What salary do you need to live independently and start a family?

[batang uliran]

One problem in Philippine society is that it is difficult to live completely independent of one's parents even after graduation. What kind of job/salary does one need to live independent of his/her parents and get married and start a family?

[KuyaDanny]

Hmmm...magandang tanong yan, bossing.

Ating pag-isipan. Ipagpalagay na muna natin na bagong-kasal pero wala pang mga tsikiting. In ader werds, mag-labing-labing lang muna... ;)

Ang gagastahin?

Bahay, inuupahan P7000
Pamasahe (siguro P100/day) 2000
Pagkain sa trabaho 2000
Pagkain sa bahay 2000
Kuryente, gasul 2000
Mga gimik pag weekend 2000
Damit 1500
Gamot (yung hindi bawal) 500
Katulong/labandera 1200
Telephone (cell-prepaid) 500

Total P20700


Aray ko po! Kailangan talaga dalawa kayong maghahanapbuhay.

[nix]

Those numbers will skyrocket when you factor in other expenses like health and auto insurance, car loan payments, real property tax, tuition of your kid (or educational plan if baby pa), food for helper, water, homeowner's fees, cable connection, internet connection, landlines, other luxuries, etc... etc ...


I would say, to live comfortably, you would need a combined household income of, say, 50,000 pesos per month. But that's comfortably.

[Ira]

I think a minimum of PhP70,000 per month would be needed to live comfortably and bring up a kid. The tuition fees (even in preschool!) today are really sky-high (according to a friend who sends 3 kids to preschool, it's PhP25,000 a sem at least). You can hardly get a decent townhouse or condominium unit for less than PhP12,000/month either. And of course, like Nix said, there are the loans, insurance, etc. While PhP50,000 would be okay for a married couple, I don't think it's enough when you factor in children, if we're talking about living comfortably.

[lupuS]

Reviving this topic.

[FarOutFreak]

Originally posted by GuapaAko:
ang sarap ng buhay sa probinsya. but you people there in the big city always look down at us.
we only have a combined income of P35,000 and yet, we are sending our 3 kids to a school with airconditioned classrooms, have internet access(unlimited) at home,cellphones for daughter,mine and hubby, spend weekends at the beach or go swimming at 4 star hotels here.eat out at restaurants(air con ones ha!) for lunch or dinner. got 5 bedroom new house with great view of the ocean.aircon rooms. 4 heplers.complete appliances.. we spend 3 to 10mins travel to our workplace from home.sarap pa ng hanging dito. hindi polluted.so, never look down at people from the provinces.. we are enjoying life more than you city guys...

Careful what you say. Telling that to us city folk might just make us migrate there.

Saan nga ba yan, at pag may trabaho na ako'y dyan na ako titira?

[GuapaAko]

ang sarap ng buhay sa probinsya. but you people there in the big city always look down at us.
we only have a combined income of P35,000 and yet, we are sending our 3 kids to a school with airconditioned classrooms, have internet access(unlimited) at home,cellphones for daughter,mine and hubby, spend weekends at the beach or go swimming at 4 star hotels here.eat out at restaurants(air con ones ha!) for lunch or dinner. got 5 bedroom new house with great view of the ocean.aircon rooms. 4 heplers.complete appliances.. we spend 3 to 10mins travel to our workplace from home.sarap pa ng hanging dito. hindi polluted.so, never look down at people from the provinces.. we are enjoying life more than you city guys...

[Ice Burn]

Whoopee! It show's I got a long way off before I get close to those figures...Maybe I should move to the province. :D

[green grin]

kuyadanny - any revisions to your jan. 25 post? :)

[KuyaDanny]

Pamasahe +250
Kuryente/gasul +250
Katulong/labandera +300

New total P21500

Please note that I am putting down minimum figures, ie, expenses which will keep husband and wife healthy, sane, and free from harm so that they can continue working to improve their lives.

My figures are obviously on the low side and most members here will probably say the numbers are inadequate for their own lifestyles. I'm sure that's true. But what I am trying to illustrate is what is possible not necessarily what is desirable.

[hansel]

Originally posted by GuapaAko:
ang sarap ng buhay sa probinsya. but you people there in the big city always look down at us.
we only have a combined income of P35,000 and yet, we are sending our 3 kids to a school with airconditioned classrooms, have internet access(unlimited) at home,cellphones for daughter,mine and hubby, spend weekends at the beach or go swimming at 4 star hotels here.eat out at restaurants(air con ones ha!) for lunch or dinner. got 5 bedroom new house with great view of the ocean.aircon rooms. 4 heplers.complete appliances.. we spend 3 to 10mins travel to our workplace from home.sarap pa ng hanging dito. hindi polluted.so, never look down at people from the provinces.. we are enjoying life more than you city guys...

gwapaako : i dont know a lot of manila people who look down on probinsyanas but i do know a lot of probinsyanas who think that manila ppl look down on them. iniisip niyo lang yan.

totoo ba yan? baka naman mayaman na kayo to start with or marami na kayong savings. i dont think cellphones, net access, or a 5 bedroom house are a lot, if at all, cheaper in the provinces than in manila. kung totoo man yan, tell us naman where you are from para tabihan ka namin dyan. hehe..

[tsadi]

hansel, for a combined income of 35K sa province ? yes, tutuo yan, even in major VisMin cities like Cebu, Davao, Bacolod, Dumaguete and Cagayan de Oro.

[tsadi]

GuapaAko, im a "true blue Cebuano" working in Manila, and I havent actually met anyone here who looks down on "us" yet ... i guess its because i work in an office packed with very intelligent and open minded ppl :) ...
what you said will probably be true in the "palengke's" however

[brownpau]

I live by myself -- unmarried -- in a cheap flat with roommates. I get by on about P12,000 a month, but I don't make gimik, I don't have a TV or cable, I don't have a car (buses and jeepneys for me!), and what's left of my salary above that P12T automatically goes to my savings.

Whew, the financing in this country sucks.

[tsadi]

going up again! :)

[*Tin-Tin*]

I guess, it really all depends on the kind of lifestyle that you wanna live. If you have simple needs and simple wants, then, it's ridiculous to expect a real high salary from your job just to get by. But.... if the kind of life that you want is full of luxury, then... you really should aim for a skyrocket salary! I would suggest that you live according to what you can afford, not the other way around.

[denslim]

i agree that life in the province is way way way way cheaper than life in manila. i got to experience living in iloilo for a year and noticed a lot of differences considering i've lived in manila all my life... except for that one year.

house rent... whereas here its like 7,000 and up, a good sized house(not apartment room a house with garage) good for a family with 4 kids costs only 3,000 to 3,500 in bulacan nga my friends renting out a newly constructed apartment house and they can't rent it out at 4,000 even if its new

transpo... iloilo's small... i mean the city... wala pang FX roon... jeepney rides mostly cost 3... eh malapit lang lahat eh hehe

food... much much cheaper... for instance there's a Jo's chicken Inato restaurant there.. the chicken meal costs 40 here its 59 the bars there are cheap too.. yung mga canned drinks 15.. rito 20-35 and more! even the sbarro in iloilo is cheaper than sbarro here... daming resto ang mumura pag balik ko rito parang lahat mahal na talaga... a meal that costs 100 plus here roon 50-60 lang..

schools are also cheaper... way cheaper... parang public schools na nga eh... eh pano yung ibang students nag papa "forge" nang mga school receipts... medical school 6,000 a sem. duh... and its easier to get Local Goverment scholarships in the province...

gimiks... hay nako.. susmaryosep.. para sa marami roon sa iloilo basta wala nang araw.. gabi na..! hehehe... dito pag wala nang araw tsaka lang lumalabas... in effect konti lang ang mapupuntahan roon... movies there 35-40 sa lodge.. rito 50 coffee roon 35 lang marami rami pa.. dito starbusks sus maryosep...ginto ang kape

tubig and elec almost the same medyo mas mahal pa nga roon.. ang tubig ko roon sus ako lang magisa 160 pesos rito sa maynila 3 kami sa bahay 86... nagreklamo pa si ermats dahil before 50 lang.. duh...

and iloilo is near boracay na... aba eh rito hirap pumunta boracay.. sa iloilo 6 hour bus ride and boaat ride ayun nandun na hehehe.. sosi.. hehehe..

but then i guess the reason why things are cheaper in the provinces is because labor cost is also cheap... rent is cheap too... but then kaya lang mas nakakaipon ang tao sa provinces is because there really aren't too many places to go to... wala ring masyadong mabibili... unlike in manila bili eto bila yan...

[christine]

Comfortable living...

Apartment 12,000.00
Car Loan Payment #1 12,500.00
Car Loan Payment #2 14,000.00
Insurance (2 cars) 2,000.00
Gas 3,000.00
Health Insurance 1,000.00
Electric Bill 2,000.00
Water Bill 500.00
PLDT 300.00
Celfones (each) 2,000.00
Over-All maid 2,000.00
Food Work 2,000.00
Food Home 2,000.00
Internet (hehehe...) 2,000.00
Cable TV 300.00
Groceries 3,000.00
Gimmicks 2,000.00
Clothing/other personal stuff 3,000.00
Vitamins/other medications 500.00
Misc. 2,000.00

TOTAL PHP 68,100.00 ---->; ARAY!!!

to think, you have to save for when you decide to have a baby, emergencies and education!!!

grabe...

[planetary]

How much money do you need to start a family? I think you'll never have enough money at any given time. Your lifestyle adjusts to how much money you have. If need be, you can live on your own with as little as P20,000. You'll just have to make sacrifices. Conversely, even if you have a P100,000 a month salary, I'm sure you'll also adjust your lifestyle accordingly. maybe you'd eat out more, or buy more expensive clothes.

As for living in the province, it's really a tempting prospect. I've always thought of living in Bacolod. It's urbanized yet not. And I know I can live there very comforatbly with a small salary. Then again, in our company, being assigned to the province unofrtunately means you don't get seen by upper management more and in effect, your chances of getting promoted fast grows slimmer.

[clawed_out]

i say 12 Php is enough for me to live as a young FREE & SINGLE man.

save the half for future use then, about 4k for apt rental (not a very good apt but liveable)...2k more for miscellaneous, you've got to be creative, resourceful to live in manila!) but IM NOT! kaya wala ako sa manila.

[gumacanian]

Tut tut. I remember the days when a case of San miguel was 55 pesos,And a good maid was 200 pesos a month.In them days I lived like a king.
Now though I have had to move to Europe coz its cheaper!!!! Its really true. I honestly dont know how you guys manage anymore,and thats the truth. The prices there are crazy now. Sad to see!!

[This message has been edited by gumacanian (edited 07-05-2000).]

[*happy*phantom*]

Now, I'm really thinking about living in the province...

[LUIS BUCOY]

i'm working on the assumption that you're starting clean meaning no Credit card balances outstanding loans etc....and no children yet!

House P8000
food P7000 http://www.pinoyexchange.com/yummy.gif
utilities P3500 (a/c once in a while)
transpo P2500
allowance P5000 (meals at work etc..)
help P2500
good time P2000 http://www.pinoyexchange.com/lol.gif
clothing P3000
TOTAL: P33500 (tama ba?)
I say maybe tag 30000 each kayo magasawa para
comfortable naman kayo at yung tira ipunin niyo for your future children.Once you start paying tuition this could go up to about P38000 a month(1 child lang yan) Estimate lang to of course!

[This message has been edited by LUIS BUCOY (edited 07-07-2000).]

[cloud]

Here's a single parent's (1 kid) monthly budget in Manila:

rent* 3,000
car payment* 2,500
food* 3,000
yaya 2,500
school bus 750
tuition 2,000
personal allo 5,000
TOTAL 18,250

*items are 1/4 of the total (rest of the extended family pitch in equal shares)

Now, this is quite comfortable if you're ok with living with other people. You compromise some space, but the financial independence is real (I forgot to put in savings). Plus, you get the added security of other adults watching the little one AND the yaya when you feel like you need a breather.

[osang]

yikes!!!...ang laki pala ng gastos no!!!

anyway, i shld start saving na...ang gastos sobra eh!!!

[PauTOT]

who among us can honestly say na he or she can live alone comfortably, based on their salary?

[This message has been edited by PauTOT (edited 07-11-2000).]

[!i!]

when i moved out of my parents house my salary back then was around 10k and i had 2 pay for everything- dorm fees, meals, etc. now i'm getting around 15k and my rent eats up most of it until now its hard making ends meet. i know if i was living a lifestyle suited to my salary things wldn't be much of a problem - but the thing is having ur own pad is a great comfort after a day's work, compared to coming home to a dorm with 6 psycho roomies. I've seen my friends marry off and suffer so much strain in their relationships. Money doesn't buy happiness they say - point taken, but it does help.

[bLaCk_oRchiD]

I'm 23 and still single..grabe hirap ng buhay ngayon.. i'm living independently. I got my own apartment and pay my own bill.. nag-iisa lang ako pero hirap paring pagkasyahin ang 15k na monthly income ko.dami ko kasing binabayaran... hindi naman ako gumigimick ... hay naku siguro kailangan ko ng 35k combined income namin ng future husband ko. :(

[blackblade21]

hayyy naku, i guess ive still got a long way to go b4 i can live indepently....

[gjen]

i'm 21 and i still live with my parents. i have a fairly good (?) salary pero wala pa rin savings. half of my salary goes to my parents, para bang rent ko na lang yun dahil dun naman ako sa kanila nakatira. tama yung sinabi nila na nag-aadjust yung lifestyle mo kung magkano ang sinasahod mo.
pero naisip ko naman, kaya naman ng mag-asawa na mabuhay with 25K - 30K a month. meron nga iba diyan, less pa, pero they get by, di ba?

[miaka yuuki]

Suggestion lang po Kuya Danny, i think you should exclude cellphone (luxury na yan eh) and gimiks. para mas makatipid ka. pwede mo namang itabi for your future baby. di ba? malaki-laki din yun..

[nerbie]

i'm 22 and a newly wed young fellow. Sahod ko? hmmmmm oks lang ... sahod ng wife ko? oks lang din pero independent na kami renting an apartment na oks lang din. We are not rich. Sya may celphone ako wala kasi iniisip ko i rather invest on my computer which is my source of living. Siguro at least 5 digits sahod nyo.

[pusongpinoye2]

Originally posted by brownpau:
I live by myself -- unmarried -- in a cheap flat with roommates. I get by on about P12,000 a month, but I don't make gimik, I don't have a TV or cable, I don't have a car (buses and jeepneys for me!), and what's left of my salary above that P12T automatically goes to my savings.

Whew, the financing in this country sucks.
==============

You are closest to the truth and reality of what the minimum cost and standard of living is in the MetroManila areas.

I was in the Philippines for about nine months last year 1999 (March to December), as part of my tour of duty. I gave several lectures on precisely this topic:

"Manpower Resources, Recruiting, Training and Supervision of our vital human resources, how much are they worth, versus, how much are we paying for them?"

Actually, our figures (down and dirty rock bottom came up to PHP10,000). This hardly allowed for sufficient medical allowances.

We compared this with the minimum wage, which on the generous side, would come up to a net take home pay of PHP5,000, or 50% short of the monthly budget required to survive.

We extrapolated this and came out with a net deficit, annually of PHP60,000. Which means, that a single, living and working under these conditions would be PHP60,000 behind in his/her bills at the end of his or her first year of work. And there is no relief in site.

My study also pointed out that at least 70% of the MetroManila population fall under this employed at sub-survival and poverty level.

So, what is the sense in working? Well, it can be worse. What is the solution? I don't know for sure where to start or begin to identify the cause of the problem.

Do you?

PusongPinoye2

[womanontop]

"bump"

[dilbert]

newly wed. our combined salary is about P40,000 (net). And here's breakdown of our monthly expenses:

car loan - P12,000
gas - P2,000
apartment rent - P8,000
Food (groceries,etc.) - P3,000
Food work - P2,000
utilities (electricity, water, gasul) - P3,000
weekend gimmicks (movies, eat-out, etc.) - P3,000
Others - P2,000
savings - P5,000 or less (kailangan may savings monthly)

*once we plan to have kids, then we have to earn more than P50,000 monthly!

[guapa]

dilbert, okay yang budget mo sa ibang items but i am wondering about the food expense. P2,000 (sa work?) a month?
siguro, okay lang yan kung ikaw lang. and the groceries too only P3,000? with this, you are not buying milk formula diapers for the kids.
us kase, P2,000/mon is not enough for lunch out and P3,000/mon is not enough for groceries and to think we are here in the province where foods are cheaper.
maybe, prices would also differ much with regards to the kind or brand of items you would buy. pero ganon na rin, work hard na lang tayo to be able to make ends meet.

[dilbert]

hi. guapa. about our food expense sa work - - so far P2,000 per month is working for us (we're both working in the same company). We only eat sa canteen (a little sacrifice not to eat-out, during weekends na lang or special occasion).

P3,000 for groceries/pam-palengke (for basic items, supplies & pang-dinner) is also enough for the two of us. we don't buy rice coz its subsidized by our company. We don't have kids yet, so i don't worry about milk & pampers. you're right that we have to adjust again our budget once we have a baby.

net, life is hard for pinoys. we have to adjust our life style depending on what we can afford. we're thinking/planning to work abroad so we can earn more and save more.

[guapa]

dilbert, sabagay dalawa lang pala kayo. kami, i hav 3 kids and they always ask that we have lunch at jolibee. pero kung mag tipid, sa tabi-tabi nalang hehehe. buti nalang, we can buy deep fried chicken here na tag P10 ang isang chicken wing, tapos isang "hanging rice" (puso') okay na ako. and if we order from the resto naman, buti ang masarap na steam rice nila ay only P28. (delivered pa yon). groceries and pamalengke, ibang estorya na naman yon.
i graduated na from buying milk formulas and diapers. but my kids eating demands now are even more expensive than buying diapers and milk formulas too.
sometimes, working abroad and earning dollars seems to be attractive but ganon parin siguro, if your family lives there, you will still end up working hard pa rin kase, you will also be spending in dollars.
basta ba lang healthy ang mga members sa family and happy always, dapat wala nang problema.

[lupuS]

A recent study conducted by the Statistical Research and Training Center and commissioned by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) found that to live decently in Metro Manila, a family of six needs at least two working members with a combined monthly income of P16,073.20 to cover normal monthly expenditures.

The study estimates that the typical family spends a total of P15,269 monthly, broken down into P8,784 for essential basic items such as shelter, clothing, and education, P5,089 on food, and P1,396 for miscellaneous items. An amount of P804 monthly accounts for savings.

The combined monthly income (the "living wage") figure above implies that two income earners working 26 days per month must each earn P309.10 a day. This is higher than the current minimum daily wage in Metro Manila of P250.

[ü fLiK ü]

depends on your cost of living..

:)

ako, siguro P15,000 buhay na ako, P25,000 makakabuhay na ako ng pamilya (wife + 2 children only!)

[prince_a1]

Originally posted by batang uliran
One problem in Philippine society is that it is difficult to live completely independent of one's parents even after graduation. What kind of job/salary does one need to live independent of his/her parents and get married and start a family?

kung irresponsableng magulang ka.... madaming tatamaan nito umamin nalang kayo... kahit magkano basta below 30T-40T.

kung responsable kang magulang... gagawa ka ng paraan para kumita ng mga above 40T

WHY? Simple... sa lahat ng magulang na ganito ang earning pattern, less than 30T, TANONGIN NYO ANAK NYO KUNG OK SILA SA BUHAY NA BINIBIGAY NYO AT HINDI SILA, AS IN EVER, NAGING MISERABLE DAHIL.... kulang ang lifestyle na provided nyo.

money can bring joy esp kung kulang ang pera mo para buhayin ang pamilya mo.

if may violent reaction ka... read the bible... nandun sagot. :>

PEACE! :angel:

[PAOUEE]

ang yayaman nyo naman at napakataas ng expected monthly salary to start a family.why don't you try to be resourceful. say,live muna sa parents home tpos dun mag-start ng pagkakakitaan...(in that case, pag urgently needed na talagang bumukod).... so minus 10,000 sa rent ng apartment.ang gastusin nlng e,,,

electricity: 3,000 (hahatian kayo ng mga magulang nyo! naman!)
(wag lang aksayado sa koryente, mhiya kayo!)

food(house): 6,000/mo (*** breakfast&dinner, busog na kayo **.with a budget of 200 a day makes life)
(office):50/day = 2,500/mo (kung maiiwasan, mag-jolibee o mcdo nlng para mura. *** value meal na P31.00)

water : P150/week = P7,500/mo (kung nagpaparasyon kayo ok na un!) hati nlang uli kina mama at papa... pag ta;agang mahirap buhay ha!!!

3000
+ 6000
+ 2500
+ 7500
P 19,000

hati na kayong 2 dun. tig 9,500 kayo salary every month... tama bang computation ko? tpos pagbutihin ang pagttrabaho para ma-promote at tumaas ang swedo.

solb ang problema dba?

[diwata28]

bump :)

[kevinCostner]

Now, I got hit..

honestly, i always planned to work in Manila since people overlook manila as the "place of unlimited opportunities".
I just have a 11K salary a month here in the province and i think that its really short for my own expenses alone.
Now, im pondering of working in Makati just to alleviate my financial burdens since i heard that it really pays a lot there. Aside from the fact that it is really hard to grow professionally in the province (no offense, but i'm speaking in general).


What could be the counterpart of an 11k salary in the province (provided that i live with my folks so i need not to worry much about renting a house) to that in Manila, (Makati, in particular) - (and i also have to consider to rent a house or bed space plus the extreme high cost of living in Makati...) ????


i really cannot estimate since i haven't been in that situation yet.
(By the way, i'm a very frugal person so gimmicks and night lifes are of a No-No.. i just want to save all my earnings from my work for the future.

thanks.

[the_BuGs]

Ah errghhh... nung nsa PInas pa ako.. yung salary ko medyo sobra na sa buhay binata..(binata pa ako hangang ngyn) dahil mabibili mo gusto mo kahit papano... pero pag nag asawa ka na malabo na bumuhay ng pamilya yung sweldo ko dyan kelangan yung magiging asawa ko dapat kahit papano eh kasing sweldo ko rin para mabuhay... tama din yung isang pexer na nagsabi dpende na lang sa cost of living mo.Pero kung me pangarap ka.. yung tipong hindi ka makikitira sa magulang mo pag nag asawa ka...at yung me sarili kang bahay na hindi uupahan aba kelangan mag sumikap at kelangan kumita ng lumaki. Sa akin kasi ayoko yung mangungupahan ng apartment gusto ko kasi yung me sariling bahay... mahirap yung me aprtment kadalasan hangang sa pagtanda mo eh nangungupahan ka pa rin, wala ka man lang sariling bahay.Para at lest pagtanda ko eh me bahay ako na pagpapahingahaan ko at walang iniintindi .

[Ice Burn]

Personally, I don't think anything one makes will be enough. I'm still with my parents and I'm gonna be leaving soon to go to the US to study thanks to my parents. Maybe after my M.A., I'll start to make more than enough to live independently. :)

But I think one needs at least P80,000 to make ends meet with a family. Here's the Breakdown kayo na bahala mag-estimate para ma-depress kayo.

Electricity (with the PPA and overcharging Meralco does)
Car expenditures (With family, you got to have a car)
Gas (considering fuel prices is sky rocketing and even if you got no car, pamasahe also increases)
Rent or Housing Loan payment
Tuition Fees (There's a 15% increase of schooling every year)
Phone Bill
Cell Phone (Face it it's become a necessity especially with work)
Food
Water
Credit Card Bill
Appliances (of course you'd need stove, ref, electric fan, rice cooker etc., etc..)
Clothing (Face it you have to buy clothing for yourself and your children especially growing children which takes a chunk out of the pocket)
Your children's other needs (toys, medicine, doctor's fee, school accessories)
Insurance
Medicines and medical concerns
Maid (Hey if you have a kid and your spouse works then a maid is needed)
Other Miscelleneous (pets, gimmick, junkfood, hobbies)

[wends]

hmm.. I live alone in SG..
my living expenses:

Rent (room only) - $430
Food - $250

Total: $680 = P19,040



I don't have transpo since my office is just opposite the building where i live.

If I'll add my other expenses for gimiks, books, clothes

I'll spend around $1080 = P30240

whew! I think I'll have to slow down on gimiks..

[aussiepugo]

Use to live in Phils about 2 years ago and were living comfortably on a combined income of P60,000/month. Newly married and with no kids. Now we live in Australia with a combined salary of net AU$6,000/month.
Home loan repayments = AU$ 2,200
Car loan repayments = AU$ 600
Insurances(home, car, health) = $500
Food = AU$500
Petrol = AU$200
Electricity,gas, phone = AU$ 250
Entertainment = AU$500
Misc = AU$250
Savings = AU$1000
Still without kids. Same level of hardwork. Difference lang, malayo sa family at barkada.

[wpg3]

just my thoughts:

if you are getting a salary of 10K per month, multiplied by 12 months(1yr) and again multiplied by the number of years u are going to work in your life, (lets say 30 yrs), you're gonna get a whopping 3.6 million pesos. that is, if u dont eat, buy new clothes, pay your rent, etc. how the hell are u gonna get your own house, car, start a family, pay your kids' tuiton etc, etc, etc??
kahit na 30 K a month x 30 yrs, ure gonna get 10.8 million. do u think that's enough to give yourself and your family what they want? do u think 10.8 million by that time is enough? reality sucks...

[Strange_Dejavu]

i graduated with a BSBA- major in human resource management. one thing i learned...

No employee is ever justly compensated by any salary.

an employee is treated by a company as an EXPENSE. (look at your accounting sheets, under SALARY EXPENSE) the company is spending on its employees, that's why, they have to make a profit out of them to compensate for the expense. The time you put into your work will never be justly compensated :D

eh lalo na sa Pilipinas. :D

[thirdeye]

How much does a common pinoy family with just one kid have to make to live comfortably in Manila? I'm just talking about basic necessities to live above poverty level (not starving, not squatting, healthy).

Here's my guess. You could get a tiny apartment for P3,000 a month. Add P600 for electricity and water. Food bill for a family with 1 kid would be around P6,000. P1,000 for jeepney fare. Another P1,000 for school, clothes, grooming, emergencies, and miscellaneous.

So that's my guess. A family with 1 kid has to have a household income of P11,600 a month to live above the poverty level. Actually, they need to make P12,500 a month because they have to pay for salary deductions such as tax, SS, and PH.

What do you guys think? Is P12,500 accurate?

[-seeker-]

Hmm, I was able to watch a feature from the news yesterday and it was said that a family of six would need P700 a day to survive. Beat that!

[thirdeye]

^ but that would be living below the poverty level. What I'm trying to figure out is how much does a family need in order to live out above poverty level, not just survival. That means they're not starving, not tapping electricity, not squatting, the kid is going to school and the entire family is healthy.

[nmsgmd2]

How much does a common pinoy family with just one kid have to make to live comfortably...

...Another P1,000 for school, clothes, grooming, emergencies, and miscellaneous.


P1,000 for all these expenses??? Is your kid a scholar? You have to multiply that amount 5x if you factor in the tuition fees. (P5k x 12 months = P60,000 a year for tuition fees, books, uniform). Baka nga kulang pa. That's just for schooling. This doesn't include emergencies and miscellaneous.

Hirap talaga buhay ngayon. It's either you ship out of this country, or better yet, just stay single.

[-seeker-]

^ but that would be living below the poverty level. What I'm trying to figure out is how much does a family need in order to live out above poverty level, not just survival. That means they're not starving, not tapping electricity, not squatting, the kid is going to school and the entire family is healthy.

I did not really read the previous post so my bad.

Realistically, it would boil down on how good your budgeting skills will be.

As for the monthly P12,500 you earlier computed, I can't really say if that will be enough... why?

(1) A P3000 rental is hard to find these days. Location will be the dictating factor here.

(2) P600 for electricity and water? Try P150-P200 for MWSS water and then P800 for electricity (unless you only use electric fan and lights at night) dont you have a ref to maintain which already consumes P200 monthly elec.

(3) For a family of 3, P200 for food will last for 3 decent meals a day.

(4) As for other expenses, I got no idea. There will be something for clothing, laundry, ironing (can be dispensed with), your kid's school, milk, diapers, vitamins, gas/parking if you have a car or transpo expenses (depends on the distance of your workplace from your house) and lots more.

Overall, P12,500 will make your family survive. But life will get harder for sure once your kid will start schooling.

[missfifty]

Oh geez.. It's really hard to have a family of your own these days..

[froshie1]

eto sa akin

bumubuhay ako ngayon ng

1 - Lola
1 - Kapatid na nasa kolehiyo (pero hindi ako nagpapaaral, tatay ko)
1 - Asawa
1 - Baby na nasa loob pa ng tiyan ng Asawa ko

Grocery - 10000/month
Utilities (tubig/kuryente - 4000
Life Insurance - 3500
Transportation - 3500
Baon sarili - 2000

We live comfortably. Nasa sa lifestyle lang yan. May natatabi pa ako sa sweldo ko.

[froshie1]

^ let me also add, gasul na 420 per month. iyong sinabi ko sa itaas monthly expenses iyon.

[undaunted]

at least P50,000/month.

but if hubby-to-be earns a lot, that can be cut down to P5,000 :bungi:

[thirdeye]

Here's my recalculation:

Rent: P3,000 - There are many of these around Manila albeit the rooms are tiny, but you get privacy and safety.

Electricity: 1,000

Water: 800

Food: 6,000 - P200 a day budget is sufficient for 3 meals a day unless you have a newborn.

Gas: P200 - For a family with just 1 kid, 1 tank will last you 2 months.

Transportation: P1,000

Misc: P3,000 - school, uniform, medicine, clothes, grooming.

Your household income should be P16,000 a month (minus P1,000 for tax, SS, PH salary deductions). If it's less than that or if they add another child, then that family is living below the poverty line.

Our government thinks P11,605 for a family of five is enough. NSCB figure is at P16,796 for a family of five living in NCR region. IBON's figure is at P14,765. The figure I came up (P16,000) is close to IBON's figure of P14,765 although their calculation is for a family of six while mine is just for three and taking taxes, SS & PH deductions into account.

If this is true then 90% of the population are poor.

[Macky_EX]

Eto para sa may 3 anak (8 yrs old, 2 yrs old at isang 1 yr old) na nakatira sa Las Pinas. Both parents are working.

Condo 30,000.00 (investment)
Car Loan Payment 17,000.00
Insurance 2,000.00
Gas 5,000.00
Parking 1,600 (P80/day)
Pamasahe ni misis 2,500.00 (P125/day to Malate)
Toll fee 2,200 (SLEX P55 one-way)
Electric Bill 6,500.00 (3 A/Cs)
Water Bill 1,000.00
PLDT 1,000.00
Celfone Load 2,000.00
Maid 2,000.00 (di kasama laba at plantsa)
Plantsadora 2,000.00
Food Work 2,000.00
Food Home 4,000.00
Prepaid Internet 500.00
Cable TV 300.00
Groceries 3,200.00
Gimmicks 2,000.00 (pang family day weekends)
Clothing/other personal stuff 3,000.00 (for 2)
Health Needs 1,000.00 (shots ng mga bata)
Formula 5,000.00 (next year bababa na to)
Pampers 3,000.00 (will start potty training my 2 yr old, hehehe)
Vitamins/other medications 500.00
1 Kid Baon 2,000.00 (P100/day)
Schooling 6,200.00 (details below)
Service 2,500.00
Tutor 1,000.00

TOTAL = P109,000.00 a month!!! :eek:

Wala pa kaming yaya nyan since mother-in-law ko na nagaalaga (sa amin sya tumitira). Good thing at fully paid na bahay (including furnitures) namin at 3 pang lupa ngayon. By next year papasok pa sa play school yung pangalawa ko. Wala din kaming credit cards since mya bad experience kami dun (and since my debit card naman ang PCI Equitable).

Schooling details (per year)
66,000.00 - CSA tuition fee
8,000.00 - CSA misc fee (uniform, rubber shoes, books, notebooks, etc.)

[Macky_EX]

BTW, I'm 31 and the wife is 29...... nung nag-start kami ng family way back 1997 (pinalayas kasi ako ng parents ko nung nalaman na magpapakasal na ako, hehehe) eto ang gastos namin:

Apartment 2,500.00 (Pateros)
Utilities 800.00
PLDT 500.00
Food (home) 900.00
Food (work) 800.00
Pamasahe 500.00

Eto lang budget namin noon since tig 4,500/month lang salary namin (3,200 net). May naitatabi kaming P500.00 a month. Wala kasi kaming appliances..... may stick kami na kinabitan ng alambre sa magkabilang dulo at isinabit sa kisame para may sabitan kami ng damit.... may banig, kumot at unan para tulugan.... mono-blocks (spell?) for chairs..... pinahiram lang kami ng 13" TV ng mother-in-law ko kaya may TV kami. May cooler (Coleman) din kami para lagayan ng pagkain na may yelo para di masira, hehehe....may single stove na hiram din para malutuan....

Natatawa na lang kami ngayon pag naaalala namin yung simula namin. Nung lumabas 1st born namin, lumambot puso ng parents ko at "pinautang" kami ng pambili ng ref at washing machine.... nabayaran din namin after 2 years, hehehe..... Nanganak si misis sa Medical City at P800 lang ang cash out namin..... salamat sa SSS at Medicare. Priority kasi namin ang safety ng mag-ina ko kaya pinilit naming alamin kung papaano manganak sa magandang ospital at may magaling na OB/Pedia na minimal ang bayad (P40K yata ang bayad kung walang financial aid). Madaming financial aids available.... kung umasta kasi tayo minsan parang may pambayad tayo lagi at nahihiya kung medyo kapos.

Dahil yata sa hirap kaya sumarap ang buhay namin....

[Macky_EX]

Bottomline...... hindi mo na kailangang alamin kung magkano ang sahod na kailangan mo para mabuhay mo ang pamilya mo..... Tama na ang lakas ng loob, disiplina at tibay ng pagsasama nyo ni misis.... basta kasi meron ka nito, hindi na problema ang pamumuhay dahil siguradong kakayanin nyo kahit ano.... maganda pa ang kinabukasan ng pamilya mo.

[froshie1]

revise revise... may mga nakalimutan ako

bumubuhay ako ngayon ng

1 - Lola
1 - Kapatid na nasa kolehiyo (pero hindi ako nagpapaaral, tatay ko)
1 - Asawa
1 - Baby na nasa loob pa ng tiyan ng Asawa ko

both of my wife are working. sweldo ni wife seldom ma-touch. natotouch lang iyon sa car loan. usually ako ang gumagastos.

Grocery - 10000/month
Utilities (tubig/kuryente - 4000
Life Insurance - 3500
Transportation - 3500
Baon sarili - 2000
Gasul - 420
Vitamins/Meds - 840
Maid - 2000
Plantsa/Laba - 1200
Car Maintenance - 1000
Palengke (veggies) - 150

--------------
Total 28610

pagdumating ang kid namin I expect tataas ng mga plus 5k on top of my monthly expenses. Naging ganyan yan dahil marami akong pinapakain.

We live comfortably. Nasa sa lifestyle lang yan. May natatabi pa ako sa sweldo ko.

Sa mga mag-aasawa wag kayo magalala. Mag-aadjust naman lahat hehehe. Pero syempre, maganda talaga ang pinaghahandaan at may budget. Live below your means..

[froshie1]

Bottomline...... hindi mo na kailangang alamin kung magkano ang sahod na kailangan mo para mabuhay mo ang pamilya mo..... Tama na ang lakas ng loob, disiplina at tibay ng pagsasama nyo ni misis.... basta kasi meron ka nito, hindi na problema ang pamumuhay dahil siguradong kakayanin nyo kahit ano.... maganda pa ang kinabukasan ng pamilya mo.


hehe very well said!!! *okay*

[froshie1]

Bottomline...... hindi mo na kailangang alamin kung magkano ang sahod na kailangan mo para mabuhay mo ang pamilya mo..... Tama na ang lakas ng loob, disiplina at tibay ng pagsasama nyo ni misis.... basta kasi meron ka nito, hindi na problema ang pamumuhay dahil siguradong kakayanin nyo kahit ano.... maganda pa ang kinabukasan ng pamilya mo.


hehe very well said!!! *okay*

[agentmori]

I intend to have at least P 500,000 (based on peso value now) trust fund per kid and at least P 2,000,000 before I get married. Wahahaha.

[rychu]

Personally, to live independently and start a family, my salary should be above 50K since I want to live as comfortable as possible with leisure. Of course, prior to starting a family, I hope to have my own house, own car and have life insurance. After that, I'm ready to have a family especially that I want to educate my children in the likes of La Salle, Ateneo, etc.

[imlearning18]

monthly:

apartment = 6500
electric bill = 3000
tubig = 150
pagkain = 5000
tel. bill and internet connection = 3500 (Globe Broadband)
pamasahe = 2000
segarilyo = 300
miscillaneous = 2000

22,350 yan ang basic ko month + padala sa pamilya sa probnsya 2000-5000

wala akong fix na work... free lancer

bisyo = cigarette lang.
comfortable? = depende talaga pag contento ka o hindi.

[rains_delight]

Siguro Php 25, 000.00 okey na. May kaunting luho na duon.

[ako_toitzz]

Bottomline...... hindi mo na kailangang alamin kung magkano ang sahod na kailangan mo para mabuhay mo ang pamilya mo..... Tama na ang lakas ng loob, disiplina at tibay ng pagsasama nyo ni misis.... basta kasi meron ka nito, hindi na problema ang pamumuhay dahil siguradong kakayanin nyo kahit ano.... maganda pa ang kinabukasan ng pamilya mo.

bottomline.... hindi mo na kailangan alamin kung magkano ang sahod na kailangan mo para mabuhay mo ang pamilya mo.... Tama na ang lakas ng loob, disiplina, at kapal ng mukha para mangutang sa mga magulang o kamag anak mo!!!! kung me kaya naman sina mama at papa at reregaluhan ka pa ng CRV, bakit nga ba??
pero paano naman kung ang sweldo mo e minimum lang at syo pa umaasa ang magulang at kamag anak mo, siguro maiisip mo rin na kulang na kulang ang sinasahod mo!!!! at maiisip mo rin na hindi kayang ibigay ng sweldo mo para mabuhay ng sapat ang pamilya mo!!!!! *peace*

[Dacs]

Parang kelangan muna ata ako maging manager sa work ko bago ako magasawa :D

Grabe kung magaasawa ako ngayon sa kinikita ko, baka kelangan ko mag 24/7 sa work ko :)

[Kolmogorov]

^ same here. Feel ko nga para di ako maghirap eh dapat talaga di muna ako mag-asawa. sniff... ( wipes tears and puts 5-peso coins in the piggy bank...)

[boogerflicker]

kung maganda lang ang public school system dito sa pinas, marami na akong pera

[missfifty]

@ boogerflicker
tama ka! dto kasi sa pinas.. pag sa public school ka nag-aral.. parang konti lang *** learnings, at lesser exposure ang makukuha mo.. di macyadong maganda ang teachings.. unless sa Phil. Sci, UP etc. ka mag-aral.. pero *** mga "Mababang Paaralan ng.... " hwag nalang..

Ang hirap nga naman talaga mabuhay ng maayos dito sa Pinas..

[Macky_EX]

bottomline.... hindi mo na kailangan alamin kung magkano ang sahod na kailangan mo para mabuhay mo ang pamilya mo.... Tama na ang lakas ng loob, disiplina, at kapal ng mukha para mangutang sa mga magulang o kamag anak mo!!!! kung me kaya naman sina mama at papa at reregaluhan ka pa ng CRV, bakit nga ba??
pero paano naman kung ang sweldo mo e minimum lang at syo pa umaasa ang magulang at kamag anak mo, siguro maiisip mo rin na kulang na kulang ang sinasahod mo!!!! at maiisip mo rin na hindi kayang ibigay ng sweldo mo para mabuhay ng sapat ang pamilya mo!!!!!

Kawawa naman ang pamilya mo sa mentalidad mo.

Dati kaming Project Managers ni misis sa US pero dahil sa mahal nga namin ang mga magulang namin na nagkaka-edad na den, pinilit naming umuwi dito sa Pinas. Mahigit pitong taon din kaming nagtiis mamuhay sa ibang bansa at pinalad namang makauwi at mamuhay muli dito sa Pinas. Balik programmer uli ako at project lead naman si misis pero ang importante, kasama namin ang mga mahal namin sa buhay.

Sabi ko nga, kakayanin naman ng simpleng lakas ng loob, disiplina at tibay ng pagsasama ninyong mag-asawa lahat. Pero sa kaso mo kailangan din yatang tanggalin ang talangka mentality *peace*

[tidus1203]

IMO it all depends on your lifestyle. For my kind of lifestyle I would probably need P100,000 a month if I have a wife and 3 kids to feed. No less. I could lower my lifestyle, pero syempre I'd rather increase my means instead...

[boogerflicker]

yung mga libro na get rich ek ek na yan na galing sa america, ok yung mga basic principles. pero alalahanin niyo na sa kanila, libre ang eskuwelahan. paano ka makakaipon at makakainvest ng malaki kung malaking bahagi ng sahod mo, sa tuition fee napupunta? pero ako hanga ako sa mga nakakagawa nito.

Maraming magagandang public school tulad nga ng phisci, qsci at iba pa. ngunit kokonti lang ito at pahirapan ang pasok.

[Kolmogorov]

yup, saka mahirap din paghandaan in such a way na makakasiguro tayo na papasa nga sa entrance exams ng mga schools na ito ang mga anak na ito. Not even an expensive education in an exclusive school can guarantee this.

[SeminaristaKuno]

One baby. One yaya. Free house (buti naman :D).

Milk - 3000
Diapers - 1000
Groceries - 6000
Gas - 4000
Parking/FX for coding days - 2500
Water - 1000
Electricity - 4000
Yaya - 2500
Cable - 500
Car Amort. - 6500
Globe - 1500

Total - 32500/month

Di pa counted dyan:

Vaccinations: average 1500/month.
Car maintenance: average 1500/month.
Misc: depende sa mood
Utang: don't ask :D

[subconscious]

nice life story macky_ex nakaka inspire. i agree to the dude above saying na yung means of income ang dapat dagdagan. hindi na uso yung "kung maliit ang kumot,matuto mamaluktot".

as of now im also struggling to be successful. im only 23 pero may hinuhulugan nko na condo. hindi ako nagyayabang pero iba ako sa iba kong friends who'd rather buy a car. kanya kanya nmng priorities dba. if you think what you are earning is enough for you,that means madamot ka. hindi mo iniisip mga tao sa paligid ko at mga taong bubuohin mo. dba someone said ok na 40thou a month to start a family,totoo yun BUT if you are only an employee it would take years before you earn that much a month. in a company there are only about 3 people earning 6 digits (president,vp,svp) and pag titingnan mo sila, either may rayuma na or kalbo na sa tanda. so if you want to succeed at a young age, either sumugal ka sa negosyo or mag abroad ka or kung maganda o gwapo ka edi mag artista ka.hehe

[ako_toitzz]

Kawawa naman ang pamilya mo sa mentalidad mo.

Dati kaming Project Managers ni misis sa US pero dahil sa mahal nga namin ang mga magulang namin na nagkaka-edad na den, pinilit naming umuwi dito sa Pinas. Mahigit pitong taon din kaming nagtiis mamuhay sa ibang bansa at pinalad namang makauwi at mamuhay muli dito sa Pinas. Balik programmer uli ako at project lead naman si misis pero ang importante, kasama namin ang mga mahal namin sa buhay.

Sabi ko nga, kakayanin naman ng simpleng lakas ng loob, disiplina at tibay ng pagsasama ninyong mag-asawa lahat. Pero sa kaso mo kailangan din yatang tanggalin ang talangka mentality *peace*

here is a guy who work as a manager in U.S. of A. for more than seven years , and then go home back to pinas, who have no apliances and has a stick and alambre sa kisame para sabitan ng damit, who sleep in banig and have a monoblock chair, and borrowed 13 inch's tv (balck & white?)to her mother in law, and borrowed single stove! W.T.F!!!

great story, although very fictitious.

damn! what did you do in the U.S of A.?

disiplina at tibay ng apog? oo nga!

[Macky_EX]

here is a guy who work as a manager in U.S. of A. for more than seven years , and then go home back to pinas, who have no apliances and has a stick and alambre sa kisame para sabitan ng damit, who sleep in banig and have a monoblock chair, and borrowed 13 inch's tv (balck & white?)to her mother in law, and borrowed single stove! W.T.F!!!

great story, although very fictitious.

damn! what did you do in the U.S of A.?

disiplina at tibay ng apog? oo nga!

Hehehe.... Kinuwento ko lang kung saan kami nagmula ang kung nasaan kami ngayon.... PHP 4,500 each ang starting salary namin (way back 1996)..... $70K each annually kami sa US (pero $2K/month sa daycare ng baby namin, $1.2K/month sa daycare 2 yr old at $500/month sa afterschool nung 8 yr old pwera pa yung monthly ng bahay at dalawang sasakyan - necessity). Laking baba ng sahod namin ngayon compared sa US pero who cares as long as masaya kami lalo na ang mga anak namin (spoiled sila ngayon sa mga lolo't lola, hehehe).

IMO, wala namang masama kung kapalan ang apog lalo't kapakanan ng pamilya mo. San nga ba kami gumamit ng kapal ng apog? Hmmmm.... la akong matandaan e.... bahala ka nang magwento at mukha namang mas alam mo ang buhay ko e.

Eto na lang, sana masaya ka din ngayon. Walang kasamang bahid ng galit yan.... wala akong dapat patunayan.... pagbibigay kaalaman naman kasi ang thread kaya kung ayaw mo, anong magagawa ko? Wish you the best of luck na lang.

[boogerflicker]

huwag masilaw sa laki ng sweldo sa amerika. ang laki din ng gastos dun. ang value meal sa kanila $4! T-shirt na manipis $9! Bawat galaw mo dun, gastos! Kaya marami akong kamag-anak na gustong umuwi dito para mag-retire. syempre, mas malaki ang value ng dollars nila dito.

[imlearning18]

^nakaka inspire nga ang lifestory mo Macky_Ex. the other guy hindi ata binasa ang lahat ng posts mo kaya na lost.:D

[ehna]

working kme pareho ng hubby ko...we have a 2yo kid plus a yaya, we're not renting so expenses namin per month:

grocery : P10,000
meralco & water: P2,500
cable: P800
gas: P3,000 (twice a month pa-fulltank, P1500 every 2 weeks)
yaya: P2,000
allowance for work: P10,000
misc: P5,000-P10,000

d kme tipid...nakakapag save pa nga kme actually...siguro learn to prioritize *** on where the bigger portion of your monthly income would go to....;)

[knightrader]

huwag masilaw sa laki ng sweldo sa amerika. ang laki din ng gastos dun. ang value meal sa kanila $4! T-shirt na manipis $9! Bawat galaw mo dun, gastos! Kaya marami akong kamag-anak na gustong umuwi dito para mag-retire. syempre, mas malaki ang value ng dollars nila dito.

so true...

September 28, 2005 latimes.com : Business
Families Strain to Make Do, Study Finds

Sharply rising prices for housing, healthcare and other goods make it harder to achieve a 'modest' living standard, a nonprofit group says.

By Bill Sing, Times Staff Writer

Sharply rising costs for housing, healthcare, transportation and child care have made it tougher for California households to make ends meet, according to a report to be released today.

Incomes required to achieve a "modest" standard of living here are generally far higher than the state's minimum wage or the federal poverty level, said the California Budget Project, a Sacramento-based nonprofit group focusing on issues affecting low- and middle-income Californians.

"A lot of people are struggling to get by," said Jean Ross, the organization's executive director.

For example, a family with two working parents and two children needs an annual income of $71,377 to cover basic costs of housing, utilities, child care, transportation, food, health coverage, taxes and miscellaneous expenses, without any public assistance and extras such as vacations and retirement savings, the report said.

The hourly wage of $17.16 that each parent must earn to obtain that annual income is far above the state minimum hourly wage of $6.75 and the federal poverty threshold of $9.21 for a family of four, according to the report. A two-parent family with one working parent needs the employed person to earn $24.60 an hour, while a single-parent household needs $25.96 and a single adult requires $12.44. The figures assume families are renters, not homeowners.

By contrast, the statewide median hourly wage in 2004 was $15.06.

Thanks to various "coping" strategies, Ross said, many families survive on much less than the incomes deemed necessary to support a modest living. These strategies include doubling up on housing, living with parents, using relatives or friends for child care, going without health insurance and using credit card debt to support spending. Some households are simply moving to lower-cost regions such as the Central Valley — or are leaving the state entirely, she said.

In any case, the report adds to the continuing debate about how to deal with California's relatively high cost of living and the contention that the state's residents don't get their fair share of government programs designed to support low-income households.

The California Budget Project and others argue that income thresholds to qualify for various government programs — such as the earned income tax credit, food stamps and state-sponsored health insurance — are too low for Californians.

The organization supported a measure, recently passed by the California Legislature, to lift the state's minimum wage to $7.25. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has indicated he may veto the bill.

Stephen Levy, director of the Palo Alto-based Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy, said the report's findings were neither surprising nor new. But its conclusions are still helpful, he said, in illustrating basic problems facing the state in coping with its high costs — particularly for housing.

"The essential point is accurate," Levy said.

Steve Cochrane, a regional economist at Economy.com in West Chester, Pa., said California had among the highest costs of living of any state, even after adjusting for its relatively higher average incomes.

"You do need to earn more in California to achieve the same standard of living than in almost any other state," Cochrane said.

Rising housing costs accounted for the biggest increase in Californians' cost of living in the last two years, Ross said. Since 2003, the statewide average cost for a two-workingparent family to rent a three-bedroom unit increased 46%, she said. Healthcare costs rose 29%, transportation jumped 18% and child care added 12%. Food, on the other hand, rose only 6%, Ross said.

Accordingly, the income needed to maintain a modest living rose 22.5% for a family with two working parents and 12.7% for a single adult in the last two years — far higher than the 6% increase in the consumer price index in the same period.

[subconscious]

oo nga imlearning ang timang nung nangbabara kay macky_ex noh hindi nya naintindihan yung story. gutom *** yan bro. :rotflmao:

on a more serious note, im planning to acquire a business (computer shop). yung may ari ksi sa usa na titira. gagamitan ko ng apog ksi manghihiram ako ng pang capital hindi ko kc kaya ang presyo. dba nga sbi nung article ni kiyosaki malaki ang difference ng "i cant afford it" sa "how can i afford it?"

anyways i was with my highschool friend lastnite, i told him about the venture im about to enter and my current work (call center). yung friend ko nmn hindi sya employed but he earns more than me, hell he even earns more than my supervisor.

his earnings are:
2500/mo-prepaid cards
5000/mo-baranggay treasurer
11000/mo-yung main business nya,partner nya mom and dad nya
6000/mo- allowance nya sya kc nagbabantay ng tindahan nila sa manila.

so thats almost 25000 sya per month net na yan ha. madiskarte **** mga inchek. but he has a wife and a kid pero hindi sila nagbukod. ganyan din ang gusto yung may leverage ang income mo,yung hindi lang isa ang source of income. for now 2 palang source ko which is my j ow bee and my janitorial. cnt wait to add another. ;)

one of the tips a young gun like me who is not that experienced YET is... be god-centered. :)

[subconscious]

huwag masilaw sa laki ng sweldo sa amerika. ang laki din ng gastos dun. ang value meal sa kanila $4! T-shirt na manipis $9! Bawat galaw mo dun, gastos! Kaya marami akong kamag-anak na gustong umuwi dito para mag-retire. syempre, mas malaki ang value ng dollars nila dito.

actually pare if you are earning like $16-20 per hour like my bestfriend who works at the gap, a $4 meal is not expensive. and a $9 shirt is also cheap. think of it this way, dito sa pinas sabihin natin 800pesos ka a day, divided by 8= 100 pesos ka per hour. P50 ang typical meal satin, ang shirt nmn curgo 200pesos. so mura parin.

[boogerflicker]

Yes. That's what I'm referring to. When you're here and looking for jobs abroad, akala mo malaki na yung equivalent ng 100k a month na sweldo dun. pero it all evens out pagdating mo dun dahil mahal ang bilihin. Kaya yung mga kakilala ko doon, kayod kabayo ang trabaho. iba may full time job na, may part time pa. kaya believe ako sa nakilala kong comic book illustrator. Inoffer sa kanya na mag-base sa San Diego tinanggihan niya at dito siya tumira. Dollars ang income niya pero living expense niya murang mura dahil dito siya nakatira.

Sabi nga sa "McDonald's" index, mura pa rin dito sa Pinas.

[stopandpop]

mas maganda kung parehong employed ang mag-asawa pero depends pa din sa income nila

[ForeSight]

Eto para sa may 3 anak (8 yrs old, 2 yrs old at isang 1 yr old) na nakatira sa Las Pinas. Both parents are working.

Condo 30,000.00 (investment)
Car Loan Payment 17,000.00
Insurance 2,000.00
Gas 5,000.00
Parking 1,600 (P80/day)
Pamasahe ni misis 2,500.00 (P125/day to Malate)
Toll fee 2,200 (SLEX P55 one-way)
Electric Bill 6,500.00 (3 A/Cs)
Water Bill 1,000.00
PLDT 1,000.00
Celfone Load 2,000.00
Maid 2,000.00 (di kasama laba at plantsa)
Plantsadora 2,000.00
Food Work 2,000.00
Food Home 4,000.00
Prepaid Internet 500.00
Cable TV 300.00
Groceries 3,200.00
Gimmicks 2,000.00 (pang family day weekends)
Clothing/other personal stuff 3,000.00 (for 2)
Health Needs 1,000.00 (shots ng mga bata)
Formula 5,000.00 (next year bababa na to)
Pampers 3,000.00 (will start potty training my 2 yr old, hehehe)
Vitamins/other medications 500.00
1 Kid Baon 2,000.00 (P100/day)
Schooling 6,200.00 (details below)
Service 2,500.00
Tutor 1,000.00

TOTAL = P109,000.00 a month!!! :eek:

Wala pa kaming yaya nyan since mother-in-law ko na nagaalaga (sa amin sya tumitira). Good thing at fully paid na bahay (including furnitures) namin at 3 pang lupa ngayon. By next year papasok pa sa play school yung pangalawa ko. Wala din kaming credit cards since mya bad experience kami dun (and since my debit card naman ang PCI Equitable).

Schooling details (per year)
66,000.00 - CSA tuition fee
8,000.00 - CSA misc fee (uniform, rubber shoes, books, notebooks, etc.)

to me, this is a more realistic breakdown of expenses to live a comfortable life these days in the metro.

[im0ni]

macky ex, ilan taon ka na? wow, you must be very successful with your wife for you guys to afford such an amount monthly...:)

[maxinne]

well, if you think about it, it's really 62K /month since the condo and car are investments...

[Yitzchak]

depends on a person's definition of convenience.

Let's put it this way, to live comfortably and raise a family let's consider what is a "NEED" and a "WANT".

Starting with basic WANTS. These are stuff that are nice to have.

1. Car/s
2. Internet
3. Cable TV

Now to the NEEDS

1. Apartment / Condo
2. Electricity
3. Water
4. Food
5. Clothes

Now factor in the cost of these at an average

Apartment / Condo in Makati cost between 10k to 15k inclusive of dues if any. Let's use 11k since that is what I am paying right now.

Electricity usually at an average with 1 kid watching TV the entire day non-stop, plus the fridge, lights, occasional washing machine etc. runs around 1,500 - 2,000. Let's put 1,500 since again, that is what I am paying right now.

Water, one is drinking water, usually a 5 gallon mineral water in Makati is only 30 pesos multiplied by 4 weeks which is equal to 120 pesos. Let's make it twice a week so it is now 240 pesos / month. Let's use that since that is what I am paying again. Add also the regular water supply which would cost around 800 / month. This is what I am paying once again. So roughly is around 1,040/month.

With food, I'll factor in both groceries and unnecessary buying (unnecessary usually are those when your kids ask for something not included on the grocery list). It is usually 3k per 2 weeks for me, plus the unnecessary buying of 1k / 2 weeks. so let's put that at 8k/month.

Clothes are budgetted, hindi pwedeng masyadong maarte at kelangan laging bago araw araw ang damit. So in my house we budget around 8k / month for this.

Allowances, ako allowance ko is roughly 300 / day kasama na food at pamasahe if needed. Wife ko, same din 300 / day while anak ko, since di pa nag aaral at 2 years old pa lang, 150 muna / day.
So lumalabas 15k

Ok, compute na tayo.

1. Apartment / Condo - 11k
2. Electricity - 1,500
3. Water - 1,040
4. Food - 8k
5. Clothes - 8k
6. Allowances (para sayo, sa asawa mo at sa anak mo if ever) - 15k

So basic needs per month is around 44,540

Yan, pag talagang basics lang kelangan mo, and mind you, you can feel comfortable and convenient at these already.

Now let's add the wants. Remember, these are stuff that are not necessary but just adds convenience to a person which can be applicable to some but not all.

Car/s, I pay just one car na lang, that cost me roughly 15k/month
Internet and phone for me is 1,299 (thanks to PLDTs bundle hehe)
Cable TV is roughly 850, let's just put it at 900 since once I leave my payment for it at home di na bumabalik yung sukli.

1. Car/s - 15k
2. Internet - 1,299
3. Cable TV - 900

Total will be 17,199

Add that to our needs and our monthly cost shoots up to 61,739

Wow! wala pang savings yan... so usually ako I set aside a fixed savings per month. Pero that is really dependent na sa inyo how much.

So ayan dalawang figures. Depende kung ano convenient sa inyo dyan kayo mag lalaro. Remember always that cars are not actually gonna make you comfortable, hindi sya asset but a liability. Bakit? dahil sa maintenance and gas. hehe..

[aticus]

Looking at all these figures, it makes me wonder how so many of our brethren survive on less than 10,000 pesos/month.

[DaNa8]

I'd just like to say that 8k for clothes per month is a want not a need.

[stopandpop]

have a lot to work pa pala. sa dami nga ng mga expenses. tapos tumataas pa yung presyo ng bilihin.

[manok00]

Call Centers are now putting up in the Provinces (Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Bacolod). If there is an opening I would love to be there and leave this expensive urban life. Bakit dito lang ba magandang gimikan? Mas maganda pa doon sa province at nakita ko sa Cebu ok din doon at sa Iloilo yung Smallville walang sinabi ang Metrowalk o Libis dito (beers for 15 pesos!) Mag sawa ka pa sa beach.

[goodguyako]

100K a month to live comfortably. haih, time to go abroad na ba?

[mellowscream]

these posts are giving me some good ideas.

[yoroshikuonegai]

mahal magkapamilya , lalo na pag ikaw lang ang breadwinner! pag magisa lang ako kasyang kasya na sa akin ang P25000.

Rent , Water , Electricity,Gas - 6000 (sa bahay ng parents ko e donate na lang ako) XD
Pamasahe - mga 2000 unless may company car
Food - 5000
Prepaid - 300
Lakwacha Money - 3000
The rest savings na....wahaha ang sarap mabuhay rin ng single

[inteletech]

I dont know my 20K is just enough for my monthly expenses, considering Im not paying any house rental.:rotflmao:

[Ice Burn]

Well this is what me and hubby have computed so far...Not counting gimmicks, clothes and our wants...

3 Br Condo - P45,000 Investment naman
Condo fee - P9000
Car - P20,000
Insurance - P3500
Gas - P7000
Electricity - P7000
Water - P500
Cellphone bill (globe and sun) - P3600
Maid - P3500
Yaya - P3500
Food - P10,000
Cable - P600
Phone and Internet - P1000
Baby Expenses (diapers, vitamins, clothes, doctor's visits) - P10000
Total of P124,200.00

Haaay mahal talaga...Pero kung tutuusin, these expenses are still cheaper than the US and it's a more comfortable lifestyle. Our expenses were much more than this when we were based in the US. And we were renting a small apartment pa. To think wala pa kaming anak nun.

[Dunedain]

3 Br Condo - P45,000 Investment naman
Condo fee - P9000


Holy crap! Maybe I should be investing in condos back in Pinas and have it up for rent. That should add income for my folks back home. Hmmm.

[Ice Burn]

Dunedain: You should. Buying at Fort is really good right now especially McKinley Hill. Lots of zero interests and fixed rates till turnover (by then you should've had the housing loan already). Really reasonable to buy right now. Hubby and I are also thinking of getting 2 of those zero down, P10K/month pre-selling studios at Fort, turnover in late 2010. Excellent investment since fort is booming, then we'll have it rented out later on. Serendra is also really nice and P60K naman yung pre-selling 3br packages nila till turnover...

[Dunedain]

True. But the problem that would arise are freeloading relatives begging for me to let them live there... ...for free... ...for the rest of their lives. "Magpinsan naman tayo kaya OK lang, di ba?!" is the most common thing I've heard ever since I've been expatriated here and there. Reminds me of my brother once rented out his condo in Parañaque to his wife's relatives. Egads! When they moved out, walls were damaged and they even took the covers of wall sockets. Like.. ...WOW! Regardless of they be kin or not, I wonder which woodworks do these people come from?

[answers4cash]

It depends on your lifestyle. One thing is clear--for most people, the higher income rises, the higher their expenses.

[lunacy]

Here's my monthly gastos, One BR apartment in pasig with a room mate/officemate. So hati kami sa ibang expenses, like rent and utilities...


Rent = 3K
Electricity and h20 = 300 (less than pa nga diyan actually)
Groceries = 2K (kasama na diyan choco bursts and yakult! yay!)
Transpo = 1100/month (yan ay kung di kami sumasabay sa isa pa namin officemate na may car.. so libre :) )
BWL = 699 (kasi ako lang gumagamit and ako ang nag apply, para lang macontact si boypren :love: at brothers)
Cellphone = 2000

Total = 9299 :bop:

Basically yun lang naman fixed gastos ko.. plus yung mga credit card bills.. na installment na ginamit ko for our washing machine and my cellphone.. and etc.. yun actually ang nagpapalaki ng gastos ko :( gusto ko i-cut pero helpful pa ren naman sya lalo na pag nagipit sa cash.. and sayang ang points.. hehehhee

haaay.. ngayon ko lang tuloy narealize ang rami ko nagagastos sa mga variables like:

daily meals
gimiks
coffee
shopping

:mecry:

kainis.. ehhehehe

[rabbaddal]

True. But the problem that would arise are freeloading relatives begging for me to let them live there... ...for free... ...for the rest of their lives. "Magpinsan naman tayo kaya OK lang, di ba?!" is the most common thing I've heard ever since I've been expatriated here and there. Reminds me of my brother once rented out his condo in Parañaque to his wife's relatives. Egads! When they moved out, walls were damaged and they even took the covers of wall sockets. Like.. ...WOW! Regardless of they be kin or not, I wonder which woodworks do these people come from?

For one, you don’t have to tell them you invested in a condo. The moment you buy, you can contract a broker to find a tenant for you in confidence. If relatives find out later on, just say it’s already occupied by a tenant who signed a long-term lease (and therefore can't be evicted by contract). And it’s never wise to take in relatives for tenants, whether or not they are reliable and responsible. Landlords always have to be ready to get tough on their tenants as part of doing business. Simple things like increasing the rent (an inevitable part of the business) can make tenants upset.

[rabbaddal]

Dunedain: You should. Buying at Fort is really good right now especially McKinley Hill. Lots of zero interests and fixed rates till turnover (by then you should've had the housing loan already). Really reasonable to buy right now. Hubby and I are also thinking of getting 2 of those zero down, P10K/month pre-selling studios at Fort, turnover in late 2010. Excellent investment since fort is booming, then we'll have it rented out later on. Serendra is also really nice and P60K naman yung pre-selling 3br packages nila till turnover...

Have you checked out repossessed properties held by banks?

[Ice Burn]

Dunedain: Well you don't really need to tell all your relatives what you bought. I mean buy it then rent it. If you want it as added income to your folks, have your parents manage the rental. But you are not oblige to put a house over your relatives... If they find out, you can always say that you have a renter already and there's a contract yada-yada....

rabbaddal: Haven't check them out yet. We're actually still shopping around for a 3BR condo but we both like the development at McKinley Hill. Serendra is also something we're looking at but it's even pricier and the condo fees are insane. :lol:

[mykel angelo]

ang mahal naman pala mamuhay ng comfortable along the metropolis hehe.

[Kent_210]

Bump ko lang tong thread. Me and my wife with our 3-month old baby boy are living in one of these asian cities with a very high cost of living. Our combined salary, if you converted into pesos, is Php 208,000. Here is the breakdown of our monthly expenses (also in Php):

3 BR Flat Rental - 60,000
Water & Electricity - 12,000
Internet & Cable - 6,000
Groceries, wet market + gamit ni baby - 18,000
Combined CP bills - 12,000
Combined Allowance + Transpo - 25,000
Insurance naming lahat + hospitalization - 8,000
Investment + Savings - 20,000
Remittance sa Pinas - 30,000

Total - PhP 191,000

Natira, 17,000 pesos monthly. Halos wala ka nang mabibili yun dito. What I am trying to imply is, kahit nandito kami sa abroad, saktong sakto lang din ang kinikita namin para i-sustain ang cost of living dito.

Feeling kasi ng mga nasa Pinas, pag OFW, sagana palagi.

[marimorimo]

Feeling kasi ng mga nasa Pinas, pag OFW, sagana palagi.

I understand your sentiments. Di pa naman ako nag-OFW pero tumira ako sa isang first-world country ng isang taon (exchange student), and I also worked part-time to make ends meet (the stipend just wasn't enough). Mataas nga ang sweldo kung ico-convert sa peso pero sa taas ng cost of living di naman ganoon kasagana ang lifestyle mo. Sa totoo lang mas marami pa akong nakakain na masarap sa Pinas dahil mas mura ang pagkain dito. Kaya ako, since OK naman ang sweldo ko ngayon dito sa Pinas, wala muna akong balak mag-abroad.

[Ice Burn]

Any new views?

[the_BuGs]

hmmmmm

nuong nag vacation ako sa Pinas.. actually nag compute ako kung sakali magkano gagastusin kapag nag work sa pinas..

regarding apartment or condo medyo bandang ortigas ext. ako tumingin...

kung apartment mo bandang taytay lagpas junction lang

15,000 Pesos (house and lot na 4 bedrooms up and down with garage) (kung kukuha ng condo to own... mga 25k to 45k)
12,000 Pesos (Grocery kasama na Palengke)
7,000 Gatas ng bata (Pediasure at Nido 3 plus)
3,500 all around kasambahay
6,000 Electricity
800 Nawasa (Water)
7,000 Gas
3,000 Gasul
600 cable
1000 internet
3000 Mobile
8000 kain sa labas + pasyal whole family


66,900K pesoses

kung condo to own na 25k

76,900

kung condo to own na 35k

86,900

kung condo to own na 45k

96,900


hanep... hindi pa kasama ang tuition fees dyan... kelangan makahanap ng work na may monthly take home pay at least 150k pesos :D


although maliit pa yan compare sa ginagastos ko dito...