Fed up with living in TNT under USA economics...

[AB.Trini]

Let me establish the fact that I am not an economist nor do I proport to understand the intricacies of trade, embargo and import taxes. What I do understand that with the importation of so much foreign goods, mercahnds and business owners are paying for that  in a foreign currency therefore I could understand why the price borne by the local person is set so as to have a profit margin compared to if one was living abroad.

I do find it very distressful that given the fact that the working man wages in TNT may not always compare to that of the working man in North America, yet when in TNT one is subjected to the kind of prices that even a working  person in North America may not have to  deal with.

I am disgusted when one enters some stores in TNT and they quoting you TNT price and U.SA. price for an item. I would have no problem with this if the earning capacity was equal or on par but when a man working and earning TNT $$$ tell me how the fack he could afford to even rent a  mini van for $$770 TT a day?

Are there any standardized government regulations on food products? I have noticed that I could walk into one parlor and check out  a price and right across the street at the other parlor, I could get the item cheaper? This is a fact of shopping just about everywhere but I do find that in TNT there seems to be little or no regulation on goods.

As retirement draws nearer and the possibility of returning home looms larger, how the fack does one really make it on earning a TNT wage yet trying to live on a U.S.A economy in TNT?

[WestCoast]

check this article
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/IMF_WB/Budhoo_IMF.html

here is another old article that may shed some light on your concerns
http://www.50years.org/cms/ejn/story/78
poor countries suffer under their policies

[truetrini]

what?

[elan]

If you want to eat what they eating in the USA and wear what they wearing in the USA and drive what they driving in the USA, should you not pay what they paying in the USA?

[Quags]

7 dollars for ah pack ah rough tops steuppss

[JDB]

It works both ways. There are things in TnT that are way cheaper in TnT than the US, including food items.

Elan has it right. Imported items will obviously be high but there has been a serious wage inflation in TnT over the last ten years. For certain professions the TnT salary is better than the converted US equivalent. I not back and forth that often and I not based in TnT so it really is for the local based to give a comprehensive breakdown of how "hard" things are. It sounds like yuh making the classic mistake of "converting" everything when yuh go home.

The situation where people in TnT might be losing comparatively is housing. The market ent buss yet so yuh get ting more bang for your buck in the US right now.

[Bakes]

It works both ways. There are things in TnT that are way cheaper in TnT than the US, including food items.

Agreed... up here de cheapest yuh getting ah doubles for is $6 TT 

[pecan]

It works both ways. There are things in TnT that are way cheaper in TnT than the US, including food items.

Agreed... up here de cheapest yuh getting ah doubles for is $6 TT 

Coconut water too.

3.50CAD for 500 ml of fresh (well frozen) water.

Or 5.00CAD for a stale coconut (if you can find it).

[kounty]

ab.  the only problems I have w/ your post is 1) the call for gov't regulation of prices what about competition & free market?
and 2) who goin and rent minivan in T&T? only people who you should be quoting prices in US dollars to 

[elan]

Last time I went home it was okay, not to bad.  I could understand people who living home how they bawling.....but at the same time all them fete does be ram and is the most latest threads men styling.

I am feeling it up here now. When I first came up like 6 years ago things were fine, now you have to check when you go to wal-mart. The prices going up while the quantity in the container going down. In the last year alone detergent went up about 2 or 3 times and   the bottle getting smaller, and they only writing 2X stronger, 3X stronger.       

[WestCoast]

all what you say there AB Trini does not bother me...some things are cheaper and somethings that are brought in are more expensive.

what I dont understand is the very poor customer service
during one of our trips back home we decided to rent a car
well I picked up the car and by the time I got home (rented at a place by UWI on the highway and we were staying a couple blocks north of the eastern main road in st agustine) it was making a real bad sound when I turned to the right.
so I took the car back and the fella MORE MAD than me and so I decided to cancell the order all together
If that was in north america they would give a free upgrade


Elan  about the 3X bottles of detergent

[elan]

all what you say there AB Trini does not bother me...some things are cheaper and somethings that are brought in are more expensive.

what I dont understand is the very poor customer serviceduring one of our trips back home we decided to rent a car
well I picked up the car and by the time I got home (rented at a place by UWI on the highway and we were staying a couple blocks north of the eastern main road in st agustine) it was making a real bad sound when I turned to the right.
so I took the car back and the fella MORE MAD than me and so I decided to cancell the order all together
If that was in north america they would give a free upgrade


Elan  about the 3X bottles of detergent

Last year Carnival Tuesday gone in Royal Castle on the Lara and this woman (she nice) pregnant and ordering something for she young daughter to eat. She order a sprite, so senior sec man behind the counter replied "water coming out from d sprite" so i trying to figure out what he telling the woman. So she ask for a sprite agin, compre say "ah jus tell yuh water coming out the sprite". The woman watching him. The woman tell him how her daughter don't drink anything else but sprite. Wellthe man get post primary on she"What de mudder c@#t yuh def, I just tell yuh water coming out d sprite, what d kcuf yuh def" watch meh who next."

Boy I stand up and watch that fella eh and the poor woman just stand up and eh say nothing. I guess I to Americanise, in that I mind meh businees, but that does bother meh bad. If I was the way I was when I was home, I woulda blaze he. I just shake my head change lines (cause if he talk to me so hmmm) and order.