Quote:
Originally Posted by vegasdiva
 Grahame, how do Dominicans survive?? |
With GREAT difficulty. Many (not all) live in what we would call squalid areas - barrios, which are wooden shacks of about 30 or 40 Ft Square & house 2 generations (sometimes 3).
They do not pay taxes obviously, they rarely pay for electricity, have maybe one meal a day & 'Borrow' from friends anything they really need. They rarely own cars or motorbikes, travel is by means of the ever visible & dangerous MotoConcho! If the main breadwinners of the household work at a hotel, they might manage to get TWO meals a day!
Quote:
Originally Posted by vegasdiva
If these are the prospects, it sounds like the only people who can afford to live/survive are ex-pats who bring money in from outside the country.
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As indicated above, it is DIFFICULT to survive on this sort of salary in the DR - this is why many of them be-friend ExPats in a way to supplement their incomes from handouts, extra meals, little presents for 'jobs or services' or just to make 'the Friend' feel better & (in some cases) scams against their new friends.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vegasdiva
I respect your time and experience there - as I do for many members of the DR1 community. I simply don't understand how anyone is able to live there unless the money is earned and brought to the DR from elsewhere. Please help me understand (or am I misunderstanding you?), as I will be making the same move - without a retirement {at least not until I'm retirement age} or sizable nest egg - yes, without a job because so many in these forums have advised not to bother until one is actually in residence.
Thanks!
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When WE first arrived .......... (nah, read the book!!
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I seriously recommend doing a FULL budgetary test for a month or two living outside the AI's before committing yourself to moving here. Check what sort of area you are prepared to exist in for a year or two, check how your finances disappear without your being aware of what you have acquired, check your eating & entertainment requirements & find out what you REALLY spend each month. Add at least 30% to this for moving down here full time & you should be almost safe - I would be most surprised if any Gringo from a 'First World Country' would be prepared to live on less than US $1,200 per month.
THAT is RD $40,000 per month, so unless you get a job earning hat much (HIGHLY unlikely in the first year or two unless you are self employed with a good service to offer) then you need supportive income from your home country &/or a LOAD of capital to bring down with you.
My apologies to the OP & the moderator for taking this 'Off Subject' but I felt the question needed answering (again)!! Feel free to split this into a separate thread if you think it needs to be moved.
vegasdiva. You can PM or e-mail me if you want a little more flesh to add to these comments. ~ Grahame.
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looking for a job...
!!!
gre:
