Author: Reekay V.
Since 2012 I’ve been traveling through various islands of the Philippines as a full-time Expat and spent 1999 living in Vietnam.
Share with me my ongoing adventures of life in the Philippines. Hopefully you find my observations helpful in your own adventures.
— Reekay
LINKS:
Recent Interview with John.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDJQKO-Fup4
Previous Interview with John.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lneBEwPIbtI
Loctote Flak Sack Ⅱ – Anti Theft Backpack.. https://amzn.to/3tXuBDk
The Only Filipina Dating Site I recommend.. https://bit.ly/christian-filipina-dating
Tips On How To Save Money on Air Flights.. https://bit.ly/Save-on-Airfare-secrets
New Customer Discount, where I buy my Vitamins.. https://bit.ly/life-extensions-vitamins-Discount
My Official LifeBeyondTheSea Merch Store.. https://reekays-lifebeyondthesea.creator-spring.com/
My New Late Night Podcast Channel.. https://www.youtube.com/c/LATENIGHTWithReekay
My Free Crypto Daily Investor’s Group.. http://www.facebook.com/groups/cryptodaily.withreekay
Reekay’s Healthy Habits FB Group.. https://www.facebook.com/groups/reekay.healthyhabits
My FB group for travel news updates.. https://www.facebook.com/groups/expats.in.asia.news.chat
View My Videos by Category here.. http://bit.ly/reekays-video-playlists
Reekay’s Expat Hangout.. https://www.facebook.com/groups/reekays.expat.hangout
If you find my content helpful, tips are welcome. 🙂
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/reekay
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Going to live in a foreign country without a decent income and emergency fund is just a bad idea. There’s not much you can do for someone who can’t see that.
And don’t forget her family! That is always a problem needs deal with right away.
Poor planning john. No emergency fund, no plan for medical costs.
John is a scam artist, I would never give him dime
This is a crazy story. John is a real F up for sure but real tragedy is he is leaving two babies to grow up in poverty. He’ll bum around the US and take advantage of our free socialist stuff and probably not return to the PI. Why did he have to knock up that poor Filipina? I don’t blame her she’s a country province bumken, but he knows better.
The question is what about his kids?
Hollywood will be looking at a movie about John soon
In a country with no free health service no welfare you have to be all those services to all people
I would never go to the Philippines to live until I retire and have a consistent income that I can budget.
That being said, I plan on retiring at 62 (two and a half more years) and I will visit and do a little research of where I want to live, then make sure that I can afford to live the way I want to. ($2,200 a month) social security and pension from my job, and money that will stay in the bank at home just in case.
And I prefer living in the country or province as you would say there, I don’t do too well the will living in a crowded city.
But I still want to have electricity and water available.
I was thinking somewhere on the island of Cebu or Negros Island.
Thank you for doing this. Question, Are there homeless shelters in the Philippines?
The lesson I learned is to (Know they self) it is not that John‘s plan could not have worked it is that John lacked the self-discipline to stick to a strict budget regardless of what comes up.
Hi Reekay, just a question, Did John remmember to register his twin girls at the US embassy in Manila so they can get US citizenship ? Can he do it while in the US ?
We need a government welfare program for American citizens stuck abroad seriously it’s better than sending hundreds of billions to Ukraine. I want my tax dollars going to help fellow Americans
I can make 5k usd every day so yeah not worried
What about that truck or bus he bought for his brother-in-law?
It seems to me the main problem with these guys is they get with the wrong women
So basically if your screwed financially in USA your screwed everywhere and if your wealthy or well off in USA then you’ll be good anywhere nothing changes in this world
There is no Filipina scamming foreigners in the beginning , it is the foreigner who scammed the Filipina. They only retaliated when they realized they were exploited.
Golden Rule in the Philippines: if you are older by 20 years or more to your Filipina, your money is a fair trade, at least $300 for her family per month is a good deal. You got a wife for sex, you got a maid to clean, to cook , to wash your clothes, iron your clothes ,free tour guide, you can stay permanently without hassle and most importantly you have protection in the community. Don’t go to the Philippines and live like a King without enough resources, do these foreigners wash and iron their clothes? No they use the Filipina as Sex and Maid, Here is a perspective , in USA if you use a young blonde american as Sex, Cook, Cleaner , Wash your clothes, Iron your clothes, Tour guide, it will cost you $10,000 a month. Remember this every family member in the Philippines must help her/his family if she/he can.
I’ve been watching you for years, at least since i first started going to Pinas as a researcher, and I also watched that video you mentioned. When I arrived in Pinas several years ago, I was there to gather historical research but as a divorced man started dating Filipinas…lots of them. Long story short, I ran into this expat community and found them incredibly annoying, but predictable. They reminded me of the naïve guys I met in the US Navy back in the day, but to your point, I began to notice many of these folks in the streets begging, run down, and basically homeless. What gives, I thought?
There is a HUGE part of your story that is missing, and which would go a long way in helping others, and this was the thousands he spent on building a house for his wife, who then booted him out. This is a common them in the Philippines I noticed after talking with about a dozen expats. There are certain trends and tendencies to becoming broke, but this one is one of the big ones. To get him to build a house is one of those areas where expats get burned or get blessed. Its a toss up.
I’m still interested in the historical research, but these stories of expats from all over the world going abroad for love and becoming broke is much more fascinating. I apologize if I offend anyone, but from a research and book proposal perspective, this is the kind of research that works. But you need to keep a better record, Reekay. What age? Nationality? Marriage? Background? Money, of course, as you pointed out, but also where that money went. In John’s case, it went towards building that house for his wife…only to be hated afterwards. I think you should write a book….cuz I’m definitely thinking of doing one…
If you don’t make the kid DON’T PAY FOR IT.
Magandang gabi po,
Honestly I say more than 3 grand like at least 5 because it costs money a plane ticket and everything else just to get back to the US and then you need money for an apartment and everything else.. I’m curious to see how it’s going for him it should be easy to get a job there’s so many of them… Honestly if you had a car you could start working tomorrow you could do Uber or some kind of food delivery… But that’s not an option I’m sure because he can’t even get a car because he doesn’t have a job.
Great advice bro. Back in 2013 I was gonna try what you did and just pull up stakes here and just go there and wing it. Thank Holy Father I looked at more of your vids and readjusted my plan lol.
Buena labor Enrique que habeis hecho con John.. Espero que aprenda la leccion.
As you rightly point out John was extremely lucky to get the support he did. Especially having a group of people in the US willing to pick up where the guys in the Philipines left off!
Looking at John it’s clear he has a number of issues the fact he still needs help with organising transportation timetables and just organising his daily life leads me to think has he got what it takes to survive a return to the Philipines?
In one interview with Paul he was given a step by step guide by Paul
1. Get the children US Citizenship.
2. Get yourself a job look at your income living expenses and work out how much you can afford to send to the Philippines to help Diana and the babies.
3. When you claim Social Security you can claim additional money to support your children if they are US citizens.
Paul gave him a TO DO list. I’m sure other guys in the support group have given similar advice and support.
Looking at John it seemed the lights were on but nobody was home.
I hope he develops the skills he needs to survive wherever he goes as a tribute to those who have helped and supported him.
Luck like that tends not to come your way twice.
What you guys did is amazing.
the total brutal and naked true !!!! i was appalled to find out that some expats would go to a foreign country with a set amount of money and expect to live on a dime forever !!!! if and this a big if a person goes like this overseas, then it will be the worse mistake of a life time !! im not a rich person but i ve worked and keep working and have a decent financial cushion for tomorrow . lets be realistic and not hoping to win the lottery in your dreams.
If your are poor stay in the USA.
My story if anyone cares to read was the opposite.i came here pre covid to live with my ladyboy lover im lgbt n HIV poz.i baught.her
Spare the the hate! I got her
A salon $4000ish n $200 to rent big mistake.she ruined it and covid struke .lost both went back to usa lived in a car nice car but a car for15 months n couch surfed friends all in all 2yrs
Came back when borders opened and I’m not Homeless no more! Live in
Gated village $260 .get $1000 about a month S.S.
HIV… Get HIV treated here good not bad.i cant island hop like Gio $$$$ but it beats living in a car in La showering gym or wherever
My brothers well off so I guess in a emergency he can help but I don’t ask$$$ he does give though….thats all…..ps 2 yrs in USA I saved $$$$$ for my return
About shy of $8000
“This group is not an eternal welfare program.” Does John realize this? I think it’s admirable that you all helped him out and people can learn from his experience and know that they won’t make the same mistakes. John is a poster boy of everything NOT to do as an expat with a limited budget. He suffers from drug addict like reasoning. You would have to go out of your way to make the same mistakes that he did.
Good reminder to remind people that it is easy to make big mistakes really quick that could leave you destitute. An ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure. Thanks for sharing and helping John.
It is paul story and others that helped him??
Actually none of this should ever need to be said. It’s so dawn bleeding obvious that if I actually tried to say this to functioning adult they would probably feel very insulted and patronized.
I hope that everyone watching from a far that are planning to come to PI, do their research and watch videos like yours. Been here for 8 months now with my wife, retired early loving life. I am military retired with pension and VA disability but we still watch our budget.
Great video, thanks to you guys painting a realistic picture of everything. Getting a job in the Philippines? No, very difficult as it’s mainly a retirement place, thanks to you as well for being part of helping John out
In summary…. some people are totally irresponsible. Don’t be one of them.
John went back to the USA with Paul’s help so hopefully in the future he’ll be able to come back to the Philippines better prepared next time.
You need income full stop no matter how much you have, you need to replace savings
Great warning video Reekay, people do stupid things in life. MY major opinion, if you are not collecting some king of retirement money, and can only come for 2 weeks a year.There are a lot of girls here that will have 2 or more younger men in there life that is not retired. That is how they get there money.
some people can fall in shitt and end up smelling like roses and in johns case he fell into roses and came out smelling like shitt
Unfortunately, your advice will fall on deaf ears for some would be expats, who still think they can survive in Ph on a shoestring budget, just barely getting by. Worse case scenario if he meets a single mother and will be expected to support them as well as the parents, if you don’t have enough money coming in monthly, it’s the recipe of a nightmare in paradise
I have seen homeless japanese as well there with the same problem too proud to go home.
i wish someone would help me with my money problems.
It may well be different now, but I distinctly remember in about 2010, hearing about US citizens who approached the US Embassy in the Philippines and there was at that time, at least, a system whereby the US government would lend “stuck” US citizens to get back to the USA. It was not a grant or a gift, and the US citizen had to repay the money back to US government.
I would be interested whether you (or John) reached out to the US Embassy or not to determine whether such a system is still in place.
This guy made a long list of bad mistakes and then poured yet more bad decisions on top of that. He got a girl pregnant several times which on the amount of money he had was ludicrous. I fully acknowledge that bad things can happen because I was stranded during covid for 16 months and had to raise funds to support my family which was embarrassing and incredibly hard but I had budgeted and been careful. There was far less support my me and people like me that got stranded than this muppet got and he well and truly made his own bed.
Excellent analysis. I have been watching these ex-pat/PH videos for a few months; helped me to decide PH is not a good fit for me. Still looking into other countries, luckily, I still have a few years to save more and research more.
great vid
If he’s planning to make the $30K last him for one year, then sure it’s possible. But longer? No way
great video.. a must view for those moving overseas.
What a wonderful thing you guys have done, however, I would guess that when John starts sending money that the family and the Barangay take most if not all of it. Also I don’t think that if John comes back that he will be strong enough internallly to manage the conflict between his interests and the family. But you have given him the chance. The rest is up to him.
Reekay I’m constantly gobsmacked by the need for this to be said, to guys that aren’t young too!
U always need to think of worst case scenarios in advance. To come here at age 60 or 61 w/lump sum w/idea SS will kick in at 62 is ok providing u have a ounce of common sense. I did it 5yrs ago at 61& disciplined myself to b rather frugal & nomadic for a couple of years & it all has worked out quite well.
The word is “self-control”. If that is not practiced when you are away from your environment then you are the looser. The case with John is just that. Life has certain rules, like anything else. Do and don’t must apply and adhered to otherwise you are in trouble, and once there it is like drowning in freezing water. If you don’t drown you will freeze to death.
Johns plan would have worked if he disciplined himself, the Philippines is a super cheap country to live in and you do not have to be a Scrooge. With that amount of money available he could have got to his planned mark easily.
It’s amazing what catastrophes the pursuit of a little nookie can get a man into, even an older man. John has blown his life-savings and is now penniless, aside what this group of benevolent men have been assisting him with. Sounds as if he’s incredibly lucky to not be starving on some beach in the Philippines. Think with the bigger head guys, especially when you’re over 50 with little family and/or resources. Or, at the very least, get a dang vasectomy before leaving the U.S. What a huge lesson learned from this man, John.
You dont have any problems until you catch Dengue fever. Every problem you have aint shite compared to Dengue. 6 days in the hospital vomitting blood 3 times a day 103 fever lost 6 pounds spent 2 grand.
shocking that berry lee jordan is still here
Great work!
If you’ve lived 50+ years in a western country and the sum total of your resources is 30k, retiring should not be a thought in your mind. You’ve been retired for a while and should consider working now.
Lesson Numero Uno: Get a VASECTOMY before leaving the U.S.A.
I’ve watched you on and on for years. Your info qas very helpful in many ways. I’m always amazed western men think they can just live in the pinas without a plan. And thinking there will be some safety net they’re not providing themselves.
Since it’s next to impossible for a foreigner to work in the Phil’s , you absolutely need to have a monthly pension or you are independent and have profitable income from your home country … you will turn into those homeless foreigners .. poor choices in your home country lead to
Poor choices in another country
Thanks Reekay, John got himself involved with the wrong filipina . She may not be a bad person herself, but he is about 60 years old while she is 20, plus he got her pregnant plus she has greedy and selfish mom and brother. Also , like you said, lumpsum of money is not enough, you need a Net steady income of at least 17 K USD a year, and – the older you get, the more money you will need. Some people do not realize that while the PH is indeed cheap, it is Not Dirt cheap.
Hard to believe how dumb people can be…. Especially to father kids when broke
Common sense goes a long way. I’m not saying it’s that simple, I’m saying it’s a must to have it and give you a better chance. Things are cheaper but without control, you’ll run out unless you’re pretty rich. Depends on the lifestyle
John was very fortunate. Reekay, you said it perfectly – don’t expect any help from an expat. Thank you and the core group for their kindness and charity in helping John.
This can happen to anybody sometimes some guys who get lucky with the good one they might end up with act like it couldn’t happen to them smh. I had a Filipina girlfriend for 2 years ldr yes we were together in person. I visited her a few times she was good to my face but bad behind my back. I wasted thousands trying to make her life better luckily I still had a job a house and a car back in the states. This happens more often than not. Not always to the extreme. The problem is that a Filipina woman expects 10 times as much from a foreigner than she ever would expect from a Filipina man
Does anyone know what kind of work John did previously?
As Homer Simpson always said : I didnt learn anything !
Reekay, based on your expierence on the cost of living there in the Philippines….what sort of lifestyle would you have on $675 per month?? Wow!!
Man this guy should have known to have other money coming in to go with that I don’t feel sorry this guy now those white guys see how the black man has to live poor in white America
Yep saw the story. You know, for a bit I took on a girl that I thought I really liked, somewhere in the process, I find myself having to eat less to support her. I couldn’t go forward.
Years ago I saw something in the Philippines that I really liked, but I am so Ill prepared to go there, it makes no sense. If I work at it I can retire a bit early and not just survive, but live a little. Other wise it makes no sense.
I can be emotional, but for now I’ll let my rational mind make decisions.
Yeah don’t get involved with flippers just keep to yourself and enjoy your life ….don’t let the parasites attach themselves to you and do not feed the animals
Hey Ricky I really like the video I was a member of John support group I really like how you ran everything down
Guy was just a loser if you listen to him from first video he did with Paul way before this drama. He will be back as soon as he gets his hands on 5k and be on the streets once more. A lost cause if you ask me. Thinking that 30k is enough to leave your job and fly miles away with no insurance and no back up , no retirement shows he is mentally challenged. At 55 if all I have in my name is 30k, I would be doing 3 jobs and eating noodles, not flying overseas to ‘retire’.
She was 19
Simple message : The wise men learn from the mistakes of others. The smart person learns from their own mistakes and the challenged people will forever be making the same mistakes over and over and over again and again. Hard to believe people are putting themselves into a terrible situation over and over again at the expense of others daring to hope that a geographically relocation will help
You’re somewhat right. John didn’t have luck, he had the LORD intervene (blessing) on his behalf. God often works through other people, for God’s purposes. Mark 10:27
John’s downward spiral didn’t just happen when he landed in the Philippines, it started long before that. Disowned by family and friends? I’m curious to know what his life was like leading up to this. When did the irrational thinking start – when he first met Diane? Was he normal before that? Something tells me he had pre existing issues.
Thanks!
John didn’t have to pay penalties for over staying?
Hey Rickay, what does the government do for these homeless expats. They probably have expired visas, no money to go home. Does the government kick them out of the philippines.
There is a weird beep sound in your video Reekay
Alcohol and the pek pek is an addiction for the old lonely expats.
Talk about making some poor choices. Thankfully you, Old Dog, and others stepped up to help John. Hope he is able to regroup and get on with his life.
Expats cannot live on 7 hundred dollars in the philippines. $1,500 monthly income is the minimum you need as an expat.
John’s story is intriguing. Thanks you for sharing your wisdom Rickay. Keep us informed on John’s progress.
I watched this story unfold it’s really great what people did for John but I’m honestly not convinced that everything will work out for him I just don’t think he’ll be able to keep from making mistakes
Expat John learned that Paul will save his a$#
JOHN , won the lottery with you guys, i have seen all the videos of the whole saga , and foremost HE is an adult , you guys have carried him which is admirable, but he needs to PUT HIS BATTERIES ON ,,,,,,,,,,,, and not be so humble and nice guy routine in phils,,,, good luck to John
That was good info, Reekay. It will probably save some people from making a big mistake. it’s nice that there are people like you and Paul that were able to help John this time. I don’t think I was aware of how much money John had to live on until his SS comes thru, so finding out it only came to $675 a month is surprising. I don’t remember the details and timing of his stroke, but that would have contributed to his poor decisions after he was in the Philippians.
Damn, I’d be feeling uncomfortable if I didn’t have $2000 a month coming in and a safety net of min $20K… especially living in a different country and the potential to get locked down there – e.g. C19 and no way to leave.
He rushed over to the Philippines with no real plan and no real research was done on his part along with missing many of the “what ifs” associated with his poor perceptions of money matters. Most of us get that, at least anyone with common sense. Paul’s initial meeting with John could have been some type of divine intervention either way the kids got sick and are now doing well and John is back in the US hopefully getting himself together. All the haters on youtube showed just how some people can be when a man is down while others showed compassion and monetary support and at least offered some words of encouragement.
It’s a problem when foreigners come to SE Asia with unrealistic ideas of how cheap & easy it is to live here. You need an open mind & realize you’re a guest in a country with different customs & conditions that are drastically different than your home country. If you don’t do this you may run into difficult situations that cost you more than you ever expected. John seems to be a special case of a person who lacks common sense. John may be a person who always needs perpetual help to get him through his daily existence. Hopefully, John can find some kind of public assistance. I wonder if John is even capable of finding any kind of decent, well-paying job. Probably not. There are plenty of other lower type jobs in the USA. Perhaps working as a stock clerk, fast-food worker, or even a grocery-store bagger. The last thing John needs is to be encouraged to return to the Philippines. John is too simple to be able to take care of himself.
Hey Reekay,
I thought you were involved in what I called the Steering Committee to get John to this point. Thank you. Hopefully, John can get himself straightened out for the sake of his kids & his wife
Great vlog & good advice
That was awesome that Paul and guys helped him out…Agreed that it’s very hard to spend money on discipline and double your expenses when a woman is involved…What about $100,000? Enough to live overseas with a woman?
Just listening to your video half way I had to comment you’re 100% correct, this video should be a must to all potential foreigners coming to the Philippines.
Reekay, spot on, as a retired army veteran, I have a very good pension, yet I live in the Philippines but I budget my money wisely, yes you must have a good pension to survive here, also be selective on the lady you select. Gave you a thumbs up sir.
Even us $3000 is not enough!!!!
Anybody who is only going to collect $675 a month for social security has been a fuck off his whole life. He is the type of guy who if he won $1 million in a lottery would be broke within 3 years. Why waist oxygen on this loser? Getting a woman pregnant unintentionally happens when your 19 not in your 60s.
How much of a lump sum of money do you think you need to come over there Is with to live Comfortably with a couple of girlfriends. No kids no family
Really great Advice Reekay! As you know, I have a remote job that I’m taking with me to the Philippines, but I know that if anything ever happened to my job, I’d have to come back to the states. 3k would get me home, but then a person has to consider how they are going to live in the states too. It’s important to have a back up plan and a back up plan to the back up plan. Restart money, AND cashflow are vital. Then also, being willing to do what you need to do if things don’t go as planned.
You scared the shit out of me, so yes this video was very helpful.
Very Very smart man you are !!
Moral of the story don’t get involved with single mothers and don’t fall in love. Guys who are retiring do not need to become fathers.
Paul has a Good Heart , also everyone who helped.
(3:59) These women will take everything if you let them. And don’t get them pregnant.
The Gentlemen has a screw loose.
Not directly related but it’s easy to forget and can impact your enjoyment of being an expat. People forget when they have to return home is that still have to pay their medicare/health insurance. Expats (65+) should be paying their medicare parts B and G/N while living in PI so it’s intact on your return home or if you have to go home for major medical (I’m referring to US expats…sure it’s different for other countries). Just a thought, part G medicare supplemental handles 80% of medical while out of country…don’t know the details so do your research.
Sorry for getting a little preachy but forgetting this can bite you and not in a good way.
Thanks to everyone Henry for being part of those amazing journey to guide John to where he is at now! Bless you all for your support, encouragement, and advice!
thats pretty crazy fast help.. to relocate, get an apartment, AND do some interviews within 3-4days. pretty impressive if he’s being honest.
Reekay, I think Paul did an interview with him over a year or so ago, that’s why he went back to Paul when things went south.
Well, Reekay I follow old dog’s channel as well as yours this thing with John kinda went north and south at the same time, you have a situation of he said she said, talk of money being collected and miss appropriated, add accusations of abuse by the woman who is now talking with other YouTubers. What did we learn? no good deed will go unpunished or step up then take the heat, not sure maybe even to just stay in your own lane, who knows!
Excellent video! Would like to hear more updates on Johns progress.
Lesson 1 : Filipinas are expensive. Between them and the family you can be financially ruined. They don’t have boundaries and trying to establish them is tough. Once the boundaries are up they will continually test them. Especially the family.
Lesson 2: Birth control is your responsibility. Never for a moment let the girl control contraception. Society here will pressure the girl to get pregnant.
John’s life is ruined. He might not even come back.
I’ve watched most of Paul and John’s interviews. I can see why this could happened to John (if you’re not familiar with manipulation of money in the Philippines ). I myself got taken for thousands of dollars by a Filipina who I met on social media (who continually lied to me, about her marital status) and I was here in the USA. This was a very hard lesson for me, but I thank God for this lesson, because now I’m hypersensitive to some of the scams that Filipinos and their families do in the Philippines. So when I come to the Philippines I’ll know exactly what not to do. At least for me, this was the first time I ever became involved with the Filipina on social media, So I was completely caught off guard and unaware of the scams in the Philippines. So yes, I could see where John went wrong. This is a very good lesson for John, and hopefully he’ll learn something from it. Some of the filipinas are relentless when it comes to money. You tell them no, and they simply don’t know what no means.
How about not associating with low quality women and learning to manage your money to last until you qualify for Social Security. You cannot teach an old dog new tricks nor teach experience to an old newbie. Experience like anything in life is an earned education.
Why can’t we just admit the 800 pound elephant in the room? The guy is just an idiot. A flat out dumbass. This is Darwinism 101 being carried out before our very eyes. Thankfully he had some really good guys to step in and help otherwise he would literally be a rotting corpse or at best be lying around his “mother in law’s” house like a dumb, useless donkey while being mocked incessantly in a foreign language, day after day after day.
I think would be a good idea for the expats living there like Yourself, Paul, Geo, etc and others to establish funds for emergencies. Not for other expats but for the expats in the group. If everyone puts in say 300 pesos a month $6.00 a month, you can accumulate quite a sum. For emergencies of members in the group not to help other expats. Say someone gets in a car wreck or something serious and needs assistance. They can barrow from the fund to pay it back when they are back on their feet. Again, not to help other expats out but for members of the group. Something to think about?
If he thinks that Social Security is a slam dunk he’s gonna be educated. I had two open heart surgery and type two diabetic. And a mechanic valve inserted in my Arotic. I was turned down twice. Then I hired a Attorney and 18 months later after going to court I was approved.. He’s no where close to having enough medical problems as I was. So good luck. And we won’t see him back anytime soon.
I would say you need at least $5,000
Kudos to everyone involved helping John and thanks to you and Paul giving us the “heads up” on what “not to do” while in the PI. It’s very important to be cautious when you don’t have any “cash flow” income available. Good idea to visit the PI or Thailand and see how much you really need.. then you can get an idea on how to budget yourself.
but when you own 200 rental homes in the US all paid off then you just live on the rental income
How do expats end up like this? I came here with $100 and my VA disability. Me and my wife have a 1 bedroom apartment and we are currently building our home here in Cebu. My wife has a job and health insurance. It sounds to me like poor life decisions and delusions of grandeur about what life would be like here. Calling situations people put themselves in “unexpected” is ignorance on the expats part. Tough love.
All your group did a wonderful thing. I can’t imagine where John would be without the group. Glad you established parameters on the giving too. Please update us on John and his family, on what happens. Great advice on things, wish all new Expats could listen to it.
Thanks to Paul, yourself, and others, John got lucky that there are people that cared enough to help him pull through. Some tough love was also necessary.
Without all that help, it could have ended badly.
Hopefully, John won’t repeat those mistakes. The calvary probably won’t come charging in the second time around.
Hey Henry, sitting in Gerry’s restaurant at Mall of Asia.. headed to get a Dumaguete apartment in October. *Curt, poker player, we met at Buf Wild Wing’s HO CHI MINH.
Hope you’re doing well, hope you make it to the Philippines soon. But left Thailand last month.. will see how Velencia life treats me for a year.
** Your advice and commentary is always spot on.. but it think we can all agree (in this case) that this fella’ had mental health issues.. putting him in a separate category.
Hope you’re winning at life my friend.
Curt
When I lived there in the 80’s banks were paying 8%, 10% 12% interest which could make it possible to live from the interest in part. But yeah, unexpected emergencies complicate matters.
Any idea how John is doing so far back in America?