Do you spend more, less or about the same as you thought you would before coming to Thailand?

[sidjameson]

The old adage "make a budget, then double it' didn't apply to me. I spend less than I planned. I thought I'd drink more, out more, travel more than I actually like to do.

My monthly costs are about 80% of what I estimated. How about yours?

[Celsius]

I spend way less. When I came here 10 years ago I thought I would only last 1 year. It helps if you hook up with girls that are actually employed.

 

In those 10 years I was able to save almost 1 million Canadian dollars. A lot more than if I was slumming it in Canada. 

 

However, I believe that Thailand is the exact opposite of the West. While back home people spend less once they get older, in Thailand due to no security and lousy healthcare the future costs will go up significantly. This is why I will be moving back very soon.

[scubascuba3]

I spend 30% less than expected mainly because i stopped playing golf where it cost circ 25k a month

 

[OneMoreFarang]

If I have more then I spend more.

If I don't have much money to spend then I don't spend it.

 

I think there are lots of opportunities to spend money. The 50B street food or the 1500B buffet? Maybe add a bottle of wine?

 

I can live cheap if I want to. Mostly I don't want to do that. 

[Hummin]

2 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

If I have more then I spend more.

If I don't have much money to spend then I don't spend it.

 

I think there are lots of opportunities to spend money. The 50B street food or the 1500B buffet? Maybe add a bottle of wine?

 

I can live cheap if I want to. Mostly I don't want to do that. 

How do you plan for your pention? I understand you worked in Thailand only for many years?

[Hummin]

Im still working occationally, so I spend what I can both places I live. Travel as often we want and can. But living cost in Isaan is about 150% lower included family, than as single in Thailand. 

[OneMoreFarang]

3 minutes ago, Hummin said:

How do you plan for your pention? I understand you worked in Thailand only for many years?

That is a good question.

I have some money for the time when I won't be able to work anymore. But for how long? Good question.

I like my work with computers, so I don't really care about retirement. 

And then there is the question if I want to survive until I am 90 or have a good life until I am 70 or 75. I don't really have an answer.

[ChaiyaTH]

18 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

If I have more then I spend more.

If I don't have much money to spend then I don't spend it.

Same for me, knowing I also came here at a young age already so it was not really about a budget, just whatever I can make each month. If everything is going good, I often also do more fun things which results in higher expenses.

While if I am very busy, or when money is low (which would result in getting busy too), my costs can be low. In terms of budget it doubled from what I used to need but that is also because I now have a child and pay rent for a bigger place etc etc. 

Otherwise I could still live on almost the same figure as I could 10 years ago. Mainly because I also know much more places, or where to get what for the best value etc.

 

Also confident that if I lived this same stage of my life back home, my wife would need to work fulltime too, and we would still live way poorer than we are living here while spending average.

 

If something is way above my expected budget, it is the time you can lose for little things like bureaucratic stuff, visa. stuff etc. That's not money but time is money so yeah whatever.

[scubascuba3]

15 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

That is a good question.

I have some money for the time when I won't be able to work anymore. But for how long? Good question.

I like my work with computers, so I don't really care about retirement. 

And then there is the question if I want to survive until I am 90 or have a good life until I am 70 or 75. I don't really have an answer.

Pick an end date, back in the UK financial advisors are trying to get people to save and invest assuming they'll live to 100

[bignok]

33 minutes ago, Celsius said:

I spend way less. When I came here 10 years ago I thought I would only last 1 year. It helps if you hook up with girls that are actually employed.

 

In those 10 years I was able to save almost 1 million Canadian dollars. A lot more than if I was slumming it in Canada. 

 

However, I believe that Thailand is the exact opposite of the West. While back home people spend less once they get older, in Thailand due to no security and lousy healthcare the future costs will go up significantly. This is why I will be moving back very soon.

You saved $100,000 a year?

[bignok]

Im a nomad. 2000 baht a day normally sometimes 1500 baht.

[CartagenaWarlock]

17 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

The 50B street food

I can't live on street foods and I hardly eat any street foods. 

[scubascuba3]

7 minutes ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

I can't live on street foods and I hardly eat any street foods. 

A diet of only falang food would most likely mean you are overweight? Most people in expat food stores are overweight or obese

[OneMoreFarang]

17 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Pick an end date, back in the UK financial advisors are trying to get people to save and invest assuming they'll live to 100

From my current point of view I don't think I want to be older than max 80. It seems for most guys (in Thailand?) they lose their brain capacity with 70 or maybe 75. 

I don't really see the point of getting old only to get older. Will I enjoy anything with 80 which I didn't enjoy more at earlier age? I don't think so. 

[OneMoreFarang]

9 minutes ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

I can't live on street foods and I hardly eat any street foods. 

You can't or you don't want to?

Noodle soup? BBQ meat? There is lots of delicious food out there. 

[Hummin]

9 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

A diet of only falang food would most likely mean you are overweight? Most people in expat food stores are overweight or obese

I do not eat street food, I eat homegrown and home made food. Street food in Thailand is not as it used to be most places anyore. 

[scubascuba3]

20 minutes ago, Hummin said:

I do not eat street food, I eat homegrown and home made food. Street food in Thailand is not as it used to be most places anyore. 

Keep searching the street food places until you find what you want. I go to one place (Soup Nazi) who puts a lot of varied vegetables in my chicken vegetables on rice, I can't match that, 50 baht

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said:

Keep searching the street food places until you find what you want. I go to one place (Soup Nazi) who puts a lot of varied vegetables in my chicken vegetables on rice, I can't match that, 50 baht

I have another problem to with street food, it is the hygenic issua, and I know what going on in the kitchens around Thailand, but I do not see it, and therefor can easier look away or not think about it. I had my share of food poisenings, but after choosing what I see as better restaurants when travelling, it have been 6 years since last time now. 

[scottiejohn]

30 minutes ago, Hummin said:

have another problem to with street food, it is the hygenic issua,

It is actually quite simple!

If at the street food stall all you can see is a bucket with dirty plates and utensils then walk away.

If however you see a hose and a tap and clean dishes and utensils you are possibly good to go.

[bignok]

1 hour ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

I can't live on street foods and I hardly eat any street foods. 

Restaurants have 30 to 80 baht dishes.

[scubascuba3]

39 minutes ago, Hummin said:

I have another problem to with street food, it is the hygenic issua, and I know what going on in the kitchens around Thailand, but I do not see it, and therefor can easier look away or not think about it. I had my share of food poisenings, but after choosing what I see as better restaurants when travelling, it have been 6 years since last time now. 

Only go to busy places then no problem, last time I was ill was a farang restaurant 

[Hummin]

4 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Only go to busy places then no problem, last time I was ill was a farang restaurant 

Tjats what we did countryside in China, and never a problem there when travelling. But in Thailand I had a few seriously incidents, so its stuck in my memory now. 

[StayinThailand2much]

About the same; for some things much more, but for others less. 

[billd766]

I spend more now than when I came here back in 1993.

 

IMO it is due to the forex rates changing over the years.

[CartagenaWarlock]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

A diet of only falang food would most likely mean you are overweight? Most people in expat food stores are overweight or obese

I never said I only diet on farang foods. British foods are all yucky and I abhor them and don't eat them at all. There are other foods also besides farang foods. I don't repeat the same type of foods more than once a day/week. I like Japanese, Korean, Middle Easterns, Greek, Mexican, limited Thai foods not from the street vendors, and limited Indian foods. I never eat British foods.

[CartagenaWarlock]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

You can't or you don't want to?

Noodle soup? BBQ meat? There is lots of delicious food out there. 

Except tom yum kung, steam lemon fish, and Massaman chicken I don't like any other Thai foods. I hate Thai noodle soup sold on the streets. I like Japanese noodle soups from restaurants.

[Hummin]

7 minutes ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

Except tom yum kung, steam lemon fish, and Massaman chicken I don't like any other Thai foods. I hate Thai noodle soup sold on the streets. I like Japanese noodle soups from restaurants.

Chicken cashew nuts? Yummy, 

[CartagenaWarlock]

20 minutes ago, bignok said:

Restaurants have 30 to 80 baht dishes.

Yes they do have. But 30 baht dishes are rare. Bottom line except a few Thai dishes I don't like most Thais dishes. I like to change my foods (the dinner) every day of the week. So, I sample, Japanese, Korean, Greek, Mediterranean, American burger, McDoand's fish burger, and some Indian foods. Hate the British foods. 

[CartagenaWarlock]

Just now, Hummin said:

Chicken cashew nuts? Yummy, 

Yes, I like this one also. My problems is I cannot eat the same food (for dinner) everyday except British foods that tastes yucky ot me. 

[bignok]

8 minutes ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

Yes, I like this one also. My problems is I cannot eat the same food (for dinner) everyday except British foods that tastes yucky ot me. 

What is British food?