Dyn

Hi to all of you I am from Australia and relocating to Barbados in a few months I have a few questions for you all. What is the rent like and the cost of living? Is it very expensive and can you please give me figures? Is there gyms over there I am a fitness instructor as a hobby here in Australia so I love activities and the gym!!! I love this formum its giving me so many mixed feelings though I am scared now I was excited before... Amy can you tell me a little more about your experience please?

Tash

Serendipidy

Tash - I would recommend you read through many of the previous posts because the cost of living has been published on here so often anything from cost of shopping to cost of accomodation - bottom line is compared to UK i find rent cheaper as is alcohol but everything else is more expensive if you live like a typical tourist.

Re gyms etc - Bajans on the whole are very health conscious and there are numerous gyms and sports clubs and hiking and cycling clubs etc - all hard work in a constant 30 degree temperature lol

Dyn

Hi Serendipidy,

Thanks you are a massive help already. I have been reading posts till I fall asleep at night, tired for work the next day I just so confused and dont know what to really do. I am just so scared that I will get over there and the cost of living will be so high and I will be stuck. But I found a rental site tonight that made me feel a little better www.cariblist.com and it had rentals in US dollars and actually gave monthly costs unlike others that did not specify so rentals dont seem that expensive. I too am very health conscious so food might be my costly part. I looked at a site the showed the cost of food in supermarkets over there a tin of tuna was like $3!!! wow I can get it here for like $0.89 so massive difference. Well thats great they have gyms and sprots clubs, I cycle 6 days a week so thats great! What else can you tell me whats the night life like? Booze is that expensive also? And taxes is that costly? So tipping etc?

Cheers,

Tash

songbird835

Ive only just seen this reply am so sorry for not replying sooner, ive been a member on this forum for a while now, and sometimes i get an email to tell me somebody has replied and sometimes not,....lol...anyway...

the cruising club is a good place to meet people and hang out. I've been a memeber since early last year. Please do not confuse it with the yacht club..lol, definitely not the same thing. The cruising club is on the road by the Hilton, next to Grand Barbados. They have a good website, I didnt want to post it as I dont want to seem like I am advertising it, which am not...lol, just that for those who want to have a cool place to hang out it is perfect.

For non memebers you can enjoy the view by the bar, buy food and drinks and enjoy the atmosphere, for members you can use the club boats, kayaks, changing facilities, lockers, go out sailing on yachts with anybody who is out sailing (which is soembody everydy of the week)...they do salsa dancing classes a couple fridays a month which are free to members...non memebers can go but they have to pay entrance fee....members get a discount at the bar too....

Tash as for my experience here, its had its ups and downs but i will never move from here, this feels more my home than the UK ever did. I came here in 2004. I am a nurse so went into my job at QEH, now i work for MoH/ UWI and have a nursing consultancy business. you have to have an open mind in many areas and learn not to compare what you had in the country youve moved from. But for every negative there is a positive looming in front of you.

Dyn

Amy can you tell me what salary you could live as a single on comfortably in barbados and still have savings?

songbird835

That all depends on what you call comfortable....my comfortable and your comfortable may be different.....all depends on your living arrangements, i mean i have always been a person that will spend more to get a nice place to live because i dont go out so much all of the time, so when i am home i want to have space to relax.....

when i first came here and i was paying everything on my own, my QEH salary covered me to get a 3 bed house at $1200 rent mnth, go out, pay for my car insurance, all my bills, including direct tv and be " comfortable" and that was me bringing home ...hmm let me remember what it was after tax and NIS........ about $2700 if i remember rightly...but of course that was a few years ago, but things wont have changed too drastically....

Serendipidy

Songbird just to let you know that it is ok to post a link if you are recommending someone or something that you dont personally gain from so for instance posting a cariblist link or the cruising club link is not an issue as long as you are not the owner of either as all you are doing is passing on information whereas advertising your own garage sale as a post is not allowed

songbird835

ohh ok many thanks ill remember that, i wasnt sure and i know there are rules re links so i thought it best not to post it....

i promise i am not going to gain from it...well unless i make new friends as a result..perhasp we should meet up there at the cruising club and anybody can see if thy like it...like a forum get together!!!...let me know...in the meantime here is the link....incidentally we just had Prince Edward visit and he went on our members club boats sailing for 2 days in the regatta....

http://www.barbadoscruisingclub.org/index.html

anybody truly up for meeting let me know...

Serendipidy

Sounds like a brill idea lets arrange something for May and arrange a forum get together

Dyn

I would really love to join you guys at the yacht club when I arrive in July can we keep in touch? It sounds like a great place and I love out door. I am a 30 year old Aussie so also will be looking for friends.

cartoon

Can't believe I've been here three years now.

Still have problems with immigration lol but not too worried about it any more.

Any one on the west coast can try happy hour at Il Tempio. There's usually a good crowd in there on Friday and Sunday. 4pm to 7pm and they serve a few bar snacks. 4pm tp 6pm all other days.

I've made a lot of my friends there.

songbird835

please dont confuse the yacht club with the cruising club..lol, the yacht club people will be very upset..lol, their membership a month is what i pay for a year!!..lolol......

Well i think it will a great idea...nice to get together, I agree with you serendipity about meeting in May...and Dyn, am sure we will have a good time and be glad to meet up again!...

guess people can message and say when is best for them, which day etc....

satellite_ian

There is a great quiz on at the Cruising Club every Weds evening for those who like that kind of thing.

songbird835

Yes there is, but dont get dumb blondes like me on your team.....its never destined to work out good!!!!

Serendipidy

Hey a BEX PAT quiz team sounds like a bleeding winner to me unless its all bout Canada lol - that sounds like a great Ice Breaker Ian and i love quiz nights

Get Easter out of the way and arrange a team can you tell us if we just turn up??