How much money will I need to support myself in the D.R.?

[johnsenior]

Sosua, Puerto Plata or ??????

This thread is the most interesting one I have found so far in my attempt to determine if the DR is for me or not. Cost of living has been discussed over and over and still I am confused, worried and uncertain as to what I should do, stay at work here (Canada) and earn a decent living allowing me to visit the DR a few times a year or give up my present livestyle and move on in an attempt at being happier with less in an environment that I enjoy more and more with each visit. When I visit as a tourist there is no money issue since I earn above average income. As a DR resident I would only have a disposable income of roughly $1500 Canadian or $1200.US

I would really like to connect with those in their late fifties who have established themselves in the DR on similar budgets and are happy about the decision or who regret making the decision. I could not afford to buy property so I would have to pay rent from the amount quoted. I would need a small clean apartment or bachelor, with internet and cable for sure. From this board and from my tourist experience I have established that I could likely not be happy in Puerto Plata or Sosua because of beeing surrounded by temptation that I could not afford on a regular basis on the funds that I would have. I've never travelled to Cabarette but from what I have read it appears to be more suited to the under 30 crowd.

As others have said I can also accept eating rice and beans on occassion and in any event I'm not a big eater. I don't think I could be happy as an hermit in the campo although I am somewhat of an hermit here, work, sleep, work. I know I could not live in a shack and have cochroaches as roomates.

Sure I want to participate with some of you and help reduce the DR stock of Presidente and Rum but I think the cost there is more than reasonable and again I can limit that intake. Now to the point!! Is there anyone out there who has established himself as a single in another area, outside Sosua or PP, where it is still possible on my type of budget to live moderately and still meet some female companions for those rainy or bad days. I'm ready and willing to learn Spanish and in the interim I have an electronic translator which as a tourist is a lot of fun to use and results in many laughs. I know I would miss the potential friendship of expats but I think I could still communicate by way of this board and maybe travel on occassion to PP or Sosua.

I'm I asking for too much?

 

[sweetdbt]

This thread is the most interesting one I have found so far in my attempt to determine if the DR is for me or not. Cost of living has been discussed over and over and still I am confused, worried and uncertain as to what I should do, stay at work here (Canada) and earn a decent living allowing me to visit the DR a few times a year or give up my present livestyle and move on in an attempt at being happier with less in an environment that I enjoy more and more with each visit. When I visit as a tourist there is no money issue since I earn above average income. As a DR resident I would only have a disposable income of roughly $1500 Canadian or $1200.US

I would really like to connect with those in their late fifties who have established themselves in the DR on similar budgets and are happy about the decision or who regret making the decision. I could not afford to buy property so I would have to pay rent from the amount quoted. I would need a small clean apartment or bachelor, with internet and cable for sure. From this board and from my tourist experience I have established that I could likely not be happy in Puerto Plata or Sosua because of beeing surrounded by temptation that I could not afford on a regular basis on the funds that I would have. I've never travelled to Cabarette but from what I have read it appears to be more suited to the under 30 crowd.

As others have said I can also accept eating rice and beans on occassion and in any event I'm not a big eater. I don't think I could be happy as an hermit in the campo although I am somewhat of an hermit here, work, sleep, work. I know I could not live in a shack and have cochroaches as roomates.

Sure I want to participate with some of you and help reduce the DR stock of Presidente and Rum but I think the cost there is more than reasonable and again I can limit that intake. Now to the point!! Is there anyone out there who has established himself as a single in another area, outside Sosua or PP, where it is still possible on my type of budget to live moderately and still meet some female companions for those rainy or bad days. I'm ready and willing to learn Spanish and in the interim I have an electronic translator which as a tourist is a lot of fun to use and results in many laughs. I know I would miss the potential friendship of expats but I think I could still communicate by way of this board and maybe travel on occassion to PP or Sosua.

I'm I asking for too much?

johnsenior,

I'm not in a position to respond to your specific inquiry, but my situation is somewhat similar to yours. Just from my observation and the expats I know, I don't think you should rule out PP. Yes there is plenty of "temptation" there, but PP is a large enough city that I think you can live a fairly normal life by simply avoiding certain areas (except when you want to ) , and still have the advantage of a large expat community. Some of the board members who live in Sosua may disagree, but it seems to me that simply based on it's compact size and the abundance of tourists (and the temptations that follow them), it would be harder to avoid it there.

I have friends in PP who came to the DR in almost exactly your situation and have lived there happily for years. They are members here, but not frequent posters, so perhaps they will read this and respond.

Like you, I feel that ultimately I would like to live somewhere a bit removed from tourism, but I think I need to establish myself and become more profecient in the language and the ways of doing things first.

 

[sweetdbt]

Sorry, I inadvertantly repeated the earlier post. Is it possible to just delete a post you make here?

 

[Lambada]

johnsenior,
I'll start a 'budget' off for you & others can add to, disagree etc. Yes, it is 'doable' on US$1200 per month, with no emergencies & as long as you're not in Sosua where accommodation prices have been inflated by gringo influx. Frankly, who wants to live among gringos anyway, when you can do that at home? I like Cabarete & it does have a few cheaper rentals but you have to hunt for them. Puerto Plata has more of the cheaper rentals because it is larger. My other half inspected a very nice, clean, furnished, single bedroom apartment on the Malecon in PP the other day (no, we're not splitting! He was looking at it for a friend). It was overlooking the sea, with lots of breeze. Cost was $250 a month. Same thing in Sosua would be $450, if you could find one.
Let's do your budget in pesos. You have disposable per month 1200 x 30 = 36,000.
Rent (furnished would incl. electric) 8000 per month
Food 5000
Presidente's (2 big ones in a bar, alternate days of month) 3000
Public transport (conchos, gua-guas & busses) 2000
Medicines (are you fit?) 2000
Clothing (not much needed) 2000
OFC (occasional female companionship) 2800

This leaves you 11,200 to cover health insurance, cable/internet & whatever your other requirements are. My OFC estimate is based on this provision once a week & a not too upscale lady nor a golddigger. However, you must understand this is not my field of expertise (!) so others may alter this estimate.
If you live in the campo your rent would be less than my estimate, but you would need a car & I haven't included that in your budget. Unlikely you would get internet in campo, in an apartment. Cable currently costs me 400 per month. Temptation would still exist in campo, but it would be different. All the mums would try to get their daughter to hook you as family benefactor! This would be entirely down to you, if you can speak the language enough & present yourself as nobody's fool, you will find your neighbours helpful, very generous & not out to remove you from your money. Those games are much more likely to be played in the tourist areas where people have experience of dealing with 'stupid foreigners' & know how to do it. It is all going to depend on how self sufficient you are.
Hopefully this is a start which others will alter and/or remind me of all the things I've left out.

 

[Gringo]

Temptation

This thread is the most interesting one I have found so far in my attempt to determine if the DR is for me or not. Cost of living has been discussed over and over and still I am confused, worried and uncertain as to what I should do, stay at work here (Canada) and earn a decent living allowing me to visit the DR a few times a year or give up my present livestyle and move on in an attempt at being happier with less in an environment that I enjoy more and more with each visit. When I visit as a tourist there is no money issue since I earn above average income. As a DR resident I would only have a disposable income of roughly $1500 Canadian or $1200.US

I would really like to connect with those in their late fifties who have established themselves in the DR on similar budgets and are happy about the decision or who regret making the decision. I could not afford to buy property so I would have to pay rent from the amount quoted. I would need a small clean apartment or bachelor, with internet and cable for sure. From this board and from my tourist experience I have established that I could likely not be happy in Puerto Plata or Sosua because of beeing surrounded by temptation that I could not afford on a regular basis on the funds that I would have. I've never travelled to Cabarette but from what I have read it appears to be more suited to the under 30 crowd.

As others have said I can also accept eating rice and beans on occassion and in any event I'm not a big eater. I don't think I could be happy as an hermit in the campo although I am somewhat of an hermit here, work, sleep, work. I know I could not live in a shack and have cochroaches as roomates.

Sure I want to participate with some of you and help reduce the DR stock of Presidente and Rum but I think the cost there is more than reasonable and again I can limit that intake. Now to the point!! Is there anyone out there who has established himself as a single in another area, outside Sosua or PP, where it is still possible on my type of budget to live moderately and still meet some female companions for those rainy or bad days. I'm ready and willing to learn Spanish and in the interim I have an electronic translator which as a tourist is a lot of fun to use and results in many laughs. I know I would miss the potential friendship of expats but I think I could still communicate by way of this board and maybe travel on occassion to PP or Sosua.

I'm I asking for too much?

My friend there is temptation all over this Island not only in Puerto Plata, However if you are fluent in Spanish and do not require the Gringo Expat Community then you can live in Santiago with AZB and have the time of your life.

Gringo

 

[sweetdbt]

johnsenior,
I'll start a 'budget' off for you & others can add to, disagree etc. Yes, it is 'doable' on US$1200 per month, with no emergencies & as long as you're not in Sosua where accommodation prices have been inflated by gringo influx. Frankly, who wants to live among gringos anyway, when you can do that at home? I like Cabarete & it does have a few cheaper rentals but you have to hunt for them. Puerto Plata has more of the cheaper rentals because it is larger. My other half inspected a very nice, clean, furnished, single bedroom apartment on the Malecon in PP the other day (no, we're not splitting! He was looking at it for a friend). It was overlooking the sea, with lots of breeze. Cost was $250 a month. Same thing in Sosua would be $450, if you could find one.
Let's do your budget in pesos. You have disposable per month 1200 x 30 = 36,000.
Rent (furnished would incl. electric) 8000 per month
Food 5000
Presidente's (2 big ones in a bar, alternate days of month) 3000
Public transport (conchos, gua-guas & busses) 2000
Medicines (are you fit?) 2000
Clothing (not much needed) 2000
OFC (occasional female companionship) 2800

This leaves you 11,200 to cover health insurance, cable/internet & whatever your other requirements are. My OFC estimate is based on this provision once a week & a not too upscale lady nor a golddigger. However, you must understand this is not my field of expertise (!) so others may alter this estimate.
If you live in the campo your rent would be less than my estimate, but you would need a car & I haven't included that in your budget. Unlikely you would get internet in campo, in an apartment. Cable currently costs me 400 per month. Temptation would still exist in campo, but it would be different. All the mums would try to get their daughter to hook you as family benefactor! This would be entirely down to you, if you can speak the language enough & present yourself as nobody's fool, you will find your neighbours helpful, very generous & not out to remove you from your money. Those games are much more likely to be played in the tourist areas where people have experience of dealing with 'stupid foreigners' & know how to do it. It is all going to depend on how self sufficient you are.
Hopefully this is a start which others will alter and/or remind me of all the things I've left out.

Lambada,

RD8000 for a nice furnished apt. w/electric and a view of the ocean? When can I move in? :bunny: If I can find a place furnished in that price range, I'd certainly consider going that route instead of buying furniture. I also like the idea that the landlord would deal with the electric company. Unfortunately, I'll miss out on this one.

Instead of puplic transport, I'll be paying for gas, insurance and upkeep on a small car. I'm sure it will be more than RD2000, unless gas prices come way down (we can dream, can't we?)

On the other hand, RD2000/mth for clothes is US800 a year. I bet I haven't spent that in the last 3 or 4 years here, Including winter coats! Gracious a Dios, I currently require no medications on a regular basis, so I can save there as well. No matter, I'll probably spend that on somewhat higher consumption of beer and OFC.

Something I would have to add to my budget would be the cost of at least 1, and preferably 2 trips back to the US annually. If i can save RD3000 a month, I should be able to do it twice.

You've already been so helpful, I hate to pester you, BUT, could you (or anyone for that matter) give me estimates on the cost of the following:

Minimum required liability insurance for a small used car.

Cable TV (sorry, you answered that, RD400/mth)

High-speed internet service

Basic local health insurance coverage for a man in his 50s

Thanks again for the flow of information

 

[Lambada]

sweetdbt,
yes, those apartments do exist, but not in gringoland! The one my other half saw was actually $250 US which is 7500 pesos per month, but I estimated upwards because of fluctuating exchange rate!
I pay 2500 pesos per annum min. liability insurance on my 1988 Mitsubishi Montero SUV.
Highspeed internet is 2500 monthly (incl. taxes) for the 'slower' one & 3500 monthly for the fastest - again all in pesos.
I don't have medical insurance here, I just pay as I go, mainly because I have a UK policy which covers me for abroad, plus planned operations I would have in UK. Unplanned events I can pay for here or if they were to be really big ones, I can claim back on my UK policy. My guess would be estimate 400-500 pesos monthly for an insurance policy here, but others who have them may offer more accurate advice. It would also depend whether it was the basic 12 visits to a doctor plus some tests type of policy, or something covering in-patient treatment. As I don't WANT 12 visits to a doctor here, thanks very much , I don't have a policy. We have a nice American doctor who manipulates my spine & hip fortnightly (also he's a chiropracter & acupuncturist).
Hope this helps & have a splendid birthday!

 

[sweetdbt]

sweetdbt,
yes, those apartments do exist, but not in gringoland! The one my other half saw was actually $250 US which is 7500 pesos per month, but I estimated upwards because of fluctuating exchange rate!
I pay 2500 pesos per annum min. liability insurance on my 1988 Mitsubishi Montero SUV.
Highspeed internet is 2500 monthly (incl. taxes) for the 'slower' one & 3500 monthly for the fastest - again all in pesos.
I don't have medical insurance here, I just pay as I go, mainly because I have a UK policy which covers me for abroad, plus planned operations I would have in UK. Unplanned events I can pay for here or if they were to be really big ones, I can claim back on my UK policy. My guess would be estimate 400-500 pesos monthly for an insurance policy here, but others who have them may offer more accurate advice. It would also depend whether it was the basic 12 visits to a doctor plus some tests type of policy, or something covering in-patient treatment. As I don't WANT 12 visits to a doctor here, thanks very much , I don't have a policy. We have a nice American doctor who manipulates my spine & hip fortnightly (also he's a chiropracter & acupuncturist).
Hope this helps & have a splendid birthday!

Hmmm,

Auto insurance much less than I thought. Internet service much more. I will probably do without internet at home initially. I'll have at least 2 options of places to go pretty much any time I want for that at no cost to me.

The more I look into this, the more things I am finding that are relatively barato, with a few that are caro.

Sweetdbt trial budget:

Furnished apt./with electric + cable RD8500
Food RD5000
Transportation (insurance + 20 gal gas) RD2500
"Entertainment" (includes Presidentes and OFC) RD8000
Saving for trips to US RD3000
Clothing RD1000
Cellphone plan or cards RD1000

Total: RD 29,000/mth

By going with a furnished apartment, my initial layout would be limited to the car, a TV, inverter system, and some household items. Other, more expensive things like VCR/DVD player, sterio, etc I think I can bring with me in my luggage on my last couple of visits before relocating.

Excuse my enthusiasm, and feel free to quench it as well, but I may be able to do this sooner than I thought! :classic:

 

[Lambada]

No quenching but add in car repairs & propane gas for cooking.

 

[Snuffy]

'Stupid Foreigners'

It has been my experience that stupid foreigners are nothing more than good people with big hearts just trying to do the right thing. I think I may be one of those stupid foreigners. But from my experience here I guess they do refer to me as a stupid foreigner. How ironic. You are a person with compassion and empathy for others and you are seen by them as being stupid because you are willing to help them. Now...I see that even expats living here see it the same way. What a wonderful world.

 

[Snuffy]

1200 a month......sure it can be done...

You can do it. If you can control your need to hang out and drink, travel, party with the girls...then it can be done on 1200 a month. Don't know if you play golf...but Hillbilly was telling me that golf is relatively inexpensive here. That would be a nice sport to take up here and occupy your time and meet good people.

Go for it...you can always go back to the job in Canada if you have to. Life is so very short.

 

[BushBaby]

You can do it. If you can control your need to hang out and drink, travel, party with the girls...then it can be done on 1200 a month. Don't know if you play golf...but Hillbilly was telling me that golf is relatively inexpensive here. That would be a nice sport to take up here and occupy your time and meet good people.

Go for it...you can always go back to the job in Canada if you have to. Life is so very short.

Golf in Santiago IS cheap (good course, lovely people) whereas Playa Dorada is now WAY too expensive!! I can drive to Santiago & back, play 18 holes, have a couple of beers with HB & come back with change for what it would cost me to play "Just down the road"!! Having spoken with Lee, Len, a couple more from DR1 'wannabees', I can see me organising a weekly charabang down to Santiago & all our costs will be reduced dramatically!!! How about it HB, can we get a tee time for 09.04 every Sunday???

 

[Robert]

Hmmm,
Auto insurance much less than I thought.

\

I wish I could say that. Costs me around RD$1,000 (US$35) per week in car insurance right now. 2002 Nissen Pathfinder. I guess the only upside is that if I sold it today I would make about US$8,000 profit after 6 months of ownership.

 

[GilbertArenas]

<<It was in the reported right here on the front page just a couple of weeks ago. That it now costs the average middle class dominican family 16,000+ pesos per month to buy the basic foods.
>>

LOL! 16,000 pesos a month for groceries for average dominican family?

Are you smoking herba?

Most average families here eat rice, beans chicken and platanos every single day. Rice and beans are very cheap.

If you want to act like people here get fat off of american cereal and drink our nasty milk, then please think that way. But the fact is the "average" Dominican is flat broke and 16,000 pesos a month would be about $US7000 in groceries per year.

Not sure if you noticed but most Dominicans are lucky to make 1000 US dollars a YEAR.

If you love to eat rice and beans (like me) with a little chicken every now and then you'll be ok.

 

[gringo in dr]

<<It was in the reported right here on the front page just a couple of weeks ago. That it now costs the average middle class dominican family 16,000+ pesos per month to buy the basic foods.
>>

LOL! 16,000 pesos a month for groceries for average dominican family?

Are you smoking herba?

Most average families here eat rice, beans chicken and platanos every single day. Rice and beans are very cheap.

If you want to act like people here get fat off of american cereal and drink our nasty milk, then please think that way. But the fact is the "average" Dominican is flat broke and 16,000 pesos a month would be about $US7000 in groceries per year.

Not sure if you noticed but most Dominicans are lucky to make 1000 US dollars a YEAR.

If you love to eat rice and beans (like me) with a little chicken every now and then you'll be ok.

$1,000 USD per year comes out to 2,500 pesos per month. Many dominicans make more than 2,500 per month. My maid makes triple that.

 

[GilbertArenas]

$1,000 USD per year comes out to 2,500 pesos per month. Many dominicans make more than 2,500 per month. My maid makes triple that.

Not sure if you know it or not, but a maid job in this country is considered a high paying job.

A lot of you people are out of touch with this country. And "triple that" is 3000 dollars a year......while other people are claiming the "average" Dominican family buys 7000 dollars a year in groceries.

If Americans want to come down here, cool. But just don't come down here looking for a cheap place to live then b itch and complain when you can't afford your Fruity Pebbles.

If you want to keep buying American groceries and you're not wealthy, don't move here.......you'll be disappointed. I have lived in Washington DC, New York, San Antonio and Santo Domingo (my home) my entire life.

I know where many of the Americans come from, and I know DOZENS of Americans over the past 15 years that have moved here looking for exactly what many are looking for on these very boards. Many of them are stupid enough to sign teaching contracts and bail out on them after a single year and run home to the US or Canada.

The DR is NOT an easy place to live. We have NO electricity in this country any longer. Ten years ago we had 15 functioning electrical plants in the DR, now only 3 are operating. Corruption has run this country into the ground, and it's only getting worse with the continual change of people in office. Each time a new president comes in, the fleecing begins anew and new appointees begin stealing, and old appointees go to jail to place the blame on the new money they're stealing.

A little bit more about my country. Our government refused to pay 85 million dollars to the WMF in 1988, and everything has been downhill since. They also refused to pay 30 million dollars to Venezuela for oil, so I've seen our gas prices go from 20 cents per gallon US (yes 20 cents!) in 1986 to like 3 bucks now.

Crime is way way way way way up..........people are getting stabbed and shot left and right in Santo Domingo and tons of muggings in Puerto Plata. This place is not the place you may have heard about 10 years ago. It's NOT cheap to live here unless you like to live in a concrete apartment with no electricity and sweat all day and eat rice and beans.

That's life here. Sure you can get a maid, but to do what? Clean your dark, damp, mosquito ridden apartment? If you want to live CHEAP and still enjoy your life I'm dead serious move to North Miami or something and buy one of the 80k houses there.

Pretty much every middle income to low income Dominican I know would DIE to get a chance to move to Miami and you people want to come here? Get a grip..........this is not the paradise you're looking for. It's been a country in serious decline for 15 years now. Corruption people can deal with, annoying but you learn how to play the game. 500% inflation in 2 years and massive VIOLENT crime is something entirely different.

There are a lot of Americans and Europeans who come down here who have NO CLUE what the DR is all about. It's not the country you see when you first come where everyone smiles in your face and is supposedly nice. They are smiling because they think you have MONEY. To the common Dominican white skin = money. It's a fact.

Our healthcare here is pathetic. I broke my leg once in Casa de Campo, went to two of the best bone doctors in the country and guess what? Neither of them even set my bone correctly. I ended up spending over 30k US at Duke Medical Center in NC to have surgery and get metal plates in my leg.

My wife's jaws were nearly destroyed having her wisdom teeth taken out here. Many of the "good" doctors here reuse syringes and even smoke while taking out your blood.

Look people, 15 years ago I agree in many ways the DR was an ideal situation for what you guys are looking for NOW. But the DR has changed DRASTICALLY. What was a very naive, peaceful populace 15 years ago (in my opinion a holdover from the Trujillo "fear" regime) has become a bitter, disenfranchised, increasingly violent society.

Take it from me, stay away. You will find little more here than 3-4 hours of electricity a day.....an extremely racist population......and eventually you'll get robbed by someone you think you can trust.

Believe it if ya want, don't if not..........but I've seen this country go drastically downhill in the past 15 years. I can't leave because this is where my family is, and I'm lucky enough to not have to worry so much about the financial concerns.

However, I can tell you any intelligent middle class Dominican is intelligent enough to know even people they've known for over 20 years in this climate you simply can't trust......unless they are your own parents, wife, children or brothers.

Guards/maids/gardeners people have had for over 10 years are robbing them blind. Things are that bad.

Stay away for now, you're not adding anything to our economy but a target to rob.

 

[Voyager]

To GilbertArenas

Phuii! I am still trying to catch my breath after having read your words! But after having visited DR some 8-10 times these last 4 years, you are expressing exactly what I am increasingly feeling but not quite daring to say aloud, for fear of annoying people. Thanks for being straight forward!

 

[Voyager]

...you can always go back to the job in Canada if you have to. Life is so very short.

Hm!? Maybe the job market in Canada is totally different from the one in Sweden? But where I come from, if you just leave your job like that, then you are virtually "smoked" on the job market! There is no going back.

So when people give advise to go to DR and "give it a try" for 4 to 6 months, my thought is always: Then what? With the unemployment in Scandinavia, leaving your job to check things out elsewhere is a one way street.

 

[Danny W]

Voyager makes a very important point. At least for me, and I would think for most people up in their years, once I turn my back on my work here in NY, it's over. Being a gringo, I would hate to have no alternative to 30 years of a lower middle class lifestyle in the DR. It might be ok, but what if it ins't!- D

 

[johnsenior]

Hm!? Maybe the job market in Canada is totally different from the one in Sweden? But where I come from, if you just leave your job like that, then you are virtually "smoked" on the job market! There is no going back.

So when people give advise to go to DR and "give it a try" for 4 to 6 months, my thought is always: Then what? With the unemployment in Scandinavia, leaving your job to check things out elsewhere is a one way street.

That's exactly why my decision is so hard to make. If I knew that I could go out and live in DR, let's say for 6 months to 1 year, then if I did'nt like it or it did'nt work out, come back and get my job back that would be great, but at my age there's no way I could get my 100K job back. Sure I could come back and work as a security guard for $7.00 an hour but then, I would be miserable and coul'nt afford living here.

I know darn well that making the decision to leave for the DR is not a logical one based on the normal standard I have always lived by, thinking that every decision needs to be based on future security. This is what I was brought up in and have lived all by life according to the rules, work, retire and enjoy life with your partner. I have been working for 40 years, was married for 30 years, raised three great kids and now I wake up at 57 after a costly divorce with less than half a pension. Mind you that's fine, she deserves it and I am a law bidding citizen but now I have to face the future. My income is great for my environment and I can do what I what when I am here. But I'm not happy here. When I travel to the DR everything changes. I become another person, enjoying everyday and so sad when the time comes to leave and come back. If I listened to myself I would submit my resignation to-morrow and sell whatever assets I have left and move to the DR with my small pension, not because I think it is that cheap to live there, that's somewhat evident from reading the comments of those who live there, but because I'm happy when I'm there.

I could wait another 8 - 13 years and keep on working (I like my job) but then I would be 65 - 70, probably still very unhappy because of loneliness, and have a much more realistic pension income. If I was playing it safe and did'nt mind the solitude, that would be the solution and I could continue to visit the DR as a tourist. But like many, I need a drastic change and the DR seems to be the solution right now. I'm at a point where I'm listening to Spanish music from the Internet, have devoted a living room wall to photos of the DR and dream, think and talk about it all the time. Maybe I'm just getting senile and ridiculous but I don't think I have ever wanted anything so much in my life. But then reality hits home, the reduced income and can I afford the DR?

Sorry about the long winded message but I needed to vent.

By the way I thank all those who have so graciously provided input to my original post, positive or negative, as I read them very attentively in the hope of being influenced one way or another.