How can we save money living in Thailand?

[KhunLA]

44 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

You need to get out more.

 

At least half the retirees I meet are skint. One guy cooked vegetables on a hibachi to make soup on his balcony every day. Another guy argued about an extra $5 for a hotel room, others spend their nights looking for a 20 baht discount on a beer.

 

There's plenty of cheapskates around. In fact it seems to be the norm unless your holed up in a fancy place and don't go streetside much.

Think you need a better circle of acquaintances, as I don't know anyone that is 'skint'

 

Me and the wife, live beyond comfortable on about 30k a month.  Picanha steaks last night for dinner.  Lived on about the same budget when daughter lived with us.

 

Can live on < 10k a month for housing & utilities (if renting) & less than <10k a month on food (300+ a day).  Easily.

 

Don't think anyone needs more than that.  If on long term visa, that leave 20k or 45k a month for everything else.  IF you can't live on that, well, anything I'd add would be offensive, so I'll leave it at that.

 

 

Edited July 1, 2022 by KhunLA

[KhunBENQ]

Browsed through the thread and have I overlooked some keywords?

Smoking, drinking, bars and all kinds of "entertainment"?

Think about stopping or reducing.

Seen so many guys wasting a significant part of their money for such.

 

[sandyf]

37 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

 I have 3 words for you........Balloons and water and pigs...

 

Like it.

 I remember some years ago my wife and I went for a meal in Sailor Bar, I ordered a European meal and my wife something Thai. I had finished mine before my wife's had shown up so I walked up to the counter, called the boss over and cancelled my wife's order. I put the money down for mine and walked away, followed by a string of obscenities.

We walked round the corner into Soi 7 and spotted the balloons, my wife had a better meal there than she would have got in Sailor Bar for free, would have bought a beer somewhere.

[aussiexpat]

Suggest cancelling Netflix? Mine costs me only 99 baht per month, what entertainment is cheaper than that. You'd have to be pretty hard up that 99 baht was going to break you considering the value it gives (maybe give up 2 large Leo per month instead)

 

Edited July 1, 2022 by aussiexpat

[shackleton]

Shop around  look for deals when in the Supermarket 

Buy I get 1 free ???? 

When I shop I  walk round first eyeing up any deals  there are money savings to be made ???? 

[MrMuddle]

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

Build a mini farm off grid with home gym, become semi vegetarian where you eat only vegetables, fruit, fish, egg, and sheep from farm, and stop drinking?

 

 

Please stop spying on me, thank you!

[Zozod]

I don’t get out much but it was interesting to read that some retirees do count satang.  It’s cheaper to live here and I guess that attracts many farang…but maybe more of those who have less come here.

[aussiexpat]

I found having the McDonald's App was very good to save a few baht. Not promoting to use McD a lot but if you do go I found they often had 2 for 1 or up to 50% off (only available from the App)

 

Edited July 1, 2022 by aussiexpat

[MrMuddle]

Marry my wife. I'm Scottish and she makes me look like a spendthrift!

[KhunLA]

47 minutes ago, SymS said:

There's no fee on ATM cards withdrawals if used within the same province.
But now we can't do completely without ATM cards (saving on the small annual fee) using the cardless ATM function in the bank app.

Don't have ATM on my Thai bank account.  Something wrong with paying to access my own money, especially when I'm saving them money by having, along with them earning profits from that same money.

 

I just pop in every couple months, when no Q and withdraw most of it.

[4MyEgo]

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

what on Earth are those Russians trying to achieve?

Seriously, Russia was not a threat to anyone until the USA kept pushing closer and closer to their borders with weapons, someone mentioned it was adjoining countries joining NATO or something like that. 

 

The above said, I wonder how the USA would respond if Russia started moving its weapons to neighbouring countries almost on the USA's borders ?

 

I would imagine all it would take to stop this war is for the USA to back off, but that isn't going to happen just yet as there is a lot of money being made around the world while the masses start to suffer, not to mention the Ukraine's, and for what, security from Russia invading them, well, I didn't see Russia invade them before the USA kept inching closer and closer.

 

Not being one to get into politics, but it's pretty plain to see how this all unfolded with lots of warnings from the Russians that they would go in if they didn't back off, so provoke the sleeping giant and make money once again.

[MrMuddle]

3 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Seriously, Russia was not a threat to anyone until the USA kept pushing closer and closer to their borders with weapons, someone mentioned it was adjoining countries joining NATO or something like that. 

 

The above said, I wonder how the USA would respond if Russia started moving its weapons to neighbouring countries almost on the USA's borders ?

 

I would imagine all it would take to stop this war is for the USA to back off, but that isn't going to happen just yet as there is a lot of money being made around the world while the masses start to suffer, not to mention the Ukraine's, and for what, security from Russia invading them, well, I didn't see Russia invade them before the USA kept inching closer and closer.

 

Not being one to get into politics, but it's pretty plain to see how this all unfolded with lots of warnings from the Russians that they would go in if they didn't back off, so provoke the sleeping giant and make money once again.

They did, in the Cuba missile crisis of 1962. Probably the closest the world came to nuclear war. The Russians backed down, in the end.
Don't forget Russia had already annexed Crimea a few years ago.

Edited July 1, 2022 by MrMuddle

[4MyEgo]

11 minutes ago, MrMuddle said:

They did, in the Cuba missile crisis of 1962. Probably the closest the world came to nuclear war. The Russians backed down, in the end.

Different times, I was only 2 back then.

 

11 minutes ago, MrMuddle said:

Don't forget Russia had already annexed Crimea a few years ago.

And the reason for that was ?

[Tropposurfer]

Live well die young ... buck it!

[MrMuddle]

Greed? Getting off topic here. Perhaps you should post elsewhere in the forum.   ????

Edited July 1, 2022 by MrMuddle
missed out quote!

[BigStar]

5 hours ago, Orinoco said:

Stop buying deodorant like the middle-aged Russian guys. 

Why, when you can make your own for pennies.

 

Could mention here saving a ton on shaving expense by changing to an old-fashioned double edge razor and blades. 'Course, shrewd AN posters will point out that one can stop shaving or getting haircuts anyway. Hee. 

[MrMuddle]

2 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Different times, I was only 2 back then.

 

And the reason for that was ?

Greed ? Perhaps you should post your political views in another section of the forum, getting way off topic here.  ????

[digger70]

Easy ,Stay Single and buy only what you Need Not what you want.

[puck2]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

Browsed through the thread and have I overlooked some keywords?

Smoking, drinking, bars and all kinds of "entertainment"?

Think about stopping or reducing.

Seen so many guys wasting a significant part of their money for such.

 

I had the same idea: save money - no lao, no beer and no mia noi!

 

[BigStar]

2 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

Live well die young ... buck it!

But seeing so much misery and questing after (cheapest) docs, meds, and hospitals in the Health forum. So much pretense of living well with illness on all those meds and associated costs. Talk's cheap, eh.

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

Browsed through the thread and have I overlooked some keywords?

Smoking, drinking, bars and all kinds of "entertainment"?

Think about stopping or reducing.

Seen so many guys wasting a significant part of their money for such.

 

Exactly. Think about the vast amount they waste on health-related costs owing to lack of a healthy diet and exercise--the elephant in the room.???? 

[Martin Brit]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

It may not have snuck up on us, but those of us who saved all our working lives, and 20 years ago, felt secure in our finances and had many a pound sterling that would forever be worth more than 50 THB, and yield 5% interest at home... feel we are being robbed now by surging inflation. 

Maybe you should have had a pension and not a pile of cash. Cash is no good to you. As it runs out eventually. A pension runs til you are dead.

[LEXUS 400]

Stay away from " Snakes " wich are moving on 2 - legs , and then you will save a lot of money !.

[Joe Farang]

48 minutes ago, MrMuddle said:

They did, in the Cuba missile crisis of 1962. Probably the closest the world came to nuclear war. The Russians backed down, in the end.
Don't forget Russia had already annexed Crimea a few years ago.

No, the US backed down and agreed to remove their weapons from Turkey. Then Russia responded in kind by removing theirs from Cuba.

 

But back on topic.

Use Tea bags multiple times.

Wear only shorts and no tops outside. When at home walk around naked to save on laundry.

Grow vegetables on the balcony or back garden and keep a pig. Take a slice of meat off the pigs back every day, this will eventually heal so you have an everlasting pig. Grow a beard to save on blades. Swim in the sea or complex pool to avoid paying for showers.

Walk everywhere or get an old bicycle

[MrMuddle]

Just now, Joe Farang said:

No, the US backed down and agreed to remove their weapons from Turkey. Then Russia responded in kind by removing theirs from Cuba.

 

But back on topic.

Use Tea bags multiple times.

Wear only shorts and no tops outside. When at home walk around naked to save on laundry.

Grow vegetables on the balcony or back garden and keep a pig. Take a slice of meat off the pigs back every day, this will eventually heal so you have an everlasting pig. Grow a beard to save on blades. Swim in the sea or complex pool to avoid paying for showers.

Walk everywhere or get an old bicycle

I'll take your word for it - I was only a boy!

[FritsSikkink]

"Now everyone needs to look very carefully at their monthly outgoings."

No, talk for yourself and not others.

[Nong Khai Man]

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

If you have to ask yourself now, how to save money in your retirement years, I think it's a bit too late, and you've lost already.

 

Has anything changed in the last 50-70 years, and the simple concept of prioritize and spend wisely.  If you didn't learn that already, you may have some problems no matter where you live.

 

Can't believe anyone needs to count satang, that's here on a marriage or retirement visa.

 

40 or 65k a month is more than enough for any 1 person or family to live on, comfortably.

40 or 65k a month is more than enough for any 1 person or family to live on, comfortably.

.....not IF YOU Like Myself is on a VERY REDUCED State Pension......I WISH I Got 40k A Month,But I DON'T !!

[473geo]

We live in our own home, electric/internet about 2.5k baht monthly, water from well, drinking water delivered very cheap, little or no alcohol, grow our own rice, my wife cooks according to how the budget is running, might have omelette rather than spare ribs for a while, more chicken using less pork for a while, greens supplied from local grown bushes and trees, more eggs less sausages, it really is easy to cut down if necessary, local soups not expensive.

Many 20 baht snacks sold at the door, deep fried bananas, my favourite, corn on the cob etc, home made somtam fresh home grown papaya, fruit, mangoes have our own trees, fish sold cheap at the door, home made banana muffins and brownies, it really is a case of each person controlling spending as they wish 

I understand why people who have saved and can afford it dine out every night, travel, stay in hotels fair play their money to spend

I used to drink loads, and never ever thought I would say this, but these days after working on the farm in Thailand there is nothing more refreshing than a couple of glasses of iced water ????

 

 

 

[FritsSikkink]

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

If you have to ask yourself now, how to save money in your retirement years, I think it's a bit too late, and you've lost already.

 

Has anything changed in the last 50-70 years, and the simple concept of prioritize and spend wisely.  If you didn't learn that already, you may have some problems no matter where you live.

 

Can't believe anyone needs to count satang, that's here on a marriage or retirement visa.

 

40 or 65k a month is more than enough for any 1 person or family to live on, comfortably.

Not if you live in Bangkok, have kids going to a proper school and like nice food and drinks.

[Nong Khai Man]

2 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Browsed through the thread and have I overlooked some keywords?

Smoking, drinking, bars and all kinds of "entertainment"?

Think about stopping or reducing.

Seen so many guys wasting a significant part of their money for such.

 

I Don't drink ( Diabetes ) I Don't go to places of Entertainment,But I DO Smoke ( My ONLY Pleasure ) & Have done for 60 Years so Trying to STOP Is Nigh on Impossible or Very DIFFICULT to say the least,I Have Cut Down from 20 A Day to round about 10 /12 Daily....It's The Craving & It's A LOT Safer than YaBa !! But I'm on a Very Reduced State Pension & The WELL Over Valued Thai Baht Certainly Doesn't HELP !!