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Doable on Tung Chung?

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  1. #21

    Fair enough. It is such a different mindset in Hong Kong... here preschool is something you do if your kid is behind developmentally, or both parents need to work.

    Are the local kindergardens as strict & homework-heavy as the local primary schools? If so, I do not want my son in that environment. Children should enjoy learning - not be beaten down & broken by it. Ideally I would put him in a combo of Mini Mandarins (a commute, but I love what they do) & Montessori.


  2. #22

    Join Date
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    HK
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    Quote Originally Posted by VdayMamaShelli:
    Fair enough. It is such a different mindset in Hong Kong... here preschool is something you do if your kid is behind developmentally, or both parents need to work.

    Are the local kindergardens as strict & homework-heavy as the local primary schools? If so, I do not want my son in that environment. Children should enjoy learning - not be beaten down & broken by it. Ideally I would put him in a combo of Mini Mandarins (a commute, but I love what they do) & Montessori.
    There are lots of options from the very local one to Montessori type etc etc..so it is up to u and how much u can/want to pay


    Sent from my iPad using GeoClicks

  3. #23

    "My point is that if your son isn't going to a pre-school, this may disqualify him from many good primary schools altogether. Going to pre-school will be a pre-requisite."

    Yes, I understood you. I am fine with adapting our budget for him to attend a preschool, I simply have a preference for how "rigorous" it is.

    I am looking into the bilingual track at Discovery Mind, Little Lantau Montessori, JELIC Montessori, & I believe the new ESF in Tung Chung has a K program as well. We will probably apply to all 4 this fall - luckily he misses the age cutoff for attending the 2015/2016 school year.


  4. #24

    Join Date
    Jul 2009
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    Original Post Deleted
    That would be an interesting thread to see how much Geos spend on food a week and what they buy.

    I never thought about how much my family of 2 adults and a 16 month old spend on food alone but I always find that the missus never has to go beyond our non-rent budget of about $8k, in fact she spends nearer $4k at most. The things we eat in a typical week is fresh salad with garlic bread drizzled in olive oil and balsamic, fresh meat dishes like pork, beef and chicken, fresh seafood like fish, crab, prawns and clams together with a vegetable dish like kale or choi sum or other western fresh vegetables - we also have ample smatterings of fruit in the house like apples, oranges, pears, bananas and occasionally durian (thankfully rarely),lychee, mango, melon and longans.

  5. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by Mat:
    School?
    Taxes?
    Revised Budget

    Gross Salary: $63,500

    17% Taxes: $10,795
    Rent: $15,000
    Loans: $6,700
    Food: $8,000
    Preschool: $8,000
    Utilities: $2,000
    Transportation: $3,000
    Internet/Phone: $1,000
    Spending: $2,000
    Extra Loan Payments: $7,000

    Does this look more realistic?
    Last edited by VdayMamaShelli; 19-04-2015 at 04:15 AM.

  6. #26
    Original Post Deleted
    How does the revised budget (above) look?

  7. #27

    Clarification: The salary change is b/c my husband was told to expect the former amount, but the minimum guarantee is this lower amount.


  8. #28

    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    2,446
    Quote Originally Posted by VdayMamaShelli:
    Revised Budget

    Gross Salary: $63,500

    17% Taxes: $10,795
    Rent: $15,000
    Loans: $6,700
    Food: $8,000
    Preschool: $8,000
    Utilities: $2,000
    Transportation: $3,000
    Internet/Phone: $1,000
    Spending: $2,000
    Extra Loan Payments: $7,000

    Does this look more realistic?
    To be honest, it looks miserable to me but each to their own. $2k "spending money" between 3 of you is a tiny amount. Is this effectively your contingency money as well?? With a young and growing child especially, what about clothes, shoes, toys etc? And pension contributions? Home contents insurance? You've dropped the flights home amount....are you no longer planning to leave HK at all during the 3 year period? Are laundry, cleaning products, toiletries etc all coming out of your food / spending budgets?

    Have you also considered the upfront expenditure when renting such a rental deposits, furniture, utility deposits etc etc or are you looking at that separately as an initial one-off expense?
    TheBrit and heather11 like this.

  9. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by bibbju:
    $2k "spending money" between 3 of you is a tiny amount.

    You've dropped the flights home amount....are you no longer planning to leave HK at all during the 3 year period?

    Are laundry, cleaning products, toiletries etc all coming out of your food / spending budgets?

    Have you also considered the upfront expenditure when renting such a rental deposits, furniture, utility deposits etc etc or are you looking at that separately as an initial one-off expense?
    1. I agree, it's not much, but as I said we are accustomed to living very simply & it is only until the debt is paid. Hopefully less than 5yrs.

    2. My husband has the opportunity for annual bonuses which would cover the cost of a trip home, so we will use that if he received it & if not... probably not go home. Unfortunately.

    3. Yes, household supplies are included in the $8,000 grocery budget.

    4. Upfront expenditures are covered - currently sitting in our savings account!

  10. #30

    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    1,507

    If clearing debts is a main objective then hire a helper for 4-5k per month and consider getting a full time job for 20k. Also consider starting your own business from home if you plan to stay at home. (Cash in hand). Clothes are a considerable expenditure too, cos kids grow all the time.

    Enderman likes this.