Job Discussion Forums

[blaz44]

Here is a question, has anyone made or plan on making Poland home for good? I am. I was wondering if anyone else has, maybe Alex has. I married a Polish girl, brought her back to Canada ( actually brought her back to Canada on a tourist visa then got married in Canada). We thought she would have already been able to work but immigration is slow here and we both really miss Poland and europe in general. My wife arrived to Canada Dec 2005, still no permanent resident papers. We will be arriving back to Poland Sept 2007. Anyone able to make dollars or pounds while living in Poland?

[Grrrmachine]

It depends how this relates to teaching. If your only career option is TEFL, then trying to raise enough cash in Poland for a comfortable life to have kids and a dog and a family saloon and a mortgage and all is going to be a bit of a struggle financially, even on a native speaker's wage. Then again, I have no idea what Canada's like; maybe you can save up a fat chunk of cash over there to invest in Poland...

[dynow]

to add to what grrrrmachine said, if you saved some bucks and came out here, with the exchange rate you could put a fat down payment on an apt. to lower your overhead.

not to mention Poland has socialized medicine and free college education for it's citizens. you can't beat that with a stick. if you were making a decent english teacher's salary and your wife held a decent job as well, there's no reason why you can't live comfortably in Poland, but i guess everyone has their own definition of 'comfortable'.

[simon_porter00]

I'm here for the long haul, maybe 10, 15+ years. Life is fairly comfortable for one on a teachers salary if you make 3.5k+ before tax a month (just under 3k a month net). I'm living in Krakow, and assuming i'm paying full rent (which i'm not at the moment) and the extra money for the block that would be 1350zl, 15 min north of Krakow city centre. So you're looking at 1500 in the bank for the month.
Now i haven't got a motor, nor go out 3 times a week, and i've got a fiancee who can pay her way also. So if you're the only earner, then you might have to be relatively miserly, but if the mrs is bringing any dough in, even as little as 1k a month, then life is much much more comfortable.

[gregoryfromcali]

I too wouldn't mind settling down in Poland, but my wife and I are going to the give the States a shot first.

But one thing I can say, if you can get out of ESL I would do it.

An ESL paycheck isn't bad when you're a bachelor, but when you include kids, a car and a mortage...it's not quite the same.

Although I think ESL is a good place to start if you are planning on staying in Poland, the main problem with doing it over the long haul is that there isn't a whole lot of room for advancing in your career.

In China typically you get a 10 to 25% for every year you resign your contract. In Poland it's a while different story.

Good luck, I think Poland would be a good place for raising kids.

By the way does anyone know how minority kids do in Poland? I think my future kids will stand out in Poland and I know that it won't always be a good thing.

My wife thinks they'll be teased in school. Any help?

[blaz44]

Well I too believe that Poland is far better for raising kids than North America. We will be bringing cash to put down on property and the wife will be working at a career which has something to do with languages, she has a degree in French education and speaks fluent English.

I left Poland with full intention of coming back, developed so many conections with influential people that have inspired various business ideas to make foreign money while living in Poland.

I feel a lot of people are stuck in a rut in Canada, only goal in life is to keep up with the Jones' all while living a sheltered life in suberbia....soccer moms, who has the bigger cottage, bigger boat, gated community. I think its all a load of crap

[redsoxfan]

I happen to enjoy living in Poland more than in the States at the moment. Then again, I'm a single guy in his 20s. But you really think Poland is a better place to raise kids than North America? There's a reason why young people leave Poland and go to North America and Britain, and not generally vice versa.

If I ever had kids here I would find and pay for the best doctor possible, because the medical care is abominable. I would make sure that I had enough money to send them to a private school, because the public schools are unacceptable. Catholicism is still taught in public schools. Really. Polish universities were recently ranked something like 43rd in the world, whereas American universities are by far the best in the world. The States has the best health care in the world (provided one can afford medical insurance, of course). Americans seem to be happier than Poles.

If you think that the States is just a rat-race, then step out of it. There are many more opportunities to have a career which avoids such a mindset in the States. Young Poles are disposable workers, so they have to put up with less than ideal working conditions and salaries. They are much more worried about money than Americans because they don't have so much of it.

Personally, living in the States is boring to me at this point in my life. But I do recognise the many advantages of living there, especially when it comes to raising children.

[Grrrmachine]

[dynow]

a discussion like this can go back and forth till eternity.

to each their own.

everyone lives a different life, and no matter how much you rant about your hometown, or about poland, it comes down to what you feel is the right place for you.

[gregoryfromcali]

[Wild Bill]

One of my goals is to retire in Poland. I think with a pension of 43k US and social security of an extra 13k I should do rather well. This summer I will be looking at some land.

[Rusty77]

I've been teaching in Poland for almost 3 years and, although I have many good memories, I haven't got much that's tangible to show for it; consequently, I'll be gladly getting outta here after this teaching year's up.
Living feels like it's always a struggle here. I make 4,000 PLN per month (take home) and have only a few thousand PLN saved up right now (most of which I'll spend on my plane ticket back to Canada). I can't imagine settling here as an ESL teacher and raising children with this lifestyle.
I go to pubs virtually never (about once per month), eat out twice a week tops, seldom travel (within or outside of Poland), and live quite modestly, I think (a cheap phone, the cheapest cable on TV, no computer).
What killed me, I think, were 2 things: the skyrocketing rent and a co-dependent girlfriend. I pay almost 2,000 per M in rent, and, after supporting my girlfriend and all of her expenses (she can't work right now) have very little left over.
Perhaps I can give a bit of advice to newcomers who wish to avoid my situation:
- if you get any private students, don't shortchange yourself--charge at least 50PLN per hour (I used to charge 30PLN per lesson,feeling sorry for them and their "poverty" but after travel to their home, time, etc. made zippo)
- if you can avoid it, don't rent through a real estate (nierchumosci) ageency--they charge over 1000 just for securing the flat: ask your DOS to help you find a place for under 1000PLN, or rent a room from a family
- learn how to speak as much Polish as you can--especially grammatical terms so that you can teach children of wealthy parents--who don't speak any English at all
- if you can, avoid a serious relationship with a Polish woman: they make good friends, I think, but tend to be financially co-dependent (I'm sure there must be exceptions, but I've never met a Polish woman who was financially independent)
Sure, I'm a little bit bitter and fed up with some of the cultural differences here which I have trouble coping with. Nevertheless, I can see how a guy would be tempted to settle down and start a family here. Maybe it's possible, but I think one would have to have a wife who's working and bringing in at least 1500 per month. As for me, I can't wait to get back to smoke-free, dog-poo free Canada.

[dynow]

Sorry Rusty, but that was some seriously pointless babble.

You earn 4000 PLN per month, and you are complaining you couldn't swing it without living sparingly? Come on man, you were supporting TWO people, not to mention paying an absurd amount of money for rent, and you could still pay the way. Who in the world pays 2000 for rent anyway??? And why? I live in Wroclaw, I'm 10 minutes from the Rynek in a nice, but small apt., and I'm paying 1200.

Let me tell you something.....where I come from, you would NEVER be able to support 2 people, afford a flat that burns 1/2 your pay right off the top, and go out to dinner even once a month with a comparable job you have here!!! As far as I'm concerned, your problems with Poland have been self inflicted. Your advice to others should be to find a more modest apt. and get a girlfriend that can get off her dupa and get a damn job (no offense to your lady, man).

It's attitudes like this that pushed me away from the states, dude. No matter how much people have, money or belongings, they are always bound to complain. In this instance, it is clearly your own doing.

Here's the real truth: If you made 4,000, your girlfriend brought in even another 1,000.....on 5,000 PLN, there is no reason why you can't live VERY comfortably in Poland, not to mention sock away some of it at the same time.

Sure, Poland's got it's issues, and as a foreigner from a 'priveliged' country, it will have even more apparent issues, but don't knock it because of your own mistakes.

Sorry Rusty, it's just how I feel dude. I hope you find what you are looking for in Canada.

[gregoryfromcali]

Dynow, the OP asked for people's opinions.

Rusty is entitled to his opinion just as you are.

Although his rent was outragreous, personally I agree with Rusty.

I make the same money in China but everything here is half price.

I like Poland too and it would be a great place to live, but I can understand why so many Poles are heading West.

I'm getting ready to go back to the States. I originally wanted to go back to Poland but my wife doesn't see the point.

Personally I like living in foreign countries, but in the States I can at least get a loan for a house, in Poland it's not likely we'd own our own place not anytime in the next twenty years anyway.

No, life isn't just about money, but when you have kids it helps to have money.

[dynow]

Yes, and I posted MY opinion.

Oh, and by the way....curious as to what exactly you "agree" with regarding Rusty's post?

Enlighten me.