How is everyone handling the pain this year in regards to the economy here in Taiwan? I’ve been here for almost a year, haven’t managed to save a penny as an English teacher and if it wasn’t for my local girlfriend, I’d probably be back unemployed and living in my parents basement in Australia. So is anybody getting ahead these days?
You’re not living frugally enough, or you’re not working enough. I’ve saved more money here living more extravagantly than I did in Australia. Are you teaching privates? An experienced private teacher can ask a lot more than you’d reasonably get from a buxiban. I get the impression most English teachers here who save money are either couples or teaching privates or both.
Well my ARC school has cut my hours from 20 to 5 since last year. I’ve had to take a second job.at another center which is giving me 4 hours which is a total of 9 hours weekly. I’m finding there’s lots of part time hours here and there, but the English schools seem to be having trouble getting numbers in the classroom from my observation. Finding a stable full-time job seems non-existent.
I have a steady job and I have been tightening the belt, if you know what I mean, for a while. There is a bottom line of savings and investments at my age, and the rest of the salary leaves less and less. I am not one to penny count but yes, it feels like everything is more expensive or at least, there are more expenses. I used to have a lot of surplus. Not anymore. Plus as said no job is safe.
I’m not convinced that “the economy” is a meaningful phrase, but cost of living has definitely increased somewhat relative to salaries in the past 5-10 years.
Your only option is to build your skill base. Knowing how to conjugate English verbs does not, in itself, add to the sum of human happiness. Learn to do stuff that people will pay for - preferably stuff that you are interested in regardless.
Whatever you learned at university will, sadly, be economically useless 20 years from now. Learn some new stuff and you’ll be fine.
Got to concur with Finley, some people are doing better than ever , some worse.
The rate of change is increasing and we all need to keep on our toes these days.
Just came back from the US, the amount of wealth is striking at the same time you get served by 70 year olds in restaurants.
Food for thought.
If we are lucky we live to a healthy and ripe old age so we need to keep ‘upgrading’ ourselves for want of a better word.
So what can one do in Taipei to upgrade themselves? What are some ideas without having to go to University again and getting another degree?
What do you think would be some new stuff worth learning and that people will pay for in the future here?
Everybody and their grandmother is setting up some kind of food related business: breads, cookies, empanadas, tacos, whatever. As long as you have a stand/cheap space/Internet business, it can be kept manegeable, but once you rent and set up a restaurant… you become a slave to the fandong, and failure rate is high. Look at the Taiwanese.
Imports are also popular, it is a hit or miss, but can be quite profitable… once and IF profits come in, which is quite unstable.
Representative offices were a big thing in the past, as dealing with the locals can be quite a headache. Depends on your contacts.
Interestingly, fast growth seems to be in startups, service oriented ones. App development, gaming, services through cellphones. That is something that can be learned on teh side and with a clever idea, may pay up.
Food courier 
The problem is the shitty low incomes in Taiwan.