Moving to the Philippines With Only a Bag and a Suitcase
September 3, 2008 on 10:21 pm | In Financial |Many times in life we set lofty goals that some people can only laugh at. Some want to climb Mt. Everest or swim the English Channel. Although those are obtainable goals few really ever attempt let alone complete that goal. One of my goals when shared with friends and family bring the same kind of eye rolling and smirks that the future swimmers and climbers get. That goal is to move into a new house and take nothing from the old house except a few personal items. The personal items would be some books and paperwork and a few of my clothes. Since we are moving into a brand new house when we move to Laguna this goal will be accomplished. It isn’t because we are so rich that we can discard our old stuff but a matter of convenience and practicality.
I was reading an article on a website concerning Moving to the Philippines entitled “How to move to the Philippines-with a bag, suitcase, or container-with your full household or just personal belongings.” In this article the author offers a few facts to help a person decide what to take. For example, due to the weather, winter clothes will not be needed. In fact, he recommends that you bring few clothes because of the low prices on clothes, tailor made or otherwise.
The article goes on to mention the availability of musical items and sporting goods at the malls and stores so I won’t need any of that. The furniture probably wouldn’t hold up under the high humidity and most mattresses would rot away in no time. That’s great because I like rattan furniture better than the cheap stuff I have in my house now.
The cost of moving a whole household by container plus the expenses of customs fees really opened my eyes to going with everything new. And it would take awhile, possibly months, before the stuff from the states would arrive. What would I do until then?
So its just practical and cheaper for me to leave everything behind and move to the Philippines with what I can carry on the plane, just a bag and a suitcase. Anyone know where I can get some good rattan furniture?
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Excellent article.. One reason perhaps one would like to bring more stuff is for sentimental reasons. I forgot if the article mentioned that PI has generally a 220 volts line and most US appliances are 110 volts, so one need a transformer for US appliances. I will not forget an incident when one of my guests plugged in her hair dryer to the 220 v line. Needless to say I have a big sign posted in each room, that the line is 220. To accommodate a number of my US made appliances, I have built-in and portable transformer available in each room for my guests who brought US appliances for their personal use. Cheers!
Comment by David B Katague — September 3, 2008 #
Hi David
I’ll have to say that I never plugged anything into 220 by mistake but I had a maid who once ruined a boom box of mine when she plugged into 220. The sad thing is that there was a switch on the back to change from 110 to 220.
Comment by admin — September 4, 2008 #
good luck! i live in the philippines ad I can say that it is a very wonderful country!
Comment by Piolo Pascual — September 6, 2008 #
Hi Piolo
I love the Philippines too. Where do you live in the PHilippines?
Comment by admin — September 7, 2008 #
hi admin.. i live in los banos laguna.. laguna is a wonderful place.. good luck on your stay in PH
Comment by Piolo Pascual — September 8, 2008 #
How nice if I am able to do like you too, it really make things lots easier and not just from the money point of view (of course, many of us would take that into account)! I have to agreed that moving to another place especially shift home with just a bag and a suitcase, that is really a great something to me!
Hui Ling - Travel places of interests last blog post..How to get the Best Deals to Your Places of Interest?
Comment by Hui Ling - Travel places of interest — September 15, 2008 #
Hi Hui Ling
I agree that money shouldn’t be an issue but if you dream for something so many years and you work hard for it the dream may come true. As I’ve said before I fell in love with the Philippines from the first time I went there in 1976. That comes to over 30 years of hard work towards that goal with only a few glitches in between. BTW I dropped my son off at the airport today and they are charging $35 per checked bag so by the time I do it the price may be $100 per bag!
Comment by admin — September 15, 2008 #
Wow it sounds as if you have achieved a major goal in your life. Congrats! Can I ask you, in retropspect, what have been some obstacles you have had to overcome and what sacrifices have you had to make for yourself or for your family that have made your lifelong dream possible. After 30 years, that is quite great thing to be able to move to a place you have held in your heart for so long. Best luck.
Comment by Lucky — September 17, 2008 #
Hi Lucky
I’ve made sacrfices such as live below what my salary could provide for me.I could live in a bigger house and have a bigger car. I could take vacations a couple times a year but I didn’t. Also my wife has worked pretty hard since we have been married also. My kids have only went to public not private schools and then state colleges rather than University. I have studied and made good investments and of course I have my military retirement.
Comment by admin — September 17, 2008 #
Congratulations on your move! Good Luck and I hope the Philippines doesn’t disappoint you. If there’s any place where you can move with only one suitcase, the Philippines is it. Everything can be bought in the nearby mall relatively cheaply. That’s if you’re not into designer and luxury items.
Mr. As last blog post..WTF! Members Only??!
Comment by Mr. A — September 22, 2008 #
Hi Mr A
No the Philippines will not disappoint me because I have lived there enough and am very familiar with the country.
Comment by admin — September 22, 2008 #
The only things I plan to bring with me when I move is my dog, computers, cloths and a big smile.
Mikes last blog post..Learning to talk
Comment by Mike — October 18, 2008 #
What is going on here? I left a message on your blog a while ago, come back to see if any others left comments and now my comment is gone. Don’t you want people to use your site?
Comment by Mike — October 19, 2008 #
This is strange, now my comment is back. I don’t know if the problem is the blog or my computer.
Mikes last blog post..Learning to talk
Comment by Mike — October 19, 2008 #
Hi Mike I don’t know what happened with your original message but I’m glad it showed up finally. I’m sure glad I won’t be bringing my dog to the Philippines. Most of the dogs I have encountered there seem to be miserable because of the heat.
Comment by admin — October 21, 2008 #