Starting Life/Work in US - Tips and Stories

[twisted_pop]

^yung addict sa video games he can try sa game stop, planet x and the likes 
i'm sure mae-enjoy nya....

[gratchie]

sa mga H1B holders, nung umuwi kayo ng pinas to visit, saan kayo nag apply ng Exit pass to go back to US? dito ba sa US or sa pinas?

[cha-cha]

Starting Life in US - Tips and Stories:
http://www.femalenetwork.com/girltalk/index.php/topic,169023.0.html

Starting Work in US - as H1
http://www.femalenetwork.com/girltalk/index.php/topic,102731.0.html

Hello Peeps: Both of our favorite topics above are locked. I'm starting a new thread but I'm saving the links above as reference. If any of your questions aren't covered in any of the above links, fire it away in this thread.

sis talaga bang error lumalabas sa link na to? gusto ko sanang basahin yun naunang thread e.

[xthine]

^ I brought in 3 bottles of glycolic lotion and 2 tubes of Stieva but customs didn't go through my luggage so I'm not sure.

Question: What's the usual credit limit for people who have been in the US for a couple of months and no credit history?  How soon after did you request for an increase in your limit?

[huckleberry]

^depende sa bank.  may $500, yung iba naman $1000 pero usually yata $500 lang.  request for an increase in credit limit after 6 months, yun ang safest.

Hi!
ask ko lang, hindi ba ma confiscate sa airport sa US if i bring medicines like glutha, etc? like a years supply?

Thanks!

kung ganun kadami make sure you bring with you a prescription.  mahirap na, baka matyempo na i-inspect luggage mo.

[xthine]

^ Swerte na pala ako sa 1k limit ko for now.  Thanks for the response   Yeah I've had my credit card for almost 2 months but I only started using it yesterday.  I have this compulsive need to pay using cash or my debit card, essentially I want things paid ASAP and not 'owe' anything. I know I have to work on that and start using my credit card so I can start building a history.  I'm telling you, I only started using my credit card this weekend and a part of me is itching to pay for the pending transactions on it.  AArrgh.

Thanks again, appreciate the tip

[firewoman24]

anong magandang secured credit card? mag two yrs na ako wala pa akong credit history dito

[chocolatefever]

^^hi sis, which bank is your cc from? is it a secured cc? TIA

[seduce_me]

been here for almost two years, and just got my green card last month, and just got hired two months.. I have personal checking/savings and joint account with my hubby.. ayaw niya na mag-credit card ako, eh gusto ko!!!  pwede na kaya akong mag-appy ng CC? hesitant lang ako, baka ma-deny..

[xthine]

^ Colonial bank.  It's not a secured credit card.

[Vera]

I bought a year's supply of kojic soap and it was OK. I think for herbal supplements OK lang yan.

Hi!
ask ko lang, hindi ba ma confiscate sa airport sa US if i bring medicines like glutha, etc? like a years supply?

Thanks!

[Vera]

A full-body massage in the Bay Area is around $90 / hour

Pedicure is around $20 with sea salt scrub

Manicure is around $10

Hi mga sis, I just wonder how much a trip to a spa costs? anyone here have tried it? Just had an idea of getting one for me and hubby, it's about time we get one, we never had one since we moved in here.

affordable ba? hehe

[Vera]

Hi there, I live in the Bay Area and, from what I know, the cost of living here is more expensive than other states except Manhattan.

For example, a $500k house in the Bay Area is not that huge-- maybe a 3 br with 3 t&b, living room, dining room, garage and a little backyard. Starbucks coffee costs me $3.99, local coffee costs around $4.99; Manicure + pedicure cost $30 without tip, 1 week grocery costs around $60 at least. An apartment unit costs at least $1,000. A dinner for two at a restaurant is around $40 for low-end and can go up to $100 for really good restaurants. Seafoods here cost around $6.99 - $10.99 per lb.

Also it depends where you live here. If you're in San Francisco, that's definitely more expensive because of its accessibility. If you live in Palo Alto, that's probably the most expensive neighborhood here.

may question pa pala ko sis.. pinagiisipan ko kasi if sa cali na nga lang kami, kaya lang expensive nga talaga to live in cali :0

ano ba yung top 5 states in the US na may cheapest cost of living? and sa mga states ba na yun, lower din ang minimum hourly wage?

i tried to google kasi pero parang iba-iba

[mooncake and leaves]

on CCs- don't worry too much about it. yung first few months working, at least from experience to ha, mahirap pa talaga makakuha ng credit card. one bank offered me a secured card din and i didn't get it because it had an annual fee. siguro mga 5-6 months after i started working, i got an offer for a regular credit card na. so just wait.

[crybaby05]

^^sis, yung $60 for a week's grocery, is that for one person only? and the rent usually kasama na lahat di ba? so sa tingin mo ano pa ang gastos every month?

[Vera]

It depends on what you spend on-- that's just a conservative estimate.

If you plan to rent here, expect to pay around 4k to 5k upfront with 2 months deposit and 1 month advance. You'll gonna need a car to go places so that's another expense. Aside from that, your phone, electricity, Internet. So far these are the essentials.

[cha-cha]

^hi sis vera, bigla naman ako napaemail sa hubby ko bout this..I asked him about the rental expenses.some apartments daw just asked for a deposit for like $500..depende daw..yun sabi nya, hehe! nag-i-scout na rin kasi sya ng apartment para pagdating namin sa CA, makalipat na..

[Vera]

^That's great then. Baka depende din sa owner ng apartment at sa price.

[crybaby05]

^^about the car, kasi 1 year lang naman kami sa US.. so i think hindi na namin kailangan yun..

[xthine]

^I stayed in CA for a couple of months and I never even got to take the bus.  You have to walk to the bus stop and then it takes you all around the route, a 15-30 minute car ride could end up being a 2 hour bus ride.  Eats up your time..just something to consider.