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miski
Joined: 04 Jul 2007
Posts: 298
Location: Kuwait
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 Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:14 pm Post subject: |
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| canadashirleyblue wrote: |
| I don't know how anyone could survive on 1000 SR a month. That's $270. I would have paid about that for groceries. I thought they were the same or more than I would have paid in Canada. Taxis are cheap. It would be a minimum fare of $1.35. The trips I made usually cost around $4 to $7. The airport was $20 one way. A meal at the Turkish restaurant would be around $10. The Japanese was more like $25. And then there is the phone, internet and tv. You need to buy your drinking water (more expensive than petrol). Employing a cleaner was really cheap. I had to pay for my exit and re-entry visas and 10% of my medical bills. It's not expensive as places go but I think survival would be in the 2000 SR range. |
In Kuwait you could earn ( with good credentials and a decent school / college) at least $35,000 per year. If you had rent free accom. , banked your salary and did private tuition you could just about do it. The lowest rate for private tuition is 20kd per hour ( about $55 I think). So four of those a week and you've got yourself $800 a month. Many teachers do that and don't touch their salaries.
Food- much cheaper than in the UK anyway! Fruit and veg cheaper, bread ( pitta type) is dirt cheap and you could buy enough chickens with a few dollars to start your own meat company.......lol. A kilo of large fresh shrimp in season is only about $9 and boy are they good!
As for drinking water. Most apartments have filtered water which tastes fine, so no need to buy bottled. You can even add an extra filter to the filter lol.
Satellite is about $40 a month ( for Orbit) which is a bit on the high side for what you get- but if you get a receiver MBC2/4/action/ Dubai One are all in English and free- and if you are lucky your employer will provide you with an in class/ office internet connection.
Go for it.
re exisiting n $270 / 90KD per month, many lower paid ex pats have to and seem to manage. |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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There is no doubt that many can - and do - survive on 1000SR a month, or even less.
The question is why anyone would choose to do so. |
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007
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:36 pm Post subject: |
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| The question is why anyone would choose to do so. |
Because everyone has his own lifestyle. Some choose to live in SR1000 and others choose to live in SR5000, I think, it is due to the type of lifestyle of each individual.
But the question is: Is the individual living in SR5000 happy as the one living in SR 1000 or not? |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:38 pm Post subject: |
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| How do you 'live in SR1000'? Is it a villa or an apartment? |
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007
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| How do you 'live in SR1000'? Is it a villa or an apartment? |
Neither of them, it is a Bangalow. |
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Henry_Cowell
Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 3352
Location: Berkeley
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:13 pm Post subject: |
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For "007":
The Ins and Outs of Prepositions: A Guidebook for ESL Students
The Preposition Book: Practice toward Mastering English Prepositions |
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007
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:34 pm Post subject: |
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For "Henry Cowell":
I do not need your books if they are published in the land of uncle Sam. If not, I will think about them.
BTW, do you think anybody living in SR1000 can afford to buy the two books? |
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Henry_Cowell
Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 3352
Location: Berkeley
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 6:33 pm Post subject: |
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English Prepositions Explained
Perfect Prepositions: A Real-Life Guide to Using English Prepositions
How long will "007" go on before correcting his own preposition error?  |
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trapezius
Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 1670
Location: Land of Culture of Death & Destruction
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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| The lowest rate for private tuition is 20kd per hour ( about $55 I think). |
Is it really 20KD/hour? I doubt it, as 20KD = $70.
It is not impossible, but I think unlikely because the rate in Saudi is SR. 150 to SR. 200 (usually SR. 175), which is $40 - $53, and I would surmise that the rates in the Gulf countries would be just about the same.
Last edited by trapezius on Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:44 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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miski
Joined: 04 Jul 2007
Posts: 298
Location: Kuwait
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:34 pm Post subject: |
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| trapezius wrote: |
| Quote: |
| The lowest rate for private tuition is 20kd per hour ( about $55 I think). |
Is it really 20KD/hour? I doubt it, as 20KD = $70.
It is not impossible, but I think unlikely because the rate is Saudi SR. 150 to SR. 200 (usually SR. 175), which is $40 - $53, and I would surmise that the rates in the Gulf countries would be just about the same. |
Yep. Let me assure you. If you are teaching privates in Kuwait you should be charging 20KD per hour. |
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The_Hanged_Man
Joined: 10 Oct 2004
Posts: 224
Location: Tbilisi, Georgia
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:08 pm Post subject: |
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| trapezius wrote: |
| Quote: |
| The lowest rate for private tuition is 20kd per hour ( about $55 I think). |
Is it really 20KD/hour? I doubt it, as 20KD = $70.
It is not impossible, but I think unlikely because the rate is Saudi SR. 150 to SR. 200 (usually SR. 175), which is $40 - $53, and I would surmise that the rates in the Gulf countries would be just about the same. |
The going rate is around 15KD actually. 20kD is at the high end and is more typical for high school math and science tutoring. I've never heard of anyone at my school making more than that.
Personally, I don't tutor at all and am still able to save more than half of my salary. However, Kuwait is not a cheap country. Petrol is inexpensive, but car leases are jumping to 120KD/month in the upcoming year for a Mitsubishi Lancer. Compared to the US most groceries are more expensive as well.
Also, a lot of people spend a great deal of money on travel since there is a decided lack if entertainment options in Kuwait. I'm not just talking about drinking and discos either. There's not much here for nature lovers and the cultural scene is limited. Kuwait can be a nice safe place to live, but it is definitely a make-your-own-fun kind of place as well. Life in Kuwait is based around the family, and many singles find it isolating and quite unsatisfying. That said, I do know lots of people (mainly couples and those with children) who are genuinely happy, and have no plans to leave anytime soon. |
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miski
Joined: 04 Jul 2007
Posts: 298
Location: Kuwait
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:11 pm Post subject: |
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| The_Hanged_Man wrote: |
[
The going rate is around 15KD actually. 20kD is at the high end and is more typical for high school math and science tutoring. I've never heard of anyone at my school making more than that.
Personally, I don't tutor at all and am still able to save more than half of my salary. However, Kuwait is not a cheap country. Petrol is inexpensive, but car leases are jumping to 120KD/month in the upcoming year for a Mitsubishi Lancer. Compared to the US most groceries are more expensive as well.
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A friend of mine was teaching a kid in English lang ( 8 years old) in May ( from BSK) and charging 20KD per hour.....AND the mum paid 3 lessons up front.
PS.......leave the Mitsubishu and get yourself a real car....lol. |
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canadashirleyblue
Joined: 06 May 2007
Posts: 162
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 12:56 am Post subject: |
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I thought it was illegal for teachers to take on extra tuition in Kuwait. At least that's what it said in our manual when I worked there.
Wouldn't you be setting yourself up? If someone took offense you could be facing a travel ban.  |
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The_Hanged_Man
Joined: 10 Oct 2004
Posts: 224
Location: Tbilisi, Georgia
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 4:36 am Post subject: |
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| canadashirleyblue wrote: |
I thought it was illegal for teachers to take on extra tuition in Kuwait. At least that's what it said in our manual when I worked there.
Wouldn't you be setting yourself up? If someone took offense you could be facing a travel ban. |
My school pretty much operates under a "don't ask, don"t tell" policy. Lots of people do it, but no one really talks about it. While I could see it being used as an excuse to get rid of a problem teacher, I've never heard of anyone actually being fired solely for tutoring. You do have to wonder, however, about how much effort teachers who tutor 10+ hours a week put into their day job.
One aspect of expat culture in Kuwait that I dislike is that it tends to attract a rather opportunistic, 'just here for the money' set of people. You get the feeling that many are here just to cash in on the war/oil business, and couldn't care less about Kuwait and its people. Unfortunately, it's this group that mainly endlessly moans about life in Kuwait, but at the same time refuse to leave because of the easy money.
Last edited by The_Hanged_Man on Tue Jul 24, 2007 4:42 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Cleopatra
Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 4:37 am Post subject: |
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So far as I know, taking private students is technically illegal in all of the Gulf countries, and in addition is often explicatly banned in many contracts. However, that isn't to say it doesn't go on. As others have said, quite a few teachers pay all of their day to day expenses out of their private tuition income. Most employers don't really care so long as you are not teaching their students, and so long as it doesn't conflict with your day duties.
However, it's definately not a good idea to publicise the fact that you do private teaching, as it could be used against you if your employer takes a dislike to you. For the record, here in Riyadh, most people charge 150-200SR an hour for lessons. As in any other field, it's a question of 'what the market will bear' - if you are a qualified native speaker who is teaching a university student who is also the son or daughter of a wealthy businessman, you can ask, and will probably get, at least 200SR. However, if you're teaching a middle-class school kid whose mother wants help for him to pass school exams, you probably won't get more than 150SR. |
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