Our monthly outgoings $1200-$1500 in Cebu - This week, Wife in hospital for 3 days, with suspected stomach ulcer, private room, lots of meds, IV, X-Ray, consultant visits/examinations etc. Total cost $1K. That's why you need an emergency fund
Some of us only have a $1000 a month from SSA ... so I rather live here than in the states to have a better life ...😂😂😂 P.S. I have my medical covered here 😂😂😂😂
As a Nurse in the states I'm surprised she was in the hospital for 3 days here we do blood tests to determine the infection, ultrasound and xray to identify the location of the ulcer (ulcers) Then pump the patient full of I.V. Antibiotics for 8 hours. Then home with a antibiotic pill form script. You said suspected stomach ulcer ? 80% of stomach ulcers are treated with antibiotics, 20% with surgery. I've come to believe that 95% of stomach ulcers are caused by stress and 5% are caused by eating disorders. If you don't treat the root cause of her ulcers plan on returning to the hospital or seeing her primary doctor on a regular basis.
Been watching Steve for 3-4 years now. Definitely one of the wisest YT’ers in the Philippines. Paved the way for me and others to come. Can you live on a smaller budget? Yes ofc if you live in a cheap province and stay single. If you eat and live like a Filipino. But that’s not the type of life most of us want. If you meet a nice girl in Manila or cebu or dumaguete even you’re going to want a little bit more. Especially for emergencies or if you start having a family too one day.
Steve, my attitude is "you can't please everyone all of the time" let the haters hate. Your content is appreciated by those who truly want to learn about life in PH.
I like the show as well as Allen's radio show every night. I called in to voice my opinion and had a respectful conversation. Yes Allen died from lung cancer, he was a smoker for many years.
Another great video Steve. I'm smart enough to know I'm not smart on everything Philippines so I happily learn from you. Fortunately I am in very good shape financially so I'll be calling soon to start the process for the ssrv with you and Mary rose. Thanks for all the info as always❤
Steve my friend, I love you but all I'm doing is sitting in my apartment in Vancouver paying the rent and going grocery shopping because I can't afford to do anything else with 9 months of winter to boot. I could live in the PH's with a better life on just my rent alone. I understand the point you're advocating; to make sure people have enough money to live a decent life when they hit the PH's. Have a goal, work, save, and invest before the move to the PH's.
We’ll be living in a small condo, free and clear, so our budget will be less there, but we will be snow-birding back to Canada for 7 months of each year and the plane tickets, etc, bumps the budget up a notch again. Lots of stuff to keep track of. $2-3k seems pretty reasonable. Some guys are in denial, they don’t want to admit their dream is unrealistic.
Steve I agree with you about the budget, I’ve lived here a few years now, and inflation has raised just since I’ve been here. Right now we are benefiting from a high 4X if the dollar falls as the worlds currency you could see the 4X almost cut in half. Now that is probably worse case scenario but it could happen. I’m reluctant to say my budget because when others say a high amount of money they usually get ripped apart or told they are bragging. I’m not trying to brag at all, so if anyone thinks this then stop reading now, because I won’t be answering or arguing with anyone about this and no this isn’t a d*** measuring contest either. I spend about $3,000 every month, but I live the life of a retired person, I don’t want to just survive. Life is way too short. I do also help many locals who are poverty stricken with many children to get rice and other food stuffs. I am able to bank the other $3,000 for any emergencies that may occur. I worked 45 years to get these pensions and made many personal sacrifices, so now I am enjoying the good life.
@@MrSteven5975Steve, have you heard about the vloggers in Dumaguete in life and death situations because of low budgets and no healthcare. Sad situations but predictable unfortunately. Please everyone get insurance!
Another terrific video ......the Biggest reason why FREEDOM of SPEECH is so important.....is hearing people speak openly gives US a good view into how people are thinkinng or NOT thinking.!!
I totally agree with everything that was covered in this video. Especially the start up fund of at least $10k. Most importantly, make sure you have medical insurance because God forbid you ever get in a situation where you have to be admitted into a hospital. Unlike in the states, the hospitals here will not treat you if you can't pay. $2-3k per month for singles and $3-4k for couples to live comfortably is my homest opinion.
hi, I have been watching steve for a few years. he helped me to relise that I could not live on my pension and live a average life. he helped me thanks steve.
Brother.... thr Dunning-Kruger effect is thriving in the US too. Rental property makes up 26% of my retirement income. I've been renting properties to people for 10 years now and it has always amazed me how most of the people I rent to actually make more money than me but have terribe credit, live paycheck to paycheck, no retirement plan and will probably never afford a home. But the part that really blows me away is that when I talk to them, they always seem to have it all figured out. They are ll fiinancial experts, there is a legitimate excuses for everything and anything that isn't working is the result of some kind of conspiracy. The Dunning Kruger effect has become a very real problem in a world that is so packed full of information, people can pick and choose whatever answers make them feel good without having to go threough the painful process of facing the truth and addressing their own flaws. Don't worry about it. Let them fail. Ron White said it best "You can't fix stupid".
Can't trust current mainstream retirement plans. They always come up with the excuse, "We have no money." Tangible assets. Retire with tangibles or have a Replicator machine and own it.
My neighbor in the US lives on minimum wage and works a little bit more than half (1/2) time, about 25 hours a week. I can not live on that amount (and they do not because the government pays for a lot of their living expenses). They will most likely work until the day they die. I will work, but I want to work on my hobbies, not getting someone else richer. Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. I teach my students the same thing. Your future self will thank you, pay yourself $1.50 for every hour you work. Put it into a retirement account and you won't be sorry in 35 years.
Good video . thanks. While many circumstances of Expats are similar, not everyone's situation is the same. We own a small home in the province, shop at open air-markets much of the time, and have little interest in night life, so our budget of $1000 doesn't include rent or lots of entertainment .. and that's a biggie. We do have our creature comforts like A/C and Star Link, but for the most part, we live simply. The result is a much lower budget than someone living in say Manila or Cebu. Our biggest concern is healthcare, or the lack thereof. My point being - it is possible to live frugally, but many "westerner's" simply don't want to. They want it all but at at half the price and now days .. that ain't gonna happen and like you - I blame these bloggers that aren't being totally honest.
Never heard of the D-K effect! Never have claimed to be an expert in anything though. Have lots of experiences that I can base my knowledge on (60 yoa) but do realize that my memory is not that reliable and so my knowledge in any area is not absolute. Good video. Thank you for posting, Steve...Jim
I agree that your numbers are solid,that being said bloggers who have not been home in some time just dont get it that a McDonald's meal is 14$ now,inflation over the last 3 1/2 years is 70%,it cumulative and the govt does not explain that. So if you only have 1400$ a month hands down there its a roof over your head here its living in your car..Not disagreeing just saying inflation has really screwed those 55 and over,just not enough time left make up the difference.. Keep up the good work,your helping many be aware of the ups and downs..
Great video. I was there in Feb thru May and spent 6.5 days in the hospital. Tricare Prime is not excepted there, so I paid $5373 cash for my hospital stay. Hopefully, Tricare Overseas Program will reimburse me. I'll find out in a few weeks. My first order of business when I move there in Sept is Pacific Cross full coverage plan. I am not messing around when I get there. Got to have that health insurance.
Huge caveat: I pay no rent. Home is paid for. Car is new and paid cash. I overspend massively for USDA choice and prime beef. US pork spareribs. And Australian Wagyu briskets. I put less than 2000p gas into my car per month. Electricity run between $125-$265 per month. I spend between $500-850 for groceries any previously mentioned imported meats per month. We never eat in restaurants. All home cooking, including smoked brisket, pulled pork Boston Butt, pork spareribs. Going extravagant on food, I spend a bit more than my Social Security retirement. But under $2000 per month.
Been following your channel now for four years. We spend $2,600 on our monthly budget putting $500 in savings most months. My pacific cross health insurance cost me $200 a month. I saw you were installing a Split air-conditioning 2 HP and saw how it dropped your electric bill. We Installed our split air-conditioning last March, we were using 3 windows air-conditioning units before. My electric bill dropped from 14,000 php our highest to 10,569 php 837 klw in April to 8,539 php 698 klw php in May Our June bill is 6,007 php 527 klw set at 26 Thanks for the example. I took your advice and put everything my wife will need to know when the time come to take care of my final resting place in a notebook that she has access to when I've died. I bought a burial plot last month so my wife will have to deal with one less thing once I'm gone. Good video Steve.
Exactly...that's what most of these "1k/month budget" guys miss...life is tough and full of surprises...especially health problems....its all well and good until you get suffer a health set back.....2k-3k is a realistic life budget + you need reserves for health care and other emergencies/contingencies. Steve is the voice of reason out of all these CZcamsrs.....his knowledge and insight is always spot on.
@@GerinPhils agreed! For people that are just getting by on the $1k/month budget do not have the safety net in case of a catastrophic life event (which everyone has or will have in their lives).
Steve, you're on target with your estimates... Fox News is not a channel I watch, period... I prefer the more international news... Good session... Have a great weekend! 🙏🙏🙏 👍😎👍
For me ~$2500/mo for 2 people. Shoebox metro Manila condo a little over $400, includes slow internet. Rest is on groceries/stuff, eat out or order in meals ~7 times a week, grab and mall/entertainment visit on the weekend and sometimes buy clothes at surplus. It’s great there are so many malls 👍. 1 trip month. Surprised electric was ~2700 php and water ~350php. Laundry maybe 1 mo., girl washes by hand almost every morning. It gets claustrophobic and monotonous in the shoebox, pool and gym help a little but not much of a walking area outside the condo compound which is why I need 1 trip/staycation a month. I’m looking forward to trying province life next, maybe cheaper with larger apt or house, walking area and hope to cut back on trips? 🤔 Still much cheaper compared to USA for just me. my 2B2B condo cost $2500/mo (mortgage/HOA) which I rent for now, groceries were ~$4-500/mo, cable/internet, insurance, gas and utility, etc. another ~$500, entertainment expensive 😉
Being Canadian Steve I think in Canadian dollars and right now my wife and I are back in Canada and returning to our home, ... a small condo in San Fernando, Pampanga at the start of November. Life there in the Philippines has been a little costly for us, but mainly because every cent we have left over after our other monthly expenses goes straight into paying our condo off. I expect to be pretty much debt free about 2 years from now and then our monthly budget will be less than a thousand Canadian per month. At that point we're going to be able to bank quite a bit plus have a lot available for travel. I'll admit that at 72 we are self insuring because at our age insurance is crazy expensive, and if problems that big arise flying back to Canada can be an option. Also being a Balikbayan is quite a help as far as not needing visa extensions. People have to realize even then leaving the country and returning once a year, or going with a 13A can add to the budget. 🤑
Yes it depends where you live in the Philippines. And it depends on which province and how far you are in the province. You can get good health care too. Some provinces are near hospitals and have what you need. But it depends on what YOU want out of the Philippines and how much money you bring in.
Totally agree. My budget is $3k, but my pension and social security is twice that amount. I have Tricare plus Medicare. The Philippines will be my 43rd country. I’m an old hand at living abroad. My Southeast Asia experience is limited to four years in Korea and Japan.
My expenses are under $40 a month for electricity, nearly 900 a month for rent (that sucks), in America my food bill might be upwards of $400 a month (depending on how lazy I am), currently not much else I worry about. With my pay and all the overtime I can save upwards of $2,000 a month. Altogether there are seven rooms in my apartment, but I only use three of them. All I need is a room to live and sleep in, a bathroom/CR, in the kitchen of sorts. I don't do much at all outside of work. Talking direct me to a certain Filipina (no not a ldr) she assures me that I can live off of$1,000 a month comfortably (remembering that my comfort zone isn't very extravagant), also every time she interviews Filipinos on her CZcams channel, the people she interviews always bugs their eyes out and says oh yes they can live very comfortably on a thousand dollars a month when she asks.
Here in NE Texas my wife (from Cebu) and I live well and extremely comfortably on $80,000.00 a year. To duplicate our lifestyle in a "good" area of the Philippines with the amenities we require/desire would be $50,000.00+ a year. So I asked my wife if she wanted to move back to a high end area of the Philippines. Her answer was a definitive NO. Conversely we can also live in NE Texas for less than $500.00 a month: dispose of all assets,move into a tent in the woods,lie and get food stamps,free Obamacare,free Obamaphone, go to local missions to get free clothes and meals.....Heck: the town we live in will even give you a free bus pass if you qualify as "poor".
You need to live in an area for minimum of 6 months to figure out your budget. If you live in a state that has snowy winters, then I say at least a year. But, things change at the drop of a hat. If you don't have any backup, your up a creek without a paddle if something bad happens. Presently I travel for a couple of months at a time, then back to the states. My asawa worries about my health (I'm 69). So I didn't drop my health coverage over here and don't intend to (non-Medicare). When the trigger will be pulled, then research happens. Excellent topic Steve!
I agree with your opinion. I have enjoyed my vacations in the PI, but after a couple weeks I realize that what I can put up with for a few weeks would become intolerable if I permanently lived here.
I live the same here in the Philippines on Samal Island as I do in Clearwater Florida, United States. It's all about how you want to live you're life. A single person can live comfortably on $1,500 to $2,000 dollars a month, Family of five $2,000 to $3,000 dollars a month. What it takes to live a comfortable life in the Philippines for this American. (Me) 1) I refuse to rent, I'm not stressing about a house or rental payment every month. We own our own house that's paid for because of this specific reason. 2) I refuse to live without air-conditioning. Not only do we have a split air-conditioning unit but three window air-conditioning units as well for back up. Never going without air-conditioning. 3) I refuse to live without water to clean our house, take showers, do dishes, do laundry, water the plants, wash our scooters. We have Public water as well as a water tank and electric water pump. Never going to run out of water. 4) we keep 50 gallons of drinking water on hand at all time. Never running out of drinking water. 5)I refuse to be sitting in our house in a brown out without lights, air-conditioning, and water. We have commercial public power as well as a generator to run everything in our house when the power goes out. We have brown outs several times a week. In most cases they last about 10 minutes but sometimes more so in the event the power is out more than 30 minutes I then turn the generator on. Sometime in the next two years we will be putting up solar panels. 6) We cook with propane gas, I refuse to run out of propane gas. We keep two tanks so we don't have to wait around for a delivery to finish cooking a meal. 7) Transportation, when it rains we take tricycles to go anywhere we want. For now public transportation is always easy to get too. When we go to Davao city we get a taxi cab. We have two scooters mine and my wife's she prefers to ride with me but saying one breaks down we have a back up. We just sold our van but will be purchasing another newer van sometime in the near future. 8)I refuse to eat just Filipino food, We go to Davao city to shop for American food once a month, I eat 75% Filipino food and 25% American food during the week. I've said all this for one reason if a person is struggling to live in the United States trying to put food on your table and keep a roof over your head then you may want to explore the idea of relocating to the Philippines. 90% of The Philippine people speak English a big plus when moving to a new country.
just a heads up on unexpected expenses,,just had a detached retina , no way to predict and not life threatening obviously but 90 k later and I can see again. if your self insured things can happen suddenly and some aren't cheap . any test in the world won't tell you about some issues that can pop up
Westerners, we are used to certain amenities, and these amenities cost money no matter where you go. It boils down to wants and needs for most people, and sometimes the line between the two gets blurred lol . When a budget becomes just a suggestion and not a guideline, then you will start living beyond your means . The Filipinos live to their means, and very few save for a rainy day. If you have a girlfriend or wife, they may not understand saving when they spent their lives sharing, and there wasn't any excess money . When you come along and are frugal and saving money, many will see you as stingy or a cheap Charlie because you don't give away all your resources to others in need, which is not in short supply. Information is power, and it's true that you will not know everything but be willing to listen and learn . Phil health is a good thing to have because nearly all hospitals except it, and they can get you stabilized until you can get to a hospital that excepts your insurance policy.
Steve, obviously it depends on the person. I can live in the SF Bay Area on 2-3 k. There's no way you can't survive on 2-3 k in Phillipines. But hey, that's just my opinion,,,
The main issue with some vloggers is that they pass off preference or opinion as fact. I’m not suggesting they are necessarily doing this with bad intentions but should call out opinion or preference as such.
I was well below the sweet spot pension when I retired there, but I had to learn quickly how to spend my money wisely..."The Want and The Need" part of spending your $$$. Occasionally, I would splurge on the "WANT" things but not big money or one that would break the budget lol😅 I know how to throttle back. Have a fine Navy day!
Great name Steve. I'm a fellow Steve myself. Dunning-Kruger Effect = keyboard warriors. We live in Korea and I get people who claim to know everything it. One time I had a guy argue about how to buy property in Korea, yet after much prodding this guy admitted he never bought any property in Korea and only visited on a tourist visa. So yea there are 'those guys'. I agree that a minimum is $2,000 a month and better at $3,000 per month. Definitely need an emergency fund for sure. We are considering getting the SRRV Courtesy Visa (military retiree) as a backup plan to Korea. Even if we just visit PI in the winter for a month or two, it will be worth it. Thanks for the video.
Tell us about the costs in medical stuff. How much was your colonoscopy etc. would love to see an xcel sheet of any and all procedures and the years it was done. Because we could really understand 🌸🌸💐💐🧚🧚 ps I am an old 71 yr female
Oh, don't mind them. People have different definitions and limits for what's living and what's surviving, not to mention different values and priorities in life.
There are many people that have the "sweet spot income" that Steve always talks about, however it just works out that their monthly expenses is between 1000 and 1500. Then of course there are the guys that don't have much in the way of savings, and an income of 1000 or less. That could work and allow them to get by ok. They certainly have to be careful with the what ifs that pop up from time to time. Certain things in the Philippines are not as inexpensive as they use to be, and costs are going up so people have to plan for that. I think 3 to 4 years ago the 1000 was more doable as compared with todays prices.
Another great info vlog!....I was wondering if/when we might hear how Rich has been doing since he left for Thailand. He was a regular stand in for you...then POOF...he said he was leaving for Thailand. Has he established his own vlog since he got there?...Was just wondering how he was doing.....Thanks again for your great info vlogs....they are really insightful....
I also recently saw a youtube video where the person who has an income stream of 4 to 5000 USD a month telling viewers to stop being cheap. Saying live life now because you don't know what will happened tomorrow. Then had the nerve to point out what someone spent their money on as an example of being cheap. Well that is like telling someone who makes 100K USD a year to someone who makes 50k USD a year to stop being cheap. So you see the gamut in youtube videos. You have to do your own research, come here for awhile and live your life, and determine your own budget. The monthly budget videos are just a guide line and a window into someones life on how they life. Those are helpful in my mind but obviously its not going to meet everyones needs and wants.
Steve is VA healthcare and tricare available there? As a retired veteran I have both but wonder if these services are available when I finally settle there in the future.
Tricare is available for retirees overseas. Problem is you have to pay up front and get reimbursed. This includes Tricare for life that kicks in when you are 65
The PI has the only VA clinic out side of the US. There are at least a dozen hospitals that will directly bill the VA for your care. Look at the VA site to look for it. And also the general medical care you get overseas as a veteran.
People tell me to move to( Macoti) outside of Manila because of 5000 + income , cheap cabs , lots of dancing I love . No need to drive , but is housing too high ? I'm 70 also . Is where you live close enough to rent a driver to go to Manila ?
Totally agree Steve and this happens all the time in political and policy discussions. The so called experts come out of the woodwork and think they know better because they hear it on soem fringe site or “did their research”. Hate to tell everyone that those fringe sites and looking up stuff on youtube is not “reserach”. BS Mathematics, MS Applied Mathematics, MBA, MSF My personal favorite was the whole hydroxychloroquine argument. You had these poor deluded people who screamed that it worked because some fringe guy who is being held down by the man says it works. When the obvious thing is, that the actual manufacturers Sanofi and Merck, who spent a fortune researching and testing the drug came out and told everyone NO it doesnt work for covid. Yet these youtube experts said nope it works because some guy says it works. If it really did work, then the drug makers would have been singing it from the heavens as they stood to make a fortune if it really did work. It is getting positively scary that people are questioning the overwhelming majority opinion of true scientists, true doctors, true economists in favor of some talking head on tv or the internet who isnt a trained expert.
Can I borrow some money from you???only kidding...I live good here in the US..But when I come to the Philippines next year...Staying away from broke Expats and Scammers...Thanks to your videos I have learned how to do that..
Steve, I plan on having enough money to try different locations for living, and enough money to move back to the United States if things do not work out.
I got married in bacolod In 1997 since than we haves lived in california. Due to my wife’s money from working at hospital We have accumulated two houses next to Disneyland In california and have 4 houses in Philippines south of bacolod. Our pla. Is go back and forth to Philippines , but we will spend most of our time in california. I got a sugar mama in california who is 17 years younger than me
When I was in Brazil even 2 to 3k a month was tough. As is Chile too. Philippines is off on its own for being dirty cheap as it gets and even then I definitely wouldn't retire with anything less than 2000. It's just too little and the older you get the more you'll need
I've been watching these videos for a few years now. 1 video sticks out in my mind. I'm not sure if it was yours or somebody else's. But the moral of the story was ExPats spend way more in the Philippines when they get there. Because things are so cheap.
Those philippines vloggers that talk about women/dating definitely have the Dunning-Kruger effect. Why didnt they have a dating channel in their home countries lol...
So what is the advantage of living 3rd world for $3K a month? and no medicare? whats the attraction? I can live very nice in central Florida on less than that.. And have my medicare, and decent steaks.
All I need to know is that my wife and I live better in Cebu on $5,200 a month than I would be living in the US. Life is sweet in another 18 months, our owner financed house is paid off and we will put the house payment money in savings. I would be a broke ass fool here on only $1,000 a month. Good luck to those who try to make it on that.
Did you just about the Dunning Kruger from neil degrasse tyson? He did a video couple days ago went viral where talked about the guy he was talking about
It's really simple.. live within your means.. and second.. get a good Filipina/o.. if you're coming here to retire 55+ then expect to die here. How hard is that to understand? And why not come here and die??? Makes no sense all these vloggers talking about this craziness budget stuff blah blah blah.. come here and enjoy your life.. don't worry about what other's think.
Living in the Province 2.5 years. Built a house, have a wife & a car. Don't drink, don't party, don't go out at night. Enjoying life on average $1,800 a month. Sometimes $2,200, sometimes $1,500. Pay myself $1K each month. No health insurance, but have an emergency fund. Living on 1,000 is very difficult. Most Americans could not be comfortable on $1K. Can you live without aircon here? Nope most of you cannot. Can you live with bugs, snakes and other things? Nope, most of you cannot. Your correct, no matter what all the other brilliant people think. Everyone who comes here actually knows NOTHING when they get here. We all knew nothing.
If you're in the province, got your rent for about 5.000 pesos, and live on just enough food with just enough usage of electricity wifi & water ! Yes you can stay alive..but that's not living..maybe as well be in prison.
If the Dunning-Kruger effect is true, how can ANYONE know that they themselves are not suffering from it?? While we're on the subject, you should check out Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity.
Our monthly outgoings $1200-$1500 in Cebu - This week, Wife in hospital for 3 days, with suspected stomach ulcer, private room, lots of meds, IV, X-Ray, consultant visits/examinations etc. Total cost $1K. That's why you need an emergency fund
Exactly
Some of us only have a $1000 a month from SSA ... so I rather live here than in the states to have a better life ...😂😂😂 P.S. I have my medical covered here 😂😂😂😂
The couple here in Ohio who send our balikbayan boxes say 1500 is solid.They are Filipino and from Cebu.They go home 2 or 3 times a year,,just FYI.
As a Nurse in the states I'm surprised she was in the hospital for 3 days here we do blood tests to determine the infection, ultrasound and xray to identify the location of the ulcer (ulcers)
Then pump the patient full of I.V. Antibiotics for 8 hours. Then home with a antibiotic pill form script.
You said suspected stomach ulcer ?
80% of stomach ulcers are treated with antibiotics, 20% with surgery.
I've come to believe that 95% of stomach ulcers are caused by stress and 5% are caused by eating disorders.
If you don't treat the root cause of her ulcers plan on returning to the hospital or seeing her primary doctor on a regular basis.
@@ricksdestinationcebu"solid" is not an answer...put pen to paper and review line item by line item w several reputable people
Been watching Steve for 3-4 years now. Definitely one of the wisest YT’ers in the Philippines. Paved the way for me and others to come. Can you live on a smaller budget? Yes ofc if you live in a cheap province and stay single. If you eat and live like a Filipino. But that’s not the type of life most of us want. If you meet a nice girl in Manila or cebu or dumaguete even you’re going to want a little bit more. Especially for emergencies or if you start having a family too one day.
Steve, my attitude is "you can't please everyone all of the time" let the haters hate. Your content is appreciated by those who truly want to learn about life in PH.
They really don't hate Steve...hate hearing anything that question their beliefs
Hannity & Colmes was one of my favorite shows on fox. The back and forth debated were always enjoyable. Allan Colmes passed away a few years ago.
I like the show as well as Allen's radio show every night.
I called in to voice my opinion and had a respectful conversation.
Yes Allen died from lung cancer, he was a smoker for many years.
Another great video Steve. I'm smart enough to know I'm not smart on everything Philippines so I happily learn from you. Fortunately I am in very good shape financially so I'll be calling soon to start the process for the ssrv with you and Mary rose. Thanks for all the info as always❤
Steve my friend, I love you but all I'm doing is sitting in my apartment in Vancouver paying the rent and going grocery shopping because I can't afford to do anything else with 9 months of winter to boot. I could live in the PH's with a better life on just my rent alone. I understand the point you're advocating; to make sure people have enough money to live a decent life when they hit the PH's. Have a goal, work, save, and invest before the move to the PH's.
We’ll be living in a small condo, free and clear, so our budget will be less there, but we will be snow-birding back to Canada for 7 months of each year and the plane tickets, etc, bumps the budget up a notch again. Lots of stuff to keep track of. $2-3k seems pretty reasonable. Some guys are in denial, they don’t want to admit their dream is unrealistic.
Never been to the Philippines, but everything you say is spot on. Gotta be wise with your money. Goes for everywhere in this world.
Steve I agree with you about the budget, I’ve lived here a few years now, and inflation has raised just since I’ve been here. Right now we are benefiting from a high 4X if the dollar falls as the worlds currency you could see the 4X almost cut in half. Now that is probably worse case scenario but it could happen. I’m reluctant to say my budget because when others say a high amount of money they usually get ripped apart or told they are bragging. I’m not trying to brag at all, so if anyone thinks this then stop reading now, because I won’t be answering or arguing with anyone about this and no this isn’t a d*** measuring contest either. I spend about $3,000 every month, but I live the life of a retired person, I don’t want to just survive. Life is way too short. I do also help many locals who are poverty stricken with many children to get rice and other food stuffs. I am able to bank the other $3,000 for any emergencies that may occur. I worked 45 years to get these pensions and made many personal sacrifices, so now I am enjoying the good life.
As it should be. Most don’t get the fact that the majority of people want to live happy here. It takes money
@@MrSteven5975Steve, have you heard about the vloggers in Dumaguete in life and death situations because of low budgets and no healthcare. Sad situations but predictable unfortunately. Please everyone get insurance!
Another terrific video ......the Biggest reason why FREEDOM of SPEECH is so important.....is hearing people speak openly gives US a good view into how people are thinkinng or NOT thinking.!!
I totally agree with everything that was covered in this video. Especially the start up fund of at least $10k. Most importantly, make sure you have medical insurance because God forbid you ever get in a situation where you have to be admitted into a hospital. Unlike in the states, the hospitals here will not treat you if you can't pay. $2-3k per month for singles and $3-4k for couples to live comfortably is my homest opinion.
hi, I have been watching steve for a few years. he helped me to relise that I could not live on my pension and live a average life. he helped me thanks steve.
Brother.... thr Dunning-Kruger effect is thriving in the US too. Rental property makes up 26% of my retirement income. I've been renting properties to people for 10 years now and it has always amazed me how most of the people I rent to actually make more money than me but have terribe credit, live paycheck to paycheck, no retirement plan and will probably never afford a home. But the part that really blows me away is that when I talk to them, they always seem to have it all figured out. They are ll fiinancial experts, there is a legitimate excuses for everything and anything that isn't working is the result of some kind of conspiracy. The Dunning Kruger effect has become a very real problem in a world that is so packed full of information, people can pick and choose whatever answers make them feel good without having to go threough the painful process of facing the truth and addressing their own flaws. Don't worry about it. Let them fail. Ron White said it best "You can't fix stupid".
Can't trust current mainstream retirement plans. They always come up with the excuse, "We have no money."
Tangible assets. Retire with tangibles or have a Replicator machine and own it.
@Steve - The phrase i use is "I read and I know things". Yes, i stole that from GoT, however if the phrase works, i use it.
My neighbor in the US lives on minimum wage and works a little bit more than half (1/2) time, about 25 hours a week. I can not live on that amount (and they do not because the government pays for a lot of their living expenses). They will most likely work until the day they die. I will work, but I want to work on my hobbies, not getting someone else richer. Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. I teach my students the same thing. Your future self will thank you, pay yourself $1.50 for every hour you work. Put it into a retirement account and you won't be sorry in 35 years.
Good video . thanks.
While many circumstances of Expats are similar, not everyone's situation is the same. We own a small home in the province, shop at open air-markets much of the time, and have little interest in night life, so our budget of $1000 doesn't include rent or lots of entertainment .. and that's a biggie. We do have our creature comforts like A/C and Star Link, but for the most part, we live simply. The result is a much lower budget than someone living in say Manila or Cebu. Our biggest concern is healthcare, or the lack thereof. My point being - it is possible to live frugally, but many "westerner's" simply don't want to. They want it all but at at half the price and now days .. that ain't gonna happen and like you - I blame these bloggers that aren't being totally honest.
Never heard of the D-K effect! Never have claimed to be an expert in anything though. Have lots of experiences that I can base my knowledge on (60 yoa) but do realize that my memory is not that reliable and so my knowledge in any area is not absolute. Good video. Thank you for posting, Steve...Jim
I agree that your numbers are solid,that being said bloggers who have not been home in some time just dont get it that a McDonald's meal is 14$ now,inflation over the last 3 1/2 years is 70%,it cumulative and the govt does not explain that. So if you only have 1400$ a month hands down there its a roof over your head here its living in your car..Not disagreeing just saying inflation has really screwed those 55 and over,just not enough time left make up the difference.. Keep up the good work,your helping many be aware of the ups and downs..
Great video. I was there in Feb thru May and spent 6.5 days in the hospital. Tricare Prime is not excepted there, so I paid $5373 cash for my hospital stay. Hopefully, Tricare Overseas Program will reimburse me. I'll find out in a few weeks. My first order of business when I move there in Sept is Pacific Cross full coverage plan. I am not messing around when I get there. Got to have that health insurance.
Contact Michael Onstad for Pacific Cross
Huge caveat: I pay no rent. Home is paid for. Car is new and paid cash.
I overspend massively for USDA choice and prime beef. US pork spareribs. And Australian Wagyu briskets. I put less than 2000p gas into my car per month. Electricity run between $125-$265 per month. I spend between $500-850 for groceries any previously mentioned imported meats per month. We never eat in restaurants. All home cooking, including smoked brisket, pulled pork Boston Butt, pork spareribs. Going extravagant on food, I spend a bit more than my Social Security retirement. But under $2000 per month.
now I have to be on meds due to an issue....it is MORE than my monthly apt...people don't understand but YOU do!!! Thanks for telling truth!
Great stuff Steven! Once again, spot on with the subject.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Steve, it is very nice to listen to your advisee because you do not talk nonsense!!!! Always very true, very informative and excellent!!!!!
I appreciate that!
People argue for the sake of argument
Their egos get in the way of their ability to disseminate information
Based upon my experience watching your channel, I find your advice largely spot on
I appreciate that!
Been following your channel now for four years.
We spend $2,600 on our monthly budget putting $500 in savings most months.
My pacific cross health insurance cost me $200 a month.
I saw you were installing a Split air-conditioning 2 HP and saw how it dropped your electric bill.
We Installed our split air-conditioning last March, we were using 3 windows air-conditioning units before.
My electric bill dropped from 14,000 php our highest to 10,569 php 837 klw in April
to 8,539 php 698 klw php in May
Our June bill is 6,007 php 527 klw set at 26
Thanks for the example.
I took your advice and put everything my wife will need to know when the time come to take care of my final resting place in a notebook that she has access to when I've died.
I bought a burial plot last month so my wife will have to deal with one less thing once I'm gone.
Good video Steve.
Great video Steve
Thanks 👍
Steve’s budget includes investments,medical savings, travel fund…..his budget is the cost of life. Not just monthly bills.
The things most need in a budget to survive later also.
Exactly...that's what most of these "1k/month budget" guys miss...life is tough and full of surprises...especially health problems....its all well and good until you get suffer a health set back.....2k-3k is a realistic life budget + you need reserves for health care and other emergencies/contingencies.
Steve is the voice of reason out of all these CZcamsrs.....his knowledge and insight is always spot on.
@@GerinPhils agreed! For people that are just getting by on the $1k/month budget do not have the safety net in case of a catastrophic life event (which everyone has or will have in their lives).
Steve, you're on target with your estimates...
Fox News is not a channel I watch, period...
I prefer the more international news...
Good session...
Have a great weekend!
🙏🙏🙏
👍😎👍
Steve, it is very nice to listen to your advisee because you do not talk nonsense!!!! Always very true, very informative and excellent!!!!!
For me ~$2500/mo for 2 people. Shoebox metro Manila condo a little over $400, includes slow internet. Rest is on groceries/stuff, eat out or order in meals ~7 times a week, grab and mall/entertainment visit on the weekend and sometimes buy clothes at surplus. It’s great there are so many malls 👍. 1 trip month. Surprised electric was ~2700 php and water ~350php. Laundry maybe 1 mo., girl washes by hand almost every morning.
It gets claustrophobic and monotonous in the shoebox, pool and gym help a little but not much of a walking area outside the condo compound which is why I need 1 trip/staycation a month. I’m looking forward to trying province life next, maybe cheaper with larger apt or house, walking area and hope to cut back on trips? 🤔
Still much cheaper compared to USA for just me. my 2B2B condo cost $2500/mo (mortgage/HOA) which I rent for now, groceries were ~$4-500/mo, cable/internet, insurance, gas and utility, etc. another ~$500, entertainment expensive 😉
Being Canadian Steve I think in Canadian dollars and right now my wife and I are back in Canada and returning to our home, ... a small condo in San Fernando, Pampanga at the start of November. Life there in the Philippines has been a little costly for us, but mainly because every cent we have left over after our other monthly expenses goes straight into paying our condo off. I expect to be pretty much debt free about 2 years from now and then our monthly budget will be less than a thousand Canadian per month. At that point we're going to be able to bank quite a bit plus have a lot available for travel.
I'll admit that at 72 we are self insuring because at our age insurance is crazy expensive, and if problems that big arise flying back to Canada can be an option. Also being a Balikbayan is quite a help as far as not needing visa extensions. People have to realize even then leaving the country and returning once a year, or going with a 13A can add to the budget. 🤑
I truly appreciate your service to our country and your service exhibited on this channel
I appreciate that
Yes it depends where you live in the Philippines. And it depends on which province and how far you are in the province. You can get good health care too. Some provinces are near hospitals and have what you need. But it depends on what YOU want out of the Philippines and how much money you bring in.
He who quotes The Dunning-Kruger Effect is doomed to be subject to it.
😂
Steve, it is very nice to listen to your advisee because you do not talk nonsense!!!! Always very true, very informative and excellent!!!!!
Great information, Steve thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Totally agree. My budget is $3k, but my pension and social security is twice that amount. I have Tricare plus Medicare. The Philippines will be my 43rd country. I’m an old hand at living abroad. My Southeast Asia experience is limited to four years in Korea and Japan.
My expenses are under $40 a month for electricity, nearly 900 a month for rent (that sucks), in America my food bill might be upwards of $400 a month (depending on how lazy I am), currently not much else I worry about. With my pay and all the overtime I can save upwards of $2,000 a month. Altogether there are seven rooms in my apartment, but I only use three of them. All I need is a room to live and sleep in, a bathroom/CR, in the kitchen of sorts. I don't do much at all outside of work. Talking direct me to a certain Filipina (no not a ldr) she assures me that I can live off of$1,000 a month comfortably (remembering that my comfort zone isn't very extravagant), also every time she interviews Filipinos on her CZcams channel, the people she interviews always bugs their eyes out and says oh yes they can live very comfortably on a thousand dollars a month when she asks.
Here in NE Texas my wife (from Cebu) and I live well and extremely comfortably on $80,000.00 a year. To duplicate our lifestyle in a "good" area of the Philippines with the amenities we require/desire would be $50,000.00+ a year. So I asked my wife if she wanted to move back to a high end area of the Philippines. Her answer was a definitive NO. Conversely we can also live in NE Texas for less than $500.00 a month: dispose of all assets,move into a tent in the woods,lie and get food stamps,free Obamacare,free Obamaphone, go to local missions to get free clothes and meals.....Heck: the town we live in will even give you a free bus pass if you qualify as "poor".
Now that's a smart reply from a person who has made smart choices in life and marriage lol 😆 😄 😂
He was "bumming" money. good pun there, steve. and last I checked he is still locked up.
I was surprised to see this topic, since I was just reading about this subject a couple days ago.
You need to live in an area for minimum of 6 months to figure out your budget. If you live in a state that has snowy winters, then I say at least a year. But, things change at the drop of a hat. If you don't have any backup, your up a creek without a paddle if something bad happens. Presently I travel for a couple of months at a time, then back to the states. My asawa worries about my health (I'm 69). So I didn't drop my health coverage over here and don't intend to (non-Medicare). When the trigger will be pulled, then research happens. Excellent topic Steve!
I agree with your opinion. I have enjoyed my vacations in the PI, but after a couple weeks I realize that what I can put up with for a few weeks would become intolerable if I permanently lived here.
I live the same here in the Philippines on Samal Island as I do in Clearwater Florida, United States.
It's all about how you want to live you're life.
A single person can live comfortably on $1,500 to $2,000 dollars a month, Family of five $2,000 to $3,000 dollars a month.
What it takes to live a comfortable life in the Philippines for this American. (Me)
1) I refuse to rent, I'm not stressing about a house or rental payment every month. We own our own house that's paid for because of this specific reason.
2) I refuse to live without air-conditioning.
Not only do we have a split air-conditioning unit but three window air-conditioning units as well for back up.
Never going without air-conditioning.
3) I refuse to live without water to clean our house, take showers, do dishes, do laundry, water the plants, wash our scooters. We have Public water as well as a water tank and electric water pump. Never going to run out of water.
4) we keep 50 gallons of drinking water on hand at all time. Never running out of drinking water.
5)I refuse to be sitting in our house in a brown out without lights, air-conditioning, and water.
We have commercial public power as well as a generator to run everything in our house when the power goes out.
We have brown outs several times a week.
In most cases they last about 10 minutes but sometimes more so in the event the power is out more than 30 minutes I then turn the generator on.
Sometime in the next two years we will be putting up solar panels.
6) We cook with propane gas, I refuse to run out of propane gas. We keep two tanks so we don't have to wait around for a delivery to finish cooking a meal.
7) Transportation, when it rains we take tricycles to go anywhere we want. For now public transportation is always easy to get too.
When we go to Davao city we get a taxi cab.
We have two scooters mine and my wife's she prefers to ride with me but saying one breaks down we have a back up.
We just sold our van but will be purchasing another newer van sometime in the near future.
8)I refuse to eat just Filipino food, We go to Davao city to shop for American food once a month, I eat 75% Filipino food and 25% American food during the week.
I've said all this for one reason if a person is struggling to live in the United States trying to put food on your table and keep a roof over your head then you may want to explore the idea of relocating to the Philippines. 90% of The Philippine people speak English a big plus when moving to a new country.
just a heads up on unexpected expenses,,just had a detached retina , no way to predict and not life threatening obviously but 90 k later and I can see again. if your self insured things can happen suddenly and some aren't cheap . any test in the world won't tell you about some issues that can pop up
$90k or pesos?
I hope you’re better.
@@I_Need_Travel-mw3st pesos about 1600 usd at a private clinic in mindanao..
Westerners, we are used to certain amenities, and these amenities cost money no matter where you go. It boils down to wants and needs for most people, and sometimes the line between the two gets blurred lol . When a budget becomes just a suggestion and not a guideline, then you will start living beyond your means . The Filipinos live to their means, and very few save for a rainy day. If you have a girlfriend or wife, they may not understand saving when they spent their lives sharing, and there wasn't any excess money . When you come along and are frugal and saving money, many will see you as stingy or a cheap Charlie because you don't give away all your resources to others in need, which is not in short supply. Information is power, and it's true that you will not know everything but be willing to listen and learn . Phil health is a good thing to have because nearly all hospitals except it, and they can get you stabilized until you can get to a hospital that excepts your insurance policy.
that is why Im playing the lottery, my SS is only 1,300 😔 and I want to live in the Philippines.
Steve, obviously it depends on the person. I can live in the SF Bay Area on 2-3 k. There's no way you can't survive on 2-3 k in Phillipines. But hey, that's just my opinion,,,
Hi Steve, good show and I enjoyed learning about the Kruger effect , but - Why can't you get FOX over there? Have you tried using a VPN ?
No FOX here
Good Talk Steve!
The main issue with some vloggers is that they pass off preference or opinion as fact. I’m not suggesting they are necessarily doing this with bad intentions but should call out opinion or preference as such.
“ I heard that” “I’m not an attorney but” I never been to the Philippines however my buddy …”
Persons who state that they live on 500-1000 dollars a month often have a girlfriend/ wife that also works, but they don’t say that.
Creatinine test is part of a panel called "Complete metabolic panel"
No. It's part of a 'Comprehensive Metabolic Panel'.
I was well below the sweet spot pension when I retired there, but I had to learn quickly how to spend my money wisely..."The Want and The Need" part of spending your $$$. Occasionally, I would splurge on the "WANT" things but not big money or one that would break the budget lol😅 I know how to throttle back. Have a fine Navy day!
But being retired means we want to live well too. Many retire and live in poverty.
Great name Steve. I'm a fellow Steve myself. Dunning-Kruger Effect = keyboard warriors. We live in Korea and I get people who claim to know everything it. One time I had a guy argue about how to buy property in Korea, yet after much prodding this guy admitted he never bought any property in Korea and only visited on a tourist visa. So yea there are 'those guys'.
I agree that a minimum is $2,000 a month and better at $3,000 per month. Definitely need an emergency fund for sure.
We are considering getting the SRRV Courtesy Visa (military retiree) as a backup plan to Korea. Even if we just visit PI in the winter for a month or two, it will be worth it. Thanks for the video.
On a budget of about 25,000 pesos, sorry forgot that part :)
Tell us about the costs in medical stuff. How much was your colonoscopy etc. would love to see an xcel sheet of any and all procedures and the years it was done. Because we could really understand 🌸🌸💐💐🧚🧚 ps I am an old 71 yr female
Oh, don't mind them. People have different definitions and limits for what's living and what's surviving, not to mention different values and priorities in life.
I can confirm that Steve doesn't get FXNC since few Philippine cable or sat tv companies have carriage agreements with FXNC
There are many people that have the "sweet spot income" that Steve always talks about, however it just works out that their monthly expenses is between 1000 and 1500. Then of course there are the guys that don't have much in the way of savings, and an income of 1000 or less. That could work and allow them to get by ok. They certainly have to be careful with the what ifs that pop up from time to time. Certain things in the Philippines are not as inexpensive as they use to be, and costs are going up so people have to plan for that. I think 3 to 4 years ago the 1000 was more doable as compared with todays prices.
The Dunning-Kruger effect is the cognitive bias effect, spot on - keep up the good work :-)
Thanks, will do!
Another great info vlog!....I was wondering if/when we might hear how Rich has been doing since he left for Thailand. He was a regular stand in for you...then POOF...he said he was leaving for Thailand. Has he established his own vlog since he got there?...Was just wondering how he was doing.....Thanks again for your great info vlogs....they are really insightful....
Rich is fine in Thailand and I will see him in January probably.
@@MrSteven5975 Thanks for the update...are there plans for him to do his own vlog from the new location?
Expensive Expat. Looks like he does well on his SS budget.
I also recently saw a youtube video where the person who has an income stream of 4 to 5000 USD a month telling viewers to stop being cheap. Saying live life now because you don't know what will happened tomorrow. Then had the nerve to point out what someone spent their money on as an example of being cheap. Well that is like telling someone who makes 100K USD a year to someone who makes 50k USD a year to stop being cheap. So you see the gamut in youtube videos. You have to do your own research, come here for awhile and live your life, and determine your own budget. The monthly budget videos are just a guide line and a window into someones life on how they life. Those are helpful in my mind but obviously its not going to meet everyones needs and wants.
Not much to add to what you said. Yep. It takes at least 10 years to know the Philippines.
Steve is VA healthcare and tricare available there? As a retired veteran I have both but wonder if these services are available when I finally settle there in the future.
Tricare is available for retirees overseas. Problem is you have to pay up front and get reimbursed. This includes Tricare for life that kicks in when you are 65
Yes
The PI has the only VA clinic out side of the US. There are at least a dozen hospitals that will directly bill the VA for your care. Look at the VA site to look for it. And also the general medical care you get overseas as a veteran.
@@dzikijohnny Only Service Connections at the VA the rest is FMP and also only Service Connections.
Steve I watch Fox news ever day, I'm a news buff , they are lots of CZcams channels that carries it live every day, and yes I'm a conservative
I’m Conservative to Moderate on most subjects
Yes Steve, it's good to see you're not swayed by the loud minority barkers. Keep your level head 👍🏻 and broad view 👍🏻
Thanks 👍
People tell me to move to( Macoti) outside of Manila because of 5000 + income , cheap cabs , lots of dancing I love . No need to drive , but is housing too high ? I'm 70 also . Is where you live close enough to rent a driver to go to Manila ?
Absolutely and we share rides often too
Totally agree Steve and this happens all the time in political and policy discussions. The so called experts come out of the woodwork and think they know better because they hear it on soem fringe site or “did their research”. Hate to tell everyone that those fringe sites and looking up stuff on youtube is not “reserach”.
BS Mathematics, MS Applied Mathematics, MBA, MSF
My personal favorite was the whole hydroxychloroquine argument. You had these poor deluded people who screamed that it worked because some fringe guy who is being held down by the man says it works. When the obvious thing is, that the actual manufacturers Sanofi and Merck, who spent a fortune researching and testing the drug came out and told everyone NO it doesnt work for covid. Yet these youtube experts said nope it works because some guy says it works. If it really did work, then the drug makers would have been singing it from the heavens as they stood to make a fortune if it really did work.
It is getting positively scary that people are questioning the overwhelming majority opinion of true scientists, true doctors, true economists in favor of some talking head on tv or the internet who isnt a trained expert.
You have to love when people that haven’t actually done something thinking they know more. Those can be dangerous people.
Can I borrow some money from you???only kidding...I live good here in the US..But when I come to the Philippines next year...Staying away from broke Expats and Scammers...Thanks to your videos I have learned how to do that..
Steve, I plan on having enough money to try different locations for living, and enough money to move back to the United States if things do not work out.
I got married in bacolod In 1997 since than we haves lived in california.
Due to my wife’s money from working at hospital
We have accumulated two houses next to Disneyland
In california and have 4 houses in Philippines south of bacolod.
Our pla. Is go back and forth to Philippines , but we will spend most of our time in california.
I got a sugar mama in california who is 17 years younger than me
I was wondering if you are familiar with prepaid health cards &, if so, what your thoughts are on these.
I don’t like them
@@MrSteven5975would you care to elaborate? 😊
Dunning Kruger is cousin of Freddy Kruger from nightmare elm street
You definitely tell it like it is
When I was in Brazil even 2 to 3k a month was tough. As is Chile too. Philippines is off on its own for being dirty cheap as it gets and even then I definitely wouldn't retire with anything less than 2000. It's just too little and the older you get the more you'll need
I've been watching these videos for a few years now. 1 video sticks out in my mind. I'm not sure if it was yours or somebody else's. But the moral of the story was ExPats spend way more in the Philippines when they get there. Because things are so cheap.
Exactly
Here in the states if u pay for utube premium you can get Fox News etc maybe in Philippines too ?
True me I think 2500 to 3000 a month is good and I only been there twice 20 days each time
Those philippines vloggers that talk about women/dating definitely have the Dunning-Kruger effect. Why didnt they have a dating channel in their home countries lol...
So what is the advantage of living 3rd world for $3K a month? and no medicare?
whats the attraction?
I can live very nice in central Florida on less than that.. And have my medicare, and decent steaks.
My older sister has the Dunning-Kruger thing! 8)
Yeah, there are plenty know it alls. I have gotten a lot of good information from you. I just don’t comment much.
All I need to know is that my wife and I live better in Cebu on $5,200 a month than I would be living in the US. Life is sweet in another 18 months, our owner financed house is paid off and we will put the house payment money in savings. I would be a broke ass fool here on only $1,000 a month. Good luck to those who try to make it on that.
Did you just about the Dunning Kruger from neil degrasse tyson? He did a video couple days ago went viral where talked about the guy he was talking about
I did not see it
Remember Steve that bloggers don’t really care to educated people about a place and gave the right information They said whatever for views.
Its amazing how many expats buy needless stuff off of Shopee and Lazada and put it in their budget. That is not a true budget
It's really simple.. live within your means.. and second.. get a good Filipina/o.. if you're coming here to retire 55+ then expect to die here. How hard is that to understand? And why not come here and die??? Makes no sense all these vloggers talking about this craziness budget stuff blah blah blah.. come here and enjoy your life.. don't worry about what other's think.
Living in the Province 2.5 years. Built a house, have a wife & a car. Don't drink, don't party, don't go out at night. Enjoying life on average $1,800 a month. Sometimes $2,200, sometimes $1,500. Pay myself $1K each month. No health insurance, but have an emergency fund. Living on 1,000 is very difficult. Most Americans could not be comfortable on $1K. Can you live without aircon here? Nope most of you cannot. Can you live with bugs, snakes and other things? Nope, most of you cannot. Your correct, no matter what all the other brilliant people think. Everyone who comes here actually knows NOTHING when they get here. We all knew nothing.
Live and exist are 2 different things
I live on around $300 or so a month in the province but i had a house built so no rent so that helps
If you're in the province, got your rent for about 5.000 pesos, and live on just enough food with just enough
usage of electricity wifi & water ! Yes you can stay alive..but that's not living..maybe as well be in prison.
Are you a veteran?
Yes,
Sure you can live on less than $1000/month but why would you want to?
With $2K to $3K a month you could live okay in many European countries.
Yoda says the Effect is strong with you.
@@constantinemandylas715 on Okinawa Japan as well.
Veterinary services available
Yes
@MrSteven5975 bl9kes that's so insane. Steak n eggs grass fed dumpers rock hard sliders meal biscuits
Philippines is trending on X ( Twitter )
nato suffers from this effect
If the Dunning-Kruger effect is true, how can ANYONE know that they themselves are not suffering from it?? While we're on the subject, you should check out Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity.
Lol
I think some people can survive on 1500 a Month
But it’s not living a fun lifestyle. It’s ok but not great.