Erick
Working in Mahasarakham
Monthly Earnings 80,000
Q1. How much do you earn from teaching per month?
I make 69,000 from working on-line 24-26 hours a week plus I make 11-13,000 from one private student (four hours a week) dependent on if either of us take time off.
Q2. How much of that can you realistically save per month?
I could save around 30,000 but at the moment it is zero. My girlfriend is 7 months pregnant with twins so there are hospital visits to pay for. If she is working, she can make about 25K a month selling things on-line. We are also renovating a family house and I just bought a new car. Oh, and visa runs come to about 5,000 a month. If I tried harder, I could certainly save quite a lot.
Q3. How much do you pay for your accommodation and what do you live in exactly (house, apartment, condo)?
Nothing. My girlfriend's parents gave us their old house. It's a typical two-story 100 sqm Isaan house and we've spent a good chunk of our savings on renovating it. Luckily, my girlfriend's grandfather is a builder so basic labor is free or 300 baht here and there and a couple of big Changs..
Q4. What do you spend a month on the following things?
Transportation
15,000 a month. Maybe the Turbo diesel sports hatch that is both cheap to run and fun to drive is the cause. About 2,500 baht goes on fuel because we drive a lot.
Utility bills
Very cheap! Last month for both our house and her grandparents house it was 700 for electric (We just installed an air-con so we will see what it will be next month) 50 for water (two houses, garden, farm animals) 200 for delivered drinking water. Phones and internet connection add just shy of another 2,000.
Food - both restaurants and supermarket shopping
Around 15,000. We eat cheap most days. Because my partner is pregnant, she is hungry all the time. We eat out a lot in Maha Sarakham or Roi Et but we also shop at local markets. Our kitchen is almost finished so when that's done, we will be cooking at home more. I’ll also use the garden space to grow some of the more expensive vegetables.
Nightlife and drinking
We spend 500 baht on a night out at the movie theatre and a netflix account adds another 400. I spend virtually nothing on nightlife per se because II almost never drink or go out anymore. Three years ago, nightlife would run me 15,000 - 20,000 a month.
Books, computers
I budget about 5-6,000 a month for electronics and books. I read mainly on-line and I also have to buy books for my private student.
Q5. How would you summarize your standard of living in one sentence?
Very well. Come on now, I am from California. How much do you think it would cost to live this way back there? I am preparing for twin babies. I am renovating a house. I am driving a new, fully loaded fun car. I can travel cheap. I work at home. I have very fast internet. I eat very well. I support my girlfriend and her ten-year-old brother. I pay for most of her grandparents' bills as well.
Q6. What do you consider to be a real 'bargain' here?
Services, Thai food, labor work, utilities, internet, transportation.
Q7. In your opinion, how much money does anyone need to earn here in order to survive?
Erick has moved from Bangkok to live in the North-East. His lengthy comments are in the section below.
Phil's analysis and comment
That's a hell of a hectic lifestyle you have there Erick but it sounds like you enjoy it. Erick had the following to say on the subject of how much money one needs to earn in order to survive.
Just ‘surviving' is depressing and miserable but in the rural North-East, you can live comfortably on 30,000 a month. However, I would want a minimum of 40-50,000 personally. In Bangkok, 40,000 should be the minimum anyone strives for but I wouldn't want to live on less than 60-70,000 if I was single. 80-90,000 for two and 90-120,000 if you have kids.
Good schools are not cheap. I might upgrade my credentials so that I can get a job at a good school just for the free or cheaper tuition, especially because I will have twins and that doubles the cost. (Disclaimer: I like nice things, good food, a nice place to live, to travel and to be healthy.)
My life has changed dramatically in the last three years. I've gone from being single, living in a studio room with all my worldly possessions in two bags and going out every night, to a soon-to-be father of twins, a furnished house and a nice car. I would never go back to not having a car. It is convenient and gives your life more control and freedom.
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