Moving to the DR, our story

[Timex]

Price of fuel

Hello, Anna, Jim.

I pay $ 50. pesos@ gallon, for good stuff.(Thanks, CC)

BUT...............
It beats paying $ 2.69@gallon, U.S., for fuel oil, to heat the house.
Folks in NY called yesterday, bitter cold spell, 600 gallons the last 2.5 months



Tim H.

 

[JOHNNY HONDA]

Tim
Tim
Incredible post I hope every newby reads this in fact Robert should find a way to make it mandatory reading for anyone who signs up.Thanks for the mail about the bank.
Johnny
P.S. Hope to see you at the next reunion,if you ever get to Sosua the first beers on me.

 

[stan chapman]

Price of Fuel

I was in Scotland in December. 77 pence per litre, equivalent to $2.00 Cdn. approx. We walked a lot!! Stan

 

[Criss Colon]

Timek,can I sell you some gas?????

If you are paying 50 pesos a "LITER",I can make you a great offer! CRIS

 

[Jwb]

Wow !

Civility is back.:bunny:

Timex you are a breath of fresh air. I read your thread 3X'S, how informative. :glasses:

Please post some more.........

 

[Keith R]

Excellent posts, Tim

Timex,

I say Deja v?!, on behalf of every expat on the board.

Can you imagine how the learning experience would have been having done it without direct help from a Domincan that can be fully trusted? Ouch!

Dear Tim,
Excellent series of posts! You explain the whole process so vividly, eloquently...I second the motion that this thread be made required reading for anyone considering moving to the DR.
I also echo Jim's sentiment that this brought back so many memories -- both good & bad. Unfortunately, when I did it in 1995, I didn't have that trustworthy connected Dominican to help (we had many well-meaning family & friends, but none who could resolve our problems for us) and my wife's employer (the reason for our move back to her homeland) was not nearly as helpful & understanding as yours evidently is. Consequently I spent the first year or two (yes, yr or two) straightening out & resolving things, and that tiring, trying process took much out of me & colored how I regarded DR life....I am normally considered an extremely patient man, but my patience was often pushed to its limits. If not for the love of family & friends, we might have left far earlier than four yrs later....
But that's the key, Tim. Establish those links, those friends, contacts. Make the most of that family bond. They'll not only help make everything go better, they'll be what you really miss if you ever move away from the DR for any reason (such as work taking you to somewhere else). Lord knows that's what I miss so much -- the people. Les extra?o much?simo.
Best regards,
Keith

 

[tondra]

Fantastic thread and invaluable information! I, too, agree with the others that this should be "required" reading for anyone contemplating a move to the DR. Even though I have not been there yet, I know what it is like to move away, long distance from all support systems and plunk yourself into a community with little money, no job, and no friends or family. Really stupid! But I learned a lot the hard way. It definitely popped the rose color out of my glasses! That is why I read this forum daily and intend to come for my first visit with my eyes and ears wide open, ask many questions, learn the culture and network, network, network.

Thanks, Timex, for your very candid report.

Tondra

 

[DON MIGUEL]

TOO NEGATIVE ?

Dear Friends,
I am new but I am not new because I am reading your messages now for more than one year. Sorry for "my english", I am flemish belgian, living in the Provence (France) for more than 10 years and I will move to the DR.
Because I love the DR.
About "Patience"
Do you know that here in the Provence we are now waiting for more than one month for a macon to repair the roof of our
house....
It's not "manana" here; it's "la semaine prochaine.."
Here we have also holes in the roads, I crossed yesterday night some cars with only 1 beam......
France is European recordholder: 8000 deaths on the roads, every year.
The Provence a "banana department" ? No, not at all. The Provence is a jet set department. Former President Miterand had a house here. A french politician, he lives now in the DR declared in "Paris-Match": "Vue de la la Republique Dominicaine, le France est une R?publique banani?re"...... (can some body translate..)

DR expensive?
Come and take a look in Europe (France)
In France:
One liter diesel Eur 0.82
One liter gasoline >1Eur
Property tax : I pay Eur 2000 per year
TVA (VAT): 20.9%
To buy a house: 100% more expensive in France, quality is less.....
Water:Eur 600 per year
Climate: last winter 30 cm snow. This winter 20 cm.
Temp.: min. -8? in dec. Do you know the Mistral: that horrible cold wind.
We, my spouse and myself, we will move to the DR, we will buy a nice house, we want to live there and make friends, learn spanish...... and pay a good laywer in case of....
Let us stay realistic my friends : we are all human beings, we are universal, we all share the power of Life, in every country there are crooks and nice people. Its up to us to make a choice.
All the best to you!
Respectfully,
Don Miguel.
P.S. I love the Provence to!

 

[Timex]

TOO NEGATIVE ?

DON MIGUEL, I am disappointed you choose to use my post, about living in the DR, too educate us, about living in France, instead of keeping to the theme of the Forum, Living in the DR.
If I wanted to tell people about living in NY, I would have posted that in the General Forum, since it?s not related to the DR.
I do not believe, I was negative in any way, these are just the facts of life as my Family and I lived them. Anyway, give me a shout when you get down to the Island, and well celebrate over some Cervesa.

Tim H.

Added
As soon as I get an answer from DR1, I will post an actual month's, cost. It's in spread sheet form and it is a daily accounting of who spent what and where.

 

[Tony Cabrera]

Hello, Tim, don miguel probably didn't mean any harm, he read your post and got so excite about it. but you're right he should had post it in the general forum. keep up the good work you doing for DR. Thans
Tony Cabrera

 

[Robert]

Monthly Costings...

Link to Timex spreadsheet.

Monthly Costings

 

[Musicqueen]

Wow, this is GREAT stuff!!!

Thanks, Timex and Robert!!!

 

[andy a]

I see that you've been hit by the "I lost it" ploy.

Any ideas on how to handle it?

 

[Timex]

Thank You, Rob!!!!!!!!


He put a link, that takes you to a spread sheet ,of our monthly expenses.

Click on Monthly Costings in the 3rd post, up from here, by Rob.
And you will see where every single peso for the month went.

Under Spent, befor the peso amount, M = Mechi ,
T = Tim


Thanks
Tim H.

 

[tondra]

This is the best stuff yet for people thinking of moving to the DR! The spread sheet really helps you get to the "nuts and bolts" of day-to-day living. I want to thank you, Tim, for opening your books to us and letting us peek at one household's experience of settling in.

Thanks again,

Tondra

 

[rafael]

Very informative and entertaining thread! What part of Long island are you guys from? I spent most of my life on Long island, and am now living in Santo Domingo as well!

 

[MommC]

For Andy A......

Best way to handle the "I Lost It" ploy..........

ah mio dio! Que pecado! La prossima pago ti debe stai attento!

After which you give 500 pesos for food and tell them that you will deduct 100 pesos from the next 5 pays to repay the loan (in case you haven't noticed "loans" are PERMANENT and NEVER repaid unless you deduct a set amount from every pay). Then DO IT!!

I guarantee another pay will NEVER be LOST!!

 

[Criss Colon]

You are a "Softy" Mommc!

Over the last 8 years,every maid I have had has asked to borrow money "against" their next pay check!It just doesn't work! They "forget" the promise they "maid" to pay you back on next payday! Here is a good rule reguarding "HELP"in the DR.Be firm and consistent with them.Don't be "NICE",they see that as vulnerability here! When they ask for an advance,I tell them that I get paid once a month,and nobody gives me an advance when I have no money! Loan money to a Domionican,"Ha ha ha ha,you MUST be joking!!! NEVER!!! Pay for a servic not yet rendered??? "Ha ha ha ha ha NEVER!!!CRIS

 

[Timex]

Tax Exemption

Since I mentioned it before, I have received allot of request's about this. Below is a portion of the IRS 593, exemption. At the bottom is a link for the full publication. As always, consult a professional for your tax advice, I did this, just out of courtesy.

A U.S. citizen or a U.S. resident alien who is physically present in a foreign country or countries for at least 330 full days during any period of 12 consecutive months.

Amount excludable. If your tax home is in a foreign country and you qualify under either the bona fide residence test or physical presence test for the entire tax year, you can exclude your foreign income earned during the year up to the maximum amount shown in the schedule below.
Year: Maximum Exclusion
1997: $70,000
1998: $72,000
1999: $74,000
2000: $76,000
2001: $78,000
2002 and after: $80,000

Beginning in 2008, the $80,000 amount will be adjusted for inflation.

Full Text
Scroll down to Publication 593

http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/lists/0,,id=101466,00.html

Thanks
Tim H.

 

[Jimena]

SUPERTimex!!!!! Fant?stico!!! It is a great report!!! Have you ever read "A Year in Provence"? It is a book about the experience of a British family in Provence quite amusing, lots of fun reading it. Nothing too serious, but quite interesting. I personally believe that you ought to write a book! PLEASE!PLEASE!
You can teach a lot about culture, communication and understanding. It has been a great pleasure reading your report and the comments about it

Thanks for sharing!

Jimena