@@strawvillecabin7211 awesome 😎 thanks. If you haven’t seen this video yet, I highly recommend it. PLAN B: move to the Philippines kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHrdhp6veLCDprM I’m currently working on a big new video. I will be uploading other ones while I’m working on this one. I think the name for the new big video is going to be… move here, save money, build wealth; the Islands of Hope. I should have it done sometime within the next two weeks.

@@BigTroubleD I don’t want to sugarcoat anything and have someone move here who shouldn’t. Living overseas is not for everyone. I talk a lot more about this in my next video, so don’t miss it. It’s going to be an epic video with tons of information, a very practical and brutally honest guide for anyone interested in doing as I’ve done. The title is most likely going to be “ Come Here. Save Money. Build Wealth. Learn how with the Filipino Joe”. I’ve been polishing up the script and am about to start recording. Here are excerpts from the script on the things you asked about: HEALTHCARE. While many foreigners don’t carry Filipino health insurance, it is recommended to do so while you’re living here, especially if your lifestyle involves driving vehicles or any other risky behavior. If you have pre-existing conditions, you will need to look further into your healthcare and healthcare insurance options here, based on your personal situation. Everyone’s situation will be different. General healthcare, including dentistry, is typically inexpensive and paid for out of pocket. So your only real need for health insurance will be if you require more expensive medical procedures. Like many foreigners, I don’t carry Filipino health insurance because I’m fully insured in the U.S. When I need more expensive medical care, I travel to the U.S., and at the same time visit my family and friends. VISAS & YOUR LOCATION I highly recommend locating near an immigration office. I cannot stress enough the importance of this. If you live three hours away from the nearest one, that’s not going to be very convenient, especially if you have to go there every month or two to extend your visa. Also, if you live really close to one, you could forgo the express service charges and return for your visa extensions three days after applying for them. VISAS & EXTENSIONS It isn’t possible for me to provide visa information for everyone as it differs based on who someone is and what country they’re from. Details also change from time to time. So it’s best to do your own research at immigration.gov.ph or at a Philippine immigration office. As an American I’ve had no issues coming here and living by getting regular tourist visa extensions for the purpose of pleasure and visiting friends. I’m permitted to stay for up to 3 years with approved visa extensions. The cost of my visa extensions is very reasonable and included in my $250 a month cost of living. Once I leave the Philippines, I can return the next day. And when I return, I am eligible to stay for up to another 3 years with approved visa extensions.

@@BigTroubleD if you haven’t already, you should also watch this video: PLAN B: move to the Philippines kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHrdhp6veLCDprM

@@BigTroubleD Also, in the video, I talk more about not coming here with the attitude that you will be here forever. By living here inexpensively, most foreigners can drastically improve their financial situation and build wealth, which will be very helpful in relocating back to their home country or elsewhere in the future, should they want or need to. I think one of the biggest mistakes people make when coming to the Philippines, is considering that it’s forever. It may indeed be for the rest of their lives, but I think to expect that would be rather foolish.

@@thefilipinojoe thank you so much for all the information. I had researched a bit into the Philippines and thought it would be a great place to live cheaply while allowing my investments to grow. Imagine only needing $3000 a year for a good long while and letting most of your nest egg grow. I wasn’t aware that you could extend your tourist visa for up to 3 years. What happens when the 3 years are up?

@@BigTroubleD after the three years are up you have to leave the Philippines. But you can come back the very next day and the time limit starts over again. I highly doubt you’ll be here for three years without ever leaving the country. lol. I’ve been in the country this time since October 2022. So I am a little over two years now. I am planning to go to Italy for vacation sometime in 2025. Not sure when.

Different cancers require different treatments. I was able to remove cancer from my forehead using a high PH low alkaline raw vegan diet, but it was too strict of a diet for me to maintain for more than 3 months. With my regimen of seaweed and propolis, I don’t have to be on any special diet or avoid sugar. I’ve been on this regimen for over ten years. If you haven’t watched my video about how I came to learn about this regimen, check out that video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmSohKtoftl6isUfeature=shared

I don’t know anything about any other natural cure than this one. It’s important to remember that there are many different kinds of cancers and thus it would reason that there are many different cures for different cancers. This treatment is not a cure for all cancers. I only know that it works for me. If you look at the other video on my KZbin channel about my cancer cure, it talks about how I received this seaweed and propolis combination treatment via a psychic dream while on my deathbed. It actually worked very fast once I started consuming it. It worked absolutely like a miracle. I never went back to my doctors in regards of my cancer. I am only here because of the seaweed and propolis regiment, nothing else. I want to go see my doctors though because I was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma over 10 years ago and at the time, my doctors told me that the only way to remove it was via surgery. So I had two melanomas removed from my back at that time. But I didn’t go back for any more surgeries because I thought that I would just die sooner from the surgeries. I totally believe I still have melanomas on my back, so I would like to know if there are new treatments for melanoma. I believe that there are because Jimmy Carter had it in his brain and they removed it with medication. Living in the Philippines, I can’t just run over and see my doctors in the United States. But the next time I’m there, I definitely want to stop in and talk with them about my options, and share with them about this natural regimen.

Thanks ❤ appreciate it ❤ Merry Christmas

@@apartparis thanks, I am an artist, and I have worked as a picture framer, so I know how to make prints look like they are actual paintings. Basically, just have them high-quality printed on stretched canvas, preferably with the design wrapping around the edges, so you don’t end up with white on the edges. Of course, you can always frame them too, like the floating frames are done on the prints behind my bed, of the 3 drawings of the statue of David. Floating frames are my favorite for framing prints on stretched canvas. I would like to do more floating frames eventually and frame all of the prints that are not framed yet. I haven’t done any paintings of my own in many years, but I imagine that I will pick up painting again eventually. Who knows?

@@thefilipinojoe you have done great job with small cosy space . A real home is not it’s size it is more about being feeling at home . Great work . Inspiring . I am curious if you were able to find any school teaching Tagalog for foreigners . I was told There was one in Laguna before and I do not know if it is still operating

@@balikbayandreams1072 yes, that would be very easy to do here, not to mention inexpensive. Property in the countryside is generally a lot more affordable. Plus, in the countryside there are a lot of natural springs. During your property search, you might want to ask around to find out where the natural springs are and then locate near one. You will love it. I used to live in the countryside near three natural springs. One was a little further out and ideal for a farm. I am currently working on a new BIG video which is going to be really helpful, not only sharing my own success story, but letting people know what they should do (and not do) before moving here and what they should do (and not do) once they get here, to set up like a true Filipino. I want to say like a true frugal Filipino, but that’s a rather redundant description, because most Filipinos are naturally frugal.

@@thefilipinojoe My mom has properties in the countryside of Bohol lying fallow and there's a creek flowing inmiddle of one, so water won"t be an issue. And she has a house that is mostly lying empty because she prefers to live in Tagbilaran where she is renting an apartment. I'm planning to spend most of my time in the countryside in her house, so i won"t be spending rent either. I'm too young to recieve any pension yet, so i must try to live frugal.

Cool. You can seek online work. I suggest having an income of at least $1000 and only spending about $250 a month, using the balance for saving, investing, and building your wealth. I talk about that in my next video. It’s a big one, so probably won’t finish it anytime soon. I’m currently putting the final touches on the script.

@@thefilipinojoe Yes, i'm actually looking for a remote job. But i only have internet through my phone, i need to upgrade my devices to meet the requirements of an online job. 80% of my savings are invested in stocks and etfs. I'm already having some passive income in form of dividends, average 120$ per month. I will try to rebalance my portfolio to get the most in dividends. If i can do so then it would be possible to have at least 250$ in dividends with the amount of money i already invested. So even if i don't find an online work, i will have the 250$ as passive income through my investments. So, i think i can take the risk to escape the rat race in 2025.

Looking forward to your next video. Yes, i'm actually looking for a remote job that i can do here in Germany and the Philippines. But i need to upgrade my devices to meet the requirements of an online work. 80% of my savings are invested in stocks and etfs and i'm already earning around 120$/month passive income through dividends. Aiming to rebalance my portfolio to get at least 250$ dividends with the amount i already invested. Then even without a pension or remote job, i think i can take the risk and jump out of my comfort zone into the unknown. 😆

@@andreyzagoruyko5390 thanks 🙏 that means a lot. I am actually working on a new video, which will be my own personal story about how I came to live here in 2018 after struggling payday to payday in the United States. I want people to have all of the facts, especially because so many people are creating misinformation KZbin videos claiming that the cost of living here is much higher than it actually is. Anyone can live here with a super inflated cost-of-living if that’s their thing, that’s not a problem, but telling other people that they can’t make it here unless they have a lot of money too is creating and spreading false information. It’s sad, because a lot of retirees who don’t have a lot of money to spend, can absolutely come here to live a much higher quality of life on a low income instead of struggling in the United States or another expensive country, surviving there instead of thriving here. If you haven’t seen my latest video… here is a link to it. PLAN B: move to the Philippines kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHrdhp6veLCDprM As for the video you just watched, I actually improved it and added to it, so if you would like to watch the new improved and extended version, here is a link to that: THE BEST Cost of Living - Philippines - TOP affordable, safe, friendly, English-Speaking Country kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJLIZndmjrWad7M

@@ntech1507 indeed, my new video will tell about my personal journey, which brought me to the Philippines, and how other people can come here and do as I’ve done, either by retiring here or working remotely and living a frugal Filipino life while building their wealth. I almost hate saying frugal Filipino life because my lifestyle here is at such a higher quality than my life was in the United States. There, I was working hard and only able to survive, living payday to payday living in a boarding house. I am actually living my ideal lifestyle right now, very comfortably, and I have no plans to change that no matter what my net worth is. Much like Warren Buffett. Quite unbelievable, I know, to have my ideal lifestyle on only $250 a month.

@@thefilipinojoeas long as you are Happy that’s what most important . Even a billion $ dollar does not buy happiness . Many people are earning more in the west but unhappy because of the western RAT RACE & overconsumption. Big luxury when one has a shelter on their head even a small cosy home and 3 meals per day and in good health. Enjoy the sunshine and having time for yourself daily . Enjoy simplicity of life . CARPEDIEM

@@lengabel9479 thank you. I am working the script for my next big video. It’s looking pretty good.

@@amaliahightower thanks and yes.. we have it really good here in the Philippines 💙♥️💛

@@zackhample I hope you get here someday too. This video was super viral, but for some reason KZbin killed it. I’m not sure why. Maybe it was because I created a lot of short videos from it, and maybe the KZbin computer thinks that I’m re-creating the same video over and over again. 🤨 Well, I certainly won’t bother doing that again. 😂 Hope all is well there in NYC. Miss you and the writing group. Happy Holidays to you and your family.

@@Peace839 Living in an outrageously expensive and highly overpriced country like the U.S. can definitely lead one to believe that $250 is a very low, scraping by, barely surviving, cost of living here, but for a single person, I assure you that I live a very comfortable lifestyle here on that amount. I was initially motivated to share my low cost of living information online because of all of the misinformation created and spread by others online, the majority of them being foreigners who set themselves up here with deep pockets and the intention and desire to spend a lot of money here, including on their basic living expenses; housing, food, etc. Or maybe they’re simply lonely old fools trying to impress some love interest who possibly pushes them to spend spend spend. I don’t know. All I know is that a lavish lifestyle can be had anywhere around the world, even here, and it doesn’t come cheap. Personally, I don’t like surrounding myself with luxuries, I prefer a cozy but cute home, simple comforts, socializing with my family and friends, all who live close by, and most of all, I love saving my money here, not wasting it by intentionally inflating my living expenses beyond what is necessary to be happy and comfortable. In the U.S., my living expenses, on average, took 100% of my income and that wasn’t at all for living a happy and comfortable lifestyle. I was only just surviving, living in a boarding house! Here, I have my own beautiful apartment and I pay over 7 times LESS for it than I did for my sleeping room in NYC. I could pay even less here for housing if I wanted to, but I don’t. My housing is considered upscale for my neighborhood. It’s even in a private gated community. If you haven’t seen it, I revealed it in this video last Christmas: $70/mo. Philippine Apartment kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZy5dmunet2dn5I If you haven’t seen my $250 cost-of-living expenditures for one month, here is that video: THE BEST Cost of Living - Philippines - TOP affordable, safe, friendly, English-Speaking Country kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJLIZndmjrWad7M Here in the Philippines, my living expenses only amount to about 22% of my monthly income, meaning about 78% of my income goes into savings, and investments. So much so, that I was able to retire here earlier this year (2024) on my savings. Doubly shocking because my income here has been a tiny fraction of what it was in New York. For what it’s worth (not much in my opinion), here are the Filipino social classes based on a family of 4’s monthly income (according to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies): lower middle class: P21,194-43,828 ($360-746) middle class: P43,828-76,669 ($746-1305) upper middle income: P76,669-131,484 ($1305-2237) high-income: P131,484-219,140 ($2237-3729) rich: P219,140-and up. ($3729-and up) As you see, quite a different picture from the United States. It’s not at all a reliable measurement of someone’s wealth because it doesn’t take into account other factors, such as does the family have debt, own real estate, have a business, investments, savings, private retirement accounts, extra money after all their bills are paid, a big inheritance coming soon, etc. Essentially, it doesn’t tell a person’s net worth. Especially important in my opinion is how much of a family or person’s income is being spent on their living expenses. A person or family with the same income as another who spends a lot less on living expenses will naturally have more disposable income, giving them more opportunities to save, invest and increase their wealth. For me, that is the golden egg. Without excess money to create wealth, one is simply treading water, spending all of their income just to survive. That was what I was doing in the U.S., and I was very far from being the only one caught up in that dilemma. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the average income of Filipino families in 2023 was estimated at P29,436 ($501) a month. On average, they only spent P21,504 ($366) per month. (I believe that statistic is based on a family of four.) Again, remember that it is an average, thus some families earned lot less and spent a lot less, while others earned a lot more and spent a lot more. Seeing that I’m only one person, my $250 a month is right in there as pretty normal.

@@ntech1507 very true.

@thefilipinojoe yeah it's not they are fear mongering people. They were an expat channel who said to me $3k a month is not enough for 2 people. We could not eat Western foods or do anything traveling. I thought that was crazy so did my wife because $3.8k is rich in the Philippines, so $3k should be plenty.

@@ntech1507 for what it’s worth (not much in my opinion), here are the Filipino social classes based on a family’s monthly income (according to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies): lower middle class: P21,194-43,828 ($360-746) middle class: P43,828-76,669 ($746-1305) upper middle income: P76,669-131,484 ($1305-2237) high-income: P131,484-219,140 ($2237-3729) rich: P219,140-and up. ($3729-and up) It’s not at all a reliable measurement of someone’s wealth because it doesn’t take into account other factors, such as does the family have debt, own real estate, have a business, investments, savings, private retirement accounts, extra money after all their bills are paid, a big inheritance coming soon, etc. Especially important in my opinion is how much of their income are they spending each month on living expenses? A family with the same income as another who spends a lot less on living expenses will naturally have more disposable income, giving them more opportunities to save, invest and increase their wealth. For me, that is the golden ticket to wealth and financial security. Whereas if someone is spending all of their income just to survive, that to me is no bueno. That was my life in the U.S., and I wasn’t alone. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the average income of Filipino families in 2023 was estimated at P29,436 ($501) a month. On average, they only spent P21,504 ($366) per month. (I believe that statistic is based on a family of four.) Again, remember that it is an average, thus some families earned lot less and spent a lot less, while others earned a lot more and spent a lot more. Seeing that I’m only one person, my $250 a month is right in there as pretty normal.

@thefilipinojoe thanks for the information so I'll be considered rich by filipino standards I guess then

@@MayVyqueen yes. 🙌

@@MayVyqueen this is a video that everyone should watch, including Filipinos: PLAN B: move to the Philippines kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHrdhp6veLCDprM A lot of Filipinos believe that they will have better opportunities if they move and work overseas, not realizing the opportunities that they have right here at home. This video explains that.

I live in Mamatid, Cabuyao, Laguna, which is just south of Manila. It’s an ordinary city neighborhood, however, very bustling with plenty of friendly people and everything I need, two big malls nearby and very easy for me to go to Manila whenever I want to, which is rarely. I used to live in the southern part of the country on the Leyte, Southern Leyte border for the same amount of living expenses (in Osmena (countyside) and Sogod (city)). There is a lot of misinformation on KZbin about the cost-of-living in the Philippines. So beware. If you do your cost-of-living research off of KZbin and search real statistics, you will see that the average cost of living (a calculation based on all of the costs of living throughout the Philippines) for a single individual is right around $500 a month. That means that some areas here are going to be a lot more expensive, while other areas are going to be a lot cheaper. This is true with every country. Yet, lots of foreigners come here and move to the most expensive areas and then post videos on KZbin claiming that what they’re spending is the cost-of-living here in the entire Philippines. It’s bogus information. Don’t listen to them. You can get a low cost of living in many different places throughout the Philippines, as long as you avoid expensive areas. You must also avoid western type of businesses here. We have lots of western style malls here with all kinds of western businesses, even Denny’s! and they are often very busy, but most of the Filipinos who go to shopping malls rarely go to them because everything there cost so much more than all of the Filipino places outside of the malls. So, going to a shopping mall is a special event for most Filipinos, like going to a theme park in the U.S.. SO, FOR A FOREIGNER WHO DOESN’T WANT TO ADAPT TO THE FILIPINO LIFESTYLE, THEY ABSOLUTELY DON’T HAVE TO, BUT IT’S GOING TO COST THEM A LOT MORE MONEY TO LIVE HERE, especially if they are ATTEMPTING TO LIVE HERE AS if THEY ARE STILL living IN THE UNITED STATES. Essentially, they are going to pay the same as they would pay to live in the United States. (sorry about all of the capitalization. My phone likes to think for me and for some reason, thought that would be a good idea. 😖) I prefer being further up north, not only to avoid hazardous weather, but it’s cooler. I also enjoy being near an immigration satellite office, as well as the main immigration office in Manila. Here is a video of my current $70/month apartment. We made this video last Christmas: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZy5dmunet2dn5Ifeature=shared

@@thefilipinojoe oh wow you are just near our place ,batangas ,i am a local here

@alienman308 Yes, a little over an hour north of Batangas.

@@thefilipinojoe I watched the video . Wow, the whole house for $70 rent. You have so much space in there. How is the dating scene in Laguna? And what are your thoughts on retiring in Dumaguete?

I don’t know anything about the dating scene in the Philippines. I have not been interested in dating anyone here, but if someone should ever come along who should wow and pursue me, I might reconsider, but highly unlikely, as I think it is much safer, economical, and liberating to remain single. As for Dumaguete, I’ve never been there. My understanding is that lots of foreigners live there. That would be my number one turn off, as I don’t particularly want to live around a bunch of foreigners. Never have, as I feel that would defeat the purpose of living here. I enjoy living amongst the locals and am fully adapted to the Filipino people, culture, and lifestyle.

@@25Soupy I’m glad that I never went down that road. I’ve always rented and lived within my means, so I have never had any debt. I know one of those “looks rich” types who just filed for bankruptcy. Looks can definitely be deceiving. I have always considered myself richer than working class people who are in debt paying for their houses and cars with their paychecks. Whether it’s true or not, I don’t know, but I certainly feel richer. 😆 I’ve also been more free to move on whenever I’ve wanted to do so in my life, and I’ve done that a lot, having no financial obligations preventing me from doing so. Carrying debt used to be easier to do when payments were lower and ordinary people had a large amount of money left over after paying their bills. Nowadays, a lot of people are living payday to payday, meaning they don’t have any money left over after paying their bills. It’s definitely much safer nowadays for most people to avoid debt altogether unless they are truly rich, have a lot of money in the bank and/or a lot of money left over after paying their bills.

Thank you 🙏 much appreciated.

Thanks 🙏 glad you liked it.

@@lengabel9479 That sounds really nice. If you locate properly in the countryside near a main road, you should have no problem getting to the city using cheap public transportation, like buses, vans, and tricycles. Unlike the West, the Philippines public transportation is not only cheap but reliable, even in the countryside. I used to be able to renew my visas every six months, but lately they have required me to renew every two months. So, make sure that you locate close enough to an immigration office that you are not inconvenienced by having to go there more often than you might expect to. It’s easy to live here on a tourist visa and just renew your tourist visa. It’s not necessary to get a retirement visa. You only have to leave the country once every three years on a tourist visa. So, I don’t recommend doing anything else that would make yourself more permanent here. The world is unpredictable so being able to easily leave a foreign country like the Philippines if necessary is wise. I think it is best to always maintain an easy way out. I live south of Manila, nowhere near the ocean. I know that the typhoons hit the Philippines from the east, coming from the Pacific Ocean, traveling north or west or northwest. So my advice is not to locate anywhere on the east (Pacific Ocean) side of the Philippines. It would be much better to locate on the west side. Areas prone to typhoons are Eastern Visayas, Bicol Region, and northern Luzon, whereas Mindanao is largely free of typhoons. A lot of countries though, advise their citizens to avoid the Mindanao region. I personally have heeded that advice and have never been anywhere near there. Maybe that is where all the crime happens, I don’t know. But I can tell you that in my neighborhoods, I have never seen or heard of a single crime in the seven years that I have lived here. Statistically the Philippines is much safer than the United States. I truly feel that to be true, as I feel very safe here. But safety also depends on the person, and I am a very safe person to begin with. One way I stay safe is to never talk to anyone that I have any doubts about. You really learn to use your gut instincts when you’re living overseas. You really need to avoid anybody you have any qualms about, because it’s very easy to get kicked out of the Philippines if you get into any kind of trouble. Keeping your nose clean takes on a whole new meaning here. Avoid conflicts, drama, a celebrity lifestyle, arguments, gossiping, and don’t make any enemies. A low humble poor person profile is the best one to have here… it’s what most Filipinos subscribe to, even if they are rich. With over 7000 islands, one has many different places to choose from. You might want to avoid living near any military bases, just in case WW3 breaks out. Just saying. Also, I prefer the weather here where I live further north versus the weather I had before down south on the Leyte/Southern Leyte border. The weather is much cooler up north. Be sure to rent a place that has good ventilation. The Philippines is very humid and without good ventilation, you will have mold. With a bamboo hut, you won’t have to worry about that. But, I would recommend renting a concrete structure because of the typhoons. Bamboo huts often get swept away by typhoons along with everything inside. Occupants almost always evacuate to local shelters. Also be careful with the sun. You don’t want to have the sun hitting your windows during the hottest part of the day approximately 11 AM to 4 PM. It’s very important in making sure that you are comfortable with just fans. I don’t suggest giving out freebies of any kind because as a foreigner you will surely be targeted by everyone. It would be like stirring up a bees nest. Remember, this country is densely populated and word travels faster than the typhoons. I suggest trading your extra fish for fresh vegetables or something with church members you know and trust. If you’re going to attend a church, hopefully it will be one that helps you achieve your ideal life set up here. Nonetheless, don’t ever be fully or overly trusting like many foreigners are, nor thin skinned. Remain free and mobile, able to pick up and move to a new area if things don’t work out in the first location. Areas can differ very much from one another. I’ve lived in four different areas, each very different. I only liked 2 out of the 4, one being where I live now. A great area will treat you like a celebrity. You will love it. A bad area might treat you like an ATM or like an unwelcomed outsider.

@@lengabel9479 thanks 🙏 I appreciate it.

The truth isn't always nice, and it isn't always likeable. But I refuse to be anything but honest.

Believe it or not, I don’t budget. Not at all. 😂 In the U.S. I had to live by a strict budget, but not here. Not at all. I simply don’t spend much and I always have lots of money left over. So much money left over that I was able to fully retire earlier this year on my savings. By simply committing to getting and paying the lowest cost for everything, especially for housing and food, I automatically live very inexpensively here. I also limit myself from going to expensive places like shopping malls, Starbucks, etc., to about once every two or three months. Hating accounting, I had to force myself to record all of my expenses for a month just to be able to make a cost of living video for KZbin. Deploring the accounting process, I didn’t even add things up as I went, as I was so sure that I was paying about $250 a month here for everything. And, thankfully I was right! If you have not seen that video yet, it’s right here: THE BEST Cost of Living - Philippines - TOP affordable, safe, friendly, English-Speaking Country kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJLIZndmjrWad7M

Exactly my sentiments. When I posted that I only spend $250 a month here, I got a comment from a foreigner saying that he lives a low middle-class lifestyle for $3500 a month here. I didn’t know if he was boasting or complaining. I consider my lifestyle middle-class, while my neighbors think that I am rich. Peoples perception of us is one of those things that we shouldn’t be concerned about, because we don’t really have a lot of control over what people think about us. I know very wealthy people who I have no respect for, as well as very poor people who I greatly admire. There’s certainly no reason to spend all of our money trying to impress others. It’s a losing battle.

@@oyvind5490 Thanks for watching. I am finishing up the next video: PLAN B: Move To The Philippines. I will most likely upload it in a few hours, but if not today, tomorrow evening. It’s one of my best videos.

@@Peace839 thank you. I am working on a very important video right now. It’s one I created eight months ago that didn’t do as well as I wanted it to, but the content is extremely important for people moving to the Philippines. So I am editing it hoping to make it more successful the second time around. Crossing my fingers. Not sure of the title yet. But the thumbnail will have the American dream going up in flames on the left side and me on the right side with the words the Filipino dream on a surfboard and a little note attached at the top saying Plan B.

@@SadButTrue__ My area might bore you. I have never gravitated towards expat, expensive, or well known places here. I avoid expensive cities and places like tourist traps as far as choosing where to reside, and only go to such places on special occasions. I would never live in Cebu or Manila here mostly because of the overwhelming population and traffic. I understand that they can be more expensive too, but you can’t trust what you hear online. A guy might say it costs him a fortune to live somewhere here, but he may be renting an expensive place in an expensive area, rather than what’s more typical and reasonable. I probably wouldn’t ever live in the southern parts of the Philippines again because of the hotter weather there. It’s also important for me to not live where there are frequent typhoons, as I fear global warming is only going to get worse and be making these storms worse. I would also avoid any areas with US military bases, as when WW3 happens, I imagine those places being the least safe. A lot of foreigners move here seeking a western experience and a social life with other foreigners. I would never do that personally. If I had no interest in changing and adapting to the Filipino people and culture here, as in fully integrating myself and adopting them as my own, I wouldn’t have chosen to live here. Because to really be happy overseas, which I am, I knew that I had to change and adapt to the country, its culture, and the people. And, the Filipinos, in general, have made wonderful friends. I would even guess that one could, on average, make higher quality friends with high quality Filipinos here, rather than with other foreigners. All that said, I used to live in Sogod, Osmena and Pamahawan on the Leyte / Southern Leyte Border, experiencing there both (a smaller) city life, and living in the countryside. It cost me about the same to live there as where I live now in Mamatid, Cabuyao, Laguna. The often ignored and smaller cities here, from what I’ve seen, are nothing at all like small cities in the west. In the west you’re lucky if a small town has one restaurant, a bar, barbershop, hair salon, a school, and a gas station. Here, a small city is packed full of more businesses and schools than you could ever imagine, including malls and American fast food restaurants, like McDonald’s. That’s because the Philippines is so densely populated and not over regulated like it is in the west. It’s very easy for people to open businesses here. Very easy to build houses too, even dirt cheap ones. I’ve never been to Kalibo or Iloilo. One last thing, I prefer living near an immigration office. In Leyte, I was located a 3 hours drive away and that was okay then, but would not be now. They used to allow me to extend my visa for six months. But something has changed. Maybe with the new president? I now have to renew my visa every two months. That’s why I prefer living near an immigration office. Although I rarely go to Manila, it is close enough to where I live, that I can go there without any issues. I don’t have a car, don’t need one as everything I need is within walking distance. But I do have an adopted family here, and they often invite me to go places, like Manila, and have always offered to take me to Immigration. It’s a lot of fun here. Socializing with others is the recreational pastime here, not going to the movies, playing golf, bowling, etc. all you have to do here to socialize with people is step outside. People are everywhere. Living here is an indoor outdoor lifestyle. S&R is the Costco of the Philippines. My favorite part of Costco is the café, especially the pizza, and the Costco Café is bigger and better here “at S&R” which is probably because of so many people living here, which also means the S&R Café is always hopping.

@@annapalacio4837 thanks 🙏 you can watch the longer 20 minute video at this link: THE BEST Cost of Living - Philippines - TOP affordable, safe, friendly, English-Speaking Country kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJLIZndmjrWad7M I’m working on another great video right now. I might be uploading it later tonight or sometime tomorrow. It’s all about successfully achieving a low cost of living in the Philippines. Not sure about the title yet, but the thumbnail will say: The American Dream, PLAN B: The Filipino Dream

@@oyvind5490 Thanks 🙏 I appreciate it. If you’ve not yet watched the entire 20 minute video, here’s the link: THE BEST Cost of Living - Philippines - TOP affordable, safe, friendly, English-Speaking Country kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJLIZndmjrWad7M I’m going to upload another newly edited and revised video today. It’s an important video for anyone considering moving to the Philippines. The title I am probably going to use for it is: Rich Filipino/Poor Americano: How I Became Rich By Moving To The Philippines

Thank you 🙏

@@stevesilver7437 thanks 🙏 are you talking about the 20 minute video or this shorter one advertising the longer one? The 20 minute video is actually a remake, a much improved version of the one I did 6 months ago. The new version “THE BEST Cost of Living - Philippines - TOP affordable, safe, friendly, English-Speaking Country” is at this url: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJLIZndmjrWad7M I have another video: “Rich Filipino / Poor Americano” that I created about 8 months ago which is very important for anyone interested in moving here. I am remaking that one today, hoping it too will do better the second time around. I should be done with it and uploading it later today. It is a common misconception amongst foreigners that I am working hard at being extremely cheap here. I’m most certainly not. I’m actually living less frugally and at a MUCH HIGHER standard of living than I was able to live in the United States. In the US I paid $520 a month to live in a sleeping room. Here, I am able to live in my own gorgeous one bedroom apartment for 7 times less money. It just so happens to cost $70 a month. I didn’t search for a cheap place to live. I didn’t need to because cheap places to live is the norm here. A $70 a month apartment might seem ridiculously cheap to an American, but trust me, it’s not cheap to Filipinos. Many pay much less and actually think I’m rich for spending so much. So why do foreigners typically spend so much more money to live here than they need to? That’s the million dollar question. Is it because their brains are wired to consume, and to spend a lot of money on basic living expenses, so when they move here, they figure out how to do what they’re accustomed to doing? Is it because they hook up with a scammer online and are being taken advantage of here without being any the wiser? Or are they simply choosing to upgrade their standard of living far above that of the Filipino people and live like royalty here? Of course any of those things are possibilities. The biggest reason I love embracing a typical Filipino lifestyle (with a few American modifications) is because I can live comfortably here without spending all of my money on life’s basic needs. That wasn’t possible for me in the US. Every paycheck got spent with nothing left over for savings, retirement, or enjoying more of what life had to offer. Here, my cost of living is a tiny fraction of my income. Meaning I have tons more money to save and enjoy my life with. It’s precisely how I was able to fully retire earlier this year, living off my savings till my SS retirement starts next month. It’s not so much that I’m frugal, as much as it is I’m not living a boastful lifestyle or being wasteful or stupid with my money. I think and live a lot like Warren Buffett, not like Bill Gates. If you can rent a nice comfortable place to live for $70, it makes absolutely no sense to go rent a place for 10x that or more, which astonishingly a lot of foreigners do. I know, because they leave me snide comments about their cost of living, as if to impress me. They actually make me and my Filipino friends laugh. Bill Gates bought up his entire neighborhood, tore down their houses, and built a $130 million dollar mega mansion that I understand is harder than Fort Knox to visit. Good luck Christmas caroling there! Warren Buffett, who happens to be richer than Gates, bought a normal $31,500 house back in 1958 in a typical American community that he still loves today. No, he didn’t tear it down or anoint himself royalty. Bill Gates is a great example of what NOT to do, especially when moving to the Philippines as a foreigner. On the other hand, Warren Buffett is an ideal example to follow. Live where you can thrive.

@@thefilipinojoe I watched both Video the one six months ago and recent. Thanks for the full response. I will be looking into places to rent. My plan is to talk with people in the Barangay more about places to rent.

Great. It can be more challenging to find a place in a barangay unless you have friends there. Preferably friends who can get you the going rate and not inflated. You shouldn’t be paying more than 5000 php in a barangay. I’ve paid as little as 2000 php, which is more common. The thing is, is to not let people overcharge you. After a year at 2000, my landlord decided to raise my rent to 3000 php and that was ridiculous because I had fixed the place up. I paid her 3000 and moved 3 days later. She never rented the place again that I know of, and it flooded during Typhoon Odette. Had I still been there, it would have been a disaster for me.

@@HoweverG hello. You can Watch the full 20 minute video here at this link: THE BEST Cost of Living - Philippines - TOP affordable, safe, friendly, English-Speaking Country kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJLIZndmjrWad7M

@@JefeLee1267 you’re welcome. ☺️

@@JefeLee1267 Thank you. I turned 62 last month.

300 monthly for a one bedroom ?

@JefeLee1267 no. $300 is way too much to pay for an apartment in the Philippines. My entire cost of living is only $250 here. I pay $70 a month for my beautiful one bedroom townhouse apartment. You can see it here in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZy5dmunet2dn5Ifeature=shared

@@myrnamonserrat5795 yes, I only kept track of my expenses for one month in order to create the KZbin video. I don’t normally keep track like that, as it isn’t necessary. I have always enjoyed a low cost of living and beautiful carefree lifestyle here. In the United States, it was too expensive. It was a very difficult life, working all the time and everything I earned working went to pay for everything just to survive. I had no extra money to truly enjoy life with. Sometimes, I had no money to even eat properly. For example, I could only afford to rent a sleeping room in NYC where I lived. Just for the cheapest sleeping room (bed space), I paid over P30,000 ($520) a month. Here, in the Philippines, I pay only P4000 ($70) a month for my own beautiful apartment, a BIG HUGE difference. 😁 Overall, for me, it is 10 times more expensive to live in the United States than here in the Philippines. In other words, for what it costs me to live one month in the United States, I can live here in the Philippines for 10 months. And not living like I lived in the US, struggling like a poor man, but a MUCH better quality of life, living here like a rich man. That’s the main reason why I moved here to the Philippines, to have more money to save and enjoy life with. In the United States, all of my money was spent just to survive. There was no money remaining after all of the bills were paid. That’s why I share my story on KZbin, so other people struggling in the United States can know that they have options. That they don’t have to stay in the United States and suffer. They can move here and enjoy a much cheaper and much better quality of life. A life that is a 10 times better life! 😊 Living here, I am able to enjoy a much much better life as a retiree on a pension. The Philippines is my home now.

@@KB3TLE Thanks for your kind comments. I highly recommend that you check out this video of mine: Rich Filipino/Poor Americano kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJXaZoyPjMp8n7s I personally don’t recommend living here like a westerner. If someone wants to live like that, I recommend doing so in the west, not here. Not only is it more expensive to live like that here, but it attracts the wrong kind of attention, fake friends, etc., and could even put one in danger. American “wealth attitudes” don’t translate well here. It’s best to tell people you are poor and that you only get a small pension to survive on. Tell them anything else, and you’re inviting trouble. It’s important to realize that this isn’t America. It’s a completely different animal. Freedom of speech does not exist here for foreigners. Say something about someone and it could get you kicked out of the country, possibly arrested, and even jailed, even if what you said was true. Filipinos don’t complain either, so it’s important to do likewise. That’s a hard one for me. 🤣 It’s important to learn what’s legal to do or say here and what’s not. The KZbinr Filipina Pea has some really good videos about legal things every foreigner should know, especially if they are interested in dating here. It is very different from a legal standpoint. Don’t think that expats will make great friends here either. I don’t want to throw anyone under the bus, but you’ll see what I mean when you get here. It’s better to make friends with high quality trustworthy Filipinos, avoiding mixing and mingling with expats, strangers, and anyone you’re unsure about. I also recommend not drinking alcohol, it can be a problem here for some. Keeping one’s nose clean is a must here if one plans to remain here permanently. Don’t make trouble, any enemies, etc. Police checks are done with every visa renewal. A person, stranger, or neighbor can file a complaint on you very easily within their neighborhood for any reason whatsoever which could lead to you getting kicked out of the country and blacklisted. It’s a big reason why I advise people not to make themselves permanent here in any way. Always be ready, able, and willing to leave at a moment’s notice. Fantasies of permanence here are precisely that, fantasies. It’s great if you can pull it off, but don’t expect to. As for AC, it is not commonly used here. Like Filipinos, I have fully adapted to the weather here (it only took me a couple months to do so when I first moved here) and now I can freeze whenever I visit sunny southern California, truly, wearing winter clothes and even winter coats. The point is, it makes no sense to move here and never acclimate oneself to the weather. There’s actually only 3 months out of the year that I too might enjoy AC, but even then, it would only be from about noon to 3 PM and only when there’s no clouds blocking the sun rays. Otherwise AC really isn’t necessary. I will only contradict myself saying that it might be necessary if someone is moving here from a frigid climate like Russia. Southern Philippines is warmer than the north. I like the climate much better here where I live now, south of Manila, rather than in Leyte, Southern Leyte. So if you’ve not decided on an area to live yet, you might want to consider staying up north. Also, if one carefully selects a rental that doesn’t get hit and roasted by the midday sun, they should be fine with just having fans. I prefer two small fans myself and in the evening and nights, I place one just outside my upstairs window, and my apartment feels cool and comfortable as if it’s being air conditioned. I know very wealthy Filipinos here who hide their wealth, and don’t live any differently than the average Filipino in their communities. There’s a HUGE reason for that besides humility. It’s like Warren Buffett, despite his massive wealth, he lives modestly, just like his neighbors, and fits into his local community. On the other hand, Bill Gates bought up his entire community and built a mega mansion. Don’t imagine his neighbors are inviting him over to play bridge. Filipinos are very sociable. That’s how we entertain ourselves here, by socializing with each other. You step outside, and there’s people to talk to. I see other foreigners here who don’t socialize with the locals and I am truly saddened by that because they are missing out. It’s just not at all how most people live here. It’s not at all difficult to meet new people and make new friends like it is in the west. I make new friends here constantly. I was even adopted by a Filipino family. Americans are typically highly welcomed and embraced by the Filipino people. Not always, of course, but how many friends can one have anyways? 😂 I make much more money than my $250 cost of living. In the U.S., it’s common for people to pay their entire salary on just surviving there. It’s a way of life there. It’s not like that here. Yet many who move here, having paid everything they earned just to survive their entire lives, keep doing it here, despite no longer having to!!! Talk about CRAZY. That’s crazy to me!!! Here, anyone can do like me, live nicely without spending every penny on just survival. I have been saving tons of money here, in fact been living on that savings most of this year, having retired early. That was never a possibility for me in the US. With my low cost of living here, I am not only able to save money, but enjoy more niceties, like vacations. If I did otherwise, spent everything on my cost of living here, I would be living paycheck to paycheck here just like I did in the US and where still over 60% of the population does so (programmed to think that’s okay!) It’s not okay, it’s tragic. If you don’t know how nice I live here, check out the following video: $70/mo. Philippine Apartment kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZy5dmunet2dn5I Good luck with your move. I hope you too will have a lot of money left over to save and enjoy after paying for your basic essentials here. You can certainly live here like a rich Filipino. Even though I knew it was possible, it was an AMAZING surprise for me to see how much I could save here, get ahead, and enjoy more of what life has to offer.

@@renelegaspi6851 I live in Mamatid, south of Manila. If you are asking for my whereabouts because you think that my cost of living is lower than most places here, I really don’t think so. There are certainly more expensive places one could choose to live, but I’ve lived here for the same amount of money for seven years in three different places. There’s many reasons why some foreigners set themselves up here much more expensively, which I personally don’t think is wise. It attracts the wrong attention and could be dangerous. I provide a lot of sound advice and talk about how to successfully set oneself up here in this video: Rich Filipino/Poor Americano kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJXaZoyPjMp8n7s The video you watched is a shorter version of my newest viral video, which is 20 minutes long. Here’s the link: THE BEST Cost of Living - Philippines - TOP affordable, safe, friendly, English-Speaking Country kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJLIZndmjrWad7M

@@daviddarden1915 Nice. I’ve not been to Clark, 😎 but I know it’s an international airport now. I’ve succeeded here because I learned how to live like a local, having lived a few years in the countryside here before moving to Laguna, south of Manila. Most Filipinos are extremely frugal, especially in the countryside, not at all wasteful. Although I always considered myself frugal before moving here, I wasn’t, not like a Filipino. I’m still not on par with most Filipinos, but I am much more frugal than I was before moving here. I think, often unknowingly, Americans are wired to be consumers, and impressing others is a common social pastime. Here, most people prefer to do the opposite, to blend in, to be like everyone else and not stick out. Individuality is not stressed here, conformity is, and wealth is often hidden from view. As such, looks can (very much so) be deceiving here. I explain what I mean by that in this video: Rich Filipino/Poor Americano kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJXaZoyPjMp8n7s My latest video is currently viral: THE BEST Cost of Living - Philippines - TOP affordable, safe, friendly, English-Speaking Country kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJLIZndmjrWad7M

@@Paul180 thanks for subscribing. Here’s a great video about succeeding in the Philippines… Rich Filipino/Poor Americano kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJXaZoyPjMp8n7s