Angeles City

[quote=luke skywalker; 1509459]bottom line is $600 for a sex addict is only enough for a spartan existence in ac.

hope this helps.[/quote]whatever you do man, don't spend the money you have saved for your plane ticket home. i've heard of guys stuck all over thailand living like professional campers because they can't get home. allot of them just die, i've seen it. personally, i live in davao and i've never been to ac but on that kind of scratch, i'd rather live in a camper in the us. half way through the month when you run out of money, you're going to be having wet dreams about a taco bell. he is correct, western food is shitty for the most part and costs more than it does at home. anything you find in the imported section costs way more because of the duties and mark up. i've paid almost 4k a month for electricity using the aircon only at night. 500 or more for internet and 1000 if you want it on your phone. a single vitamin c tablet costs 4 or 6 pesos and anytime you want to have anything shipped, freight is over 1k pesos and you probably get hit with a tariff that's more that the stuff you ordered. you want to breath diesel smoke and hear horns blowing anytime you are outside, the worst music imaginable, and all the hardships of living in a dysfunctional country without the only good benefit which is banging allot of hot girls, or having a hot gf? you want to be constantly trolling for the bottom of the barrel? i hope you don't drink much, unless you like tanduay. but an australian guy i was talking to that's lived here for 20 years told me he watched a bunch of his buddies "fall off the perch" drinking that shit. they die of liver failure, he consequently switched to the more expensive black label. i could spend $600 a month on beer, that's why i quit. what if the worst happens? some girl thinks you crossed her up, maybe because she expected more, and she brings the police to your dump and accuses you of [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord123][CodeWord123][/url]? they haul you down to the police station and if you don't come up with a good lawyer, (or even if you do), you are committed to the prison? again, i'm not an ac guy, but do you really think you are going to get enough hot body clean chicks with teeth for that cheap? i live on way way more than that, and i barely make it.

i'm not trying to talk you out of it, i'm just speaking from experience in my short time living here. i've tried thailand on a budget too and that sucks. like they said, it's allot nicer place to live and imo, a hell of allot safer but it's even worse trying to maintain hot pussy. bar girls/become girlfriends now are all bringing in 60,000 baht and up a month. and the top shelf ones pull down way more than doctors. you're not going to get a nice province girl without speaking good thai and paying the family. any of them that are willing to air it out for a foreigner know how much that hot stuff is worth. trolls on walking street are 500 baht up and they're hideous for the most part. you better just give it a try for 6 months and make sure you got a way out.

[QUOTE=Tally Wacker;1509434]The only way to find out is move there and try it. If you don't like it move somewhere else. If you can't afford it then go back to work.[/QUOTE]You are 100% correct. But 1000 a month is pushing it If it was 1500 I be there

I often wonder about these guys who leave 1st world comforts to live a 3rd world life just for access to 20 yr old pussy.

Its not always possible or easy to return to the states and return with the ability to regain the same employment for the same pay. Or re-establish the lifestyle.

If the thrill of 20 yr old pussy wears off (as it often does when one lives there). Then what. Many expats I know are stuck in the PI.

I often think that is why so many that start drinking daily in the morning. Just getting drunk so the days past by in their stupor.

My top 3 reasons I do not think $ 1000 us dollars is enough to stay long term in the Philippines.

1. Price of staying current on your Visa papers. Renew fees and travel out of country when necessary add up before you know it. Extra money will also be needed to pay bribes to cops or scammers that you might have to deal with.

2. No extra money to combat boredom in down times thru out the 4 weeks of a month till the next deposit comes. Guess you have to find a hobby other then sex and beer drinking that will not cost you that much. Girls cost tons before you know it.

3. Medical cost for emergency. Yes I know its cheap to get things done at the hospitial but if this happens your budget for the month is blown with only S1000 to work with. Getting meds that you need at masons also I don; t know if they have the ones I want. I putting my move on hold till I get 25000 savings back up money so that's 2-3 more years. I feel better with that back up money and a Unused CC to buy a escape plane ticket back to the states.

Don't bother coming or moving to Philippines on $600 a month. 15 years ago. Maybe?

[QUOTE=Streetlooker; 1510105]My top 3 reasons I do not think $ 1000 us dollars is enough to stay long term in the Philippines.

1. Extra money will also be needed to pay bribes to cops or scammers that you might have to deal with.[/QUOTE]I think the bribe/scam factor decreases once you live in a place. At least that has been my experience in Thailand. Whenever I'm in one of those situations I just whip out my Thai license and be like mf I live here, not vacationing. Then the cops or taxi drivers or whoever apologize for trying to rip me off.

Like everyone is saying, you most definitely want to visit a place and stay away from the tourist area before deciding to live there. One downfall can be trying to live like you are on vacation when you are residing in a place. It's not the same. People who live in Orlando don't pay a visit to Disney World everyday. Your time will be short lived if you call yourself eating out and going to party and barfining every night. As much as I preached that to my cousin about Pattaya, he had to learn the hard way. He blew threw money that was supposed to last from April to August by the end of May. I think he started with $5000 and rent is only $150 / month.

In Pattaya there are always weekly scheduled activities with other expats, depending on your circle of friends and associates. On certain days every week we get together for bowling, pool, softball, dominoes, and the like. Every now and then there are big parties for people's birthdays and whatnot. The best thing to do would be to head over and meet up with some guys who live in AC. Tickets are cheap from Bangkok to Clark on Tiger Air. I was actually able to buy a ticket for $1 plus tax for my February trip. Generally expect to pay from $60-$100 each way though.

i also live in a small city in the south, and i agree totally with pimpin sam's post. but he does not reveal his monthly budget. like him, i don't drink and don't go to angeles city. i have costs for pharmaceuticals and dental work, but no hospitalization up to now. my monthly expenditures range between usa$1500 and $2000-and above when there is travel, as in visa runs. within that, my "entertainment" budget is $35 or about p1500 per day. i live near the water. in manila, my rent near the water would be more than double. no aircon, but internet / landline, power and water charges. i largely cook at home and do not skimp on imported food, ordinary items such as cheese. your number one concern should be personal security. for $600 you would live in a nipa hut or similar insecure place and get burglarized regularly.

[quote=pimpin sam; 1510064]whatever you do man, don't spend the money you have saved for your plane ticket home. i've heard of guys stuck all over thailand living like professional campers because they can't get home. allot of them just die, i've seen it. personally, i live in davao and i've never been to ac but on that kind of scratch, i'd rather live in a camper in the us. half way through the month when you run out of money, you're going to be having wet dreams about a taco bell. he is correct, western food is shitty for the most part and costs more than it does at home. anything you find in the imported section costs way more because of the duties and mark up. i've paid almost 4k a month for electricity using the aircon only at night. 500 or more for internet an the 1000 if you want it on your phone. a single vitamin c tablet costs 4 or 6 pesos and anytime you want to have anything shipped, freight is over 1k pesos and you probably get hit with a tariff that's more that the stuff you ordered. you want to breath diesel smoke and hear horns blowing anytime you are outside, the worst music imaginable, and all the hardships of living in a dysfunctional country without the only good benefit which is banging allot of hot girls, or having a hot gf? you want to be constantly trolling for the bottom of the barrel? i hope you don't drink much, unless you like tanduay. but an australian guy i was talking to that's lived here for 20 years told me he watched a bunch of his buddies "fall off the perch" drinking that shit. they die of liver failure, he consequently switched to the more expensive black label. i could spend $600 a month on beer, that's why i quit. what if the worst happens? some girl thinks you crossed her up, maybe because she expected more, and she brings the police to your dump and accuses you of [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord123][CodeWord123][/url]? they haul you down to the police station and if you don't come up with a good lawyer, (or even if you do) , you are committed to the prison? again, i'm not an ac guy, but do you really think you are going to get enough hot body clean chicks with teeth for that cheap? i live on way way more than that, and i barely make it.

i'm not trying to talk you out of it, i'm just speaking from experience in my short time living here. i've tried thailand on a budget too and that sucks. like they said, it's allot nicer place to live and imo, a hell of allot safer but it's even worse trying to maintain hot pussy. bar girls / become girlfriends now are all bringing in 60, 000 baht and up a month. and the top shelf ones pull down way more than doctors. you're not going to get a nice province girl without speaking good thai and paying the family. any of them that are willing to air it out for a foreigner know how much that hot stuff is worth. trolls on walking street are 500 baht up and they're hideous for the most part. you better just give it a try for 6 months and make sure you got a way out.[/quote]

On 50K a year I am thinking about moving to the Philippines. Is that sufficient to live like a king? Or should I just go with Thailand. I am kind of debating between the two.

[QUOTE=PayForPlay21;1510482]On 50K a year I am thinking about moving to the Philippines. Is that sufficient to live like a king? Or should I just go with Thailand. I am kind of debating between the two.[/QUOTE]I assume you are talking US$50,000. Just go to Thailand. There is no way to compare, Philippines does not have a King!

[QUOTE=PayForPlay21; 1510482]On 50K a year I am thinking about moving to the Philippines. Is that sufficient to live like a king? Or should I just go with Thailand. I am kind of debating between the two. [/QUO.

At $50, 000. 00 a year I would think you could afford $20. 00 for a membership here. Can't wait for your post #2.

[QUOTE=PayForPlay21;1510482]On 50K a year I am thinking about moving to the Philippines. Is that sufficient to live like a king?[/QUOTE]No, it's too little for King status.

During my September visit, I was having a beer in the Silver Dollar in Cebu when I got talking to a guy from California who now lived in Cebu. He was living on his social security check and he told me he could barely make ends meet. After rent and giving his live in girlfriend a housekeeping allowance to buy food etc, this guy had something like 1200-1300 pesos per day to spend. He budgeted and could afford one barfine a week only. He was mad at everything and everybody, especially the Filipinos, and the lack of money seemed to be the reason. What was funny was how the filipinas in the bar were able to deflect his nastiness and not let it become contagious.

I would imagine that the US Social Security check is what a lot of guys here are counting on to retire to the PI: about $2000 a month. I just don't see it being enough. The extra time on hand will probably lead to spending more whether on golf, girls, socializing, beer, or whatever. Also, you'll have to spend a decent amount on housing unless you want to live like the natives. Even though AC seems the cheapest location to live, I'm thinking that 3K-4K a month is what is needed on average, to be comfortable.

[QUOTE=PayForPlay21;1510482]On 50K a year I am thinking about moving to the Philippines. Is that sufficient to live like a king? Or should I just go with Thailand. I am kind of debating between the two.[/QUOTE]Even though you have $50, 000 to spend a year you will not do so once you actually live in Phi or Thailand. After settling down you will more likely live as local spending on only necessary things. You will find out where you can get things cheaper, where to get cheap pussy, where to go for cheap transportation etc.

More likely you will try to find a live in GF who does everything for for you including cleaning your pipes. And for that you will pay maybe little more than local wages.

You will learn not to " Live like a King " in your words. Living like a king draws undue attention to yourself and there are people looking to dethrone you.

When you ultimately settle wherever the old adage comes true- " When in Rome- "

[QUOTE=Dashing Don; 1510608]During my September visit, I was having a beer in the Silver Dollar in Cebu when I got talking to a guy from California who now lived in Cebu. He was living on his social security check and he told me he could barely make ends meet. After rent and giving his live in girlfriend a housekeeping allowance to buy food etc, this guy had something like 1200-1300 pesos per day to spend. He budgeted and could afford one barfine a week only. He was mad at everything and everybody, especially the Filipinos, and the lack of money seemed to be the reason. What was funny was how the filipinas in the bar were able to deflect his nastiness and not let it become contagious.

I would imagine that the US Social Security check is what a lot of guys here are counting on to retire to the PI: about $2000 a month. I just don't see it being enough. The extra time on hand will probably lead to spending more whether on golf, girls, socializing, beer, or whatever. Also, you'll have to spend a decent amount on housing unless you want to live like the natives. Even though AC seems the cheapest location to live, I'm thinking that 3K-4K a month is what is needed on average, to be comfortable.[/QUOTE]Man, that's one of the most depressing and pathetic stories I have ever heard. I remember reading another story a few months back, somewhere here on the PI forum, about some retired expat guy who killed himself jumping off the balcony of an apartment.

Reminds me that we should all strive to work harder and live a life worth living.

And the Republican in me will say that $24k post-tax dollars a year seems like a lot. Social Security is supposed to be an end-of-life safety net, not a retirement plan. 24k is a just a little less than some teachers earn working full time. It doesn't make me happy that my social security taxes are going towards some guy's TLN.

On today's FX rates that's over 85, 000 php a month. There are many many expats living comfortably on less than that. Refer to Sammon's post below, especially about living like a king.