Debunking Myths About Romania

     Ok, I heard it when I first thought about moving to Eastern Europe, I heard it when I decided to move to Romania, I heard it before I left and I've even heard it since I've been here.  How many of you out there thought Romania looked like this?  Come on now, raise your hand if the first thing that came to mind when I said I was coming here were mental images such as these?

     Instead though, I have been posting pictures and taking photographs of things entirely different.  The people are very nice but I have to admit, different from native Italians.  They remind me more of Germanic-type people where they'll look at you out the corner of their eyes rather than straight in the eye.  In my non-professional psychologist self, I deduce they don't trust foreigners (or maybe just Americans) as much as I thought they might.  I guess though, I can understand their trepidations.

     I'll share some of my personal observations.  Almost everyone in Romania smokes cigarettes.  Then again, I've learned A LOT of Navy personnel smoke.  Quite a few more than I saw with Air Force personnel.  People here are very hard working, and I mean "hard labor" hard work.  I see them working in the fields, working with their sheep and their goats, working construction and road work, etc.  Life here is hard.  The winters are cold.  After decades of Communism, the infrastructure is dilapidated and requires much work.  They are not US standard by a long shot.  You will not come here and have the same living experiences you currently have in the US.

     As I drive around the country, everywhere I go, I see old people sitting on the side of the roadways.  I can see in their faces how tough life has been for them.  They are weather worn, they are tired, they are poor, they lead simple, humble lives because frankly, that's all there is here.  Many of the older people don't know anything except Communism/Socialism and for them, having nothing is normal.  Having poor health care is normal.  Waiting in line for anything is normal.  NOT waiting is a luxury.  I've heard some say they would go back because it was easier than having to earn anything you need. Under Communism, the government gave you what they said you needed, nothing more.

     There are benefits though.  They don't have the "First World" outlook and negativity we have.  "What, no Internet here?"  "How can I take pictures of my food and send it to everyone who doesn't really care?"  "Look how these people parked?  How am I supposed to misuse my husband's / wife's / mother's / father's Handicapped Parking Pass?"  By the way, there are no handicapped parking spaces here.  When we went to the school for Easter, the Americans right away went for the "Do any of the kids have peanut allergies, what about gluten intolerance, or lactose intolerance?"  The look on the teachers faces were amazing - they said, ..."that's an American problem, we don't have those here."  The younger people of Romania are just now learning some of the fabricated American "problems" and I'm sure they'll begin having the same issues we have with impatience, intolerance, and just general whining.

     It is a beautiful country with vast expanses of wonderful wilderness, gorgeous farmlands, animals, fresh air, and friendly people.  These are what I am trying to capture on this blog.  I think the following little bit of history I compiled about modern-day Romania will be fun reading and educational at the same time.

     Thirty years ago this winter (December 16-27), Romania seized its independence from Communist rule.   In a government overthrow, the Romanian people replaced their authoritarian dictator with a democratically-elected official, and then ultimately tried and executed its last Communist leader, Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife, Elena.  This ended 42 years of Communist rule in Romania.  Romania's was the last removal of a Marxist-Leninist government in a Warsaw Pact country, and the only one which violently overthrew its country's government and executed its leader.

     To help understand their economic situation, here's some of the causes (beside the obvious fact THEY WERE COMMUNIST). In 1981, Ceaușescu began a nation-wide "austerity program" designed to enable Romania to eliminate its entire national debt of $10 billion (US) which he had accrued to this point. To achieve this, the government rationed many of the basic goods from its people, including; gas, heat, and food. This action dramatically reduced the standard of living and increased malnutrition. The infant mortality rate rose to be the highest in Europe.  Ceaușescu created a "cult of personality" trying to assure his leadership.   He conducted  weekly shows in soccer stadiums or on streets in different cities dedicated to him, his wife, and the Communist Party.

     While his people were starving and freezing during the frigid Romanian winters, he initiates several megalomaniac projects, such as the construction of the grandiose House of the Republic (today the Palace of the Parliament).  This is the biggest palace in the world.  I'll have pictures when I go to Bucharest at the end of May.  The never-completed museum dedicated to Communism and Ceaușescu is today the Casa Radio. These and other similar projects drained the country's finances and further aggravated the already dire economic situation. In Bucharest alone, thousands of homes were demolished and the people evicted to make room for the huge structures.

  The austerity program caused widespread poverty and it made the Communist regime very unpopular. At the expense of his citizens, Romania paid off its external debt (now nearly $11 billion) several months before the time Ceaușescu expected. With the end of the program though, shortages of food and goods remained the same as before.

     I have heard for years about Romanian orphanages and always wondered why there were so many unwanted Romanians children,  Evidently it all began in 1967 with the Decreței policy.  This new law banned all contraception and abortions. This decree resulted in a huge baby boom in an already poor country.  Because of other badly implemented programs, this also resulted in higher rates of poverty and child mortality.   Romania still possesses one of the highest child poverty rates in the developed world.  Funnily, by 1989, these children Ceaușescu's poor policies brought about, had all reached adulthood.  Many of them were among the students who started the revolution which finally overthrew his murderous reign.

     To better understand what it is like to live here, you have to know what people make and spend.

Cost-of-living in Romania - Link to some Internet information.

     Cost of living in Romania is 49.84% lower than in United States (aggregate data for all cities, rent is not taken into account). Rent in Romania is 74.73% lower than in United States (average data for all cities).

     The average take-home salary in Romania in 2019 is around 2,700 RON per month ($645).

     The minimum salary structure in Romania is setup like this:

• They have a general minimum salary of 1,263 RON (which is around $300/month). This is their net or take-home salary.  So this is actually what an employee brings home after taxes and all contributions (like health insurance premiums, pension contributions, etc.) is paid.

• Next, they have an increased minimum salary for those who have completed college AND have 1 year of experience in their field: 1,413 RON (around $335/month).

• Finally, they have a "much increased" salary for those working in construction: 2,362 RON (around $560/month).

     Now we know what they earn, let's look at what they spend their money on.

• Water and Sewage: Prices here vary a lot based on how much water you use. If heating is included, you can expect to pay a lot more during the winter months. The numbers here vary greatly from as low as $22.50 per month during the summer (when no heating costs are needed) to $225 per month during the winter.

• Electricity: As with everything else, this depends on how much you use. These estimations are based on the average the costs of around $28 per month.

• TV & Internet: As we all know, these usually go hand-in-hand and the prices for the combination are generally $16 per month.

• Mobile Cellular Service: Oftentime, these costs can be added on the same bill with the TV and Internet. Today, it costs on $12 per month for unlimited calls and text messages and 2GB of internet per month.

     Overall, it appears to me food prices in supermarkets in Romania are very low, even compared to what I see in the rest of Europe and the rest of the world. Like most Europeans, prices are influenced by the season, depending when you buy. Romanians don't have the First World luxuries we have grown to expect like; grapes from Chile, or lettuce from Mexico, or oranges from Australia, so we can enjoy everything year-round.  Here are some examples:

• Tomatoes (1 kg): $1 – $1.45 (depending on the season, cheaper during summer/autumn)

• Potatoes (1 kg): $.50

• Lettuce (1 head): $.50 – $.75

• Apples (1 kg): $.50 – $1.45

• Oranges (1 Kg): $1.10

• Cheese (1 Kg): $7.25

• Eggs (1 egg): $.25

• Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless (1 kg): $5.25

• Fresh fish, local (1 kg): $7.25

• Loaf of Bread (300 grams): $.45

• Milk (1 Liter – no name brands): $.75

• Bottle of cheap local wine: $2.45

• Bottle of better local wine: $4.70

• Beer (0.5 liter): $.70

• Beer (2 liter bottle): $2.25

• Sparkling water (1.5 l): $.70

• Bottled water (5 l): $1.10

• Bottle of natural juice (1 liter): $1.35

     All in all, a family of two (or even 3, with a younger child) could keep the monthly food budget to around $340 if, like I tell my kids, they don’t eat out a lot.

     Restaurant prices in Romania

• Meal for two, inexpensive restaurant, Three-course (tip included): $28

• Meal for two, better restaurant, Three course (tip included): $50

• Beer (0.5 l): $1.45

• Coke (0.25 l): $1.45

• Wine (0.75 l): $13.40 (but can easily go up)

• Cappuccino: $1.90

• Fresh lemonade: $3.00

     Other costs in Romania

• Bus ticket: $.45 (1 trip)

• Monthly bus pass: $13.40 (unlimited trips) but not all cities have something like this!

• Gas: $1.25 per liter (about $5.00 per gallon)

• Pair of regular jeans: $28

• T-shirt: $12

• Cinema ticket: $4.80

     The prices below are what I have found for a two bedroom apartment (I'm in the market now):

     When it comes to housing, you can find a decent one bedroom apartment in a good area in a large city in Romania for around $335/month and around $560 per month for a two bedroom unit. These are NOT of the same housing standards we, as Americans, are accustomed to.  You may live on the seventh floor of an apartment complex and there will be no elevator.  There are no amenities like pools, gyms, pets, etc. Even today, Romania has nearly 30% of it's houses with no internal plumbing, the highest in the EU.

     You can live in Romania for $1,200 per month if you were frugal.

     This is a nice, round number and I think you can do it, but not as a single person. If you’re a couple and you have $2,250 per month, you’d live a good life in Romania at $1,200 per person.  There are still expenses I haven't calculated like automobile payment, insurance, taxes, etc.