⌛ Hello, new to the forum

Hi
My name is Phill and I would like to say hello and introduce myself to the members of the forum.
I have lived and worked in London UK for the last 20 years and I will be 59 this coming June, I am giving serious consideration to taking my retirement next year and making the move to Dumaguete.

I have lived my life and enjoyed it up to now, but I have not been frugal over the years and my pension pot is not overflowing, I hope it will be adequate to live a simple life there in the Philippines.
I have read with interest the piece 'Retirement in the Philippines' that is available on this site, it is obviously written from an American perspective and speaks of $700 pensions. I was wondering if anyone could enlighten me as to the credibility of the piece, does it reflect the reality of the cost of living over there? Are there many Brits that have made the leap? how difficult is it to enter and stay once there? do you have to keep leaving and re-applying for visas? Some very general questions there I know and I realise that we are all different and what is adequate for one is not the same for others. As I said I am not looking to live the high life, just get a nice apartment to rent with good furnishings in a reasonable neighbourhood.

Regards to all

 

Hi Phill and welcome to the Forum. Answers to all of your questions can be found if you trawl through various parts of the Forum, and I would strongly advise you to take particular note of the relative articles on visas and residency, all of which have been written about at great length - you can also get up to date info on this from the Philippines Embassy in London website.

I am in a similar position to you (although 4 years older) in that I am also leaving UK (it sucks) and will live in or near to Dumaguete. I had hoped to be there by Easter, but a bereavement in the family put everything back by a couple of months, so I will be on the plane as soon as my house is sold. However, I will generalise on some of the things that you have asked.

Yes, the article you referred to is written from an American perspective, but it is also quite dated. $700 a month is roughly £460 ( at todays rate, £1 = 68 peso, so it is approx 31,000 peso) and that may seem a little ambitious, but that depends on the lifestyle that you intend to lead. It is however, considerably more than many Filipinos could ever hope to earn. Dumaguete, although a city, is quite provincial compared to Manila and Cebu, therefore your money goes further. Apartments can be found from 5000 pesos upwards, but that depends on the quality, location, and your negotiating and bargaining skills. Remember that you will also have utilities to pay for. I was there house-hunting for 3 weeks last November/December and met an Australian whose total income was approx 32000 peso per month and he reckoned he and his girlfriend lived very comfortably, but you rightly pointed out that what is adequate for one is not necessarily right for another. Yet it does reflect the considerably lower cost of living than the extortionate rates that we pay in UK. As an example, I have just paid £445 (30,000 peso) for 3 months electricity here in Essex; in Dumaguete it is probably just one-fifth of that, less in Valencia where there is an electricity rebate programme. Utilities, beer, eating out, beer, clothes, beer, accommodation and beer are all ridiculously lower by comparison to UK prices !!! You can expect to pay a bit more than a Filipino would at times, but this is the "long-nose tax", the logic being that you must be rich because you could afford to fly there.

There is a large and thriving expat community there and quite a lot of Brits, of all ages, have made the leap, along with Americans, Canadians, Aussies, Kiwis, Danes, Dutch, Germans, Belgians, Swiss, Austrians, et al, probably even an Eskimo or two although I never met one there ! Many of them have been there for quite a while and are well established. I suppose a useful piece of advice would be to gradually slot in with the Philippines way of doing things, the sometimes laid-back vague way of life ( "later" can mean anything from the next hour to the next month ) and just go with the flow. It all adds to the charisma of the place. I have spent a great deal of my life outside of UK and have always found it best to "go native".

Probably the best piece of advice, which I think would be offered by everyone on this Forum, is DON'T JUMP. Take your time. Go there for a visit, there are plenty of cheap hotels and pensions for well under 1000 a night, get the feel of the place, meet other expats, buy them the obligatory beer and ask questions, look around both in Dumaguete and the surrounding areas, check out neighbourhoods, properties, the general life-style, and decide if it really is for you and is what you want. More to the point, do you feel comfortable and contented there.

One point to keep in mind is that when you are entitled to the OA pension, currently at 65, you will be paid it in full plus every annual rise, as there is a pension reciprocal arrangement between the Philippines and the UK. Ideally, retain a UK bank account and just transfer money as and when needed.

If you have any further specific questions, I know there are many others on this Forum, already resident in Dumaguete and the surrounding towns, who will be able to give you qualified and accurate advice, usually based on their own experiences, but I hope that what I have covered has been helpful. Good luck in your endeavours, and if you trip over me on the Boulevard just point me in the direction of wherever a beer can be shared.!!



Cheers,

Roger.

 

Phill,

speaking in general, it is possible to "survive" for that amount. I know quite some people in Dumaguete doing that. To be really comfortable it won't be enough, unless you are happy with sitting in Dumaguete without doing a lot; and I know many retirees here doing exactly that... once a week eating outside and a few beers and all they know about this beautiful country is the point of entry (Cebu or Manila) and Dumaguete +/- 15 Kilometer.

Well, as this is not my way of living, that amount would not be enough for me. I am in a country with 7107 Islands and there need to be a lot explored. Having a girlfriend and 2 kids at school, my monthly "need" for my way is about 1,500 $ and this without traveling.

Again I know plenty who are here with a budget or 1K or less. In discussions they simply tell me that a low-budget life on a tropical island is better than a low-budget life in cold Europe. I can't disagree with that... at the end of the day it is what you make out of your life.

Broadside already gave plenty of good advices and reading a bit in the Forum (and between the lines) will give you a lot of insight.

Anyway, Welcome to our little community and all the best for your plans

cheers

Rhoody

 

WHOA! that $700. quote I never heard of before but I came here 4 months ago found 3 bedroom flat part of duplex for Php9000.oo which was the cheapest I've seen since;well all in all my total budget ran up its own course as i had more to spare yet stopped short of eating out every day as long as not over 200.00php ,satelite tv bill maid service bill,electric,all i need groceries and even donate a few hundred pesos to community solicitations or helpful people...Any way including my visa charge of 2700.oophp a month and extra cash just to round it off evenly,,,my total expense monthly struggles to exceed $700.00 a month. You will get fat or have an expensive girlfriend to use more than $700.oo a month=31,000 peso average. presidents salary is around 60,000 peso or less? Who ever quoted that $700 figure hit my status right on the money so trust it..

 

I agree. Where the "extra" cash (over and above "$700") comes in handy is if you:

1) Want to travel
2) Want to own and maintain a vehicle
3) Want to eat/drink out often
4) Like to shop

Our main expenses are (from highest to lowest) rent, food, electricity, visa fees, shopping, entertainment, public transportation, bottled water (delivered), cellphone "loads", cooking gas, and charcoal for the BBQ.

$700 is very "do-able". $600 is a possibility as is $500 if you live alone (or have a cheap girlfriend:D) and live frugally. Shop hard for a comfortable place that fits your budget and go from there.

 

The $700 quote can be found on the home page of this Forum under Expat Info !!!!!

Of course it's do-able on the amounts quoted by Knowdafish, but, as was clearly stated previously, the amount you need is relevant to your planned life-style, and Phill rightly pointed out that what is suitable for one may not be suitable for the circumstances of another. Many retirees, and those approaching retirement in Western countries are already condemned to a frugal life and possibly to being alone as well, counting every penny and cent and living a hand-to-mouth existence on a daily basis, always worried that there is too much month left at the end of the money. One of the great attractions of the Philippines is that your dollar/pound/Euro goes much further and so you are able to live a more congenial life than you could otherwise do at home; living rather than existing !

You could, of course, lead a miserly existence, live in isolation, never socialize, never travel outside of Dumaguete city limits, and hoard every spare peso --- but there is no merit in being the richest man in the cemetery and there are no pockets in shrouds !!!

Cheers

Roger.

 

Hello again,

Thank you all for your responses to my post and questions, and especially to Roger. I used the $700 example as it was already posted on the site, for my own part I hope that with my private pension, my civil service pension and the few savings I have that I will be able to have a comfortable life style. I was just interested to know how accurate that piece was? and it would appear from what everyone has said that although the piece is dated it still has some resonance.

As it said in clause IV of the Labour party manifesto, before it was abandoned by 'New Labour' "Each to take equal to his needs".

Tunji Oluwajuyemi seems to have fared ok and got himself sorted.

On the point that Knowdafish raised about expenditure I have no interest in owning a vehicle other than maybe a small scooter or bicycle, I hate to shop and I don't have or want a cell/mobile phone,so that's some savings I can make LOL.

I hope over time I can explore other parts of the Philippines as stated by Rhoody,it would seem almost criminal not to see what these islands have to offer if living there.

I will continue to read postings on the forum and to endeavour to seek answers to my questions from others experiences.

thanks again for your welcome and answers.

 

all in peso,s (monthly) rent 5000 nice 2 bedroom( no aircon) power 1500, cable 400, internet 1000,food 12,000, outings dinner ect 4000 , visa 2000 . we dont want for anything and have a good life . hope that helps . best of luck