- Thread starter RaggedPhilosoph
- Start date
Starry-eyed dreamer from Philly contemplating retirement in DR
Shortylov
I am sorry if I startled you with my statistics and opinions. I didnt mean to. And by the way you did not disrespect me. This is a free forum. Unless you call me a real bad name like "politician" or member of Pepegate, or friend of Hipolito and Leonel I will not get offended. I also get offended by tigueres who call me "oiga Ingeniero" o "Doctor!!" o "Licenciado!!"I hate to be confused with them. I also hate jeepetas, chacabanas and guns in holsters shown in public. These are the professions that enjoy such amenities.
I admire your desire for adventure and need to solve your problem. I agree with some people here who say follow your heart. If you really feel that strongly and you have no objection living in Alma Rosa and all the noise and crime in that neighborhood, you are ready for WWII anywhere. By the way, rent in Alma Rosa is quite steep for an area like that. $5000 pesos will get you a small house, but be prepared to pay very high electricity bills. You will not be able to buy a house in Alma Rosa with $900,000 unless it has perhaps 50sq. meters. Even new 2br. apartments go higher now. Of course, there are always opportunities. But be prepared for much higher prices.
With about $500 pesos you can buy what you listed specifically on your shopping list. Of course, if you buy Pepin bread instead of Wonder Bread you will do much better. A loaf of Wonder bread here is between US$3-4 dollars depending on size. There is also cheap cereal locally made here, not necessarily Kellogs.You did not specify sizes for Carnation and the chips.
Keep in mind that we have thousands of Dominicans running for the coast looking for boats to get out, as much as you feel you want to grab the next boat to DR. I am surprised that at your age, experience and skills you earn that much and feel so poor. What happens to the rest of the country with the minimum salary?
Consider yourself lucky. Your potential for growth there is better than here. However, not knowing everything about you, I will give you the benefit of the doubt and say that you can be a success anywhere after reading your posts.
I live here in DR. I am doing very well. But I also lived in the U.S.in New York, Chicago, Chatham, N.J., Dallas, Atlanta, Miami Westchester,PA and travelled a great deal in the U.S. I was very successful there too. But I left running away from taxes. When I returned to DR this was a tax haven. Now I feel overtaxed again. Where am I headed now? I dont know, but I hate to pay taxes more than everybody else.
TW
I am sorry if I startled you with my statistics and opinions. I didnt mean to. And by the way you did not disrespect me. This is a free forum. Unless you call me a real bad name like "politician" or member of Pepegate, or friend of Hipolito and Leonel I will not get offended. I also get offended by tigueres who call me "oiga Ingeniero" o "Doctor!!" o "Licenciado!!"I hate to be confused with them. I also hate jeepetas, chacabanas and guns in holsters shown in public. These are the professions that enjoy such amenities.
I admire your desire for adventure and need to solve your problem. I agree with some people here who say follow your heart. If you really feel that strongly and you have no objection living in Alma Rosa and all the noise and crime in that neighborhood, you are ready for WWII anywhere. By the way, rent in Alma Rosa is quite steep for an area like that. $5000 pesos will get you a small house, but be prepared to pay very high electricity bills. You will not be able to buy a house in Alma Rosa with $900,000 unless it has perhaps 50sq. meters. Even new 2br. apartments go higher now. Of course, there are always opportunities. But be prepared for much higher prices.
With about $500 pesos you can buy what you listed specifically on your shopping list. Of course, if you buy Pepin bread instead of Wonder Bread you will do much better. A loaf of Wonder bread here is between US$3-4 dollars depending on size. There is also cheap cereal locally made here, not necessarily Kellogs.You did not specify sizes for Carnation and the chips.
Keep in mind that we have thousands of Dominicans running for the coast looking for boats to get out, as much as you feel you want to grab the next boat to DR. I am surprised that at your age, experience and skills you earn that much and feel so poor. What happens to the rest of the country with the minimum salary?
Consider yourself lucky. Your potential for growth there is better than here. However, not knowing everything about you, I will give you the benefit of the doubt and say that you can be a success anywhere after reading your posts.
I live here in DR. I am doing very well. But I also lived in the U.S.in New York, Chicago, Chatham, N.J., Dallas, Atlanta, Miami Westchester,PA and travelled a great deal in the U.S. I was very successful there too. But I left running away from taxes. When I returned to DR this was a tax haven. Now I feel overtaxed again. Where am I headed now? I dont know, but I hate to pay taxes more than everybody else.
TW
Thanks SUAREZN & GOLO for the encouragement
Golo....I am aware that Almarosa is not one of the most "luxirous" neighborhoods...but i'm willing to start with that struggle...and I'm actually trying to do buisness with a house in Alma rosa...in one of the less noisy parts, 3 bed, 2 ba?os, sala, cuarto de servicio con ba?o, desayunador, private parking, area de solar: 120, area de construccion: 83....que en verdad no es una casa de lujo...pero si "decent" and comoda specialy for only RD$800,000.00!
: o )
I am fairly lucky that at my age and my type of experience, I do make that type of salary....but It's still not enough...that's when these things make you think, like you stated...How is everyone else trying to live off of a much lower salary...
You see what I was trying to say regarding the cost of living...it all balances out....en verdad $500 pesos is not much in DR for those products...but for u to be able to waste US$50 here...when a person gets paid US$250/wk (average)....and wastes at least US$100 in groceries a week...It doesn't leave you much to work with for the bills.
Hey...that's the issue...taxes...They just keep going up and up!!!... At this moment out of a $1450 check...I only get $940.00 limpio...That's unbelievable!! The government takes away US$510.00 biweekly only on taxes! That's not counting all the other taxes you pay on almost every single product you purchase. It's just outrageous.
As you all can probably tell...I have really enjoyed posting on these forums lol...and I will continue on posting.... : o) Thank you all for expressing your thoughts. :-*
Golo....I am aware that Almarosa is not one of the most "luxirous" neighborhoods...but i'm willing to start with that struggle...and I'm actually trying to do buisness with a house in Alma rosa...in one of the less noisy parts, 3 bed, 2 ba?os, sala, cuarto de servicio con ba?o, desayunador, private parking, area de solar: 120, area de construccion: 83....que en verdad no es una casa de lujo...pero si "decent" and comoda specialy for only RD$800,000.00!
: o )I am fairly lucky that at my age and my type of experience, I do make that type of salary....but It's still not enough...that's when these things make you think, like you stated...How is everyone else trying to live off of a much lower salary...
You see what I was trying to say regarding the cost of living...it all balances out....en verdad $500 pesos is not much in DR for those products...but for u to be able to waste US$50 here...when a person gets paid US$250/wk (average)....and wastes at least US$100 in groceries a week...It doesn't leave you much to work with for the bills.
Hey...that's the issue...taxes...They just keep going up and up!!!... At this moment out of a $1450 check...I only get $940.00 limpio...That's unbelievable!! The government takes away US$510.00 biweekly only on taxes! That's not counting all the other taxes you pay on almost every single product you purchase. It's just outrageous.
As you all can probably tell...I have really enjoyed posting on these forums lol...and I will continue on posting.... : o) Thank you all for expressing your thoughts. :-*
I have spent the last 10 days in Massachussetts
It beats the Hell out of" Lo Mina,and the entire Zona Oriental"!I spend hours roaming "Star Market",and "Stop & Shop",the food here is much cheaper than in Santo Domingo!Try a "Walgreens,CVS, for your drugs and beauty supplies,CHEAPER"!I bought a Laptop computer at "Best Buy" for $850 US,CHEAPER!I sold my house in Somerville 7 years ago for $200,000 and paid the same for my house in Arroyo Hondo.My last electric bill in Santo Domingo was 6000 pesos for one month!Think about the future of those babies in the DR if you raise them in (you say suburbs,I'll say "Slums"!) my bet is that Shoorty is now a "Single-Parent" and is running from the US to the DR for all the wrong reasons.CRIS
It beats the Hell out of" Lo Mina,and the entire Zona Oriental"!I spend hours roaming "Star Market",and "Stop & Shop",the food here is much cheaper than in Santo Domingo!Try a "Walgreens,CVS, for your drugs and beauty supplies,CHEAPER"!I bought a Laptop computer at "Best Buy" for $850 US,CHEAPER!I sold my house in Somerville 7 years ago for $200,000 and paid the same for my house in Arroyo Hondo.My last electric bill in Santo Domingo was 6000 pesos for one month!Think about the future of those babies in the DR if you raise them in (you say suburbs,I'll say "Slums"!) my bet is that Shoorty is now a "Single-Parent" and is running from the US to the DR for all the wrong reasons.CRIS
OK Criss...now u come a hecharle le?a al fuego despues que ya cuando casi estaba apagado....
I do shop at "Star Market" and "Stop & Shop"...which are a bit more expensive than other cheaper supermarkets....I do purchase at Walgreens and CVS.... If you bought a laptop at "Best Buy" for US$850....then it must have been last years model!!
Well...I couldn't compare to sommerville...I actually live 20 minutes away and Sommerville is actually more expensive then where I live...so ..I'm really not sure of what you are speaking about...I'll give you till the end of '04 to restate what you stated above... You just stated yourself...you sold your Sommerville home... SEVEN years ago for US$200,000.00 ....for that amount of money you couldn't find a "decent" home without major repairs in the northeastern side of MASS.
I have ONE child who I wouldn't think twice about raising him in DR...Do you have any idea how children get raised here? (Disipline-wise) Do you have any idea how much more expensive is to raise a child in the US vs. DR ???
If you lived here in a US$500K home...in Sommerville, and where able to live "decently" without being buried in debt....Then I guess we are just in two different economic levels.....
I was born and raised (went back every year) in "Mi Hogar" which is right near by "respaldo de Almarosa" and let me tell you...that not many people lived as "comfortable" as we did back then in DR....and I have nothing, what so ever to complain about those barrios... Some of you guys can't imagine anyone who's used to an American way of life living at
lower standards and ENJOYING it! It doesn't bother me that I have to get my sisterna filled every other week...or that que la luz se fue y tenga que prender la planta....or that the platanero guy MIGHT just wake me up in the morning.....I rather go through all that, then to be scared to not find my car in my private driveway...(AND I DO LIVE IN A PRESTIGIOUS NEIGHBORHOOD)...since it's a Toyota, and they have stoled it twice already...or scared that when my son does finally start going to school...He'll get bullied or might end up getting shot....
Again...it comes back to "Don't talk unless you live it"
OHH and by the way....I've been planning this relocation before I even had a child...and by having my child...gave me more encouragement to make this dream a task, which I will encounter soon.
All the above I have stated...in a friendly manner LOL ...just in case it doesn't seem that way..
KP
I do shop at "Star Market" and "Stop & Shop"...which are a bit more expensive than other cheaper supermarkets....I do purchase at Walgreens and CVS.... If you bought a laptop at "Best Buy" for US$850....then it must have been last years model!!
Well...I couldn't compare to sommerville...I actually live 20 minutes away and Sommerville is actually more expensive then where I live...so ..I'm really not sure of what you are speaking about...I'll give you till the end of '04 to restate what you stated above... You just stated yourself...you sold your Sommerville home... SEVEN years ago for US$200,000.00 ....for that amount of money you couldn't find a "decent" home without major repairs in the northeastern side of MASS.
I have ONE child who I wouldn't think twice about raising him in DR...Do you have any idea how children get raised here? (Disipline-wise) Do you have any idea how much more expensive is to raise a child in the US vs. DR ???
If you lived here in a US$500K home...in Sommerville, and where able to live "decently" without being buried in debt....Then I guess we are just in two different economic levels.....
I was born and raised (went back every year) in "Mi Hogar" which is right near by "respaldo de Almarosa" and let me tell you...that not many people lived as "comfortable" as we did back then in DR....and I have nothing, what so ever to complain about those barrios... Some of you guys can't imagine anyone who's used to an American way of life living at
lower standards and ENJOYING it! It doesn't bother me that I have to get my sisterna filled every other week...or that que la luz se fue y tenga que prender la planta....or that the platanero guy MIGHT just wake me up in the morning.....I rather go through all that, then to be scared to not find my car in my private driveway...(AND I DO LIVE IN A PRESTIGIOUS NEIGHBORHOOD)...since it's a Toyota, and they have stoled it twice already...or scared that when my son does finally start going to school...He'll get bullied or might end up getting shot....
Again...it comes back to "Don't talk unless you live it"
OHH and by the way....I've been planning this relocation before I even had a child...and by having my child...gave me more encouragement to make this dream a task, which I will encounter soon.
All the above I have stated...in a friendly manner LOL ...just in case it doesn't seem that way..
KP
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Great advice on the commercial paper certificate. What are all the specifics? Minimum investment amount etc?
Don't have a ton of money, in fact very little. I plan on entering the "responsible" portion of my life as I turn 40 in a few weeks.
Besides putting the max in a 401k every year, I have done pretty much zip as far as investing is concerned.Just started a new gig and will not be eligible to contribute to the 401k till next spring. Might be able to sock away a few bucks between now and then and am young enough to deal with the risks. 24% sounds pretty damn good.
Had a buddy that was getting 36% out of costa rica. Basically 4% a month. lived like a king!
Don't have a ton of money, in fact very little. I plan on entering the "responsible" portion of my life as I turn 40 in a few weeks.
Besides putting the max in a 401k every year, I have done pretty much zip as far as investing is concerned.Just started a new gig and will not be eligible to contribute to the 401k till next spring. Might be able to sock away a few bucks between now and then and am young enough to deal with the risks. 24% sounds pretty damn good.
Had a buddy that was getting 36% out of costa rica. Basically 4% a month. lived like a king!
"The Brothers" is the investment group in Costa Rica paying 36% They are being investigated in drug-money laundering. All accounts have been frozen, and interest hasn't been paid in a couple of months. This is affecting thousands of foreigners there who invested their life savings. Watch out for things that sound to good to be true! I think they were in business for 20 years before they got caught.