Tracym: you will need to find a mentor who can guide you in this quest. Settling in the Dr is not for whimps! And, its a big country,--where to live??? if looking after stray animals is tops on your agenda you will be fulfilled in a week, and you will have a lot of heartbreak too .
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Thanks for your response pularvic 
I know of the heart ache and know I live with it while I sit in Canada not doing what i can to make at least a bit of a difference.....I am far from a whimp lol not that this is what you were implying of course I have had a lot of life and what she can toss and am confident I can handle the new life and all she has to share But you are right as I will need a mentor for sure and hope to find one of course....where to live, I am looking into Cabrera,opinion? thanks
I know of the heart ache and know I live with it while I sit in Canada not doing what i can to make at least a bit of a difference.....I am far from a whimp lol not that this is what you were implying of course I have had a lot of life and what she can toss and am confident I can handle the new life and all she has to share But you are right as I will need a mentor for sure and hope to find one of course....where to live, I am looking into Cabrera,opinion? thanks Cabrera
IMHO, Cabrera (and Las Terrenas) is a good choice (compared to Sos?a... :cheeky: ).
WW will agree. :bunny:
donP
IMHO, Cabrera (and Las Terrenas) is a good choice (compared to Sos?a... :cheeky: ).
WW will agree. :bunny:
donP
hello again all lol on the comments.....I have a good income away from any need for work there....I also have two young children and have recently divorced....I know many have a different experience and respect each opinion.....but I am not moving there for love or cheap living...to be honest I am all about coming and working with the stray animals and helping give them a home or find them a home...I also teach english and am willing to work and teach for free if the need is there ....This is not new to me as I have lived in the Philippines and loved it, but it was the end of my marriage, which today a year later I am grateful for....my intention is to get to nature and take care of her children lol
I'm assuming you have vacationed in the DR so you then you make a giant leap to moving here. It is not an easy place to bring up kids. Many Dominicans do not look at dogs as pets and family members. Many dogs are used as security and not treated well. Yes there are many strays and unfortunately they are part of the landscape. It will be difficult to find homes for many of these. You need to come here for a month and really see what it is like on a daily basis. If you decide you are moving you need to contact the Dominican Consulate and see what residency requirements there are. In Canada you need to be in the country over half the year to keep your health care benefits. There is a lot to consider.
Pulvarik is in Cabrera.... more/less
Good choice and the 'dog squad' will be happy to meet you !!
Good choice and the 'dog squad' will be happy to meet you !!
Yes of course and I know all there is needed to know regarding Visa residence permanent or other....All I can say is if we all sit back and say ....unfortunately this is just how it is , then the world in general would not have advanced as they have...with that said any help is better than just saying it is what it is, with more like minded people we can make a change.
I agree with eveything you said but just remember the grass is always greener .....paradise doesn't come without a price. Check out the Samana Peninsula and Las Terrenas. There is an airport 25 minutes away (AZS) and there is a large European population and some of the best beaches and scenery in the DR. There is a on line guide to the Samana Peninsula at the top of the Northeast Thread. Depending on the age of your chiidren there is an international school there. Good luck.
That airport, AZS, is good for Cdn flights and JetBlue from NYC - wed's and Sat's....
1 hour from Cabrera
1 hour from Cabrera
Welcome to dr1. Also check out the north coast. There are good animal rescue organisations and they send many to Canada and the states to adopting families. They also do outreach and spay and neuter clinics. try DCDR: dogs and cats of Dominican republic, AAAsosua for starters . Also get in touch with Harleysrock on this site as he and his wife do a lot of work with strays and adoptive pets.
hello again all lol on the comments.....I have a good income away from any need for work there....I also have two young children and have recently divorced....I know many have a different experience and respect each opinion.....but I am not moving there for love or cheap living...to be honest I am all about coming and working with the stray animals and helping give them a home or find them a home...I also teach english and am willing to work and teach for free if the need is there ....This is not new to me as I have lived in the Philippines and loved it, but it was the end of my marriage, which today a year later I am grateful for....my intention is to get to nature and take care of her children lol
There are plenty of "Stray Animals" here waiting for you!!!!!
If you plan on bringing your children here with you, for their sake, you better have several thousand US dollars of steady "Outside Income" to care for, educate,& protect them!!!!!
Your "EX" must have a say in your taking the children to another country, if that is your plan?????
Sounds like you may be running away from something, not toward something!!!!
"Filipinos" like to help others, "Dominicanos" prefer to "Help Themselves" to what others have!!!!
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Thats how most of us started. Welcome. Its expensive here unless you are on a two week vacation and stay inside the AI. You can of course go native. No car, eat rice and beans, no hot water and live in the campo. You want a gringo lifestyle its not as easy as it once was. Good luck. Its very different here thats for sure.
thats a good allowance for most kids today...well im thinking 400wk...a bit more than 1500$ and retirees can do ok on 1700$month
Hey again! Thanks for all your input and any further you may have to share I do believe my income will more than care for me and my children and appreciate the honest concerns. I am not running from anything to be honest I am running to new experiences for me and my children to explore and learn from and if possible to help out where I can along the way. Thanks for all the welcomes !!! Just to add the philippines experience was great and I have no regrets, but they are not all about helping others trust me as I have learned first hand, with that said I believe there are some who do help and some who don't all over the world Good thing I am not looking for help but to give it when I can and bring this new and what I believe will be very rewarding change into mine and my kids lives :bunny:
I do believe my income will more than care for me and my children and appreciate the honest concerns. I am not running from anything to be honest I am running to new experiences for me and my children to explore and learn from and if possible to help out where I can along the way. Thanks for all the welcomes !!! Just to add the philippines experience was great and I have no regrets, but they are not all about helping others trust me as I have learned first hand, with that said I believe there are some who do help and some who don't all over the world Good thing I am not looking for help but to give it when I can and bring this new and what I believe will be very rewarding change into mine and my kids lives :bunny:
I am curious why there are such dramatic differences in what people say you can live on lol and why it seems to be a sensitive issue for some? Also has anyone heard of or know anything about this DREscapes on you tube ? Thanks in advance to all of you
Tracy,
One of the most popular discussion topics on DR1 revolves around the question of "what is the minimum necessary to live here?" The answer is largely subjective, of course, as it depends on the sort of lifestyle you're seeking.
DR is one of the few remaining caribbean countries that is still affordable to people on pension/SS level incomes, so it sometimes attracts folks who want to know if it is possible to make the move given relatively modest income levels.
However, there's relatively little discussion about how much USD 5-20k a month or more will get you and two young children, as it's universally understood you would live in extraordinary comfort.
The DR government has determined the minimum necessary as part of their new residency requirements, which can be found elsewhere on this site. However, a really interesting, and still current discussion on the actual cost of living can be found here: http://dr1.com/forums/living/112283-living-costs-dominican-republic.html
That said, it sounds like you're not really scrambling for your next buck. If your resources grant you anything north of 3-4k a month, not including the 1k/month required for international school (this is the top rate in the country), then you'll be just fine.
So, the general consensus on this site is, for a expat-friendly "beachy" area and absent tuition costs for the kids or some sort of expensive habit(s) for you:
Less than 2.5k/month - very challenging, esp. with two kids
2.6k - 5k a month - "sweet spot," will afford you a secure rental, utilities, reliable transportation, and a "US suburban solid middle class" style of living.
More than 5k/month - easy street, hard not to be exceedingly comfortable.
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