[JayJuanGee]

(04-11-2019 11:17 AM)Mentavious Wrote:  

1,000 USD a month?

Good luck!

Is that $1k per month way too low? Struggling?

Since I am in my early 50s, I have worked hard a lot of my life and lived well within my means, so I consider that I am getting to the stage of my life where I am inclined to spend some of that nest egg that I built up.

Even doubling or tripling a minimum budget, like bringing $1k to $2k or $3k, should bring a decent amount of luxury, or maybe the extra money can just be used to bounce around to other locations without worrying about costs?

I'm tentatively planning to travel in about August or so, but since I am considering various kinds of stem cell treatments, I am considering either Panama or Thailand before going to the Phils.. .I have not come across any information that innovative stem cell treatments are happening in the Phils.. at least so far, I have not found anything.

[Tail Gunner]

(04-11-2019 04:48 PM)JayJuanGee Wrote:  

(04-11-2019 11:17 AM)Mentavious Wrote:  

1,000 USD a month?

Good luck!

I'm tentatively planning to travel in about August or so, but since I am considering various kinds of stem cell treatments, I am considering either Panama or Thailand before going to the Phils.. .I have not come across any information that innovative stem cell treatments are happening in the Phils.. at least so far, I have not found anything.

From what I have read, South Korea is the place to go in Asia for stem cell therapy. From what I understand, South Korea is just as innovative as the U.S. but without all the lawsuits and fearmongering from the FDA.

[JayJuanGee]

(04-11-2019 05:11 PM)Tail Gunner Wrote:  

(04-11-2019 04:48 PM)JayJuanGee Wrote:  

(04-11-2019 11:17 AM)Mentavious Wrote:  

1,000 USD a month?

Good luck!

I'm tentatively planning to travel in about August or so, but since I am considering various kinds of stem cell treatments, I am considering either Panama or Thailand before going to the Phils.. .I have not come across any information that innovative stem cell treatments are happening in the Phils.. at least so far, I have not found anything.

From what I have read, South Korea is the place to go in Asia for stem cell therapy. From what I understand, South Korea is just as innovative as the U.S. but without all the lawsuits and fearmongering from the FDA.

Ok... thanks tailgunner. I have not come across any South Korea sources for stemcell treatment, yet, but I will look more specifically into that location as a possibility, too.

Each location seems to have differing approaches to how they treat their patients and the kinds of stem cells (and methodology of course) that they use in that location.

From what I had been able to learn, the USA has both an issue of the kinds of stem cells that they use for treatments (which are frequently your own cells, which are not as effective as younger stem cells that might come from umbilical or from other places - which are more flexible (pluripotent)).. and then the USA has issues regarding insurance approval, regulatory approval and costs.. I tend to be a bit skeptical about the insurance and drug systems in the USA because it remains questionable about whether they really want you to get better rather than keep spending on various services, drugs for example.

By the way, getting into a medical study in the USA, might indicate that you only have a 50/50 chance of receiving the actual treatment that you though that you were supposed to have been receiving.

Anyhow, don't want to deviate too much from this thread, but I was a bit of the impression that Philippines is not really any kind of destination for westerners to obtain any kind of meaningful or innovative medical treatments... stem cell treatments or otherwise.

[SeaFM]

I was looking to move out of the city a little bit. Alabang was one of the places I was looking, but god damn it was expensive. Might as well live in the US.

The guy with the budget, realistically you’re looking at about $550 USD minimum for a studio apartment in a decent building in Makati. Per month.

Plus utilitities and internet, etc.

Also western food costs more, as do grocery stores that have it.

That $1000 won’t get you very far, and if you try to go cheap in Manila, you’ll probably hate it.

I’m not saying you have to ball to have a good time, but you do need to spend more than you would in Thailand for example.

[Bananaman711]

(04-11-2019 09:21 PM)SeaFM Wrote:  

I was looking to move out of the city a little bit. Alabang was one of the places I was looking, but god damn it was expensive. Might as well live in the US.

The guy with the budget, realistically you’re looking at about $550 USD minimum for a studio apartment in a decent building in Makati. Per month.

Plus utilitities and internet, etc.

Also western food costs more, as do grocery stores that have it.

That $1000 won’t get you very far, and if you try to go cheap in Manila, you’ll probably hate it.

I’m not saying you have to ball to have a good time, but you do need to spend more than you would in Thailand for example.

Ok, you picked the most expensive part of PH and Manila, for that money I can rent small flat in Australia.

How much does same studio apartment cost in 2nd and 3rd tier cities?
You realize biggest chunk of of your expenses is accommodation so if you can get a place for 200-300USD then it leaves me 700-800 USD and I dont drink.

I can get by with that money in Australia where I don't pay rent but i pay about 250 USD bills.

[Mentavious]

OP should take a tour of the area where apartments are less than 400 a month. It’s not exactly a life I would live. A grand is at the very upper limit of his budget too.

A first timer to the Phils with no filipina gf or knowledge of the culture should not live in an area that would have sub 400 USD apartments.

[croquet]

Do not do PH on a budget. Do not do SEA on a budget.

[yankeetravels]

OP it probably depends how long you're staying for how much your bills are gonna be. Guys on the ground for the long term can speak better, but 1k is definitely not realistic to get western perks in the big cities. You CAN live on 1k, millions of locals probably live on half of that or less. But, you might question if you want to.

The way I did Manila, I spent about 1500 for a month and my apartment was about 600 for one outside of BGC and Makati. I will admit, I splurged a little bit, but looking back at everything I spent money on, I could not imagine trying to do Manila on less than 1200 a month at absolute minimum for our lifestyles.

Are you going to need internet? If so, that takes out a lot of options. If that's not a necessity, it opens up a bit. The smaller islands may be more realistic for that budget. I found that I had a much better chance of living on a small budget in Palawan than in Manila for example. Things are just cheaper there. But to live on less than 1k in the Phils, you may not like your accommodation. It may end up being in an inconvenient part of the city, you may have to have roommates, or it can even be an unfurnished apartment. Logistics are more important here because public transportation is not well designed in the city and non existent on the islands, plus there's a lot of traffic.

This one expat I saw do a stream said he lived somewhere for 200 in rent a month but it was a piece of shit. My ex I think was paying 100 a month but she had three roommates and was a local that grew up in the province, so she was used to those conditions. The best way I can equate that for us is it would be like going back to dorming in college only with no internet or A/C.

[66Scorpio]

I am a Canadian expat living in China. My wife is a Filipina who I met here through online dating. So far we have visited PH once, and I was not impressed. In general, China is a far better envrions. However, I am looking at the long game. The thing about PH, especially if you have a spouse, is that you can build your castle. If you get away from Manila then land and labour are dirt cheap. My wife is very industrious and is building a house.But I want to build my castle.

[JayJuanGee]

(04-12-2019 04:53 PM)66Scorpio Wrote:  

I am a Canadian expat living in China. My wife is a Filipina who I met here through online dating. So far we have visited PH once, and I was not impressed. In general, China is a far better envrions. However, I am looking at the long game. The thing about PH, especially if you have a spouse, is that you can build your castle. If you get away from Manila then land and labour are dirt cheap. My wife is very industrious and is building a house.But I want to build my castle.

I thought that a rule of thumb is that you do not want to build up too much more luxurious than the surrounding real estate, otherwise you become a target....

Within reason, I suppose you could build a bit more luxurious than surrounding properties, but always need to consider if you might be causing yourself to become more of a target than you would otherwise wish to be.

[SeaFM]

(04-12-2019 03:46 AM)Bananaman711 Wrote:  

(04-11-2019 09:21 PM)SeaFM Wrote:  

I was looking to move out of the city a little bit. Alabang was one of the places I was looking, but god damn it was expensive. Might as well live in the US.

The guy with the budget, realistically you’re looking at about $550 USD minimum for a studio apartment in a decent building in Makati. Per month.

Plus utilitities and internet, etc.

Also western food costs more, as do grocery stores that have it.

That $1000 won’t get you very far, and if you try to go cheap in Manila, you’ll probably hate it.

I’m not saying you have to ball to have a good time, but you do need to spend more than you would in Thailand for example.

Ok, you picked the most expensive part of PH and Manila, for that money I can rent small flat in Australia.

How much does same studio apartment cost in 2nd and 3rd tier cities?
You realize biggest chunk of of your expenses is accommodation so if you can get a place for 200-300USD then it leaves me 700-800 USD and I dont drink.

I can get by with that money in Australia where I don't pay rent but i pay about 250 USD bills.

That’s low for Makati. But it doesn’t make a whole lot of difference if you want to stay in BGC or Eastwood or Ortigas, you’ll pay the same.

I don’t know about 2nd or 3rd tier cities, though you can find reasonably priced accommodations in Puerto Galera for example.

Overall, I believe that the short term rental market in Manila is way overpriced. I’ve tried renting in other areas like Malate, and to be blunt, it sucks. The traffic is horrible, travel time anywhere takes forever, elevators are slow, or there are gigantic lineups. Buildings get run down fast, and even Gramercy or Knightsbridge are constantly battling cockroaches.

You know the old saying, you get what you pay for, and in Manila, you get it sometimes.

[66Scorpio]

(04-12-2019 05:39 PM)JayJuanGee Wrote:  

(04-12-2019 04:53 PM)66Scorpio Wrote:  

I am a Canadian expat living in China. My wife is a Filipina who I met here through online dating. So far we have visited PH once, and I was not impressed. In general, China is a far better envrions. However, I am looking at the long game. The thing about PH, especially if you have a spouse, is that you can build your castle. If you get away from Manila then land and labour are dirt cheap. My wife is very industrious and is building a house.But I want to build my castle.

I thought that a rule of thumb is that you do not want to build up too much more luxurious than the surrounding real estate, otherwise you become a target....

Within reason, I suppose you could build a bit more luxurious than surrounding properties, but always need to consider if you might be causing yourself to become more of a target than you would otherwise wish to be.

It depends on what you mean by "target". My wife is totally pissing off the locals with her house because of its upscale style. My plan, such as it is, is to build an executive retreat. That might indeed draw more ire, but WTF? I need to make a living.

[AsiaBaller]

(04-12-2019 04:53 PM)66Scorpio Wrote:  

The thing about PH, especially if you have a spouse, is that you can build your castle. If you get away from Manila then land and labour are dirt cheap. My wife is very industrious and is building a house.But I want to build my castle.

Ask around a bit how many castle builders had an untimely death in the Philippines.

In 3rd world countries you generally just want to rent as a foreigner and keep a low key profile. The few old spaniards (sephardic jews) like the Zóbel de Ayala family are firmly established and know how to play the game safely from Manila.

Rural areas of 3rd world countries are dominated by warlord type family clans and if they want your "castle" you're dead end gone and they'll get someone to sign over the deed.

Filipinas and their families have a reputation for turning on their husbands as well and trying to get any assets they can.

[RawGod]

(04-13-2019 03:17 AM)AsiaBaller Wrote:  

(04-12-2019 04:53 PM)66Scorpio Wrote:  

The thing about PH, especially if you have a spouse, is that you can build your castle. If you get away from Manila then land and labour are dirt cheap. My wife is very industrious and is building a house.But I want to build my castle.

Ask around a bit how many castle builders had an untimely death in the Philippines.

In 3rd world countries you generally just want to rent as a foreigner and keep a low key profile. The few old spaniards (sephardic jews) like the Zóbel de Ayala family are firmly established and know how to play the game safely from Manila.

Rural areas of 3rd world countries are dominated by warlord type family clans and if they want your "castle" you're dead end gone and they'll get someone to sign over the deed.

Filipinas and their husbands have a reputation for turning on their husbands as well and trying to get any assets they can.

I second that. Even if my wife remained 100% loyal, the last thing I'd do in the Philippines is build a castle in a random rural area because there's a nice view. Look, rich (e.g. Chinese) Filipinos do not even do that in the provinces where local big men hold sway. They stick to the known safe enclaves.

[aeroektar]

I can't speak for Manila because its not my cup of tea, but as an example, go on rentpad.ph and look at rental units in Cebu under 20k ($380) a month, there are units available in the most desirable areas in the nicest buildings like Avida Towers or Horizon 101. That's just Cebu, and that's just rentpad.ph, on the ground in all the cities you'll find hundreds of even better units in that price range. The supply outweighs the demand. Bananamans budget is actually super doable if you aren't renting through airbnb and aren't trying to be an asia baller. If you find one of these 15k-20kphp per month units, cook or have your girl cook 80% of your meals, shop consciously, don't drink or drink moderately, $1000 can absolutely work.

[zamfir112]

(04-13-2019 03:31 AM)RawGod Wrote:  

(04-13-2019 03:17 AM)AsiaBaller Wrote:  

(04-12-2019 04:53 PM)66Scorpio Wrote:  

The thing about PH, especially if you have a spouse, is that you can build your castle. If you get away from Manila then land and labour are dirt cheap. My wife is very industrious and is building a house.But I want to build my castle.

Ask around a bit how many castle builders had an untimely death in the Philippines.

In 3rd world countries you generally just want to rent as a foreigner and keep a low key profile. The few old spaniards (sephardic jews) like the Zóbel de Ayala family are firmly established and know how to play the game safely from Manila.

Rural areas of 3rd world countries are dominated by warlord type family clans and if they want your "castle" you're dead end gone and they'll get someone to sign over the deed.

Filipinas and their husbands have a reputation for turning on their husbands as well and trying to get any assets they can.

I second that. Even if my wife remained 100% loyal, the last thing I'd do in the Philippines is build a castle in a random rural area because there's a nice view. Look, rich (e.g. Chinese) Filipinos do not even do that in the provinces where local big men hold sway. They stick to the known safe enclaves.

While the cost of labor is low they will scam you when they realise you are a foreigner,expect to pay way more tHan a local, cost of materials is also high
i was quoted 2-3 million pesos for a house outside metro manila+1 million for the land. roughly 70.000 USD.. i don't have access to that kind of money...it simply not worth it as a foreigner as foreigners are not allowed to own land. nice gated areas houses in BGC area are quoted at 25 and 30 million pesos. it isnt as cheap as it used to be,just rent and try to stay low profile

[JayJuanGee]

(04-13-2019 02:28 AM)66Scorpio Wrote:  

(04-12-2019 05:39 PM)JayJuanGee Wrote:  

(04-12-2019 04:53 PM)66Scorpio Wrote:  

I am a Canadian expat living in China. My wife is a Filipina who I met here through online dating. So far we have visited PH once, and I was not impressed. In general, China is a far better envrions. However, I am looking at the long game. The thing about PH, especially if you have a spouse, is that you can build your castle. If you get away from Manila then land and labour are dirt cheap. My wife is very industrious and is building a house.But I want to build my castle.

I thought that a rule of thumb is that you do not want to build up too much more luxurious than the surrounding real estate, otherwise you become a target....

Within reason, I suppose you could build a bit more luxurious than surrounding properties, but always need to consider if you might be causing yourself to become more of a target than you would otherwise wish to be.

It depends on what you mean by "target". My wife is totally pissing off the locals with her house because of its upscale style. My plan, such as it is, is to build an executive retreat. That might indeed draw more ire, but WTF? I need to make a living.

Looks like you are already going down the wrong path, and now out of stubborness, you want to double down. That sounds smart.

Ultimately, you do what you want, but it sounds as if you are already building up to a text book scenario in which you are fighting the wave of the community, and discounting their power or importance. And, yeah, you may be correct that they are a bunch of petty and nosey people, and maybe it will even take them a few years to snuff the two of you out.

If you want to live in drama, that is your right, and maybe you will get lucky and win several of the battles. I prefer a kind of security through obscurity myself, and sure, maybe flaunting once in a while, but not flaunting on an ongoing and in-your-face basis.

Don't get me wrong, I have had a lot of battles in my life, and sometimes, I battled way beyond my own good. I understand that once a guy is in the battle, then sometimes it is difficult to modify his already decided direction, even when it is for his own good... still sometimes graceful exit options should be taken into account.

[aeroektar]

(04-12-2019 04:53 PM)66Scorpio Wrote:  

The thing about PH, especially if you have a spouse, is that you can build your castle.

If you have a pinay wife, and build in the PI, it isn't your castle, it's hers, and by extension her families. Are they in the picture? Did you vet these people?

Quote:

My wife is very industrious and is building a house.But I want to build my castle.

Sounds bad. What was your wife doing in China? Your money is building this? Shes industrious and building her house but you want your castle? Maybe you worded this poorly, but it should be flipped, you're the industrious one building your castle, and she makes suggestions about the house she wishes to live in. You call the shots. It sounds like you're off to a terrible start, in a risky situation to begin with.

[Sp5]

There are a lot of videos on the reasons why foreign guys get killed in the Philippines
Land, robbery, jealousy, and beefs with randoms are big reasons.
I look back on my long-term time there with relief, there were definitely things that could have got me killed.
Then there's the idea of living in some rural cultural wasteland in the PI: some kind of hell.
My advice is cut your losses and run away. Land is cheap in a lot of places, you can buy a cheap house in rural Florida, Spain, or parts of Canada for that matter and have the benefit of some infrastructure and rule of law.

[Davoer]

What do you think of very simple, childishly, uneducated. Filipinas? Do u date them, hang out with them etc?

[WashedUPVet]

I’m in Siargao Island with my 18 yo gf from Leyte. I’m loving it. I have sex and surf all day and eat bbq at night. Only thing that sucks are the power blackouts. This could be my favorite place in the Phils. The kids out at Cloud 9 all rip. Fun to watch but can be hard to get waves.

[cyclistfromhell]

(04-16-2019 02:40 AM)WashedUPVet Wrote:  

I’m in Siargao Island with my 18 yo gf from Leyte. I’m loving it. I have sex and surf all day and eat bbq at night. Only thing that sucks are the power blackouts. This could be my favorite place in the Phils. The kids out at Cloud 9 all rip. Fun to watch but can be hard to get waves.

Siargao is so so nice, and it's hard enough to get to that it's pretty much unspoiled. I was dating this super skinny 19 year old (5'3, 77 lbs) and we stayed at the Siargao Bleu resort just south of C9. The girl was hot af and super nice. Got a tramp stamp tattoo of my name above her ass on the first date. But after we got back I decided I just could not put up with how dumb she was. The least intelligent female I ever knew in my life.

[Tail Gunner]

(04-20-2019 11:12 AM)cyclistfromhell Wrote:  

Got a tramp stamp tattoo of my name above her ass on the first date.

   

[WashedUPVet]

(04-20-2019 11:12 AM)cyclistfromhell Wrote:  

(04-16-2019 02:40 AM)WashedUPVet Wrote:  

I’m in Siargao Island with my 18 yo gf from Leyte. I’m loving it. I have sex and surf all day and eat bbq at night. Only thing that sucks are the power blackouts. This could be my favorite place in the Phils. The kids out at Cloud 9 all rip. Fun to watch but can be hard to get waves.

Siargao is so so nice, and it's hard enough to get to that it's pretty much unspoiled. I was dating this super skinny 19 year old (5'3, 77 lbs) and we stayed at the Siargao Bleu resort just south of C9. The girl was hot af and super nice. Got a tramp stamp tattoo of my name above her ass on the first date. But after we got back I decided I just could not put up with how dumb she was. The least intelligent female I ever knew in my life.

A first date tat is savage.

Must have been a while ago. I think these Siragao girls have a fairly constant stream of new Chads arriving daily. I was however shocked that my flight from Cebu was 90% Philippine tourists. It’s a domestic hotspot for them. I don’t think it’s a great spot to get laid, but the island and activities are top notch. Usually they travel with family and stay in a home stay 8 to a room. Probably the best spot to game other backpackers from Europe, Aus, etc. Not my cup of tea.

[cyclistfromhell]

(04-20-2019 12:38 PM)WashedUPVet Wrote:  

(04-20-2019 11:12 AM)cyclistfromhell Wrote:  

(04-16-2019 02:40 AM)WashedUPVet Wrote:  

I’m in Siargao Island with my 18 yo gf from Leyte. I’m loving it. I have sex and surf all day and eat bbq at night. Only thing that sucks are the power blackouts. This could be my favorite place in the Phils. The kids out at Cloud 9 all rip. Fun to watch but can be hard to get waves.

Siargao is so so nice, and it's hard enough to get to that it's pretty much unspoiled. I was dating this super skinny 19 year old (5'3, 77 lbs) and we stayed at the Siargao Bleu resort just south of C9. The girl was hot af and super nice. Got a tramp stamp tattoo of my name above her ass on the first date. But after we got back I decided I just could not put up with how dumb she was. The least intelligent female I ever knew in my life.

A first date tat is savage.

Must have been a while ago. I think these Siragao girls have a fairly constant stream of new Chads arriving daily. I was however shocked that my flight from Cebu was 90% Philippine tourists. It’s a domestic hotspot for them. I don’t think it’s a great spot to get laid, but the island and activities are top notch. Usually they travel with family and stay in a home stay 8 to a room. Probably the best spot to game other backpackers from Europe, Aus, etc. Not my cup of tea.

It was three years ago exactly. The girl was from Surigao. I had been in touch with her for a few weeks before I got there. She met me in Cebu, went to get a tattoo of my name and her belly button pierced, and then we flew to Siargao. It's really weird, we all like young sweet supersexy girls -- duhhhh -- but when you're cooped up with one for days on end and realize she's not The One, it does get a little old. I mean, there's no mystery, no challenge, no nothing. And once you're not horny any more, that stuff matters. Got bored and took a lot of pics of her sucking cock and did some walks out to Cloud 9 to watch the surfers etc.

There was one real turnoff for me on this trip though. She had asked if I would meet her parents. And I had said to her, "Sure, I don't mind meeting them when we pass through Surigao on the way back. We can take them to dinner. No big." So she made arrangements with her parents and a reservation at some restaurant.

But she _didn't_ tell me that she'd also invited all of her brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, etc. They all showed up. Not a single one of them talked to me, smiled at me, took an interest in me, or thanked me. It was about 18-20 people. I of course had to pay for everything. I was steaming mad, I really was -- it wasn't a five-star restaurant or anything, but I felt totally taken advantage of.

That being said, comparing notes with some other folks, it seems that this type of behavior is all too typical in the provinces.

All of them left for the countryside again and the girl stayed with me in town one more night. I boned her a couple more times somewhat angrily before leaving her there in Surigao and that was that.

She was easily the thinnest girl I ever dated, but very fit so go figure. Proportions of a supermodel but just absolutely tiny. Wore girl's size 5/6 shirts and shorts. Flat as a board. I didn't think about it much, but we had some pics taken of us together and it was disconcerting. At any rate she was oh so dumb. Indescribable. Anyhow, apparently she got married to an even older guy up in Alaska.