Job Discussion Forums

hubris · Joined: 14 Apr 2016 Posts: 4

Hi guys,

Moving to Ho Chi Minh in July and just wondering if any of you have advice on start up costs. Im a 23 year old Male from Ireland. Housing wise, Id like something simple, close to D1 and with western facilities. Id like to think I have a good idea of how much I will need to set up and start teaching but Id appreciate any input.

Also, If you have and advice or tips in securing a job. Ive read a lot of articles saying that the demand is high at the moment, but id like to clarify this with people that actually have their boots on the ground. Smile

I have a tefl cert and a BA degree. Advice in general is welcome, and hey I wont even be mad if I get a few negative comments. (yeah this topic prob has been covered before)

RustyShackleford · Joined: 13 May 2013 Posts: 449

A couple years back I wrote a pretty extensive rant on this very topic.

Came in with $1000. Wound up having to sell one of my cameras for around $500 to get some extra scratch.

Would recommend coming in with no less than $2000 in your pocket but it's certainly possible if you have the right attitude. There's lots of jaded negativity frequently flung about these boards. You'd do well to heed where it comes from but ignore that venom.

Housing, especially nice western-style accomdation is kinda pricey in D1 these days. D7 would be a better bet - I had myself a decent 75/m2 apt with two bedrooms/bathrooms for $500/mo after utilities. D1 I'd imagine would be $600+

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=104369

sigmoid · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 1276

commandunclear · Joined: 23 Mar 2016 Posts: 6

Pm sent.

creeper1 · Posted: Sun May 01, 2016 7:46 am Post subject:

I'm wondering if bringing any cash at all to Vietnam is a good idea. I mean you must obviously bring some but ffs.this is the year 2016 and we ought to be using our Visa cards for most things.

My advice is don't bring thousands of euros from Ireland instead bring your credit or debit card. I think you will be able to pay for hotels that way.

Lots of thieves around district one and some of them use a technique of cutting through your trouser pockets to remove money unbeknownst to you.

ExpatLuke · Joined: 11 Feb 2012 Posts: 744

I don't think anyone is suggesting bring $2000 cash into the country. Laughing

They're just saying to have that much available to you via bank, sock, or whatever means you usually keep your money.

TRH · Joined: 27 Oct 2011 Posts: 340 Location: Hawaii

kurtz · Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 518 Location: Phaic Tan

Spelunker · Joined: 03 Nov 2013 Posts: 392

From a fat, balding, poor late 30s bloke who has been round the ringer in asia....the best way, have a job lined up before you go, that you know is yours. Stay in a hostel for the first month if you need to....you can hunt for fancy damn apartments once you have got a month or twos local salary in your hand/money belt under your shirt/bank. Going in and thinking of renting apartments in the downtown area, with no job on arrival, and then presumably going out in the meantime won't lead to anything good. You want to land there with at least a few concrete job offers, and then live like a monk the first month or two.....yeap, no fun, but if you want fun then you go to Bangkok or Vegas, not places like China or Viet....approach getting a job in a methodical way, and I'm sure you will have no problems.

Just my take...others may disagree, and that is their right. My opinion is my own.

Cheers,
SP

LarssonCrew · Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Posts: 1308

Agree with above, but for gods sake do not stay in a dorm.

Find a cheap place, all you need is a bed with a bathroom[maybe shared if you're flat broke].

I don't know how Vietnam works but some places like China you work a month and often get paid half way through the next.

Pay the accommodation upfront. If you've got somewhere to live then you can mould the other stuff around that.

If you've only got $150 left for the month, you know you've got 5 dollars a day, so it looks like street food and carbing up on shitty cake is your way forward.

If I came in with say $3000 I'd probably find a cheap house / room and pay three months up front plus deposit [say $200 a month x 4]. Then you know you've got $2200 to last you, AND you've got a guaranteed roof over your head.

Don't be taken in by the glitz and glamour. Don't go clubbing so much, don't go whoring too much.

Also, don't analyse how cheap things are coming in with $4000 in your pocket. You might say 'well my house is only 1/20th of this!' but, if you're only earning $1000 then actually it's 1/5th.

I had that problem. Came to China with about $10,000 in Sterling and everything was crazy cheap, $15 meals for 4 people etc. THEN it ran out and I got my first paycheck, about $600. Woops.

Spelunker · Joined: 03 Nov 2013 Posts: 392

RustyShackleford · Joined: 13 May 2013 Posts: 449

SinaloaPaisa · Joined: 27 Sep 2015 Posts: 33

4,000 dollars a save amount to come out with?

I am assuming it takes 1.5 - 2 months to get their first pay check?

Mattingly · Joined: 03 Jul 2008 Posts: 249

LarssonCrew · Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Posts: 1308

One tip is , whatever you do, spend as little as possible your first month or two. You may end up earning 2500-3000 and live will be great, but you never know.

Come in and find a shared house for $150-200 so that you are keeping costs down. Once you've paid for a couple months of that, you know how much you have left.

First thing is pay for a few months accommodation. A roof over your head means you won't be living on a park bench and have a place for a shower etc. Then you can adjust. If things get expensive you can live on $5-10 a day, no problems.