Saving money tips?

[Farons1]

Ok people, I have 30 000 baht a month for 12 months...... I want to try and save as much money on regular things such as accomodation, food, beer, transportation so that I can spend the rest on going out and shopping/traveling.........so any good tips you have would be greatfulll!

So far I have:

Eat street food everyday.....thats if I can handle it

Take the skytrain and the green bus

And what I would like to do is buy 30-40 cases of beer directly from the brewery so that I'd be stocked up on beer for a few months and I could probably save some mad cash...maybe get it delivered too! Beer will be one of my major expenses.

What do you guys do to save a buck here and there?

Thanks in advance!

[dumper]

Hi Farons1, thats a tight budget but you could survive. Some expats in Pattaya survive on shoestring budgets and that is what you will be doing. You'll need to get your 'long stay' head on and get off holiday mode fast.

Accomodation - is a bit of a dilema. You could get somewhere really cheap and save money. But on your budget your going to be spending a lot of nights in your apartment and not going out. Get somewhere too small and the walls will start closing in on you. I'd suggest getting cable TV as well, for those long nights spent in your room. A worthwhile investment.

What are you going to do with all these cases of beer ? Drink them in your apartment ? That doesn't sound much fun. Beer is cheap down at 7/11 on an as-you-need-it basis. Doubt it's worth stocking up on from a brewery.

Streetfood is great but after a while you will crave falang food at least sometimes. The novelty of eating next to surly off duty motorbike taxi drivers will soon wear off !

(Edit) - What about medical insurance and the occassional visa run, have you taken this into account as well ?

I advise get out of BKK and move somewhere else in Thailand. How about Pattaya or Chiang Mai, or Issan... you might fare better there on this budget !

Chock dee !

[zeusbheld]

i'd recommend budgeting about 40k.

that's how much i spend a month when i'm not buying imported gadgets (which are hideously expensive here). and i'm quite comfortable, even can afford sushi from time to time.

my rent is 9k. be careful of the aircon, power rates went up and my power bill was 6k baht this month :cry:. learning to love fans (and humidity).

drinking beer in your room is ... sad. you dont need to fill your apt. with beer, a big bottle of heineken is 65 baht at 7-11.

street food is great. inspect the ingredients for freshness before you order, stay away from stuff that sits around for a long time (remember it's the tropics bacteria grow faster).

get a thai friend to help you look for a place, and walk around a neighborhood. don't get sucked into living right on the fashionable areas near and on sukhumvit unless you want to spend more on rent. get a place near the BTS, if you are forced to take the bus all the time you'll be stuck in traffic, or you'll risk life and limb on motorcycle taxis (TRUST them's nuckin' futs).

out toward the ends of the BTS lines--such as on nut, or the other side of the river near sapahn taksin--you'll find affordable yet reasonably convenient apartments.

if you need to buy clothes, etc. go to the various markets including jj, suan lum night market, and the markets in chinatown.

and the crown jewels for khee nok bastards are tesco lotus (lotat) and big c. sorta like k-mart with a supermarket. cheap, junky and full of useful stuff.

and yeah they're right don't hole up in bangers get around some. trains are cheap and even flying doesn't cost that much. buses are often painful (sorry i just hate buses) and the idea of taking a bus to the mountains, over mountain roads, with vertical drop on one side... um.. i'd rather watch OTHER people do that from the air.

[Kayle]

Don't get a girlfriend.

[chrispilok]

Don't get a girlfriend.

I would say *do* get a girlfriend, rich or otherwise.

Somebody down to earth who likes to do more than shop.

You will then have somebody to travel around Thailand with which ultimately is cheaper than spending all your time in bars and clubs.

[zeusbheld]

Don't get a girlfriend.

I would say *do* get a girlfriend, rich or otherwise.

Somebody down to earth who likes to do more than shop.

You will then have somebody to travel around Thailand with which ultimately is cheaper than spending all your time in bars and clubs.

and you can then spend all your downtime on something productive, like playing all those cheap playstation games you got at pantip, rather than learning thai...

[zeusbheld]

one other thing: try to get a place where you pay the power co rather than the landlord for your electricity; you'll probably want to run the aircon from time to time and landlords tend to take a taste of the bill.

[Farons1]

Thanks for the advice guys, I'm not looking to save every penny, I would just rather save as much as I can on basic living so I can spend more on shopping and traveling....... all visa run and health insurance expenses have already been deducted from my budget!

[superskater]

I use to live on soi 41 near emporium and eat in western restaurants.

Now I live in a mostly Thai neighborhood near MRT Thailand Cultural Center station.

The apartments, restaurants, and internet cafes are much cheaper here.

I can have a decent meal at a local restaurant or at Carrefour for 40 or 50 baht.

The internet cafes are about 15 baht per hour. My favorite local restaurant has a fan and waitress but no air conditioner and usually I am full for under 50 baht.

You can also save money by doing your own laundry, taking the bus or walking, and using email and keeping your phone calls brief.

I'm not poor but I don't waste or spend a lot of money most of the time.

I think it's easy to live on 30K a month if you don't spend a lot of money on women and alcohol.

Also don't borrow money from the bank for many years and try to pay with cash instead of credit cards.

I paid cash for my car and will pay off my condo in Tokyo in less than 10 years to avoid unnecessary interest expense. When I buy a condo in Thailand or a car I will pay cash too.

Read "the millionaire next door" as it gives lots of good advice on how to live simply and save money.

Good luck with your budget. Just control your spending on a daily basis and when you go over budget, be very frugal for the next 3 or 4 days.

Good Luck

[macca_tirana]

My biggest problem is staying in if alone.

Always looking for an excuse to get out.

Try get your self in to a hobby such as reading, studying and errrrr all those other exciting things.

Just something to stop u going out every night.

[macca_tirana]

And when you call someone from your mobile.

hang up just as they answer and let them call back

[Bluebell]

Farons ... you don't have to subject yourself to the green bus!!!!!!!! :x

Seriously though, while you won't be living the high life, I don't think you need to scrimp and save every penny either. Cost of living here is dirt cheap.

Accommodation has been covered. It depends what you want out of life in Bangers. If you want to shop/party every night, well then downtown would be better but expensive. If not, then is it necessary to spend on rent? Move out of town a bit.

Find a place close to where you work - save on time and transport. I can't imagine anything worse than traffic jams first thing in the morning ... :shock: I work and live out in Laksi. Takes me less than 10 mins to get to work, and cost me a wopping 200B a week to get back and forth. If I want to go into town, the subway/skytrain keeps it easy. Travelling on the weekend isn't such a pain in the butt. I have pretty much everything I need within 10 minutes of my home.

Also, if you are planning on spending time at home - a townhouse might not be a bad idea. They can be a pain to find, and you do need to fork out initially for furniture, but at least you don't get cabin fever as badly. If your home is nice and comfy, you'll be more likely to spend time in it. And invite your mates over.

Again - the trendy clubs and bars are fine, if that's your thing - but if you do it every weekend - it's going to cost you. Find a good pub with live music - much better.

Alcohol - if you're planning on stocking up are you drinking alone? What's the point? Rather save those few baht for when you go out with mates.

Alternatives to partying every night? Join the gym. It's saved me a fortune!! Seriously.

[anenglishman]

Small tip but maybe it helps u. Try to make ur core base of friends from people with roughly the same income levels. If u are mostly hanging out with people at the same level u will naturally gravitate to places/things that cost what u can afford.

[MikeAussieGuy]

So you are eating street foods everyday in order to save money to buy 30 ~ 40 cases of beer directly from the brewery ...

I would like to express my RESPECT to you, and I think your plan sounds PERFECT ... you definitely understand how to set your priority 8)

Another classic Wallaceism. Got to write a book on them mate.

[Guest]

Here's a little off the wall way out there thought...

Why not use the downtime that you spend on your own to try and make some money? ebay, stringweaving, painting etc etc.

Everyone has as talent and there must be something you can either pass on to others such as knowledge or something creative that you can do to earn some cheddar.

Why not make a beer bottle sculpture? You can do that pissed then sell it as art. Ever seen the little tuk tuks made of singha cans?

[Guest]

First Bag packer in TF? :shock:

[Guest]

First Bag packer in TF? :shock:

job offer?

[literature]

Don't have a girlfriend

so that u don't have to pay more for her when u are together 8)

[OIC]

Mum's complaning :roll:

Ask her a favour to do so every single time (and in any ways) she sees you're stepping out of the door--you will feel bored,bit annoyed and just wanna lock yourself in the room to get away of that, well maybe no need asking her to as she's already willing to do at all times :?

I don't know but it worked for me to become a homebody for now :wink:

Cheers!

[alexanderdream]

I don't know but it worked for me to become a homebody for now :wink:

Cheers!

u become a homebody while so many people want to be somebody... wowww

:wink:

[smartass]

And when you call someone from your mobile.

hang up just as they answer and let them call back

haha good advice. keep doing just that and you will have no friends.

my only solution to save myself from spending money is to stay home. i wouldnt be qualified to give any advice.

[CMG_UK]

So far I have:

Eat street food everyday.....thats if I can handle it

Take the skytrain and the green bus

Taking the green bus, at 6.50baht, rather than a red one at 7 baht, blue one at 8 baht, aircon at 11 baht or, heaven forbid, Euro 2 at 12 baht, is not really going to save a lot of money. If you feel you should take the green ones, then a 40 baht trip on the BTS is almost like a flight on the dearly departed Concorde.

[farangnbkk]

Damn, thought it was just last year that the bus was 3.5 baht!!!

Seems like mama noodle sales are down!!!

Want to save money?

Rice and dried fish! Can't be more than 3.5 baht / meal!!!

Yowee, life high on the hog!!!

[Thai1]

90% of my money will go on booze and birds! cant think of better way to throw away my cash, get out and party.... :!:

[hbkbkk]

alway try to have the exact change for the taxi driver.

Or better yet under pay him by 1 baht.

[CMG_UK]

90% of my money will go on booze and birds! cant think of better way to throw away my cash, get out and party.... :!:

And I thought you said you didn't have to pay for it. Busted...