Most guys on YouTube will tell you why you should retire in the Philippines. I’m going to tell you how I actually got here—mistakes, bad bets on love, busted expectations and all—and why that long, messy road eventually pointed me to Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro. This isn’t theory. It’s twelve-plus years of boots-on-the-ground experience from … Read more
Most people think retiring in the Philippines is beaches, cheap beer, and smiling neighbors. That’s part of it—but nobody at the travel agency explains the power outages, visa rules, or what happens when your blood pressure spikes in a typhoon. Here are 10 things I wish I’d known before I made the jump.
Forget the “live like a king in the Philippines for $1,000 a month” hype. This is my actual monthly budget as an American expat—rent, AC, groceries, helper, healthcare, savings and an emergency fund—broken down in pesos and dollars so you can see what it really takes to live comfortably here without relying on a YouTube channel.
n the U.S., malls are dying. In the Philippines, they’re packed. For many expats, these giant, air-conditioned palaces feel like the American malls they grew up with — only busier, friendlier, and very much alive. If you grew up in the era when “going out” meant getting dropped at the mall for the afternoon, you … Read more