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Author Topic: Cost of living in Ukraine  (Read 149997 times)

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Offline WestCoast

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #25 on: August 24, 2010, 05:50:22 PM »
Something's gotta give and I believe it's going to be soon.

Jim Rogers was right again, buy farming stocks!!!!

Ammo, water purification tablets, bicycles and dried foods.

Also vegetable seed and a few chickens, goats, cows etc on a farm in the more rural mountains of Idaho? Or BC there are some nice places in the interior of BC, someplace where the nuclear radiation isn't likely to reach but still has high speed Internet. 


                                 

MORE(?) rural mountains of Idaho?

How rural you want them?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawtooth_Range_(Idaho)

Very similar to their Rocky Mountain counterparts in BC. 
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That means I'm a subject matter expert on all things Russia, Ukraine and UK.

Offline dazzer

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #26 on: August 25, 2010, 12:17:05 PM »
A very real concern is that there will be a return to the home invasion incidents of the 90's. Those apartment doors are built that way (multiple locks and steel cores) for a reason. At least they almost always open outward which is good for security but awful for being trapped inside.

I have wondered as to why every apartment i have rented had huge front steel doors fitted, can you explain what was "the home invasion incidents of the 90's"?
« on: January 14, 2010, 02:18:43 AM »
Would she be offended to get a text without telling her ahead of time?

Offline ecocks

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #27 on: August 25, 2010, 12:50:54 PM »
A very real concern is that there will be a return to the home invasion incidents of the 90's. Those apartment doors are built that way (multiple locks and steel cores) for a reason. At least they almost always open outward which is good for security but awful for being trapped inside.

I have wondered as to why every apartment i have rented had huge front steel doors fitted, can you explain what was "the home invasion incidents of the 90's"?

Yeah, guys were busting in doors and ransacking apartments during the chaos of the post-perestroika period. As bad as anything experienced in American cities reporting problems although without the guns it is mostly beatings rather than shootings if it happened when you were home.


Offline dazzer

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #28 on: August 25, 2010, 01:04:24 PM »
Yeah, guys were busting in doors and ransacking apartments during the chaos of the post-perestroika period. As bad as anything experienced in American cities reporting problems although without the guns it is mostly beatings rather than shootings if it happened when you were home.

Why were guys ransacking apartments ecocks?
« on: January 14, 2010, 02:18:43 AM »
Would she be offended to get a text without telling her ahead of time?

Offline JeanClaude

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #29 on: August 25, 2010, 01:31:27 PM »
Yeah, guys were busting in doors and ransacking apartments during the chaos of the post-perestroika period. As bad as anything experienced in American cities reporting problems although without the guns it is mostly beatings rather than shootings if it happened when you were home.

Why were guys ransacking apartments ecocks?

Collecting taxes, but not necessarily for the government))
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Offline ecocks

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #30 on: August 25, 2010, 02:18:37 PM »
Yeah, guys were busting in doors and ransacking apartments during the chaos of the post-perestroika period. As bad as anything experienced in American cities reporting problems although without the guns it is mostly beatings rather than shootings if it happened when you were home.

Why were guys ransacking apartments ecocks?

Theft? You couldn't figure that out?

Offline ecocks

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #31 on: August 25, 2010, 02:19:20 PM »
Yeah, guys were busting in doors and ransacking apartments during the chaos of the post-perestroika period. As bad as anything experienced in American cities reporting problems although without the guns it is mostly beatings rather than shootings if it happened when you were home.

Why were guys ransacking apartments ecocks?

Collecting taxes, but not necessarily for the government))


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Offline JeanClaude

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #32 on: August 25, 2010, 02:32:50 PM »
Just called a good friend of mine and talked about the cost of living,  prices have gone up a bit, sure, but certainly not "out of control"
==
Now your fiancee might be painting a worse then reality picture as reading your posting, I get the feeling she is very willing to come to the US.
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Offline JeanClaude

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #33 on: August 25, 2010, 02:34:23 PM »
Yeah, guys were busting in doors and ransacking apartments during the chaos of the post-perestroika period. As bad as anything experienced in American cities reporting problems although without the guns it is mostly beatings rather than shootings if it happened when you were home.

Why were guys ransacking apartments ecocks?

Collecting taxes, but not necessarily for the government))


Sometimes you are useful, like when we need a chuckle.....

Yeah, I love statism too  :D
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Offline dazzer

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #34 on: August 25, 2010, 02:52:52 PM »
Why were guys ransacking apartments ecocks?

Theft? You couldn't figure that out?

The term "ransacking" in England doesn't equal "theft" the correct term being robbed ( theft ) ransacking ( made a mess ), hence my question :nod:
« on: January 14, 2010, 02:18:43 AM »
Would she be offended to get a text without telling her ahead of time?

Offline ecocks

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #35 on: August 25, 2010, 02:54:52 PM »
So not merely vandalizing, tearing it up looking for things of value then.

Offline erudite

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #36 on: August 25, 2010, 05:40:30 PM »
Just called a good friend of mine and talked about the cost of living,  prices have gone up a bit, sure, but certainly not "out of control"
==
Now your fiancee might be painting a worse then reality picture as reading your posting, I get the feeling she is very willing to come to the US.

Yes, I suppose if I made $300 US or less each month, lived in a small apartment with my mother, sister, niece and daughter, had no car or realistic chance to make my life better in Ukraine, I would be ready for a change too.  I live in America and I am ready for a change in America or a change out of America if it becomes realistic at some point. But for now for me being an American seems better than living in Ukraine as a Ukraine citizen. 

The people I know in Ukraine are intelligent, honest, hard working, have a good sense of moral right and wrong. They do not indulge in self pity, quite the contrary. But each has told me at some point in our friendship that they are ashamed of so much in their country because of the corruption and dysfunctional government not solving the problems. Also none of them voted for the current President Viktor Yanukovych in the last election.
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Offline JeanClaude

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #37 on: August 25, 2010, 05:54:21 PM »
@erudite,

My point is people are not "starving" (other then they usually do). If I look at Ukraine architecture, I get the feeling this was once a wealthy nation, the nice (but old) neoclassical houses are being broken down to make place for glass, steel and concrete. Progress.... ???

Governments don't make countries great, they can only stop people from unleashing their creative potential with restrictive laws or laws that give special privileges for their friends in existing (big) industry.
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Offline ecocks

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #38 on: August 25, 2010, 09:02:54 PM »
Just called a good friend of mine and talked about the cost of living,  prices have gone up a bit, sure, but certainly not "out of control"
==
Now your fiancee might be painting a worse then reality picture as reading your posting, I get the feeling she is very willing to come to the US.

Yes, I suppose if I made $300 US or less each month, lived in a small apartment with my mother, sister, niece and daughter, had no car or realistic chance to make my life better in Ukraine, I would be ready for a change too.  I live in America and I am ready for a change in America or a change out of America if it becomes realistic at some point. But for now for me being an American seems better than living in Ukraine as a Ukraine citizen. 

The people I know in Ukraine are intelligent, honest, hard working, have a good sense of moral right and wrong. They do not indulge in self pity, quite the contrary. But each has told me at some point in our friendship that they are ashamed of so much in their country because of the corruption and dysfunctional government not solving the problems. Also none of them voted for the current President Viktor Yanukovych in the last election.

I also met many who eventually confided their "embarrassment" and frustration with hoping for a better government to bring about changes. However, I have a couple of friends who admit they saw no choice but to vote for the perceived "strongman" candidate, Viktor Yankurkovich.

Offline MND

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #39 on: August 25, 2010, 11:38:59 PM »
Just called a good friend of mine and talked about the cost of living,  prices have gone up a bit, sure, but certainly not "out of control"
==
Now your fiancee might be painting a worse then reality picture as reading your posting, I get the feeling she is very willing to come to the US.

My wife has just returned from being overthere for 8 weeks and she says that the prices on everything have risen dramatically compared to this time last year.

Offline Chris

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #40 on: August 26, 2010, 05:28:48 AM »
Just called a good friend of mine and talked about the cost of living,  prices have gone up a bit, sure, but certainly not "out of control"


I'm in Ukraine at the moment, I will let you know what my experience is with prices compared to end of last year after I have been here a bit longer.
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Offline JeanClaude

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #41 on: August 26, 2010, 08:18:19 AM »
@Chris,

Let us know, maybe you can state some actual prices, example, milk, meat, bread, different kind of vegetables))
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Online andrewfi

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #42 on: August 26, 2010, 09:13:14 AM »
Hmmmm...

It is REALLY hard to fudge inflation figures for most countries because of the exchange rate. (the US is a very notable exception as the US exports msot of its inflation by printing dollars that are usedt o make foreign purchases and to be used by other countries for trade in dollar denominated commodities (Oil being the easiest example)

So, if there is a general rise in prices (definition of inflation) then the currency buys less than it would have done before and thus it is worth less than it was before and so the exchange rate will fall.

That means that if you are seeing increases in the prices of some goods then there must be a countervailing price trend in other classes of goods that brings the overall figure to that published by the Ukraine government.
Of course, just as in other places, the 'shopping basket' might be distorted on purpose to give a lower headline figure for public consumption but the exchange rates (and interest rates) will, in the end tell the story.

So, if we give credence to tales of 40% increases in the price of a candy bar etc. then we must also understand that something else in the shopping basket has gone down in price to enable the official figures to be credible and thus support the currency exchange rates which are derived from market pressures.
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Offline ecocks

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #43 on: August 26, 2010, 10:05:23 AM »
Again, it's a matter of degree.

My wife and I talk every day about prices and conditions there plus I have a half dozen or so who are still living on the ground in Kiev and around the country, although none in small villages.

The story is the same from all. Prices are up but nothing like the numbers or severity being tossed around in chat. A couple of forum members are upset that I "just don't get" that it takes $300 a month minimum to feed someone. Well, wife, babushka and 23 year old son are not spending even half of $900 a month to eat so I have no clue where all this information is originating, resulting in these opinions.

Offline Rasputin

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #44 on: August 26, 2010, 10:43:09 AM »
My point is people are not "starving" (other then they usually do).

Fortunately, the main staple, buckwheat, is quite nutritious. The fact is that most people will have a fairly nutritious diet, but it will be quite limited. They will eschew meat, fruit and expensive produce. They will then rely on a a handful of products that are relatively affordable (potatoes and buckwheat and a few varieties of porridge). They will also store what they can from the summer to feed themselves over the winter (they will pickle tomatoes and cucumbers, store potatoes and salted cabbage on the balcony, make "compote" out of berries, dry mushrooms, etc....). This way, they can keep their food costs to a minimum, while not risking starvation  tiphat
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Offline Chris

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #45 on: August 26, 2010, 11:28:48 AM »
My point is people are not "starving" (other then they usually do).

Fortunately, the main staple, buckwheat, is quite nutritious. The fact is that most people will have a fairly nutritious diet, but it will be quite limited. They will eschew meat, fruit and expensive produce. They will then rely on a a handful of products that are relatively affordable (potatoes and buckwheat and a few varieties of porridge). They will also store what they can from the summer to feed themselves over the winter (they will pickle tomatoes and cucumbers, store potatoes and salted cabbage on the balcony, make "compote" out of berries, dry mushrooms, etc....). This way, they can keep their food costs to a minimum, while not risking starvation  tiphat

You are spot on Rasputin, thats what my wifes family are doing right now, the meal we just had was along those lines, not too bad really either.  But they do eats lots of meats also of varying varieties. They are drinking lots of Silver Birch juice at the moment too, rather than alcoholic beverages.
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Offline Rasputin

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #46 on: August 26, 2010, 11:33:34 AM »
But they do eats lots of meats also of varying varieties.

My MIL is more frugal. The meat tends to be in the form of "kotlety" or a bit of meat in soups. When she splurges, she tends to buy fish. You will have of course, some kolbasa and cheese, but these are usually eaten in moderation with babushka (i.e. my MIL) making sure her grandkids (SIL's children) eat the more prized foods in moderation  :-X
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Offline Stirlitz

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #47 on: August 26, 2010, 11:38:20 AM »
Rasputin, what's the English for the kotlety? I am not quite sure things like this are eaten in the West. Chops?
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Offline Rasputin

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #48 on: August 26, 2010, 11:45:24 AM »
Rasputin, what's the English for the kotlety? I am not quite sure things like this are eaten in the West. Chops?

Cutlets.
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Offline JeanClaude

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Re: The Cost Of Living In Ukraine 2010
« Reply #49 on: August 26, 2010, 11:57:25 AM »
Rasputin, what's the English for the kotlety? I am not quite sure things like this are eaten in the West. Chops?

Porkchops?
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