About mrbreeze

Status:

Expatriate  

Currently Lives:

Afghanistan

Citizen Of:

United States

Some Forum Posts:

Lithuania: Lithuanian grief forum:

This thread is dedicated to those who came to Lithuania and it has since ruined their lives. Please share your thoughts about how the country has caused you nothing but grief and how it has ruined your life.

Lithuania: cost of living:

The dollar is way down so 40 lt is about $20. A 2 liter bottle of coke is 4 lt. A package of 3 small boneless chicken breast 15 lt. Veggies are of terrible quality and big bucks. If you are alone and eat well, figure 40 lt a day from the grocery store. A studio flat 1 room and kitchen just outside the city in an old cement building at least a 1000 lt a month for a dump. Don't give a security deposit you won't get it back. Add about 70 lt a mont for trash, elevator and other service they charge you for. Hot water if you shower everyday like a good American about 70 lt a month, cold water add about 30 lt a month. Electric say a 100 lt a month. When you rent watch out for cockroaches could be a real nightmare, so best thing to do is turn the oven on high for 10 mins to see if they run out that is where they live. Watch out for mice, look in the closets for traps, or eaten pieces of paper. Look around outside on the ground for needles, I seen a lot in the Gabijos area. Bring a smoke detector with you. Pre paid cells are expensive 10 lt will get you a card that will last about 20 mins, no charge if someone calls you. You can get a bus pass about 35 lt. Bring as much medicine you can. Dentist are very good and cheap. Hospitals are a joke, and won't take any insurance, so don't waste your money. TB is a concern, don't let anyone cough near you. BRING hand sanitizer by the gallon! It is a must! Everything is dirty and you will be sick a lot if you ride the bus. Can't find it here.Bring spices to make your meal a little more tolerable. Bring extra socks, the ones here last about 3 days. Make sure your flat has a washing machine that works, forget about a dryer. Drying on a line destroys your cloths too. You can get an electrical convertor for about 80 lt my wife uses her sewing machine with it. Bring coat hangers they are expensive here.If you are an American man, bring extra underwear, because what they wear here will make you laugh then cry.

Lithuania: Starting a business in LT:

Forget it! I will try to explain the tax system. You get no tax base here. In the U.S. on federal depending on the size of your family you can get about the first 14 k as a credit before you start paying tax. Here, it starts from the first penny you make. Second, in the U.S. you first calculate the tax you owe, then deduct your business expenses from that hoping to reduce that owed amount to zero. Here you can make up to 100.000 Lt and pay %15 tax rate. But, if from that 100 you had 20.000 in business expenses they give you 2 choices. 1, don't take the 20.000 deduction and pay %15 of the 100.000 which is 85.000 or, take the 20.000 deduction and pay %24 tax on the 80.000! You lose from the start! They treat a 1 man company like it was Kraft foods. The labor laws here make it impossible to have an employee. 3 weeks paid vacation after 6 months. Holiday pay, there are about 4 holidays a month here, 5 in may. If a mans wife gets pregnant HE can take 2 yrs off, and you have to hold his job. There is more, but you get my point. After you make 100.000 Lt, your tax rate becomes %33.

Lithuania: Job Websites for foreigners looking for work in Vilnius:

As far as I know they are not any. You will have to go back to the teaching gig. or maybe some editing. Automatic life of poverty. Teaching here is charity work. They are also cracking down on teaching under an authors agreement here. If you stayed here for a year and did not register this could be a problem for you. The most you can make teaching is 1500 lt a month, and that includes the huge gaps in your schedule. A class at 7 am, then noon, then 4 pm, takes 12 hours in the end. There are soooo many holidays here too. You lose at least 4 days a month.

Lithuania: My fellow Americans:

I consider it my duty to warn you about the way things are done here. I live here, and know. First, when you come to live here, you MUST register where you live in order to get a permit to stay. BEFORE you rent a place you MUST make sure your landlord will alow you to do so at that address. This is a formal procedure which means they have to go to city hall and openly declare you. If anyone tells you otherwise they are a liar. It is a big deal for a landlord to do this, and it is not easy to find one who will. Mostly because he admits that he has rental income and this puts him on the books. If he does do it, add %18 VAT tax to your rent. You will get a slip of paper that says you have been registered and it is your proof. You need this, it is the law. Lithuania will not think twice about deporting you at the drop of a hat. Second, when you rent ask this... When the fridge breaks, who pays for it? When the pipe blows at 2 am who do I call, and who pays? Guess what? They want you to pay. Watch how fast the landlord runs when you ask these questions! Is the place heated with gas? Forget it, you will go broke in winter. Most places are furnished... watch your ass, because he will look when you move out and it better look the same or he will want to be paid. Most places have centeral heat and is controlled by the Gov and they shut it off in April no matter how cold it is! Do not trust ANY Lithuanian business AT ALL. They bring the art of screwing people to a whole new level. I could go on, but that is enough. YOU MUST REGISTER, or you will get deported!

Lithuania: Housing in Vilnius:

Are you for real? What a stupid question.

Lithuania: Expats in Vilnius?:

Hi, As you can see, I am the only Expat in Vilnius. G.W. Bush AKA SFB

Lithuania: American in LT looking for others:

Hi, Been living in LT for a year with my wife and 2 kids, I would like to find some other Americans to hang out with now and then..

Date Joined:

11/9/2007

Total Posts:

46

Posts/Day:

0.01