Australian couple save $24,000 a year after moving from Melbourne to Chiang Mai

[NCC1701A]

I'm from Los Angeles and I save $125,000 a year living in Hua Hin.

 

I eat 7/11 noodles and do all my own massages.

[gk10002000]

That is a very poorly worded article title.  They did not "save" money.  They are now spending less money on many things.  Do they have income and actually put money away?  Perhaps their average income is unchanged as he/she free lance writes, so moving to Thailand can on the surface save a lot of out of pocket costs.  But how long can they stay in Thailand properly?  what visa(s)?  What Medical or accident insurance?  And it certainly sounds like they are NOT reporting income properly to their home country and are dodging that.  I am sure many other so called bloggers are doing the similar thing and not reporting income

[Nemises]

What’s the weekly rent for a 1br, A/C, furnished room in Melbourne? $A400? And how much in CM? $A40? Yes, CM is a complete sh*thole compared to Melbourne, so maybe it’s the much cheaper rent that entices some self-funded Melb renters to CM?

 

[lovelomsak]

13 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

That is a very poorly worded article title.  They did not "save" money.  They are now spending less money on many things.  Do they have income and actually put money away?  Perhaps their average income is unchanged as he/she free lance writes, so moving to Thailand can on the surface save a lot of out of pocket costs.  But how long can they stay in Thailand properly?  what visa(s)?  What Medical or accident insurance?  And it certainly sounds like they are NOT reporting income properly to their home country and are dodging that.  I am sure many other so called bloggers are doing the similar thing and not reporting income

Not sure about them if they saved it or not. But in my case of $20,000 a year yes it was hard cold cash in the bank at the end of the year. After tax .

[dundas]

I was asked by a friend (from Melbourne) about the article when it first came out, and I called BS, although in fairness I hadn't read the article and didn't realise the writer of the article was talking about savings for a couple, not per person. 

 

I live in Melbourne most of the time. I have solar panels on the roof and very low energy bills. I get half price on my car registration, and discounts on council rates and water. I can live fairly OK there, provided I don't eat out a lot. 

 

That's what I enjoy about coming here – the only meal I eat at home here is breakfast, which I enjoy. Lunch and dinner are always eaten out. I don't normally eat at the Four Seasons, but if i did I think my savings from living in CM would be fairly minimal. 

 

I enjoy CM for all kinds of reasons, (and I accept that there are some negatives, just like there are negatives with living in Melbourne), but saving money isn't one of them. Money isn't the measure of everything. 

[Rhys]

A walk in the park... go for it.

[chainarong]

So does this article really solve that long term belief or myth,  is Australian the Lucky country or is it now,  was the lucky country??

[Wallander4]

How much does their health insurance cost and does it cover medical treatment for chest pains caused by the disgusting burning season ?