How Can I Trim Down My Living Expenses In Chiang Mai.

[Ringmybells]

We are a family of 4 (two adults two toddlers) We spend about 1800.00 usd/mo on rent, food and transportation. We used public transportation. We eat mostly Thai street food or home cooked meal, we shop our vegetables and fruits at local market, yogurt, milk, coffee, cheese, pasta, etc at super market like Big C and Tesco Lotus. Our rent is TB 12000/mo our utility about TB 4000/mo. Any suggestion how I can decrease my living expenses? We do eat out a lot but that is street food that costs 30 baht per plate. I would like to bring down our living expenses to about 1200 usd/mo if possible. Any advice is appreciated:-)

Thanks

[puukao]

Definitely easier to downgrade living quarters than food. Try to rent 2 pedal bikes for the adults. I think you can find a nice guesthouse that has a chef. trust me, they will give you discounts on large portions of food, provided you eat there a lot.

so take rent to 7-8,000. this will also lower electricity.

and play money games.....ok, if we spend only 1,000 today, then tomorrow we get a treat.

good luck.

[theDukes]

Where's the money, Lebowski? Where are you spending the money? While you might think it is good to eat at 30 Baht street vendors it is better to eat somewhere with good nutritional value or good value for your Baht, particularly if you care about the kids. It is never the best value to eat at street stalls. Low quality and high product cost. Find good value and go there or cook yourself. Cheap price does not always mean value. Look for value. Ghecko Garden comes to mind.

[davehowden]

Your rent sounds VERY high? Do you use AC a lot? Do you have TrueVisons Sat? Do you live "in town"?

I live out at Hang Dong and there are 2 bed unfurnished bungalows for 3500 per month.

I don't bother with Farang TV , I read books and use the Internet (630 a month)

I don't have AC, a fan at the foot of the bed is very effective.

Rarely, like maybe once a month we eat out, normally local market and home cooking.

BUT I don't have kids to entertain so maybe my situation would not suite you?

Jus trying to help.

[jazzed]

My Thai friends make their own yoghurt (in fact KEFIR better than yoghurt) and even ricotta cheese. As vegetarians they do this for health reasons, even though they can comfortably afford to buy from shops. Making yoghurt is dead easy. Once you have the live starter, you just need milk! The savings add up and, unlike store-bought yoghurt, you know your yughurt is pure unadulterated stuff.

They also bake their own bread and, when they have time, make pasta. I can vouch that their sourdough bread is delicious and certainly cheaper than comparable breads from specialty shops.

Finally, their humble garden patch produces chillies, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, mulberries, various fruiits. They get fit from all the gardening, get healthy from organic greens....and don't need to buy half their vegetables!

[bobl]

I don't understand your figures.

From what you've told us you're already living frugally (songtaew, street food) but you're managing to spend roughly (an average) 1,200 baht every day? I think there must be other significant expenses you've omitted (nappies for instance? Formula? Not the cheapest of items. Do you smoke? 2 adults smoking could be $150/mo...). Anyway, I'd start there if I was you - make a note of EVERY cent you spend and figure out where the heck it's all going and where the waste (if any) is.

In the meantime - MOVE. If you want to live on a budget of only $1200 a month you can't be spending 40% of it on rent&utility.

[Ulysses G.]

The rent does sound like your best bet. It would be hard to reduce your food budget even if you cooked yourself.

However, if you want to make sure that you are eating inexpensive, healthy food, there are lots of places in Chiang Mai on the Happy Cow vegetarian map that fit the bill. Many of them charge 30 baht for 3 different dishes with brown (or white) rice. If you want some meat that you do not have to cook yourself, the roast chicken places in the markets are tasty and cheap.

http://www.happycow.net/gmaps/searchmap.php?distance=25&list%5B%5D=vegan&list%5B%5D=vegetarian&list%5B%5D=friendly&list%5B%5D=store&address=chiang+mai&lat=&lon=&image2.x=24&image2.y=11

Edited May 4, 2013 by Ulysses G.

[MESmith]

Wait until you have school fees to pay

[fcgprg]

Good advice given by all the posts ,I would say like others cut the rent and the electric seems way to high ,if you use A/c cut the amount of time you use it .also as stated fans are very good I don't use A/c at all now and it is comfortable.

Edited May 4, 2013 by metisdead
Bold font removed.

[Dante99]

"I don't understand your figures.

From what you've told us you're already living frugally (songtaew, street food) but you're managing to spend roughly (an average) 1,200 baht every day? I think there must be other significant expenses you've omitted (nappies for instance? Formula? Not the cheapest of items. Do you smoke? 2 adults smoking could be $150/mo...). Anyway, I'd start there if I was you - make a note of EVERY cent you spend and figure out where the heck it's all going and where the waste (if any) is.

In the meantime - MOVE. If you want to live on a budget of only $1200 a month you can't be spending 40% of it on rent&utility."

That is it, good advice. Spending 1,200+ baht per day is 40 meals at 30 baht per meal and you are not eating that many so you have to figure out where the money is going because it is not for the food you describe and yes you need to get cheaper rent and a utility bill of not more than about 1,000 baht per month

Edited May 4, 2013 by Dante99

[WinnieTheKhwai]

You're spending 54K a month for a family of four.

That is not high.

Make more money if you feel you need it.

[naboo]

Half your numbers are Baht, half are dollars. Makes things unnecessarily confusing.

You want to save 12k/month. Cutting rent to 8k/month and wiping out air-conditioning (easy once the rains come) will get you half way there. Not going to Big C will help. Cancel pasta, cheese and do all your shopping at local markets.

Cut the street food, you have kids, cook good food for them at home.

[naboo]

You're spending 54K a month for a family of four.

That is not high.

Make more money if you feel you need it.

This is true.

[krisb]

Wow, here in Australia with wife and daughter it's not much more than 2grand a month for similar things as the op.

[jackr]

Move (aircons and showers use most electric).

Go easy on the booze.

Keep hubby away from them massage parlours.

[Ringmybells]

I don't understand your figures.

From what you've told us you're already living frugally (songtaew, street food) but you're managing to spend roughly (an average) 1,200 baht every day? I think there must be other significant expenses you've omitted (nappies for instance? Formula? Not the cheapest of items. Do you smoke? 2 adults smoking could be $150/mo...). Anyway, I'd start there if I was you - make a note of EVERY cent you spend and figure out where the heck it's all going and where the waste (if any) is.

In the meantime - MOVE. If you want to live on a budget of only $1200 a month you can't be spending 40% of it on rent&utility.

We are non-smokers and kids don't use diapers or formula anymore.

[watcharacters]

Half your numbers are Baht, half are dollars. Makes things unnecessarily confusing.

You want to save 12k/month. Cutting rent to 8k/month and wiping out air-conditioning (easy once the rains come) will get you half way there. Not going to Big C will help. Cancel pasta, cheese and do all your shopping at local markets.

Cut the street food, you have kids, cook good food for them at home.

You're spending 54K a month for a family of four.

That is not high.

Make more money if you feel you need it.

This is true.

.

Our situations are very different and I can only speak from my budgeting mind which is the only part of my brain working sometimes. 555

I think you've done well in managing to keep things at the USD 1800 level. It's probably helpful for those not from the USA to know how many baht that is so I'll just post that it's ฿53,478. I think you manage faily well.

If you want to reduce anything I can only agree with others that you can reduce your living quarters as far as you can stand. I knew a USA Lawyer who proudly lived in a small place in CM for ฿3,000 a month and he claimed he was happy with it. It wouldn't work for me but if I needed or wanted to reduce my expenses, I'd consider moving to the most simple place possible.

I think it's likely too late for anyone to suggest making more money. LOS is not the place to go to move up the salary ladder.

Personally if I wanted to reduce my spending, I'd move back to the USA. I don't need to make that reduction so I stay here.

Good luck.

What are poverty thresholds?

The poverty thresholds are the original version of the federal poverty measure, which was developed by Mollie Orshansky of the Social Security Administration in the 1960s. [2] Updated each year by the Census Bureau, the thresholds are used mainly for statistical purposesfor example, preparing the estimates of the number of Americans in poverty for each year's poverty report. The measure was devised to define and quantify poverty in America, and thereby provide a yardstick for progress or regress in antipoverty efforts, and in that sense has served the nation well.

Values of the poverty thresholds for the years since 1980 for families of different sizes are available on the Census Bureau's website. The most recent values of the poverty thresholds are provided in the table below. For example, a four-person family with two children with annual cash income of $22,811 is considered poor. For one- and two-person family units, the poverty thresholds differ by age; an individual under age 65 with income of $11,702 qualifies as poor, whereas an individual age 65 or older is poor at $10,788 annual income.

U.S. Census Bureau Poverty Thresholds, 2011

Size of Family Unit Poverty Threshold

One person (unrelated individual) $11,484

Under age 65 11,702

Age 65 or older 10,788

Two people 14,657

Householder under age 65 15,139

Householder age 65 or older 13,609

Three people 17,916

Four people 23,021

Five people 27,251

Six people 30,847

Seven people 35,085

Eight people 39,064

Nine people or more 46,572

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Weighted Average Poverty Thresholds, 2011, released in September 2012.

[Ringmybells]

Wait until you have school fees to pay

We do have school fees to pay for two todds in an international school. We are happy we can afford it hehehe.

[Ringmybells]

You're spending 54K a month for a family of four.

That is not high.

Make more money if you feel you need it.

It is not that we can't afford it I just feel we might be able to live less than 1800 usd/mo.

[Ringmybells]

Move (aircons and showers use most electric).

Go easy on the booze.

Keep hubby away from them massage parlours.

LOl we are not big drinkers and have not been to massage parlor in 3 months.

[Ulysses G.]

I would have no problem living in a 3,000 baht a month room in Chiang Mai - they can be pretty comfortable - but not with a wife and family.

I knew a USA Lawyer who proudly lived in a small place in CM for ฿3,000 a month and he claimed he was happy with it.

[eyecatcher]

If they printed bank notes with naked women on them....that would certainly help me to become a spend thrift

[circusman]

I don't understand all the advice to cut or stop aircon use. No fan is going to keep me comfortable at night when the day temps are near 100. I have been in Thailand for over 10 years and never once slept without a/c on 26 or 27 C. But thats just me.

[uptheos]

I would have no problem living in a 3,000 baht a month room in Chiang Mai - they can be pretty comfortable - but not with a wife and family.

I knew a USA Lawyer who proudly lived in a small place in CM for ฿3,000 a month and he claimed he was happy with it.

Not even with a wife UG, I need another room for privacy and quietness.

She too has the same option.

Edited May 4, 2013 by uptheos

[elektrified]

Where's the money, Lebowski? Where are you spending the money? While you might think it is good to eat at 30 Baht street vendors it is better to eat somewhere with good nutritional value or good value for your Baht, particularly if you care about the kids. It is never the best value to eat at street stalls. Low quality and high product cost. Find good value and go there or cook yourself. Cheap price does not always mean value. Look for value. Ghecko Garden comes to mind.

I would agree with Dave. Why on earth would you feed your kids 30 Baht street food? You are feeding them the cheapest quality white rice with most of the nutrients removed, re-used palm oil, tons of MSG, salt, etc., etc. Cook your food at home. We would never let our son eat that crap.

Edit: I might add the vegetables will be loaded with chemicals. Places that clean them with Sodium Bicarbonate charge more than 30 THB. You can buy a huge bag 1 Kg. at the Bakery Mart for under 100 THB. Feed your kids at home..

Edited May 4, 2013 by elektrified

[elektrified]

There is a lot of good advice here. Cut your rent to begin with. We looked for a long time until we found a large, comfortable house for 6K THB/month. Been in the same place now 5 years. I could not imagine living without A/C either and it's not much and used only a couple months of the year. We have been running two A/C's almost 14 hours per day recently as it has been miserable and the last electricity bill was only 2500 THB.

Cheese is a killer here. I once took a look at the Rimping receipts for a month and was shocked. Haven't bought any since. That was about 3 months ago. Yes I miss it but the prices are crazy here. We make our yogurt too. Very cheap.

[tornado24]

You should put a limit on your budget.

Spend 12k accomodation and expenses.

Spend 15k food and transportation.

Left 10k for extras.

Total= 37k= 1250$ Thats it.

[jingjoke]

'school fees to pay for two todds in an international school. We are happy we can afford it hehehe.'

So tee hee hee; what's the monthly cost for educating your toddlers; an international does not come cheaply?

Your electricity costs are about 3 times the norm...why is that - a luxury?

[lexilis]

Yeah I would like to cut down on expenses too. I pay 15000 Bt for a quiet 2 bdrm house that I really like (up towards Mae Rim just past the inner ring road). If I could find something acceptable for half that (on the north to north east side of town, past the superhighway) I would be thrilled. People talk about finding OK places for 3-4000 but I would be surprised to find something around here for that. Anybody have a line on a place for less than 10k up here?

[circusman]

There is a lot of good advice here. Cut your rent to begin with. We looked for a long time until we found a large, comfortable house for 6K THB/month. Been in the same place now 5 years. I could not imagine living without A/C either and it's not much and used only a couple months of the year. We have been running two A/C's almost 14 hours per day recently as it has been miserable and the last electricity bill was only 2500 THB.

Cheese is a killer here. I once took a look at the Rimping receipts for a month and was shocked. Haven't bought any since. That was about 3 months ago. Yes I miss it but the prices are crazy here. We make our yogurt too. Very cheap.

I find Makro cheese to be the best priced in C.M.