Do You Call That Living? Thriving on a Low Budget during Retirement

Is retiring on a limited budget in Thailand (and other Low-Cost Countries) living or are you just existing?

I recently wrote a post and made a YouTube video about how it is easy to live on $750 a month in Thailand. And how you’d have plenty of money to spare for other things if you were getting a standard government pension or social security check.

I got an interesting comment from a viewer, who seemed to think that living on such a small amount of money is not living, but simply existing.

This got me thinking, What is living? What is existing?

When I think of a topic such as this, the ‘Choose Life’ monologue at the start of the Film Trainspotting jumps out at me. It goes on for a while, but includes things like Choose a Job, choose a washing machine, choose a car, choose a mortgage, choose watching TV at the end of the day: well, you get the picture. What is living? What is Existing?

My So-called Life

Like others, I’ve done many things in my life. I used to be a biologist, I have traveled the world, watched the World Cup in South Africa, skied and snowboarded many a slope, swam with the fishes at the Great Barrier Reef, climbed mountains, spent time in the Rainforest photographing animals, spent months at a time cycle touring, and have lived long term in many countries including the US, Germany, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand.

Yet, in other people’s eyes, because I get by on a somewhat limited budget I am not living, I simply exist!

I guess in their eyes, if a person does not have thousands a month to retire on, and they don’t own the latest iPhone, coolest TV, luxury car, and live in a house with all mod cons, then they are living a life that is not fulfilled.

My Thoughts on Living and Existence

I was pondering this existence of mine whilst I was having a coffee during my morning stroll. There I was sipping my coffee, watching happy people go about their business on the beach, thinking to myself how sad it is to just exist, when I could be living the good life!

I guess everyone is a bit different, but to me existing is jumping in a car (loan) to drive (commute) to work (burden) to earn money (pursue my dreams) of owning a house (mortgage) and having the latest phone (plan) to show off to the neighbors (one-upmanship).

During my time at work, I’ll dream about retiring to a beach, and finally have time to do the things that I’ve always wanted to do. After work, I might get a chance to socialize with a few friends, but most likely that’ll have to wait until the weekend, so I’ll just go home, cook something to eat, and veg in front of the TV because I’m too tired to spend time on learning to draw or learn the piano like I’ve always wanted to.

To me, the above feels more like existing than it does living. But I guess to many this is a pretty normal life.

Yes, I live on a budget. But every day I get plenty of time to walk in the fresh air and smell the Lotuses (not many roses around here), play the guitar, work on projects that I enjoy doing, and eat out at a Thai restaurant, maybe even partake in a beer and watch the football at a bar (I don’t drink as much nowadays, because to be honest as I’ve gotten older, I don’t recover in the morning after like I used to).

And besides I don’t really enjoy spending time in bars listening to people drone on about politics, it gets boring very quickly.

Anyway, I guess what I’m trying to decide is whether I’d rather exist on a lower budget, doing what I want to do, and enjoying a simple life – or – to live on a higher budget, that involves having to commute to a miserable job everyday, until I’ve saved up a million dollars to retire on.

I guess there are compromises to be made on these decisions, after all, its always nice to have a little extra money, but at the same time we only have so much time on this earth.

I’ll be honest, out here in Thailand, nearly everyone I ask tells me that they wish they’d retired years earlier!

I’ve sadly seen a few people who have come over here to retire when they are past their peak, because they worked to their last days.

Many people are sadly too tired to try the things in life that they wanted to do when they were younger. And in hindsight, retiring a few years earlier would have been a better choice, than waiting until they could come over here with $5,000 a month in their pocket.

I think what I am trying to say, is that, if you are thinking of retiring abroad early, and are concerned that you will have less money to retire on than all of your friends who worked until they were 67, then don’t be.

As long as you feel that you can lead a comfortable life here, then go for it (Don’t be rash though, it’s always good to have some savings behind you)!

Living on a budget does not have to mean that you are just existing, if you plan things well, then you’ll be living the life in Thailand that you want to live, and not one that society thinks you should live!

Who cares about having thousands of dollars a month spare, if you have worked yourself to the bone, and can’t enjoy the remainder of your life? And more importantly, why should it bother someone else how you live your life?

I really don’t care how much money you may have, but tell me you’ve lived your life to the fullest, and then you’ll have my utmost respect.

To sum up. Retiring on a budget in a country such as Thailand isn’t just about saving money. It’s about valuing experiences over material possessions, living authentically, and making meaningful memories. True wealth is found in moments lived fully, not in possessions.