Friday, October 7, 2011

How to Live Well on $1,000 a Month

My son is a university student, he receives a grant of £3,000 (,000) a year and somehow finances his life with that. I asked him how he manages on so little. He replied that the only things he spends money on are rent and food. He said he lives on 'Rice and ketchup'. For the time being he's happy adequate with his lifestyle, but let me tell you about an alternative to penny-pinching for adults with a low income.

Actually, I'm going to re-phrase that. The qoute is not having too low an income, it's the cost of living in countries together with the Usa, Canada, Ireland and Britain that is too high. But you you know that already if your home is in one of those places.

Phuket

To fill up a shopping cart at the supermarket costs a hundred pounds or the same in dollars. A cup of coffee in Starbucks is two dollars, a haircut is ten bucks and a short ride on a city bus .45. I guess some citizen take this in their stride, I don't. Those prices seem outrageous to me. Maybe it's tolerable if you are on a big wage, but some of us aren't and have petite expectation that we ever will be.

It appears that there are just two ways to adapt to this situation. Whether you are very faithful to spend only a minimum and all the time look for the cheapest options, from food to clothing and housing costs. Or you focus on pushing up your income by getting a good job or doing longer hours. But what kind of life is that? Depressing and tiring, I'd say. You have petite time for yourself and your house and when you are home what you need most is a opportunity to get some sleep and relax.

For many years I put maximum vigor into construction up a enterprise to make the income needed to live the buyer lifestyle. But doing so drained me and there came a point when I didn't feel like battling on. Despite earning a lot, I still had a bank overdraft and reputation card debts.

Then I took a radical step and moved to a cheaper country. It was a revelation; I discovered that the intense effort required to make a living in the rich, or should I say rip-off, countries is unnecessary. You don't have to work like a dog to live well. In fact you can have a very pleasant life on just a fraction of the money you've required in your homeland.

Why don't more citizen do this and live where a dollar goes far further? Part of the infer is the assumption that reduced living costs mean a poorer capability of life. In my concept it's verily the opposite; With lower outgoings you don't need to work so hard or for so long hours. The effect is that you can relax and enjoy life very much more. There is nothing to stop you taking some free time to do the things which make life fun. Maybe you like golf, tennis or sailing. Anything your favourite relaxation activity, having the opportunity to do it when you choose makes a great correction to your capability of life.

An issue that may concern you when mental about involving abroad is Whether you can earn money in your new country. The short write back is that in any part of the planet where you can get an internet connection you have the possibility of generating an online income.

Where to move to? There are many inherent locations. I chose Mexico and recommend it highly, but there are many other involving possibilities. Obviously some places are not suitable, but there are more that are.

The list of factors to think when mental about living abroad continues with housing, local language, distance from friends and family, healthcare, schooling for children, crime-risk, pests, climate and more.

I've experienced life in 6 countries and have described the advantages and drawbacks that I found in these places in an narrative you will probably find interesting.

Here's wishing you a happy ex-pat future.

How to Live Well on ,000 a Month

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