Expenses June 2013

[ChristianPFC]

Expenses June 2013

 

Some people might wonder why I am sharing this. I’m not doing this for you, I’m doing this for me to know where my money goes. Then I just add some explanations so this might be of use to others (occasionally, people ask how much money you need to live in Thailand), and previous reports about my expenses have shown that this is fantastic material to bitch about.

 

There seems to be a misunderstanding of my relationship to money, which is aggravated by taking everything I write serious or not getting my jokes. I don’t throw money around like others do, but I happily pay a fair price for goods or services (the contentious point is what I and others think is a fair price). My reluctance to tip is because I think tipping is wrong. Taking bus instead of taxi is a lifestyle choice, I can afford taxi, but I don’t want to. Often there is no other characteristics than price to decide, e.g. my new laptop: I wanted a 15.6” with Windows 7, all other specifications are of low significance (HDD, memory, processor, graphic car, manufacturer) as it doesn’t make much difference to me. So it’s the price that decides which one I buy.

 

New structure: grouped together by categories (instead of listing single expenses in chronological order). In order of decreasing amount, with comments, in bracket the single expenses.

 

Pattaya weekend 6685 (all included)

Rent for room 3000

(If tips for boys were separate, they would be about 3000 Baht, i.e. I pay as much for prostitutes as for my room!)

Chantaburi weekend 2694 (all included)

 

Foodland and 7/11 (mainly food shopping) 1978.50 (5+20+27+396.25+42+657.50+13+16+801.75)

Taxi 1939 (140+160+235+41+150+153+140+125+150+150+125+60+160+150)

 

Splurge out on food (farang food or expensive thai restaurant) 972.75 (360 248 160 204.75)

Lunch 972 (60 30 30 35 80 30 30 90 35 30 30 30 30 70 40 35 35 30 30 85 75 32)

 

Electricity 949.25

Fruit 783 (20 20 20 20 35 20 20 50 20 20 20 20 60 20 50 8 20 15 20 40 100 25 25 20 95)

(fruits I bought: banana, mango, mangosteen, sala, durian, watermelon, lychee, noina, pomelo)

 

Hotel room (full night, but use only short time with friend) 650

Sweets (cookies, cake, ice-cream, fried insects, durian chips) 640 (30 28 25 25 50 40 52 120 36 80 70 30 34 20)

 

Internet in my room 631.25

Drinks in bars 599 (199 300)

Clothes 499 (Sandals 199 T-shirt 170 Underwear 100 Clothes repair 30)

 

Sauna 320 (160 160)

Friends 180 (40 100 20 20) (tips for friends when they asked me for money)

Cinema 180

 

Disco (DJ station) 150

Bus 142.50 (6.50 16 13 14 8 8 12 12 12 12 12 17)

Haircut 140 (for me and a friend)

 

Dinner 110 (40 35 35)

Food (street stall, eat while walking or standing) 100 (20 20 20 10 10 10 10)

Mobile phone 100

 

Motorcycle 80 (40+40)

Water 61 (running water in my room for toilet, showering)

Laundry 60 (20 20 20)

 

BTS 42

Tips 40 (20 20) (tips in bars or restaurants)

Van 25

Feed fish 10 (buy fish food for a friend in a wat)

 

Total 21851.25 Baht

(I was sick one weekend, if I had not been sick the expenses would be about 1000 Baht more.)

 

The crucial point is working Mon-Fri 9-5. That keeps me occupied during day and provides an income. Without working, I would spend about 40k per month because I would have time to fill. My limiting factor is not money, but time. I don't have time to spend more money because I work.

 

I could open an additional point in the list, occasional purchase of drinks at 7/11 or at street stalls, this is included in 7/11. One day I found a 100 Baht not, not included. In some cases the numbers include paying for my Thai friends, that amounts to about 5% of the total.

 

Food is split in “splurge” (farang food or expensive Thai restaurants), “lunch” and “dinner” (midday and evening, in my area, in a place that provides seating and service and cutlery and crookery), and “food” (usually street stall, place without seating, I eat while walking or standing or take back home). “Foodland+7/11” is mainly food shopping for eating at home. The difference between “lunch” and “dinner” is that I eat lunch every day in the canteen at work or in the foodcourt of a shopping center, whereas dinner is usually fruit and sweets and foodshopping from foodland+7/11 at home. All food combined is 5556.25 Baht.

 

Transportation is split into taxi, bus, motorcycle, van, BTS (no use of MRT in June).

 

Electricity, internet, water are for the previous month, rent is for the following month, but the numbers don’t vary much from month to month.

 

In England and France, my expenses were about 60% rent, 35% food, 5% others.

Now they are 15% rent, 30% food, 55% others (mainly entertainment).

 

[TotallyOz]

In England and France, my expenses were about 60% rent, 35% food, 5% others.

Now they are 15% rent, 30% food, 55% others (mainly entertainment).

That means quite a lifestyle change when you go from 5 percent for other to 55 percent for other. It looks like for you, paradise really is a paradise!

 

I loved reading all the detail. Great post.

[Guest TOQ]

One question Christian, if you are doing this for you benefit why do you feel it is necessary to make the same post on three different boards.  Could you not see all you need to see after posting it just once. I can not imagine you getting more benefit seeing it three times

 

Curiosity, nothing more

[vinapu]

looking in other's  people pocket is always interesting, thank you for the post.

 

Watch your  diet-you spent  similar amount on sweets and on fruits.

 

Taking public transport as lifestyle choice - I like that,  I'm the same.

  

But for person with such a lifestyle  it looks that still  you spent quite a bit on taxis -  2/3 whoring amount

 

Chances are without working you would not be able to spent 40000 / month even with all that extra free time-where money would be coming from? Sorry for being nosy

[Rogie]

Expenses June 2013

 

 

Haircut 140 (for me and a friend)

 

 

 

Is that for a 'cut and blow dry'? I remember when I had more hair than I do now that was something to savour.

 

I have no idea of course but hazard a guess you are clean-shaven. Have you considered frequenting a barber? Thais to the best of my knowledge have little interest in pies, so it ought to be safe!

[TotallyOz]

One question Christian, if you are doing this for you benefit why do you feel it is necessary to make the same post on three different boards.  Could you not see all you need to see after posting it just once. I can not imagine you getting more benefit seeing it three times

 

Curiosity, nothing more

 

I think he said he is keeping up with the items for himself but that he is sharing it with others so that others might benefit from it.

 

I know that sharing on different boards is important as many members do not cross over from one board to another and you also get different responses on the boards.

 

Personally, for me, I am glad Christian shares on all the boards. Otherwise, I would have missed this thread and I did share this with some friends who are not on this board but wanting to move to Thailand to make a documentary and asked about expenses.

[Guest]

Sharing on all boards is good.

 

1 Some of us don't read all boards

2 Readers might not care much for the bitching on some boards.

3 People who do read all boards can learn to spot duplicate thread title & therefore only read them once..

[vinapu]

Sharing on all boards is good.

 

1 Some of us don't read all boards

2 Readers might not care much for the bitching on some boards.

3 People who do read all boards can learn to spot duplicate thread title & therefore only read them once..

re point 3.

What I found interesting is the same post  generates heated discussion on one  board and is barely noticed on others. Even posters often are more talkative on the same subject  in one place and quite brief on another.  

 

So Christian   and everybody else of course do not be discouraged by  some complains and post wherever you like.

[NIrishGuy]

Of course as at some basic level we all log on to whatever boards we're on to communicate and interact with others, whether that be reading others views or posting our own by posting on other boards Christian by doing the same is of course ensuring that hes making himself the centre of attention everywhere and all at the same time - which as a typical over the top "hey everyone look at me" attention seeking gay man peehaps I can only congratulate him on ! :-)

 

Yoi know what they say Christian, if everyone's not talking about you then you're just not trying hard enough !!

 

And seriously yes post away and don't give a shit what anyone says ( as I'm guessing you don't anyway) as someone said above its simetimes interesting to note the differing replies on different boards and if you were to only to post on one board then that couldnt happen.

 

Plus when you DO post everywhere then let's not forget that that makes it' "all about you" and that i suspect is the REAL reason you cross post as much as you do :-) but hey, whatever, carry on and knock yourself out you big gay attention whore you ! Lol

[ChristianPFC]

Is that for a 'cut and blow dry'? I remember when I had more hair than I do now that was something to savour.

 

I have no idea of course but hazard a guess you are clean-shaven. Have you considered frequenting a barber? Thais to the best of my knowledge have little interest in pies, so it ought to be safe!

 

I don't remember what kind of haircut my friend got. I used to shave (dry or wet, depending on situation) at home, but now found out that growing a beard is no problem, several friends said they like it! (Facial hair is a big no-no for me, I would never have sex with someone with facial hair, but my target group thinks differently!).

 

Re TOQ: the same op can develop, and usually does, in completely different ways on different boards. I found out (to my surprise) that some members only read and post on one board. I spend some time to write my reports, so I don't want anyone to miss it just because he doesn't read another board.

 

("attention whore"? NIrish has a point!)