Thread: Cost of living a decent life in 'the sticks'

Do you guys ever have a quiet moment, maybe a moment of clarity, and think to yourselves..."what the fuck am I doing?"


I say this with the greatest respect, but you're living in rural Thailand, shacked up with a native — sprogs running around — worrying about school and shit like that. Is this all not a bit weird?

Why get married to these women?

Originally Posted by Butterfly

sorry to break it to you but that sounds very expensive for a provincial lifestyle in a third world shit hole, you could live comfortably in provincial France for that much money, with access to great wines, beer and food for half of what you pay for here in Thailand. Even housing in provincial France is cheap. And school with a real education would be free in that package. Sounds like you are getting the worst value ever, Even in Bangkok, you could live decently with as little as 80,000 pm, even though you would need a minimum of 200k pm to have a comfortable expat lifestyle.

it's not often that I agree with one of your posts

but it does happen on occassion

and this is one of those

I like living in the sticks, but if I was spending that kind of money I'd have to think again

Funny how people think if you buy cheap its crap Aldi these days sells some very good European foods and very cheaply as well.

Originally Posted by Yasojack

Aldi these days sells some very good European foods and very cheaply as well.

they do sell some crap, which is maybe what gives them the bad rep

but if you know what's what, they also have some really good stuff

Lidl also does some good stuff

^
Yeah, but the stores are weird and full of scuffers.

Ye and so do the other supermarkets, with inflated prices.

Originally Posted by flashbang

Yeah, but the stores are weird and full of scuffers.

yes, there are certainly some shit aldis

there's two not far from me that I would never go into

but there's one that's really good.... best to go after 8.30pm though, as that's when there's virtually no one else there

Originally Posted by Yasojack

Ye and so do the other supermarkets, with inflated prices.

the bigger supermarkets also spend about half an hour at the till sorting out loyalty cards and vouchers and putting things in bags and all that crap

aldi just dump the stuff in your trolley and tell you to fuck off.... I like that

Originally Posted by NickA

there's two not far from me that I would never go into

The 2 in Crewe??? Was it you who lived in Nantwich or I got you confused with someone else?

well they must be doing something right as there the fastest growing supermarket and have won the which supermarket of the year for the second year running.


ALDI NAMED WHICH? BEST SUPERMARKET FOR SECOND YEAR RUNNING

Aldi is celebrating again after becoming the first ever retailer to win Which? Best Supermarket at the Which? Awards for two years running. This prestigious title completes a ‘hatrick’ of Aldi award successes in recent weeks, following on from being named ‘Grocer of The Year’ at the Grocer Gold Awards and scooping 16 Gold awards at the Grocer Own Label Awards – more than any other retailer.

This is the third time that Aldi has won the Which? Best Supermarket Award (previously in 2009 and 2012) beating off competition from Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and Lidl to scoop the high-profile accolade, which is based on customer satisfaction, value for money, reliability and quality.

Matthew Barnes and Roman Heini, joint Group Managing Directors, Aldi Stores UK, said: “Being awarded Which? Best Supermarket is a real reflection of Aldi’s success in 2013. It has been a fantastic year so far, and we are really pleased to be able to recognise the work of our teams across the country in delivering exactly what our customers want – the highest quality products, at everyday low prices. Winning this award for the second year in a row just goes to show that consumers in the UK are moving away from the big four supermarkets, realising that swapping to Aldi can save them a significant amount of money on their weekly shop – without having to compromise on quality

Originally Posted by buriramboy

The 2 in Crewe??? Was it you who lived in Nantwich or I got you confused with someone else?

Yes and Yes

Originally Posted by NickA

Originally Posted by buriramboy

The 2 in Crewe??? Was it you who lived in Nantwich or I got you confused with someone else?

Yes and Yes

Thought so, 5 years in Crewe now and sooner out of the dump the better, I saw you mentioned you're a 'family of 6', you didn't by any chance have a kid learning to swim at Crewe pool last year of year before as when I used to take my daughter was a guy with an Asian wife with 4 kids............

Originally Posted by buriramboy

Thought so, 5 years in Crewe now and sooner out of the dump the better

Crewe is a dump.... the surrounding villages and countryside are not too bad though

Originally Posted by buriramboy

you didn't by any chance have a kid learning to swim at Crewe pool last year of year before as when I used to take my daughter was a guy with an Asian wife with 4 kids............

No, used to go to Crewe pool a few years ago... around the time when someone nicked the lead off the roof, cos it rained on us when we were in the pool.... only been to nantwich pool recently

Wouldn't be surprised if the wives have met in Tim Thais though

I come in at about 100K per month. The single biggest expense is the kid. School fees, van to and from school, english tuition class twice a week, daily one on one maths and science tuition, pocket money, school extras, etc, etc, etc. After that, rent, health insurance (kid and missus) and utilities. No car.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

Originally Posted by 9999

So after the approx 40K bt for living a decent life, the extras = 29,600 bt pm.

So lets call it about 70K baht per month, to support a family and live a good life style, travel regularly and get on the piss pretty often.

I don't keep a real tight track and have overshot in this thread, but that's pretty much about what we spend.

sorry to break it to you but that sounds very expensive for a provincial lifestyle in a third world shit hole,

you could live comfortably in provincial France for that much money, with access to great wines, beer and food for half of what you pay for here in Thailand. Even housing in provincial France is cheap. And school with a real education would be free in that package.

Sounds like you are getting the worst value ever,

Even in Bangkok, you could live decently with as little as 80,000 pm, even though you would need a minimum of 200k pm to have a comfortable expat lifestyle.

200K ONLY, I take it that's living in a five star hotel,eating out all the time,out on the piss every night and taking a bargirl back with you,and renting a bar-stool at your local watering hole...Are you for real ?

Nope. I was spending around 150 pm in Bangkok ten years ago on a normal expat lifestyle.

^ ^

Jesus, if these guys can spend that sort of money in Bangkok their living expenses back in the real world would be mind boggling.

Break it all down and they're spending the majority of their money on schooling their kids.

Anyway regards University in Australia, it is not free, its bloody expensive actually and one will be paying back Hex fee's for a long time.

Hex = Government loan for schooling .

Regards public schooling. There are some very good public schools but there are some absolute shockers as well where violence and disruptive student rule.

The Australian system is fucked simply because the power has been removed from the teachers and trying to instill discipline is a non event where very disruptive students are involved. Even harder to expel students.

It all boils down to where one lives, live in a good suburb and chances are the local school will be OK.

Live in an average suburb and one takes his chances with the school.

Live in a low income area and the schools are over run with trash and you're kids get drawn into it.

Many of the guys I worked with bit the bullet and payed for private education.
Cost them a shit load of money with most working two jobs plus the wife out working to pay the fees.

If one cant afford private schooling one always takes a chance going public.

Living in the country seems to be a fair bet though with mostly good kids attending.

Most teachers are solid, it boils down to the students in the school at the end of the day.

Originally Posted by kingwilly

Nope. I was spending around 150 pm in Bangkok ten years ago on a normal expat lifestyle.

If you did not have a wife and kids to support Willy I don't know what you could spend that on.

If one spent a lot of time in bars and bar girls I could see that not saying you did that but that's where it gets expensive EH.

Expat lifestyle as opposed to a TEFLr living in a concrete box eating mama noodles everyday scared of using the AC.

^

Still a lot of money to go through Willy.

Originally Posted by kingwilly

Nope. I was spending around 150 pm in Bangkok ten years ago on a normal expat lifestyle.

Obviously you're keeping your cards close to your chest and not divulging what
you spent it on but to say you spent it on a normal expat lifestyle I know you're
talking out of the hole in your arse most definitely

Originally Posted by jamiejambos

Originally Posted by kingwilly

Nope. I was spending around 150 pm in Bangkok ten years ago on a normal expat lifestyle.

Obviously you're keeping your cards close to your chest and not divulging what
you spent it on but to say you spent it on a normal expat lifestyle I know you're
talking out of the hole in your arse most definitely

Expensive pussy?

We live up country and spend (I think) maybe 20,000 a month, or perhaps less. No rent, car loan, children, whores, etc. and neither I nor my wife are compulsive shoppers.

What is an Expat lifestyle ?

Decent gaff. ?

If ones a drinker it would cost a bit but you'd friggin die drinking heavily every night.

Steaks every night ?

Seafood every lunch time ?

Fuked if I know. Everyone has a different view on there needs.

I just don't need all that stuff but I can certainly afford to spend that if I wished.

My main gig is to have a nice place to live in and run the A/C 24/7 if I wish.

Everyone's different though.

There's a good thread. Tell us your life style

Go on Willy, what did you spend 150 K a month on if not your family.