Re: Interesting Reply
wtf2001 said:
Is there a better ROI of 1 year living in DR vs some place else you have first hand knowledge? This question is for any poster.
The old ROI question on life eh! Well, work out the ROI on having more time to do things, and less stress. Work out the ROI on not having to keep up with a murderous lifestyle in business. Work out the ROI of being able to see my granddaughter daily. I lived in the US for 12 years and whatever ROI I earned there, was not worth the lifestyle that I had to lead, to earn it. I earn about 75% less now than what I earned there, and every moment is worth it.
Let me give you a couple of real examples
Spending on food and necessities - Folks think things are cheap in the DR, but if you do not change your lifestyle, and you exist/ subsist on imports from the US, or wherever home is, you will spend more than ever before in your life. If you adjust your lifestyle, buy local and learn many new things like for instance how to cook those brown hairy roots - your food bill will be cut tremendously. Your ROI is in your hands. I have possibly 80% less little bottles and additives in the fridge than ever before in my life. It is possible to live very cheaply and very simply here without feeling deprived. But you have to be able to improvise, and be flexible. It is *not* like home. We are a family of four and usually have visitors, customers or somebody around. I spend much less than what I used to spend in the US as we take the time and trouble to make the food - No deli food and no prepared stuff, fresh fruit and veg that we actually prepare and cook daily - The lifestyle allows us this time.
Vehicle expenses - from 3 cars in the US to 1 car here. If there are repairs to be done, the local mechanico down the road comes quite quickly and keeps the old truck running.
Clothing and these types of things - I don't have 60 pairs of shoes any longer. I have about 10. And I like shoes. That tells you something. T-Shirts, shorts, light pants a few dresses with summer jackets for business and I'm fine. Lots of beach stuff. My clothes expenditure is about 50% less than in the US.
Insurance, Medical and such types of things - Much much cheaper. I go to the Doctor for about 350 pesos and usually walk out with at least part of the prescription that I need. Serious medical, for that you need insurance. Healthier lifestyle, less medical required. Dentists are excellent and about half the price than in the US. Again, for major medical, you need insurance.
Housing etc - For us, it is about 50% of what we spent in the US. But, we like big and lots of space, so for housing, we still spend a lot of money by DR standards - our choice.
Household help, Gardener etc. - I spend less on household help than what I spent on the gardening service in the US.
Quality of life - I do not have to keep up with the Jonesses. Not even in business. I can take off at 3 if I choose to, and go and sit on the beach and drink wine. Everybody understands a Dominican Day. There is much less business stress - but getting used to the life, had stressors that I could not envisage, before we made the move.
Entertainment, meals out - We spend altogether too much time on the beach drinking wine and chatting with friends, but this is good ROI. If we have to travel in the DR for business or to Santo Domingo, we tend to stay in cheaper hotels and make up with trying better restaurants. Or we eat cheaply and stay in a better hotel.
Schooling - my granddaughter (2 and a half) goes to a small Montessori pre-school in our town. US$100 a month for half days for Montessori pre-school is not bad and we are paying a fortune by Dominican standards.
Island Fever - The one thing about the DR in comparison with other Caribbean Islands, that is really good, is that it is a big enough island, not to get island fever. Beaches and mountains. Cities and little hole in the wall towns. If I spent the next 20 years here, I probably still would not have explored all the places that I want to explore, in depth.
Before we came here, we looked at Panama, Costa Rica, A number of other Caribbean Islands and actually lived for a year on another Island.
So ROI on lifestyle and happiness. Well, a scale has not been invented for that.