ABL INCREASE

[rmartinbuenosaires]

This has been coming for a few months---that ABL would increase considerably for 2008. I received my "revised" bill yesterday and what a surprise to find that it increased even more than the gobierno bs as said it would...I find the whole thing comical that you can't even get a straight answer here for anything and its NEVER in your favor. I live in Recoleta so the price increased accordingly. I just pay it all at once and then don't have to think about it until next January but what about the huge increases and the people that can't afford to do that? It is very sad indeed. Why they couldn't have just increased it gradually like 25 or even 50 percent over the next couple of years. The pleasures of the third world...

 

[Celia]

I am not looking forward to my bill coming now...just how big is the percentage increase?

 

[G]

Prior to Cristina winning the Presidency there were talks of more inflation and price hikes - this should not come as a surprise to anyone, really. Nobody expects the "honeymoon" to last forever - did you? Price hikes have been sticking it to us for sometime now - after Cristina's hurrah - she sealed the deal and every freakin' one of us have to dig deeper into our pocketbooks to pay for anything.Reality check.

 

[Celia]

Just woken from dreaming to receive my bill! A 58% increase. On top of the cleaners 25% increase (although she wanted 34%). Can I still afford to live here?

 

[rmartinbuenosaires]

Well a 53% increase is a godsend. Mine more than tripled in price. Oh don't forget the latest 24% increase imposed on private medical care last month which is now about 50% more than November of last year...and if memory serves me correctly....I think the Porteros get a nice little extra months' worth of salary in January so I expect the expenses to increase as well. Guess they need the money for their trips to France during their holidays...they get paid 13 months wages a year and work 11 months when you exclude their vacation time. Disfrutar todos.

 

[sergio]

Celia asks the question "can I still afford to live here"? That's something I have been asking people for some time as I started to see prices soar. Most of the expats here came after the Menem period. At that time the peso was worth one dollar. There was virtually no inflation (toward the end of his second term there was actually deflation). Property was less than half what it costs now but other goods and services, in dollar terms, were fairly expensive compared to some 1st world countries like the US. Now we are seeing prices return to and exceed those of the Menem period while wages have not risen anywhere near inflation levels. Those expats who came here thinking it was cheap and assuming it would stay that way were naive, in my opinion. Now just how far is the inflation going to take us? Will expats start to pack up and go home?

 

[nikad]

Well a 53% increase is a godsend. Mine more than tripled in price. Oh don't forget the latest 24% increase imposed on private medical care last month which is now about 50% more than November of last year...and if memory serves me correctly....I think the Porteros get a nice little extra months' worth of salary in January so I expect the expenses to increase as well. Guess they need the money for their trips to France during their holidays...they get paid 13 months wages a year and work 11 months when you exclude their vacation time. Disfrutar todos.

Maybe you can try living in Uganda for your next expat adventure?

 

[nikad]

Celia asks the question "can I still afford to live here"? That's something I have been asking people for some time as I started to see prices soar. Most of the expats here came after the Menem period. At that time the peso was worth one dollar. There was virtually no inflation (toward the end of his second term there was actually deflation). Property was less than half what it costs now but other goods and services, in dollar terms, were fairly expensive compared to some 1st world countries like the US. Now we are seeing prices return to and exceed those of the Menem period while wages have not risen anywhere near inflation levels. Those expats who came here thinking it was cheap and assuming it would stay that way were naive, in my opinion. Now just how far is the inflation going to take us? Will expats start to pack up and go home?

I guess to answer your question, yes, expats that came here cos it was cheap might want to start packing. And yes, anybody coming here without reading the basics of the country´s history is at the very least naive...

 

[rmartinbuenosaires]

Nikad-Thanks for your "invaluable" input. I simply stated the facts. I can "scrape" by so don't worry about me moving to Uganda anytime soon. I am just looking forward to the next crisis which will of course happen. I did do my research before moving here in 2003, Nikad so again thanks for your useless input. I am looking forward to the next crisis as that is the best time to get some renovation work done on my apartment!

 

[Celia]

Well, I will try to stay here, but I may have to open a high-class lap-dancing club instead of a respectable tango studio...!