falling from 40 - 1 at the time of my arrival to 34 - 1 as of the other day.  It has become hard for me.  Many time I have come close to the "better get another income or move" scenario and then I notice some other foreigner living quite happy on less than what i have.

 

So what to do about it.  First, learn to live on MUCH less than you have so the excess can be saved or invested.  Then forget all the stuff about foreigners can't own land and get yourself tied into some kind of long term contract so your rent will not keep climbing.  Try to sow all your wild oats early in your stay here so you can settle down and live cheaply but happily as time goes by.  Try to sort out small ways to have an income, which may be writing articles or advertising your services as a tour guide for other foreign visitors.  Be sure you get and keep a partner who will help you with your budget rather than help herself to your budget.  And lastly, always compare what you can get for your money elsewhere.  If your money is the same here as it is 'over there' then how would you benefit from going back 'over there'?

 

My conclusions are that it is still good here, even living on a budget of 34,000 pesos a month.  Would be much better with more though.

[MacBubba]

Canadian dollar falling from 40 - 1 at the time of my arrival to 34 - 1 as of the other day.

 

I hope the Canadian dollar bounces back soon.  We're furniture shopping for the house before our October return.  We will be doing most of the shopping online.

[usnftcret]

I have to 

 

 

Has your cost of living gone up since you have been there, Ok on the first day of landing there you have your budget to stick too, and after so many months you are managing quite well, then your costs start to rise, do you still manage, or has you income risen too, and if it has not are you still happy being there , We all have to budget to live the way we want but how far does your budget have to fall till you think O HECK I BETTER GET ANOTHER INCOME OR MOVE

 

EXCELLENT topic.  Very timely for me.

 

Cost of living, for me, has gone up a lot in the 8 years I have been living here.  I am sure it will continue to rise.  My income has not gone up, in fact it has gone down due to bad choices in investing and due to the Canadian dollar falling from 40 - 1 at the time of my arrival to 34 - 1 as of the other day.  It has become hard for me.  Many time I have come close to the "better get another income or move" scenario and then I notice some other foreigner living quite happy on less than what i have.

 

So what to do about it.  First, learn to live on MUCH less than you have so the excess can be saved or invested.  Then forget all the stuff about foreigners can't own land and get yourself tied into some kind of long term contract so your rent will not keep climbing.  Try to sow all your wild oats early in your stay here so you can settle down and live cheaply but happily as time goes by.  Try to sort out small ways to have an income, which may be writing articles or advertising your services as a tour guide for other foreign visitors.  Be sure you get and keep a partner who will help you with your budget rather than help herself to your budget.  And lastly, always compare what you can get for your money elsewhere.  If your money is the same here as it is 'over there' then how would you benefit from going back 'over there'?

 

My conclusions are that it is still good here, even living on a budget of 34,000 pesos a month.  Would be much better with more though.

 

 

I have to admire you for living so frugally in the Philippines. My wife and I would only consider living full time on a budget of 80k PHP per month. 

[Dave Hounddriver]

My wife and I would only consider living full time on a budget of 80k PHP per month

 

That was my plan too.  Unfortunately things change, and I think that is the point of this thread.  So for anyone planning to come here on a budget of 80K pesos a month, what will you do if things change?

[frosty (chris)]

Well I have only been here 18 months so really still a newbie, but I have found that I can keep well within my budget now. After the initial costs of setting up our rental, we now know the places to shop that keep our food bill down while still eating well. When I first came here I was here, there and everywhere, now with my partner have settled into more of a quieter life style. We still go out a fair bit but have found places we both like and ones that suit our budget. I think also it depends a lot on your partner whether she is high or low maintenance type of person and wants to help you out when it comes to getting value for money.

Edited July 18, 2015 by frosty (chris)

[Jack Peterson]

Well I have only been here 18 months so really still a newbie, but I have found that I can keep well within my budget now. After the initial costs of setting up our rental, we now know the places to shop that keep our food bill down while still eating well. When I first came here I was here, there and everywhere, now with my partner have settled into more of a quieter life style. We still go out a fair bit but have found places we both like and ones that suit our budget. I think also it depends a lot on your partner whether she is high or low maintenance type of person and wants to help you out when it comes to getting value for money.

 Chris, you have Hit it on the head and my friend for me you have got it about right. Well done that man and I can say I think the 18 months you mention is spot on for how long it will take to come to a settled life here.

 

JP :thumbsup:  :tiphat:

[chris49]

_{You must pull up your partner once in a while and give her a hard talk. After our monthly business day, banking, pay all bills and organize the monthly budget, and while out of the house away from any distractions, I will sit Gina down and give her the plan. At one time I was having her sign off on it, but she came good so no need. Now the caveat here is that if I am going to give her a hard talk she has the right to remind me also. And this is why I love the girl despite the age gap. She will not back down from her points and she will not hesitate to give me the same reminders that I give her. I empowered her and she learned a lot but she does not abuse it.}

 

_{When I broke my arm I could not move easily for 8 weeks. I forfeited even my pocket money and gave her the full control she did good, but towards the end she got a bit complacent, so it gave me the chance to take over again.}

 

_{So she gets her money a week at a time. Depending on the start day if not Monday she gets either 4k or 5k, or if we are in a longer month eg 5 weeks I prorate it to 4500. We are in a province so it's adequate, not extravagant.}

 

_{I get my pocket money but I don't show her how it's running. Sometimes I save some, usually to buy little things I want.}

 

_{The biggest problem, 2 problems I see with the Filipina in general If you want something and I don't give the green light, come up with a plan and show me how we can get the money. Or save a little whatever it takes. And that highlights the second problem, the girls can't look ahead more than a few days and maybe that's not only a Filipina, but women in general. We talk about that, but going back to my point above, we usually do it outside the house less distractions.}

 

_{Because we live remote and I have my bike club and my swimming, all my training, I don't have many personal needs. If so it's around the bike, the clothing, repairs and etc. She's simplistic but loves the local market, you know how it goes.}

 

_{As such, I do love a night out with a few Aussies. So will go off to Manila if for any reason (eg my ACR Card last time)and I will have my one night at or at the friend's condo, have food, wine, cheese, stuff we can't get up here. She gets her shopping, maybe a salon and we should have saved something for that. We usually go over buying stuff for the kids or maybe a better restaurant, but that's the fun of it also.}

 

_{We can live on 40k. So make that 50k, I may have mentioned above. My income is 60k, possibly set to increase, but depends on the Aussie Gov't decision, you may have read my other thread.}

 

_{Gina has her SS Chlld Allowance around $400, so she has freedom, but she is expected to save some. About half but I try not to interfere.}

 

_{IMO 50k in the province, no rent is good. From experience, 100k in Metro Manila is manageable but sometimes because of the lifestyle will not be enough. For newcomer there's a period of adjustment and it is actually quite hard to move to the province without a guiding hand. So about a year of adjustment and definitely more spending before making adjustments.}

 

_{Bottom line: as others have mentioned, it's always about the girl, she's the one to make you or break you. Good if you are coming here with your Filipina wife from country of origin. Otherwise it is normal to have 1-2 false starts. With financial damage, but just hope it's minimized.}

 

_{Commonly I will hear, "but my girl's the exception". Mate if you are saying that, that is likely to be your first problem right there.}

Edited July 18, 2015 by chris49

[stevewool]

To steal steve's thread Chris, when asked by friends and family about life here, I always use the Haircut example, not all of us eat, drink or have the same habits, but that vast, vast majority get a haircut every so often.

 

 

 

So what a lot of you are saying is, if you have no hair, you really can live like a king

I do have some over budget months - I am still alive and like to enjoy myself....  but overall my expenses have gone down.  Been here almost 3 years and I seem to be learning to live with less.  Expenses go down, happiness goes up - go figure  :tiphat:

3 years WOW thats gone by so quick

[stevewool]

Hey guys, with the King US dollar at $45P, life must be good!

But seriously, I do agree with most of you, no matter how much money you have, you will always be lacking if you don't have that one thing..."CONTENTMENT" - by definition, it is an inner satisfaction, the feeling that you are happy right where you are and you don't have the need for bigger/better things...

Cannot wait to get there... 2 years and counting...

Thats the magic word  CONTENTMENT, this is what many of us are aiming for but we forget its more about the budget, thank you for reminding me

[stevewool]

 

Has your cost of living gone up since you have been there, Ok on the first day of landing there you have your budget to stick too, and after so many months you are managing quite well, then your costs start to rise, do you still manage, or has you income risen too, and if it has not are you still happy being there , We all have to budget to live the way we want but how far does your budget have to fall till you think O HECK I BETTER GET ANOTHER INCOME OR MOVE

 

EXCELLENT topic.  Very timely for me.

 

Cost of living, for me, has gone up a lot in the 8 years I have been living here.  I am sure it will continue to rise.  My income has not gone up, in fact it has gone down due to bad choices in investing and due to the Canadian dollar falling from 40 - 1 at the time of my arrival to 34 - 1 as of the other day.  It has become hard for me.  Many time I have come close to the "better get another income or move" scenario and then I notice some other foreigner living quite happy on less than what i have.

 

So what to do about it.  First, learn to live on MUCH less than you have so the excess can be saved or invested.  Then forget all the stuff about foreigners can't own land and get yourself tied into some kind of long term contract so your rent will not keep climbing.  Try to sow all your wild oats early in your stay here so you can settle down and live cheaply but happily as time goes by.  Try to sort out small ways to have an income, which may be writing articles or advertising your services as a tour guide for other foreign visitors.  Be sure you get and keep a partner who will help you with your budget rather than help herself to your budget.  And lastly, always compare what you can get for your money elsewhere.  If your money is the same here as it is 'over there' then how would you benefit from going back 'over there'?

 

My conclusions are that it is still good here, even living on a budget of 34,000 pesos a month.  Would be much better with more though.

 

Excellent reply something i may follow from a distance