How Iraqis achieve financial
security in 10 years!
Dec 05 2016
You live in America, you are single,
and you make 4k a month, so you think you are on top of the world. Taxes, bills
and insurance, at the end of the year, zero savings. You lose your job, you are
in trouble. One simple sickness that requires hospitalization, and you are unemployed
without insurance, well you have to pay for it for the rest of your life.
In Iraq there are no taxes, no bills
and no insurance. Minimum wage is 600$ a month. All parents in Iraq, do not
like their kids to leave the house, even when they are adults. As a matter of
fact they want their boys to get married bring the wives and live with the
parents. Why? So they can enjoy being together in a big family in their old
age, and more important enjoy their grand kids, at all times. Iraqis and most
of the people in the east don’t think like, I raised you get on your own; I
will help, but not at all the times.
You get a job with a good Iraqi or
an international company. Food and lodging is provided. No water, electric or
internet expenses. Most of the stuff is cheap as Iraq is a true free market
country without even custom fees. Your personal expenses hardly will reach 150$
a month. Salary for a driver in a good company preferably international is 1650$
a month. Food, lodging, internet, heating and cooling, all provided.
Your salary is 1650$ minus personal
expenses 150$ = 1500$ a month of total savings. That is 18K a year. You sign up
for Iraqi government subsidized low income homes. They cost 40K. Roughly every
2 years on your salary you can buy 1 home. They rent for a minimum of 300$ a
month. That means you have added a 3600$ to your 18K savings a year. When you
repeat this process 5 times in 10 years. You will have a monthly rent income of
1500$. The houses that you have bought for 40K, now are selling for 120K.You
now can quit your job because you are financially secure. What is financial
security? You don’t have to work for a living for the rest of your life. You
can work part time and for fun. Now you are ready to start a family in your parent’s
house. They will insist that you live with them. 1500$ a month with no taxes,
no bills, and no insurance, will take you a long way. Heck you can even afford
a Nepalese in house maid for 300$ a month. A twice a year vacation with your
new family to Dubai in the winter and Turkey in the summer. 10 years all what
it takes? Now let’s review some of the prices for some popular items in Iraq.
Rent 2bedroom house 250-3000$
Electric 50$ with single unit AC
Generator 40$
Water 10$ every 3 months
Health care is FREE, but if you
choose a private clinic
Doctor’s office visit (specialist) 5-15$
Lipid profile (cholesterol) test 5$
X-ray 15$
MRI 30$
Meat (Beef) 1Kilo (2.21 Pound) 15$
Meat (lamb) 1Kilo (2.21 Pound) 16$
Meat (Chicken) 1Kilo (2.21 Pound) 4$
Eggs (30 eggs) 2$
Rice 1 Kilo 1.5-2$
Bread (Samoon = Iraqi sandwich bread)
10 pieces 1$
Bread (Khobiz = Iraqi flat bread) 8 pieces
1$
ALL fruits and vegetables are
ORGANIC
Tomatoes 1Kilo (2.21 Pound) in
season (highest price) 1.50$
Onions 1Kilo (2.21 Pound) in season
(highest price) 1$
Cucumbers 1Kilo (2.21 Pound) in
season (highest price) 1.50$
Potatoes 1Kilo (2.21 Pound) in
season (highest price) 1$
Green string beans 1Kilo (2.21
Pound) in season (highest price) 2$
Egg plant 1Kilo (2.21 Pound) in
season (highest price) 1.50$
Zucchini 1Kilo (2.21 Pound) in
season (highest price) 1.50$
ALL fruits and vegetables are
ORGANIC
Apples 1Kilo (2.21 Pound) in season
(highest price) 1.50$
Oranges 1Kilo (2.21 Pound) in season
(highest price) 1.50$
Grapes 1Kilo (2.21 Pound) in season
(highest price) 2$
Plums 1Kilo (2.21 Pound) in season
(highest price) 2$
Apricots 1Kilo (2.21 Pound) in
season (highest price) 3$
Baklawa 1Kilo (2.21 Pound) 10-20$
Spring water 6L (about 1.5 US
gallon) 1$
What more can I say? Nothing.
Sarmad Aqrawi is a civil engineer and
a freelance Journalist; His articles appear in; Arabic, Kurdish and American
English.
