Thread: is a car needed

Is a car needed on saba island? Also, what are the average monthly living expenses (rent and food..etc)
i know this will vary by living conditions, but just to get a rough estimate of expenses.
any help would be appreciated

Our expeses are as follows:

$1300.00/month for a 2 BR house in Hell's Gate
$180.00/month for electricity
$35.00/month for cable
$270.00/month for phone and Internet (512K DSL, for my work)
$240.00/month for gas (minivan and Hyundai Accent)
$400.00/month for food (2 adults and 3 children)
$280.00/month for health insurance

Get a car, the school is now charging $90.00 per semester for a bus pass. Students will no longer be driving the busses and the service looks like it is being cut down. (They did all of this to make us not want to get cars!)

i felt having a car was worth it -

Just wanted to post some of my 'cost-of-living' numbers from someone down here without a family.
Rent: $1400 for a three bedroom two bathroom with pool and view
Gas: $20 a week (to and from school everyday, plus a few runs for groceries etc)
Electricity: $240 a month (for three people - and we run a pool pump etc.)
Food: how hungry are you? I spend about $75 a week, and I eat really well.
Water: thank you mother nature it is free (unless you run out and then its $55 a truckload)
I dont find the island to be expensive as a rule, but some items will be expensive. There is no such thing as buying things on sale at the grocery store and stocking up like you would at home, but everything is fairly reasonable. You can get a lot of appliances etc from outgoing students for next to nothing, so that is a great way to accumulate what you cant bring from home.

It depends on the car, I guess.

First of all, insurance is about $200/year, and it doesn't matter what kind of car you have, your driving record, etc.

Car registration is another $125 or so for the year.

Both can be purchased in 6 month increments

A parking pass at the school is $80/year (if available). Maintenance on cars isn't too expensive (usually) but parts can be hard to come by. The concrete on the roads has a very rough finish, and I've gone through a set of tires in 3 semesters. I need to get the brakes replaced about once a semester.

I have a small, 'island car'. On average, I drive from lower hells gate to the bottom once a day, round trip. I buy gas once a month or so, and it costs me around $30 to fill the tank up (starting about 1/4 full). I get about 500 guilders at the beginning of the semester and use it for gas only (the guy at the gas station has an unfavorable exchange rate, so I just pay him in guilders). Gas prices are fixed by the government and have been 1.83 guilders/liter for the past year.

[NOTE] I learned that having a spare gas can is a great idea. The delivery of fuel to the island can be a little sporadic, and if you're out of gas on the island, there is only 1 gas station...I've never actually run out, but I've loaned my gas to a few friends.

I am fortunate in that I live in a very windy place, and rarely have to turn on the AC (I just open the windows). I pay about $25 / mo for electricity, no AC, and it can go as high as maybe $40/mo if the breeze stops and I have to run the AC.

All in all, it costs me around $7000 a semester for living expenses. Food has gone up a lot, due mainly to transportation costs.

wow.. things changed..... bus pass? parking pass? used to cost me like 3000$ /sem...are u spending like mad? 7000$ is a bit high..

i wasn't expecting that either, it seems one needs nearly 2K per month for rent and living expenses. I thought it would be cheaper!!

Originally Posted by tms2

i wasn't expecting that either, it seems one needs nearly 2K per month for rent and living expenses. I thought it would be cheaper!!

Don't forget the breaks - travel home (or wherever), and you still have to pay rent.

Also, cars need maintenance and insurance. You may need to replace personal items.

I was talking to friends the other day (a couple), and they pay about $9k a semester. Of course, they have a nicer place (a 1 bedroom).

thanks for the feedback
hmmm, so i guess we're talking somewhere in the 20k + per semester (everything included)
do loans usually cover all this (i have good credit and need base)
is anyone currently relying completely on loans?! If not, how much are your loans covering?!

Originally Posted by tms2

thanks for the feedback
hmmm, so i guess we're talking somewhere in the 20k + per semester (everything included)
do loans usually cover all this (i have good credit and need base)
is anyone currently relying completely on loans?! If not, how much are your loans covering?!

I'm spending about $15K a semester. I don't do loans, but others are.