First World Vs Third World. Good Deal Vs Bad Deal?......Conversation Between Myself and @heyitshass on Why I Live the Way I Do.
@heyitshaas was totally intrigued with the fantastic $15 US dollar per night hotel I found in Bangkok in a great location minutes walking distance from the subway. The place has a gym, a swimming pool, on sight five dollar an hour massage, and a 24 hour restaurant that will bring the food up to your room. The room itself is spacious with AC, good wifi, TV, daily house keeping, and even a bathtub with supplied bubble bath soap.
@heyitshaas was so impressed he was considering leaving his job and traveling sooner realizing how affordable it can be if you travel smart. He asked if I was going to stay a month as it's such a good deal. I replied no, as I'm now in a very nice place in Chiang Mai Thailand for $6.50 US dollars a night! But that is not all that was discussed. Here is the conversation below.
@heyitshaas: Good that you found this place! also a very good deal, did you book yourself in for a month?
It Makes it tempting to leave the Netherlands sooner, that's just a great deal.
@world-travel-pro: No, I stayed a week. Was planning on staying 3 days, but I got comfortable with my bubble baths and hanging out with @fitinfun who lives down the street. I back logged a bunch of Steemit posts while I was there. So now my time is not so taken up with doing post these days. In these parts of the world the locals often pay around 100 dollars a month in rent. $300 is considered luxury at a place like this, which is about what they charge for a month.
Us from the west don't even realize how wealthy we are. About 6 billion people on the planet live on 10 dollars a day or less! Think about that for a moment....
@heyitshaas: It's crazy how many people live on less, and here in the Netherlands there are so many people complaining, first world problems, that's why I connect so well to fellow travelers they understand the world better.
@world-travel-pro: Yes I definitely feel a kinship to you too. In the first world it's a whole other world!
I couldn't imagine living in the US without a car. Which means gasoline, car insurance, car repairs, and possibly car payments which alone are often more than 10 dollars a day. It's literally a whole other world of expense, spending, and earning.
I live on about $10,000 a year total. I think I live like a king. But that $10,000 in the USA, I'm well below the poverty line.
Today I went bowling, ate out three times, went to two coffee shops and had two cappuccinos for 75 cents each and got an hour long massage for under $25. That's including my $6.50 hotel. I see this as a good deal for life, where I see living in the west a bad deal for life.
Look at it this way. Compare Albany New York my home town to where I am now in Chiang Mai Thailand.
Eating out quality food 3 times = $60 vs $6
Massage= $100 vs $4.50
Bowling 3 games and shoe rental= $25 vs $3.75
2 Cappuccinos = $8 vs $1.50
Hotel = $50 vs $6.50
Total= $243 vs $22.25
This is why I refuse to live in first world countries long term. I simply see it as a bad deal, and my quality of life goes down drastically or my bank account.
Now I just need to turn this into a steemit post. Consider it a steemit post just for you! lol
Have a great day Haas.
@heyitshaas: Back in Amsterdam now, I haven't even been hear a full year and the house prices went up like 20% its getting more expensive to live here but harder to earn more therefore the group of people that barely get by is getting bigger. Respect your decision to live another way.
@World-Travel-Pro: Thanks Haas. I remember living in the states, I was working around the clock and it was a constant financial struggle with endless bills, I was miserable and stressed out, just when you start to get ahead, you get hit with a $1,000 + car repair, medical expense, or home repair. When I was back in the states a few months ago, I saw nothing has changed or it's gotten worse for anyone middle class or less which is like 95% of everyone. I plan on turning our conversation into a post soon.
I think it should be seen by more people who feel trapped in a "bad deal" as the "only deal". Which I'm living proof is not the case.
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Some good points here @world-travel-pro. I moved to Panama (which is not the cheapest compared to Thailand or some other places in the central America), but it's still WAY more affordable than Australia and has major tax advantages. i love it here. Sure, there are shitty things (rubbish, idiot drivers everywhere), but there are shitty things about Australia too.
I know what you mean regarding Panama cheaper than Austrailia! It's the main reason why I'm yet to visit that country.
Panama, I was just there about 5 months ago and I traveled from Colombia to Mexico. What brought you to Panama? I find that an interesting choice. I chose Ecuador and spent two years getting my permanent visa there. Which I have and plan to keep. I enjoyed such perks as living in the valley of longevity with a furnished apartment for 180 dollars a month including all utilities and internet. Organic local food came to about 30 dollars a week!
But yes I agree totally with your last statement, no place on the planet is perfect.
I love meeting fellow like minded members of Steemit. I'm gonna have to go check out your page. Thanks for stopping by mine. Have a great day! -Dan
When I travelled through central/south America I liked Panama city (not having any thoughts of emigrating at the time). Then when I got sick of tax/government cracking down on personal privacy etc.) I started looking at other countries. Singapore was my first choice at the time but I wasn't getting any responses to job applications and they've cracked down hard on foreign visas in the past few years.
So I looked at central America and Panama just kept ticking boxes - territorial tax, friendly nations visa, good infrastructure, tropical (which I LOVE - I'm done with winters), in US timezone (since I now trade US markets for a living), no military, it's safe.
So I moved here. Been here just over a year now. It took 3 months to get permanent residency and I love it. I have no intention of moving back to Australia any time soon.
That's fantastic. So happy that you are happy with your decision. Looks like you and panama are an excellent match. I know what you mean about no winters too. I'm from Albany NY. But I haven seen snow now for about 15 years or so!
Very interesting perspective. I get people on my posts all the time - here and on other platforms - who want to leave "someplace" but don't. I tell anyone that the first step is getting a passport and find that to be a big sticking point all on its own for some people.
They remind me of my obese people who want to lose weight but don't and my friends with anxiety who want to improve their situations but don't.
Maybe this is inertia, but we only have limited days here, so I try my best to make use of the ones I get, but as to leaving - no matter where you go - there you are until you aren't :)
"Maybe this is inertia, but we only have limited days here, so I try my best to make use of the ones I get, but as to leaving - no matter where you go - there you are until you aren't :)"
Couldn't agree more. Well said. People are fearful and complacent. And it's not always their fault. Society especially in the US teaches this mentality. The world is a much safer place than led to believe. Proper research and the just do it attitude goes a long way!
lol - one of my son's poor friends is in a fb fight today about women vs men with all the buzzwords and horrific meanness on all sides. I knew this kid as a baby as well as lots of the others.
My advice - leave that stupid country so you can all obsess about something more meaningful! None of them like my advice and prefer to keep fighting about perceived insults. I'm sure they have no idea that no one else in the world even cares about this topic.
Yes, the things people get upset about back home boggle my mind as well.
amazing.....great post.
Thank you @kayderross. Your continued support has meant a lot!
Whoo only see this post now! dont know how I missed it, was watching NBA probably haha.
Great post and fun concept to posts about, to interact with more people on Steemit.
Did not do much on Steemit this week, struggled to find interesting topics to post about, tonight i will post on how to get a Green Card for the USA.
Thanks for this post! Upvoted and resteemed straight away.
Hope you can meet @theywillkillyou once you arrive in Bangkok next week.
keep them coming!
Yeah I'm looking forward to meeting him. He's lived quite a life. Thanks again for the resteem.
Wish I could get my boyfriend as excited about this as I have been lately :-)