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Tightest Thai budget


bignok

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27 minutes ago, bignok said:

I dont live on 20,000 baht a month. Never said I did. The topic is about lowest budgets.

Its pretty obvious that you are in the lower tier. 

Anyone who has a healthy income has no interest in discovering who has less to work with.

 

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The only way to stay on top of a budget is to micromanage it by the week and pay only with cash. I take cash from my bank account at the beginning of each month and put my fixed expenses like utilities in marked envelopes. Then, I have 4 or 5 envelopes for weekly expenditures depending on the length of the month. At the beginning of each week, I transfer that money from an envelope into my wallet for groceries, meals out, GRAB or other incidental expenses. I usually have a few thousand left over each week which goes back in the big pot, but if I ever get close to spending all that is in my wallet, then I just stop spending until the next week. It's a method that I came up with back in my high school days, and it has served me well ever since. My house, car, furniture and clothes are all paid for in full, and I have no debt at all. My wife cooks breakfast about three days a week, and most all other breakfast and lunch meals are ordered through GRAB or PANDA. We eat lunch out about 5 days a week and enjoy buffets in some of the better hotels in town. We live a very comfortable life and want for nothing, and I only spend about 20,000 Baht per month. We never feel like we are missing out on anything. I don't drink or smoke or go anywhere alone, and my wife is with me 24/7. It works well for us, and we are both very content with the arrangements. There is a huge difference between being frugal and being a cheap Charlie. The key is "discipline" and having the will power to say no to things you "want" but don't really "need". My wife gets a salary each month to spend as she wishes, but I control the money and set and maintain the budget.  

Edited by fittobethaied
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12 minutes ago, fittobethaied said:

The only way to stay on top of a budget is to micromanage it by the week and pay only with cash. I take cash from my bank account at the beginning of each month and put my fixed expenses like utilities in marked envelopes. Then, I have 4 or 5 envelopes for weekly expenditures depending on the length of the month. At the beginning of each week, I transfer that money from an envelope into my wallet for groceries, meals out, GRAB or other incidental expenses. I usually have a few thousand left over each week which goes back in the big pot, but if I ever get close to spending all that is in my wallet, then I just stop spending until the next week. It's a method that I came up with back in my high school days, and it has served me well ever since. My house, car, furniture and clothes are all paid for in full, and I have no debt at all. My wife cooks breakfast about three days a week, and most all other breakfast and lunch meals are ordered through GRAB or PANDA. We eat lunch out about 5 days a week and enjoy buffets in some of the better hotels in town. We live a very comfortable life and want for nothing, and I only spend about 20,000 Baht per month. We never feel like we are missing out on anything. I don't drink or smoke or go anywhere alone, and my wife is with me 24/7. It works well for us, and we are both very content with the arrangements. There is a huge difference between being frugal and being a cheap Charlie. The key is "discipline" and having the will power to say no to things you "want" but don't really "need".  

When my Mrs calls me a Cheap Charlie, I retort with 'no, a Careful Charlie'.

40k per month, with house & car paid for, is plenty for the two of us, and Bht 6k for step-son's school.

Edited by KannikaP
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5 hours ago, bunnydrops said:

Live rural, 3km from town, house paid for, car paid for, eat at home. My monthly electric bill is less than 800 baht, water 60. I COULD live on less than 20000, but I don't care to.

Same here but my electric and water are higher, if not for wife spending money I could maybe do on 20,000 but as you said I don't care to live that frugal, usually close to 40,000 for me but some of that is budgeted for other possible expenses such as medical or home or car repairs.

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It's hard, even I have elite visa, don't drink alcohol or pay girls, mostly cook my own food. There's so many small expenses, it all adds up.

Do people account for new electronic purchases, shoes and clothes, motor vehicles, and their service, health and dental expenses, travel and holidays?

 

Medicines and vitamins, internet and phone service. Gifts for family for birthdays and such. Damn it's just too much. 

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I have Thai wife and she like to  cook every day ,mostly Thai food .We have condo and motorcycle .Living near the sea.We buy groceries in 2 big  markets in Bang Lamung and mostly Tesco-lotus.So,yes 20-25 K per month is OK and we can live on that budget easy and with good quality of life.On average we spend more per month ,about 40-50 K .,but it is possible for us (2 people) to live with 20-25K(which we used to in covid times).

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11 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Pretty sure that's more than we 'need' to spend, when home.  Many months don't spend that much.

 

BUT ... we own house, car & scooter, have solar, so 3 of the biggest monthly bills for us don't exist.

 

Internet ... < 1400

electric if any ... < 200

water .. < 200

car ins ... < 1000

healthcare ,,. < 2000 

... ball park average w/full check up yearly

 

Food ... < 15k, probably 10k ish, that eating good, 90% at home

What internet is that? I live rural village and now have fibre connection 300baht a month!

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13 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

There used to be a poster named Canary Sun who took great delight claiming to live on 10,000 baht a month in Pattaya.

He was also one of the most cheerful, positive posters on this board.  Always out walking and exploring in the sunshine.  It's almost as if he was too busy to criticize other people's life choices and attack other posters, or maybe I'm mistaken.  That was a long time ago. 

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