I am fast approaching the 6-year mark (this coming April) for the amount of time I've been continuously living in the Philippines. My wife and I have been discussing our future, as always, and the subject of moving back to the US has come up once again. Had I known back in 2005 what I know now, I wouldn't have sold my home and moved to the Philippines in the first place. Ah, but hindsight is 20/20, isn't it? Of course, there are mitigating circumstances behind everything that happened before and what's going to happen in the future.
Where "she" wants to live
Way back when, my wife wouldn't have considered living anywhere but the Philippines. After all, her parents, all of her siblings and most of her relatives lived here. Times change and so do people, especially when your children grow up, as ours have done.
Our older son is married and we have a grandson and they all live in the US. When our younger son moves back to the US to pursue his nursing career (as a registered nurse) with a possible wife in tow, we will be left with the remainder of my wife's family in the Philippines.
My wife wants to be wherever her children and their families live and I can't fault her for that.
Where "I" want to live
I like living in the Philippines. I like the stability of a place that some people consider unstable. If you think metro Manila is the Philippines (and some people do), you might be inclined to think that way. It's not, of course, and the non-Manila and non-Mindanao areas are just as stable as anywhere in the US, if not more so.
I'm retired and in reality, I don't care where I live as long as I'm "comfortable". My military pension and the money I make online keeps me comfortable now. I'm afraid I'll be giving up that comfort by moving back to the US. I don't have to worry about finances because I don't owe anyone anything – I don't use credit at all. We own the house and we own the car and I don't have to commute to and from work or deal with the expenses related to doing so. The cost of living is low, I'm pretty much secluded from the rest of the city and I can do almost anything I want within reason and no one bothers me from outside of her family (most of the time).
It's not all great, of course, because I have to deal with her family, her relatives on occasion and the neighbors as well as the occasional outsider. Getting certain things done is time-consuming and a royal pain – I have to go places to do things I should be able to do from home, but can't due to the state of technology in the government and the private sector.
In the end, I just want to please my wife.
The gist of it all
The main point is that my wife doesn't like living in the Philippines anymore and it doesn't matter whether I do or not. She likes the big city, not the small one and she likes the convenience of being able to do certain things online and being able to shop and find what she's looking for without traveling all over the country.
Online banking would make what I do as a "hobby" (making money online) so much easier in the US. Getting computer parts and supplies would be easier too. Utility services would actually be reliable. There are many advantages to living there instead of here.
Alas, even if it's what we decide to do, we have to save a lot of money and make concrete plans. I am not going to become a slave to credit ever again. Would shipping my car to the US make sense? Not unless it's affordable. Getting around in the US is the issue. What do we do with the house? We don't intend to sell it – we need a place to come back to for vacation or whatever other reason.
Not to worry, of course, since we wouldn't be able to do it next year or the year after. Perhaps a plan for 3 or 4 more years down the road is appropriate.
Similar Articles:
- Why the Philippines?
- Retirees and other Americans Living in the Philippines
- Living in the Philippines
- Retirement in the Philippines by Retired American Military Members
- Olongapo City, Philippines – My Home
This article is published as: Is Moving from the Philippines back to the United States in my Future?
At least you still have a choice. That's good.
Me? I'm stuck in this god forsaken land for the rest of my natural life. :-(
But I have accepted it as a fate of life…. mine at least. Many who have a choice have left.
Costa recently posted..How To Make Money With Your Blog If You Are Not Famous
Well, I don't know diddly about Malaysia, so I can't argue the point. Still, I think everyone has choices and it's just that sometimes, staying where you are is the more logical choice.
I imagine living expenses are substantially lower in the Philippines compared to the United States, especially if your wife is looking for "big city" conveniences. It's a tough call.
Michael Kwan recently posted..Preparing for Year-End as a Freelancer
Actually, I think it has a lot to do with how you live. In some areas, it's definitely lower. In other areas, it's actually higher. If I want to live in the Philippines in exactly the same way I did in the US, the cost of living is going to be nearly the same.
So, on the flip side of that, living in the US can be cheaper and easier and I think the key is not owing anyone anything – no credit, no car payments and no house payments (or rent). Since I'll never save enough to buy a house outright, that part of the equation is going to be the difference.
"Thanks" to the economic downturn, there are some really inexpensive properties out there in certain cities (relatively speaking). I guess it depends on where you want to live in the country, plus — as you mentioned — *how* you want to live.
Michael Kwan recently posted..Movie Reviews: Apollo 18, Bad Teacher, The Change-Up, The Hangover: Part II, Super
Agrees with RT Cunningham, not many people are able to choice what they want but I believe it's always good to sit down and have a good thought on all the pros and cons before committing.
Do visit my blog at make beats on your computer
Great to hear that "There are many advantages to living there instead of here."
You just find the city where you will get all things! and facilities…
Do visit my music blog which is about: make beats on your computer