Hello and...I'm taking a year off

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DRdude

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Mar 23, 2013
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Hello Forum

I'm a single stressed out IT guy in my 30s and in the next 6 to 12 months I want to take a year (or more possibly) off from working. I feel burnt out, tired and exhausted from all the project work and clients I serve. Over the years I have saved a good chunk of my salary every month.

What I have been thinking of doing is spending a year in DR destressing and just enjoying life. Good food. Good weather and hopefully meet some nice people along the way. I was looking at about $1500 per month for all living expenses. At a push I could go to $1800 per month. What I am looking for this to cover each month is as follows:

1) Serviced apartment - would prefer something modern and contemporary but it must be furnished and have broadband. Oh I don't like noise so it must be somewhere quiet!

2) Food. Can I eat out once every day on that kind of budget? I would have breakfast at home but would like to eat out once per day.

3) I would use taxis, buses, public transport, etc for getting around

Does this sound doable on my budget? I have been looking into serviced apartments in Sosua and can get something very nice for about $650-800pm (with electricity and broadband).

I would be taking my laptop, kindle and phone with me to keep in touch with people and do everything I need to online and keep up to date with things.

Am I on the right track here? Am I being realistic? This will probably be for a year (maybe less...maybe more). I would probably spend most of my time in DR. If budget allows I would check out other countries (like Belize, Mexico etc).

Thanks for "listening" and I look forward to any comments and guidance! :squareeye
 
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suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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I absolutely identify with you bro...Stressed out IT guy here as well, but unfortunately for me can't take a whole year off (Have family responsibilities). Do a search on this forum as these questions have been asked many times before. It is doable with that budget, but don't expect to live in the lap of luxury. The DR is not as cheap as it used to be.

Don't sign a long term lease in case you don't like the area where you land. I would suspect you'll probably get tired of Sosua after a little while, so you may want to move to a larger city like Santiago or Santo Domingo. If you need broadband internet for work then it's going to cost you around 100 USD for "reliable" connection.

Have you been to The DR before?
 
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PeterInBrat

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May 29, 2006
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Very doable at that budget. You might want to go month to month at first so you have time to explore your options. You may even be able to lease in a decent hotel since tourist season is starting to wind down. There are numerous "pensions" in Sosua within your price range. You can live on much less than that if you are a light drinker. I'd avoid anything right in the middle of downtown for noise reasons.

If you can do webpage design, there are plenty of places in town that could use your skills.

I hear good reviews about this place:
Perla De Sosua
 
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the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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PeterInBrat said:
Very doable at that budget. You might want to go month to month at first so you have time to explore your options. You may even be able to lease in a decent hotel since tourist season is starting to wind down. There are numerous "pensions" in Sosua within your price range. You can live on much less than that if you are a light drinker. I'd avoid anything right in the middle of downtown for noise reasons.

If you can do webpage design, there are plenty of places in town that could use your skills.

I hear good reviews about this place:
Perla De Sosua
Click to expand...

with 1500 dollars to work with, why even consider a pension into the equation?
 
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DRdude

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Mar 23, 2013
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Hi All

Thanks for the fantastic response! :nervous:

---> suarezn: I'm not expecting to live a life of luxury (hah) but I do want to stay somewhere quiet and fairly modern/decent. I'm not keen on a long term lease as I don't know the areas so if I don't like the area/landlord/too noisy/etc I can then move pretty quickly. What sort of boradband can I expect in DR? What does $100 get me per month? I haven't been to DR before but I am trying to organise a holiday there first before deciding anything. I've lived in 6 countries so I know the drill :smoke:

---> pollogringo: I have considered the countries you mentioned. I've looked into Acapolco in Mexico, Belize (English!) and Medellin Colombia.

---> PeterInBrat: What do you mean by: There are numerous "pensions" in Sosua within your price range???

I should mention that I don't speak a word of Spanish. I do speak a bit of Dutch but I know that won't help me! Will not speaking any Spanish affect me as a long term tourist? Can I easily stay in DR for a year from a visa point of view?

Loving the comments and suggestions...keep 'em coming please! If you need to know anything further about my situation please ask.
 
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the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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DRdude said:
Hi All

Thanks for the fantastic response! :nervous:

---> suarezn: I'm not expecting to live a life of luxury (hah) but I do want to stay somewhere quiet and fairly modern/decent. I'm not keen on a long term lease as I don't know the areas so if I don't like the area/landlord/too noisy/etc I can then move pretty quickly. What sort of boradband can I expect in DR? What does $100 get me per month? I haven't been to DR before but I am trying to organise a holiday there first before deciding anything. I've lived in 6 countries so I know the drill :smoke:

---> pollogringo: I have considered the countries you mentioned. I've looked into Acapolco in Mexico, Belize (English!) and Medellin Colombia.

---> PeterInBrat: What do you mean by: There are numerous "pensions" in Sosua within your price range???

I should mention that I don't speak a word of Spanish. I do speak a bit of Dutch but I know that won't help me! Will not speaking any Spanish affect me as a long term tourist? Can I easily stay in DR for a year from a visa point of view?

Loving the comments and suggestions...keep 'em coming please! If you need to know anything further about my situation please ask.
Click to expand...

DRdude, a pension in the DR is like a shelter in the USA; a basic form of accomodation.
 
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LTSteve

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Jul 9, 2010
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Where are you coming from and why Sosua? There are a lot of options with a little more disclosure of info from you in these two areas?

LTSteve
 
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suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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I agree with your budget you should be able to find a decent small apartment (around 350 USD - Maybe closer to 500 USD if furnished), so there should be no need for pensiones. I wouldn't say a pension is like a shelter per se, but it's definitely very basic. Think large building sectioned off into little small 1 bedroom "apartments"...besides you said you want quiet (BTW The DR is a very noisy country in general...you'll be able to find peace and quiet, but be prepared for lots of noise) and a pension would be the farthest thing from quiet.

Here's an example of rates for internet Claro - Rep?blica Dominicana

Spanish would be a great help, but you can definitely get along without speaking it (Expect to be charged "gringo prices"). If you immerse yourself in the culture and step out of the "expat bubble" you should be able to learn a decent amount of Spanish within six months or so...Even faster if you get yourself a Dominican girlfriend :cheeky:

Definitely make a trip down there before making any decisions, just to see if the country is for you. It's one of those places where you'll either absolutely love it or absolutely hate it, depending on your personality, open-mindedness, what you're looking for in life, etc.
 
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palmiche53

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Dec 17, 2012
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I do not understand how on one hand we have people saying that the DR is a hellhole full of sankies, corruption, crime, whores, lack of electricity, bad internet connection, lazy people etc. and the idea out there we have people saying that this is great country where you can have a blast of a good time and live a full year with a budget of $1,800 x month including the possibility of finding an amazing girl that will love you till death. Sorry, i did miss the portion of not being in any can of stress in a country with a very high crime rate where you do not speak the language. Could we say that this country is richer without being rich and that we are coming from countries that are only rich on paper? Isn't that the reason we are here despite all the bad things we say about the DR?
 
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dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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to respond your question: you can live very well on your budget.

on a different note thou: i have worked in the recruitment industry and i know it is very hard to patch one year gap in the IT business and go back to work. consider a 6 months break or maybe see if you can do some projects in DR, even volunteering would be great.

good luck!
 
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Contango

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Dec 27, 2010
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DRdude said:
Hello Forum

I'm a single stressed out IT guy in my 30s and in the next 6 to 12 months I want to take a year (or more possibly) off from working. I feel burnt out, tired and exhausted from all the project work and clients I serve. Over the years I have saved a good chunk of my salary every month.

What I have been thinking of doing is spending a year in DR destressing and just enjoying life. Good food. Good weather and hopefully meet some nice people along the way. I was looking at about $1500 per month for all living expenses. At a push I could go to $1800 per month. What I am looking for this to cover each month is as follows:

1) Serviced apartment - would prefer something modern and contemporary but it must be furnished and have broadband. Oh I don't like noise so it must be somewhere quiet!


2) Food. Can I eat out once every day on that kind of budget? I would have breakfast at home but would like to eat out once per day.

3) I would use taxis, buses, public transport, etc for getting around

Does this sound doable on my budget? I have been looking into serviced apartments in Sosua and can get something very nice for about $650-800pm (with electricity and broadband).

I would be taking my laptop, kindle and phone with me to keep in touch with people and do everything I need to online and keep up to date with things.

Am I on the right track here? Am I being realistic? This will probably be for a year (maybe less...maybe more). I would probably spend most of my time in DR. If budget allows I would check out other countries (like Belize, Mexico etc).

Thanks for "listening" and I look forward to any comments and guidance! :squareeye
Click to expand...

No offense but you lost me at owning a kindle and laptop.. All IT guys have Macs and Ipads..
 
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the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
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palmiche53 said:
I do not understand how on one hand we have people saying that the DR is a hellhole full of sankies, corruption, crime, whores, lack of electricity, bad internet connection, lazy people etc. and the idea out there we have people saying that this is great country where you can have a blast of a good time and live a full year with a budget of $1,800 x month including the possibility of finding an amazing girl that will love you till death. Sorry, i did miss the portion of not being in any can of stress in a country with a very high crime rate where you do not speak the language. Could we say that this country is richer without being rich and that we are coming from countries that are only rich on paper? Isn't that the reason we are here despite all the bad things we say about the DR?
Click to expand...

don't bank on the one about an amazing girl loving you till death. you should re-write that sentence to read...and amazing looking girl who will love you until your bank account dies.
 
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cjp2010

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Mar 25, 2013
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I'm an IT guy too but not so stressed out. I work from down here. I had to work with the local cable company a bit to get a stable connection with some backup but now that I have it my Internet has no problems. Sometimes the uplink to the States is down but it is rare. You are on target with the budget. We live comfortably here for about $1,500 per month. A good beachfront studio can be as low as $600. Off the beach a good one can be about $300 or maybe $400 - $450 for a studio. My electric bill is about $50 per month but we don't use A/C. Someone posted internet already. You may consider getting Vonage before you come down. I love it. Roaming with your cell phone will be expensive unless you plan on converting it to a Dominican carrier and getting a Dominican number. When I'm out I forward Vonage to my Dominican cell phone. I bought it for $20 and you have to buy the minutes for about 18 cents per minute. So don't use it much but it does beat roaming.
 
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DRdude

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Mar 23, 2013
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---> dv8: I have worked with plenty people who have taken a one year gap year to travel and not had any problems getting a job upon returning. I'm not looking to work in IT in DR...that would defeat the purpose of my holiday!

---> contango: I can't stand Apple products. I'm more a UNIX, Android, OpenSource kind of guy :squareeye

---> cjp2010: Thanks for your input. I would like to live by the sea. I have grown up by the sea and currently live very close to the beach where I am currently. It seems like $1500pm is realistic from what I understand.

---> suarezn: Since I can't speak Spanish and will be charged "gringo prices" will I still be able to survive ok on my monthly budget of $1500pm? I understand DR isn't the quietest of places. I'm not looking for a silent country to visit (hah) but I would like the place I live in to be pretty quiet. The pension thing doesn't sound like its for me from what I understand. When I worked in the US my best friend there was a girl from DR. Shes still one of the best woman I have ever met...so friendly and caring.

---> LTSteve: I am coming from the UK (although I am not from the UK). I was looking at Sosua as I have read a bit about the place and the northern coast and I thought it looked quite peaceful and relaxing. Correct me if I am wrong here? I am open to staying in other parts of the country.

---> pollogringo: I would really like to visit Medellin one day!!! Looks fantastic there.

Thanks for everyones input so far! :squareeye:squareeye:squareeye:squareeye
 
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dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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forget about gringo price. that is, partially, a myth. look well for a price to rent, checking in few locations so you know the ballpark of what you need to pay. all the bills (water, power, telephone) are pretty obvious and go not depend on your nationality. yes, some dominicans pay very little but it is all about the location and votes.
restaurant bill? no gringo price. but bear in mind that prices in menu normally do not include taxes (18%) and service charge (10%) so mentally add 30% to the listed price.
normal shops? no gringo prices either.

only some services will bear the stigma but you are not likely to use them: carpenter, mechanic and so on. prostitutes, i guess? so just forget it. if you need something and not sure about the price you can ask about the ballpark here. i do it when i go to, say, SD and need a taxi.
 
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cjp2010

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Mar 25, 2013
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Go UNIX. I make my living supporting UNIX and Oracle. Not as common on the desktops, even my PC is Windows, but its where the real support money is made. One more tip, don't rent anything long-term over the internet. The obvious reason of not seeing what you are getting aside from some photos that may not be accurate or up to date is one, but also you won't find the best prices that way. You need to get your feet on the ground here and look at some of the local ads and even do some footwork. Face to face negotiation also gets better results than phone or email.
 
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