Job Discussion Forums

[chi-chi]

Or can you save?
I rarely hear this discussed.
NET, kids schools, is HK a place you can go to save money?

[Scott in HK]

Like everything else in life...it depends...

how much you make??

how much you spend??

where you live??

I have heard stories from both sides....I met a teaching couple who were at the top of the pay scale (both) and made a combined salary of around 90K a month...living well on about 20K....they saved 70K...that would be about 14K Canadain dollars a month....

And I know of a teacher with kids...who is going home with almost nothing saved as he travelled well...sent his kids to school and lived the high life....almost nothing meaning he saved about 10K HK each month...


Living on the min salary of 30K...anyone should be able to save a third of that....more if you are frugal....unless you have kids...or a car...or travel...or have a house payment back home...or whatever else eats at your money...for us is was having the first child and moving to a bigger place....

quick edit....this is for the NET program...the people working the private schools live completely different lives...

[arju]

I agree with scott its all up to lifestyle but you should be able to live off the allowance and use the salary portion to either travel save for back home or indulge in the material aspects of hong kong. do the sums the allowance is $13000 an aprtment is $7000 that leaves $6000 to spend on food transport cable internet electricitywater gas phone for 1 person you can save for 2 people you would save with some reduction. do the sums and you can save if that is why you are coming but remember the position og hong kong lends itself to travel which is a great oppertunity but will reduce what you save as well.....hope this helps

[chi-chi]

Thanks for the responses.
How is SARS affecting the work over there? I'm in Taiwan right now, and many students are dropping and the work is difficult to come by.
Of course, in Taiwan most jobs are not salary positons but hourly ones.
In Hong Kong, (private schools included) do the majority of jobs by salary or by the hour? If you are paid by the hour, is SARS making you lose classes?

[Marcoregano]

How long is a piece of string? If you live like a hermit you can ave a lot as a NET, however, HK is not a cheap plce to live and you could easily burn most of your earnings. I think the suggestion of living off the housing allowance alone (and thus saving your entire salary) is unrealistic...you would have to live a rather boring lifestyle to do that. I'm not a NET...tho my partner is. I have lived in HK for 4 years averaging about 20K HK a month. I have lived quite well and taken holidays around Asia...also returning to the UK each summer. I haven't saved a penny, but have no complaints. Still, if you figure that you can live pretty well and take hols on around 20K a month or even a bit less, that means you can save the remainder...

[narttandsons]

I am a NET with two kids, no spouse and a full time helper, my rent is 6000 HK or about 1200CDN per month. It's a great place out in the country and 10 minutes to the nearest city. We go on a beach vacation twice a year and summers in Canada. I am also paying for university fees for my masters.

I don't have a teacher's certificate and therefore not the top pay but I manage to save about 1600HK a month or about 36,000CDN a year.

Taxes are about 10% (no sales tax) but I pay a lot less because of the single parent allowance and the two kids.

I know people that earn twice my wage, live in huge flats in expensive districts, and fly first class everywhere and have saved nothing in the four years they have been here.

I'm here to save and move on as most ex-pats are, and therefore I save, but I live much better and never budget like I did when I lived in Canada ( but I don't get free education for my kids either)

[Marcoregano]

Nat, I thought you needed a teaching cert to be a NET?

[Littlebird]

I have read some of the job info section but cannot find out what this NET scheme is. I am a total newbie to this have a degree and postgraduate diploma am British, female, 33 years old and have no teaching qualifications. Could someone give me the website address for NET and any other website addresses would be useful.

I could do a short 120 hours TESOL course would this make me more attractive to HK employers ? If they don't pay your airfare can I make enough to cover this ? I DO live frugally. I really need to hear some positive advice. All I read is problems, problems, problems nothing good at all about working anywhere. I only intend to spend 3 months out there. Obviously I won't tell my employer that though.

If it is so bad why do you all stay so long ?!!
Thanks a lot in advance
Littlebird

[Marcoregano]

Littlebird...Why on earth would you want to go thru all the hassle of coming out here for ONLY 3 MONTHS????? You must be joking.....???!!!

[dandan]

Not to mention shafting your students when you leave them in the lurch mid-term, stay at home.

[Littlebird]

Well if the schools are shafting people like you all say they are then why should I show any loyalty either ?!

What hassele is there ?

Littlebird

[dandan]

Whatever. If your purpose in coming to this site is to find stuff to justify in advance your being an @rsehole I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for.

[Freddie_Unbelievable]

I have saved about $ 250,000 CDN in five years. I'm 34 years old. I will stay here for 10 more years (5 more contracts) and retire.

With any luck on interest rates in the future I expect to retire with a million CDN at 44 years old.

I love Hong Kong.I love Hong Kong.I love Hong Kong.I love Hong Kong.