All good points. I’ve updated our budget to take your comments into consideration.
We spent about $1000 on toys. I included that under “Toys and diapers” but I forgot to specify how much was on toys and how much on diapers. I’ve fixed that now.
We spent $700 on shoes/socks (that was the extent of our clothing purchases) and $60 on zoo admission (kids are free. One parent went to the zoo). I’ve now included these under “miscellaneous.” For fun, we try to do free things like going to the park. We don’t watch TV. Everything is new and fun for our kids because they’re still enjoying the newness of Taiwan. We have an unlimited MRT card, so sometimes we ride it up and down just for fun. Our kids especially love the brown line. Perhaps we’ll have to pay more when they get used to (and bored of) the free things.
I’ve also included our cost of electronics at the very end and included an updated “Grand total” at the very very end.
We did spend more than I would have liked. Now I’m being completely honest.
Oh, and we didn’t go to the doctor at all this month. We don’t have health insurance yet (long story). But we should have insurance pretty soon. Do you think that we should include insurance in our budget once it starts getting deducted from my salary? Hm. I’ll have to think about that… because then there’s taxes I could also include and nobody budgets for stuff like that… or should we?
That`s the problem. It is a great retirement destination, but not very good for working. For example, if you have socked away 200K or so while in Taiwan, the lower wage would not be a problem. Likewise, if you have pensions of 2 to 3 K a month, it would be supercomfortable. But just living on an English-teaching wage there? Might be tough.
What is this date night activity you pay 1700twd for that you do within 5 minutes of home in the middle of nowhere in xindian ? I can’t think of any decent restaurants in the area, night market snacks won’t be that much either
I’ll be looking for 30-35 ping somewhere [no too in]convenient for the TES for July/August onwards. My rent budget is 30-35k per month ideally.
We are 2 + a 7yr daughter who is in the French system hence TES and after 2 years in Taipei our intention is to go back to France for a year or two to sell our place there as residents. Long story. We are currently in Singapore and are moving on our own steam without salary. The school fee is the killer to be frank but I’ve decided to swallow it. It’s actually a bit more than the French school here in Singapore WTF.
BETTER check which TES location. Everything is [in]convenient to the TES campus located up the mountain towards Yangmingshan. It’s far from MRT stations so car, bus, taxi, scooter, or bike required. That part alone could take 45 minutes or longer including waiting for bus and traffic at rush hours. Better check when considering commute especially if you want to spend time with family.
A lot of people working at the international schools like TES, TAS, Japanese, and/or with kids, live in Tienmu, Shilin, etc. area. Those with lower budget will settle for older and smaller just to be in area with other foreigners in same situation and with some similar support structure desires.
You can check community center for foreigners for some information https://www.communitycenter.org.tw/. Maybe also the French office in Taipei.
Yep. Little kids go to the location 5 minute walk from Mingde MRT station. AFAIK French citizens are entitled to some kind of government assistance when their kids go to TES.
With a 30 to 35k house budget you can get an older but bigger place in Tianmu, not next to the Mitsukoshi but behind Takashimaya. I have pals who work for the embassies and live around that area, which coincidentally is also closer to the TES. You will also find plenty of supermarkets, cinemas, parks, etc around.
To save on movie tickets, buy them from the local lizhang. They get discounted bunches. Or buy a 10 bunch from the movie theater directly.
The area is also a 10 minute bus drive away from the local amusement park, where you can use the same Easy Card as for the MRT and bus to pay. And no, kids do not get bored from going there every weekend. If you do, there is the science museum next door, the night market, etc. Oh and a humongous public swimming pool.
I’m currently interviewing for jobs based in Taichung, and currently live in Michigan (Kalamazoo) I’m curious how you evaluated an acceptable salary. Was your move within the same company or was it for a new job?
