The Economy: Living here vs there

[Icarus 0]

Ok...here's how it started: my wife and I were driving around the other day and we stopped to fill up on gas. As I'm standing there watching my paycheck disappear, she hit me with a 'what if' that made me seriously re-think our strategy and plans for our future.

"At what point is it too expensive to live in America?"

Now being married to a VN woman, frugality is definitely an artform as well as a way of life, so I expected this question to rear up at some point...but so soon? We've only been married a little more than a year, and doing well (thanks for asking) but living in Cali, gas prices are getting so high its like a weekly kick to the, uhm (to be clean), stomach. To spend almost $100 a week (which is getting off easy to some) on gas and not being able to save it or, better yet, 'donate' it to my in-laws (insert dripping sarcasm here), is driving me a little crazy. News is it aint gonna get better over the summer and possibly $5/gallon by Christmas. So the question begs, when does it seem like life in VN might be easier? I picture life there as I've vacationed...less stressful, well fed, and filled with days in a hammock sipping on a Nuoc Mia teaching the local kids stupid magic tricks and American slang.

As a petitioner, how many days have you spent dreaming of being with your sweetheart? So why not in VN instead of in America, at least part time? I ask all of you: At what point would you consider moving and beginning a new life in another country, just as your better halves are doing or did already? I often think it'd be exciting!

Something to consider and think about....

[pasaitoh 0]

If I could think of a really good business idea, where I could make the equivalent of my US salary, I'd do it in a minute. Don't get me wrong, I love America. We have a lot of freedoms we take for granted.

Actually this is kind of funny, when the FLDS polygamist sect thing broke a little while back Ngoc couldn't understand how the committee allowed it to happen. Didn't they inspect the houses? I was like Honey, people can't just come into your house in America for no reason. The concept was totally alien to her. So while the grass may look greener, remember what you will also be giving up in addition to what you are gaining.

Having lived in Malaysia for two years as a kid, after a while you will long for the US. Warts and all. There is no place like it on earth. And that is partially why a lot of us are stuck in the situation we are. People are desperate to come to the US and will do it any way they can, creating problems for folks like us who have legitimate cases.

So I guess its a glass half full kind of scenario. Sometimes it looks really appealing to me to try and just live in Vietnam. But then I think about how materialistic I am, and my love of central air conditioning, driving a car (even at $4.25 a gallon), and so many things we take for granted. The reality is that although Vietnam is really great, it won't be like vacationing if you have to live there and earn a living. It will be tough hard work, and as a foreigner a lot of the laws are stacked against you.

I don't know if I made any sense at all.

[don2008 0]

Ok...here's how it started: my wife and I were driving around the other day and we stopped to fill up on gas. As I'm standing there watching my paycheck disappear, she hit me with a 'what if' that made me seriously re-think our strategy and plans for our future.

"At what point is it too expensive to live in America?"

Now being married to a VN woman, frugality is definitely an artform as well as a way of life, so I expected this question to rear up at some point...but so soon? We've only been married a little more than a year, and doing well (thanks for asking) but living in Cali, gas prices are getting so high its like a weekly kick to the, uhm (to be clean), stomach. To spend almost $100 a week (which is getting off easy to some) on gas and not being able to save it or, better yet, 'donate' it to my in-laws (insert dripping sarcasm here), is driving me a little crazy. News is it aint gonna get better over the summer and possibly $5/gallon by Christmas. So the question begs, when does it seem like life in VN might be easier? I picture life there as I've vacationed...less stressful, well fed, and filled with days in a hammock sipping on a Nuoc Mia teaching the local kids stupid magic tricks and American slang.

As a petitioner, how many days have you spent dreaming of being with your sweetheart? So why not in VN instead of in America, at least part time? I ask all of you: At what point would you consider moving and beginning a new life in another country, just as your better halves are doing or did already? I often think it'd be exciting!

Something to consider and think about....

as i was reading this i was waiting for the punch line... man i really hope your not really gonna do that. there is plenty of reasons why i woulnd NOT move to Vn.

#1 i like to live a FREE life, thats what our soldiers have fought and died for

#2 just two words, "free trade" if your republican you should know what i mean. Vn is a socialist country and i dont want to be forced to be a democrat *sarcasm*

#3 do you really think they will accept you at a citizen there? im sure it all seem fine and dandy when ur on vacation there, Vn loves you then because your bringing plenty of USD to spend over there.

#4 ever wonder why EVERYONE in the world wants to come here? there must be a good reason for it! i dotn think they want to come live here for cheap gas.

#5 this list could go on for pages and pages!

pasaitoh your post makes perfect sense! even if gas was 10 a gallon there is NO way im leaving the US. the US has it flaws too but im more than happy to go vote and help with making changes here.

[Dau_Que 0]

The only place I would ever spend my time with my wife in VN is Da Lat, because of its weather. You would have to PAY me a huge amount of money before I would consider to spend any of my time in Saigon. Why? People are everywhere! Gosh, I feel like getting trapped in an ant colony! Furthermore, people smoke just way too much overthere!

[Guy&Hoa 0]

Like Icarus, I too have thought long about living in VN...Yes, you would be giving up some comforts and social freedoms that come from living in USA, but the cost of living there is very good relative to a US salary.

The trick is having your finances here relative to the COL there. HCMC is a fairly cosmopolitan city, I like it better than Manila or Bangkok because the VN clamp down on the sex trade and terrible child exploitation more so than than the latter countries...yes, there is significant graft and corruption, but they are tech savvy and hardworking business and entrepreneurship to be found...

Yes, it is a communist country, and I am not an apologist for that, I'm as red-blooded americano as they come.. but I actually enjoyed my time in VN for the (4) times I visited, I could see myself being en ex-pat there but my plans are to move their after retirement, I have children from prior marriage to care for before I move to VN. Just my 2 cnts.........

-Guy&Hoa

[STL_HCMC 0]

Great post, Icarus. I met my wife while I was an ex-pat living in HCMC for nearly two years. It had its pros and cons, but I'd go back again with the right opportunity. Living in HCMC really changed my life, and helped me realize how much I took for granted being an American and living in the United States.

Below are links to some Vietnam Ex-Pat Blogs that I still keep up with from time to time. Thought you may enjoy reading.

orangwutang

Antidote to Burnout

charvey in Vietnam (Chris is General Director, Vietnamworks.com)

The Final World

Saigon Files

SaigonNezumi

Virtual Doug

[patricks 0]

25% inflation in May........typical "Crash and burn".....then rebuilt again.

Maybe the "noise" will decrease :-)

P

[patricks 0]

rebuild

[Teacher Mark 53]

Great post, Icarus. I met my wife while I was an ex-pat living in HCMC for nearly two years. It had its pros and cons, but I'd go back again with the right opportunity. Living in HCMC really changed my life, and helped me realize how much I took for granted being an American and living in the United States.

Below are links to some Vietnam Ex-Pat Blogs that I still keep up with from time to time. Thought you may enjoy reading.

orangwutang

Antidote to Burnout

charvey in Vietnam (Chris is General Director, Vietnamworks.com)

The Final World

Saigon Files

SaigonNezumi

Virtual Doug

Thanks for the post. You taught English there didn't you? I'm leaving in November and plan on staying there a few years.

[Jack & Xuan 0]

Great post, Icarus. I met my wife while I was an ex-pat living in HCMC for nearly two years. It had its pros and cons, but I'd go back again with the right opportunity. Living in HCMC really changed my life, and helped me realize how much I took for granted being an American and living in the United States.

Below are links to some Vietnam Ex-Pat Blogs that I still keep up with from time to time. Thought you may enjoy reading.

orangwutang

Antidote to Burnout

charvey in Vietnam (Chris is General Director, Vietnamworks.com)

The Final World

Saigon Files

SaigonNezumi

Virtual Doug

Thanks for the post. You taught English there didn't you? I'm leaving in November and plan on staying there a few years.

I am intrested in what your plans are for what you will do for income once you are there and what you will do with your responsibilities here befroe you go. My brother told me that I should just take out a second mortgauge on my house and then just leave. I am not sure that is a good option but there has to be a middle ground. I was a US Marine and I am all for America but I just can not stop thinking about living there. It has been almost a year since my first trip to meet Xuan and I have been back once since. I am not sure I can bring myself to leave if I go back for another visit.

[Teacher Mark 53]

Great post, Icarus. I met my wife while I was an ex-pat living in HCMC for nearly two years. It had its pros and cons, but I'd go back again with the right opportunity. Living in HCMC really changed my life, and helped me realize how much I took for granted being an American and living in the United States.

Below are links to some Vietnam Ex-Pat Blogs that I still keep up with from time to time. Thought you may enjoy reading.

orangwutang

Antidote to Burnout

charvey in Vietnam (Chris is General Director, Vietnamworks.com)

The Final World

Saigon Files

SaigonNezumi

Virtual Doug

Thanks for the post. You taught English there didn't you? I'm leaving in November and plan on staying there a few years.

I am intrested in what your plans are for what you will do for income once you are there and what you will do with your responsibilities here befroe you go. My brother told me that I should just take out a second mortgauge on my house and then just leave. I am not sure that is a good option but there has to be a middle ground. I was a US Marine and I am all for America but I just can not stop thinking about living there. It has been almost a year since my first trip to meet Xuan and I have been back once since. I am not sure I can bring myself to leave if I go back for another visit.

I'm going to live on savings initially and then try to find work teaching English. I don't own a home and have minimal expenses, so it's fairly simple for me. I've withheld the I-130 and plan on filing a year or so after I get there. The USCIS has a field office there, but there is a one year residency requirement.

If things don't work out I will be leaving my job on good terms. They always need drivers.

[STL_HCMC 0]

I actually wasn't an English teacher, however, there are many ex-pats in HCMC that are teaching English. My wife studied English at Hoi Viet My in Tan Binh District and really enjoyed her time there. The first blog I listed, orangwutang, I believe he is teaching law at RMIT on the Saigon South campus. He has some interesting teaching perspective.

STL_HCMC

Thanks for the post. You taught English there didn't you? I'm leaving in November and plan on staying there a few years.

[Icarus 0]

STL- THanks for the links!! I've got some reading ahead! And thanks to the other posters, as I'm very interested in other point of views when it comes to this, but let me steer the topic back a little as I think this is a real interesting conversation for the VN VJers. Its simply this:

At what point is too expensive to live in the US? For the first time in my life, I find myself looking at the economy and worrying about a depression greater than 1929. We all have our individual exit strategy (probably better thought out than our militarys) but, what would compel you to live in VN? Would it be $5/gallon gas or the economy, another terrorist attack, losing your house to a flood, or a request from your spouse?

But to some of the posters that state patriotism as their reason for staying and never leaving the US, this isn't about flag waving, or specific basic rights given to us at birth...it's about making a choice with your significant other to have the best quality of life available. Yes, I believe we have more choices available to us here and much more personal freedoms, BUT at what cost financially or physically? Anyways, what do you all think?

Edited June 28, 2008 by Icarus

[Teacher Mark 53]

STL- THanks for the links!! I've got some reading ahead! And thanks to the other posters, as I'm very interested in other point of views when it comes to this, but let me steer the topic back a little as I think this is a real interesting conversation for the VN VJers. Its simply this:

At what point is too expensive to live in the US? For the first time in my life, I find myself looking at the economy and worrying about a depression greater than 1929. We all have our individual exit strategy (probably better thought out than our militarys) but, what would compel you to live in VN? Would it be $5/gallon gas or the economy, another terrorist attack, losing your house to a flood, or a request from your spouse?

But to some of the posters that state patriotism as their reason for staying and never leaving the US, this isn't about flag waving, or specific basic rights given to us at birth...it's about making a choice with your significant other to have the best quality of life available. Yes, I believe we have more choices available to us here and much more personal freedoms, BUT at what cost financially or physically? Anyways, what do you all think?

Being with my Wife is my only motivation for relocating there. They could deny the Visa as much as they want. We'll simply wait it out.

[don2008 0]

STL- THanks for the links!! I've got some reading ahead! And thanks to the other posters, as I'm very interested in other point of views when it comes to this, but let me steer the topic back a little as I think this is a real interesting conversation for the VN VJers. Its simply this:

At what point is too expensive to live in the US? For the first time in my life, I find myself looking at the economy and worrying about a depression greater than 1929. We all have our individual exit strategy (probably better thought out than our militarys) but, what would compel you to live in VN? Would it be $5/gallon gas or the economy, another terrorist attack, losing your house to a flood, or a request from your spouse?

But to some of the posters that state patriotism as their reason for staying and never leaving the US, this isn't about flag waving, or specific basic rights given to us at birth...it's about making a choice with your significant other to have the best quality of life available. Yes, I believe we have more choices available to us here and much more personal freedoms, BUT at what cost financially or physically? Anyways, what do you all think?

im guessing your pretty young?? if you have been around for a few major elections you should know by now the economy ALWAYS slumps around this time. everyone is just too dam scared to get out and spend money now. this time next year the US will be fine again. have you really thought about how much different it will be living there? my fiancee has been here for 1 week now and she just told me last night she is 1000% sure she does not want to ever live in Vn again, she just wants to go on vacations there. that alone tells me i dont want to live there. i also just learned another fact about living in Vn, they dont have the right to own a fire arms. im not really a gun freak but i do own one and i happen to like being able to own it.