COST OF LIVING IN TRINIDAD $$$$

[*KRONIK*]

The key to living cheap as a man is to not get married.
Married life will leave you broke.

Clearly u dont know where to find a good woman.

[eurotuner]

I remember some years back, i had a coworker that made almost twice as me.
- Her Rent was TT8500
- She LEASE a car (Mitsubishi 2.0, it was fresh then, so expensive)
- She bought food (breakfast dinner, snacks) EVERY SINGLE day

The last week of the month, she totally broke, asking me for $20 for buy a snack to eat
and trying to beg for my lunch that i brought from home.

OHH she also does not believe in buying a house.
She's has this "millenial" mind state, were life should be happy and free and
avoid of all encumbrances. Totally freekin' nuts.

[adnj]

children cost money. Cost of living is going up and it is increasingly expensive to take care of a child.

This is the insightful thing that I've read today.

[adnj]

The key to living cheap as a man is to not get married.
Married life will leave you broke.

Clearly u dont know where to find a good woman.

"He may know how to find a good woman but does he know how to keep a good woman?"

In general, men who get married live longer, are happier and are wealthier than single men, worldwide.

[*KRONIK*]

The key to living cheap as a man is to not get married.
Married life will leave you broke.

Clearly u dont know where to find a good woman.

"He may know how to find a good woman but does he know how to keep a good woman?"

In general, men who get married live longer, are happier and are wealthier than single men, worldwide.

[The_Honourable]

Date or marry someone who has similar financial goals in mind. If he/she is one to want the latest fashions and designs, and always want to be seen, you will most likely end up broke.

THIS!!!

[urbandilema]

I remember some years back, i had a coworker that made almost twice as me.
- Her Rent was TT8500
- She LEASE a car (Mitsubishi 2.0, it was fresh then, so expensive)
- She bought food (breakfast dinner, snacks) EVERY SINGLE day

The last week of the month, she totally broke, asking me for $20 for buy a snack to eat
and trying to beg for my lunch that i brought from home.

OHH she also does not believe in buying a house.
She's has this "millenial" mind state, were life should be happy and free and
avoid of all encumbrances. Totally freekin' nuts.

Hmm old ppl saying don't hang your hat where u can't reach it..I believe in live in your means

[88sins]

The key to living cheap as a man is to not get married.
Married life will leave you broke.

investing our efforts in baddists now are we

but it can be true, dependent on the individuals to some extent. to expound...
life being married a PITA will leave you forever broke & always be in dire need to the point of desperation & exasperation & feeling miserable most times
life married to a good spouse you might be broke sometimes, but never ever really in dire need or miserable.
it all boils down to whether or not you have the skills as a man to reprogram a female to meet your required specs, & if you willing to make some changes about yourself for the sake of the person yuh think yuh want to be with.

[urbandilema]

The key to living cheap as a man is to not get married.
Married life will leave you broke.

investing our efforts in baddists now are we

but it can be true, dependent on the individuals to some extent. to expound...
life being married a PITA will leave you forever broke & always be in dire need to the point of desperation & exasperation & feeling miserable most times
life married to a good spouse you might be broke sometimes, but never ever really in dire need or miserable.
it all boils down to whether or not you have the skills as a man to reprogram a female to meet your required specs, & if you willing to make some changes about yourself for the sake of the person yuh think yuh want to be with.

Hmm interesting title man will always do that.i know 2 coworkers leave their wife to go with those types..lmao

[rspann]

Guntresses does flex real good, easy to see why men fall for them.




#baddistsahtherealest

[The_Honourable]

The key to living cheap as a man is to not get married.
Married life will leave you broke.

investing our efforts in baddists now are we

but it can be true, dependent on the individuals to some extent. to expound...
life being married a PITA will leave you forever broke & always be in dire need to the point of desperation & exasperation & feeling miserable most times
life married to a good spouse you might be broke sometimes, but never ever really in dire need or miserable.
it all boils down to whether or not you have the skills as a man to reprogram a female to meet your required specs, & if you willing to make some changes about yourself for the sake of the person yuh think yuh want to be with.

I hear you on "re-programming" but if the system corrupted beyond repair, a man could know all the reprogramming and will still end up with a dud.

That is why men (& women) need to ask the tough questions before getting serious with someone. People walking around with baggage but will be on their best behavior at the beginning of the relationship. By the time red flags come up, you already invested yuh money, time and emotions in that person. You might even rationalize away dem red flags where eventually you realize you are with some demon. Good men and women turn bad when they encounter these beasts.

A good spouse will keep you on track, especially with your finances. A bad one will leave you sick and broke.

[urbandilema]

The key to living cheap as a man is to not get married.
Married life will leave you broke.

investing our efforts in baddists now are we

but it can be true, dependent on the individuals to some extent. to expound...
life being married a PITA will leave you forever broke & always be in dire need to the point of desperation & exasperation & feeling miserable most times
life married to a good spouse you might be broke sometimes, but never ever really in dire need or miserable.
it all boils down to whether or not you have the skills as a man to reprogram a female to meet your required specs, & if you willing to make some changes about yourself for the sake of the person yuh think yuh want to be with.

I hear you on "re-programming" but if the system corrupted beyond repair, a man could know all the reprogramming and will still end up with a dud.

That is why men (& women) need to ask the tough questions before getting serious with someone. People walking around with baggage but will be on their best behavior at the beginning of the relationship. By the time red flags come up, you already invested yuh money, time and emotions in that person. You might even rationalize away dem red flags where eventually you realize you are with some demon. Good men and women turn bad when they encounter these beasts.

A good spouse will keep you on track, especially with your finances. A bad one will leave you sick and broke.

True that a marriage I learn so far us team work whether one make more than the other.
Baggage now is another I had occasion in the past a former girlfriend wanted us to marry very early in the relationship.fact is I never thought that was a good idea.also some women and men have there baggage it's meeting a spose who is willing to change,accept change and support one another though it.then again some relationships don't need the marriage aspect the common law union works out great for them.sorry again going off topic..

On this topic chicken is scarce and many chicken depot owners selling pigeons for small prices at the high prices..I don't know how people getting by sometimes.i mean by as many people have lost jobs and in some case there is one bread winner.

[Ted_v2]

Guntresses does flex real good, easy to see why men fall for them.




#baddistsahtherealest

Most truth in this ched.


But my opinion is serious budgeting saves you money. For a single person, I can see buying lunch making sense rather than cooking.

Buy the biggest saver is honestly buying in bulk and not buying retail drinks.

[cracker]

I hate to hearing working people make excuses because of their children...when something not going right, blame the child...you signed up for that responsibility when yuh lay down and take yuh piggy...your child is your responsibility not a burden or something to be used as excuses....

reach tuh work late...blame the child
can't meet a deadline...blame the child

This is as sad as calling in sick the day after you had one too many the evening before! This "abuse" certainly makes things difficult for parents who are genuinely "slowed down" by the fact that they have "dependents".
Thankfully, there seems to be more awareness about the challenges faced by parents. One example is an advertisement with a man asking to take the day off and then the camera shifts to his toddler in a crib. How exactly does he take a day off from that? Children do not plan and parents have to share alot of their time with their children if they want to raise them up right.
I felt truly sorry for that man who was arrested when the child drowned in POS (east dry river I think). The man was trying, school starts at 8:30am and he has to be at work for 8:00am, maybe 9:00am. Depending on the distance between school and work, he may have to drop them of very early (and risk increasing their exposure to bullies) to make it to work on time. One may say he could hare a school van, or use the school maxi-taxi. But then, who stays with them while they wait for the transport if he is a single parent? Then we have the pick up, school finishes at 2:30 - 3:00pm and work will finish at 4:00 - 5:00pm.
I must say that I respect Fitzgerald Hinds for giving his support to this man!
The fact remains, if we are to preserve the existence of human beings, we need productive, goodwill people to make AND properly raise children. Not what is happening now.... some of us happy with getting cheap/ free HDC houses and having children for different men to get maintenance money to dress up, lime and make more children!

To answer the OP question, it's not how much you make, it's what you do with it. I have seen people with very small income live a comfortable life, especially people who do farming. IMHO, the social life does not have to be at the movies, bar, club etc. It should just be time spent with your close friends at your home/ apt. Cook your own food, even if it costs the same, it will certainly save you on the medical bills. Limit your visits to the grocery, the more you go there, the more likely you will buy unnecessary things. Buy only what you need and be sure to compare prices of 1. things you buy often, 2. things that are expensive. Don't keep too much money in your wallet, if you have the money, you might be tempted to spend it. A budget is probably the most effective thing but it has a steep learning curve if you are not too disciplined. And of course, some of the posts before have very good suggestions.

You made some very good points, but although some of the advice you mentioned are hard to refute, it's still opinion and other people will see things differently for example how they socialize. However, your comments are highly noted.

[cracker]

with respects to the OP's question...it really depends on the type of lifestyle you wish to live...you can't have mauby $$ with champagne taste, it won't work.....I have seen several families get by with small salaries no matter how pricey things get..

What you are saying is true, but some of those families although they are getting by it can be a miserable experience.

[cracker]

If you're buying a 1.5m starter house in central, usually 150k downpayment and a 1.35m loan.

A 30 year loan at 6% interest rate would be $8093.93 per month. For that $8093 to be 30%, that would mean the total income after tax for the household is $26,976 or approximately 27k.

The average income per household in TT is far below 27k.

The mortgage qualification estimate rule is 31% of gross income. The 31% must also take into account property insurance, loan insurance and property taxes.

That would likely move the gross combined household minimum income to ~$28,700 to qualify for the loan.

It's really nice to know that there are so many educated people commenting on this post.

[cracker]

I hate to hearing working people make excuses because of their children...when something not going right, blame the child...you signed up for that responsibility when yuh lay down and take yuh piggy...your child is your responsibility not a burden or something to be used as excuses....

reach tuh work late...blame the child
can't meet a deadline...blame the child

Comments are not biased..i agree men complain...but some women do it more

I have seen this happen many times at my workplace in different departments. Yes men will state at times that having children "nuh easy" but i have seen many women use their children as an excuse (sympathy card) to come late, leave during work, or leave before the end of their shift to collect their children. Then when they get reprimanded, they more vex than you and say "meh children first", "there need to be more allowances for women", "man does get away with ting", "the manager doh like meh" etc. Whoever want to get emotional and bawl sexism can suck salt.

I had a manager above me who is a single mother and made it her business to be at work before 8am and leave after work hours. Is not often she will bring the child to the workplace, and if she does, she will get permission to do so. She never uses her child as an excuse and works hard.

Ben_spanna is correct. At the end of the day, whether you find a child is a blessing from God, or you want to make one so you can fit socially with family, church, friends and get dem likes on facebook, or even to lockdown the woman or man, children cost money. Cost of living is going up and it is increasingly expensive to take care of a child. It's not easy to have a worklife and be a parent at the same time but both the male and the female should know this before bringing a child into the world. Plan accordingly and use birth control until you are ready.

I have seen this over and over again with regards to some women in the workplace

[cracker]

I believe there was a post about this issue sometime ago but I have to say that to maintain a decent lifestyle in this country is becoming very expensive!!! When you look at the cost of living, insurance premiums, gas, food, shelter/rent I really don't know some people are surviving. On the topic of food, at one point in time it's like every day I was spending $100 and the grocery (I do buy in bulk mind you). Even if you are socializing with friends or taking out your companion some where nice for example the movies. That could easily run up to $400 or more. The cost of tickets , food gas to reach there etc. A general question what type of earnings does one have to make on a monthly basis to maintain your life style. Keep in mind that it's not my intention to make a this post political. If you don't like pnm/ unc you can say so if you want but that's really your business. What are your thoughts?

The key is to live like well below your means You can make $60,000/month but live like you make $10,000/month.

- Cook food and bring to work instead of buying breakfast/lunch daily. I note that I can save thousands per year by bringing meals to work.

- Walk, ride a bike, or take public transport to work.

- Shop on sales for everything and buy in bulk to save even more (ie PriceSmart).

- Date or marry someone who has similar financial goals in mind. If he/she is one to want the latest fashions and designs, and always want to be seen, you will most likely end up broke.

- Always save extra and diversify your saving options. Invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, commodities, etc.

I think the two biggest expenses are FOOD and CHILDREN, but with proper planning and budgeting those expenses can be cut in half.

And how many of us actually do follow the recommendations you provided? I am not saying everyone but Trinidad is a spendthrift society.

[cracker]

children cost money. Cost of living is going up and it is increasingly expensive to take care of a child.

This is the insightful thing that I've read today.

Same here

[RedVEVO]

I hate to hearing working people make excuses because of their children...when something not going right, blame the child...you signed up for that responsibility when yuh lay down and take yuh piggy...your child is your responsibility not a burden or something to be used as excuses....

reach tuh work late...blame the child
can't meet a deadline...blame the child

Comments are not biased..i agree men complain...but some women do it more

I have seen this happen many times at my workplace in different departments. Yes men will state at times that having children "nuh easy" but i have seen many women use their children as an excuse (sympathy card) to come late, leave during work, or leave before the end of their shift to collect their children. Then when they get reprimanded, they more vex than you and say "meh children first", "there need to be more allowances for women", "man does get away with ting", "the manager doh like meh" etc. Whoever want to get emotional and bawl sexism can suck salt.

I had a manager above me who is a single mother and made it her business to be at work before 8am and leave after work hours. Is not often she will bring the child to the workplace, and if she does, she will get permission to do so. She never uses her child as an excuse and works hard.

Ben_spanna is correct. At the end of the day, whether you find a child is a blessing from God, or you want to make one so you can fit socially with family, church, friends and get dem likes on facebook, or even to lockdown the woman or man, children cost money. Cost of living is going up and it is increasingly expensive to take care of a child. It's not easy to have a worklife and be a parent at the same time but both the male and the female should know this before bringing a child into the world. Plan accordingly and use birth control until you are ready.

I have seen this over and over again with regards to some women in the workplace

There is a epidemic of teen pregnancies and single mothers in Trini.

"Baby Father" is never around .

And does not contribute to child's welfare or very little ($200 p/month)

It is a PNM life style .

[88sins]

It's not political, it's just the product of when idiot kids have kids that have kids.
Nobody ever taught them that it costs money to raise a child, or anything whatsoever about financial planning & how to make smart spending choices. Thing's like how a 3 pack of latex piggy sox is a lot cheaper than one tin of enfamil, or that it's better iun the long run to watch your bank balance grow steadily & enjoy yourself moderately within your means than to have a blast with some gold diggers on payday & ketch yuh royal arse till next payday.

Experience keeps an expensive school, but a fool will learn in no other.

[RedVEVO]

^^^

Certain people have a life style where they cannot care less ..

Even when children are involved ..

It is political .

[Ted_v2]

Trinidadian too damn happy, Yall ever saw steel or toppers on a weekend? jesus.

[Numb3r4]

Trinidadian too damn happy, Yall ever saw steel or toppers on a weekend? jesus.

Exactly...I still wonder where Trinidadians getting this money every week......

Either they are more people in debt than we care to admit or the working public are living paycheck to paycheck.

[gastly369]

Trinidadian too damn happy, Yall ever saw steel or toppers on a weekend? jesus.

Exactly...I still wonder where Trinidadians getting this money every week......

Either they are more people in debt than we care to admit or the working public are living paycheck to paycheck.

Lifestyle image to maintain....

[adnj]

It's not political. It's social. Teenage pregnancy is a health issue worldwide. More people in less space and societies that refuse to educate teenagers about birth control, abstinence, abortion, STDs, etc.

---------

Adolescent pregnancy

WHO Fact sheet 
Updated September 2014

Key facts
About 16 million girls aged 15 to 19 and some 1 million girls under 15 give birth every year—most in low- and middle-income countries.Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the second cause of death for 15-19 year-old girls globally.Every year, some 3 million girls aged 15 to 19 undergo unsafe abortions.Babies born to adolescent mothers face a substantially higher risk of dying than those born to women aged 20 to 24.Birth rates

There has been a marked, although uneven, decrease in the birth rates among adolescent girls since 1990, but some 11% of all births worldwide are still to girls aged 15 to 19 years old. The vast majority of these births (95%) occur in low- and middle-income countries.

The 2014 World Health Statistics indicate that the average global birth rate among 15 to 19 year olds is 49 per 1000 girls. Country rates range from 1 to 299 births per 1000 girls, with the highest rates in sub-Saharan Africa.

Adolescent pregnancy remains a major contributor to maternal and child mortality, and to the cycle of ill-health and poverty.

Contexts

For some adolescents, pregnancy and childbirth are planned and wanted, but for many they are not. Adolescent pregnancies are more likely in poor, uneducated and rural communities. In some countries, becoming pregnant outside marriage is not uncommon. By contrast, some girls may face social pressure to marry and, once married, to have children. More than 30% of girls in low- and middle-income countries marry before they are 18; around 14% before they are 15.

Some girls do not know how to avoid getting pregnant: sex education is lacking in many countries. They may feel too inhibited or ashamed to seek contraception services; contraceptives may be too expensive or not widely or legally available. Even when contraceptives are widely available, sexually active adolescent girls are less likely to use them than adults. Girls may be unable to refuse unwanted sex or resist coerced sex, which tends to be unprotected.

Health effects

Pregnancy and childbirth complications are the second cause of death among 15 to 19 year olds globally. However, there have been significant drops in the number of deaths in all regions since 2000, most notably in South-East Asia where mortality rates fell from 21 to 9 per 100 000 girls. Some 3 million unsafe abortions among girls aged 15 to 19 take place each year, contributing to maternal deaths and to lasting health problems.

Early childbearing increases the risks for both mothers and their newborns. In low- and middle-income countries, babies born to mothers under 20 years of age face a 50% higher risk of being still born or dying in the first few weeks versus those born to mothers aged 20-29. The younger the mother, the greater the risk to the baby. Newborns born to adolescent mothers are also more likely to have low birth weight, with the risk of long-term effects.

Economic and social consequences

Adolescent pregnancy can also have negative social and economic effects on girls, their families and communities. Many girls who become pregnant have to drop out of school. A girl with little or no education has fewer skills and opportunities to find a job. This can also have an economic cost with a country losing out on the annual income a young woman would have earned over her lifetime, if she had not had an early pregnancy.

WHO response

WHO published guidelines in 2011 with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) on preventing early pregnancies and reducing poor reproductive outcomes. These made recommendations for action that countries could take, with 6 main objectives:

reducing marriage before the age of 18;creating understanding and support to reduce pregnancy before the age of 20;increasing the use of contraception by adolescents at risk of unintended pregnancy;reducing coerced sex among adolescents;reducing unsafe abortion among adolescents;increasing use of skilled antenatal, childbirth and postnatal care among adolescents.

WHO is also involved in a variety of joint efforts with related agencies and programmes, such as the “H4+” initiative that includes UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women and the World Bank. The H4+ aims to to accelerate progress towards achieving Millennium Development Goals 4 (reducing child mortality) and 5 (improving maternal health) by 2015. It tackles the root causes of maternal, newborn and child mortality and morbidity—among them gender inequality, child marriage and limited access to education for girls. H4+ aligns closely with national health plans and provides some financial and technical support to governments.

[sMASH]

That study needs to be done locally. The social and cultural pressures exerted in the third world counties aren't here. The access to education and avenues to income are significantly more prevalent than in a third world country.

That study isn't transposible to trinidad.

They need to find out the motivations for pregnancy and for non pregnancy in this country. And the characteristics of the groups that they apply to.

[urbandilema]

Trinidadian too damn happy, Yall ever saw steel or toppers on a weekend? jesus.

Exactly...I still wonder where Trinidadians getting this money every week......

Either they are more people in debt than we care to admit or the working public are living paycheck to paycheck.

Lifestyle image to maintain....

Agreed lifestlyle to be kept intact..hmm I feel I cheap some times as I does hardly do them thing again.i living south and I never went toppers but went steel once so far..if is beer I go take it mite be a spot where it's cheaper.but at the end of the day I just trying the make the ends meet as well as put away for the future as hard times but then again with everything going up madly saving is even thougher for your goals.
Also see many about the purchase of a high price vehicle and I does say it does fit my pocket but then again if it's there choice go at it.but then again I don't want to buy one and kept wondering if I would keep paying for it.

[shake d livin wake d dead]

honestly taking a huge loan to buy a "nice vehicle" makes no sense...paying ah set ah interest to eventually have to sell the car..then again men does have to fit in even if it means eating bread and butter everyday and quarreling when hr doh bring tea in the lunch room....shrugs shoulders..

people who can afford expensive vehicles usually don't borrow

[Monkey Man]

^^you madddd or wa big man.

i hadda post up my new KIA/HYUNDAI on ig #blessed #madeit #hattersgonhate #highlyflavored