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oxi
Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 347
Location: elsewhere
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 Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 6:25 am Post subject: |
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Mind if I join in?
I've no idea if my rubbishy diet represents an average...
breakfast at home - cereal, tea - 10$?
lunch - McDonalds - 30$
early evening snack at home - sandwich, tea - 10$?
evening meal - eg. Spaghetti House, 100$
doing that for 30 days = HK$4500
I don't drink much so I'm not putting that in. With regard to both cost and quality, it's not that bad every day, but then sometimes it's worse. I'm guessing the biggest variable for most folk is the evening meal - whether you cook at home, can do Chinese, or need expatty food?
Personally I thought I couldn't do it as cheap as Jospeh. But adding it up, I'm not far off his 4K figure. I've probably forgotten something! |
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oxi
Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 347
Location: elsewhere
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| Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 6:39 am Post subject: Re: Saving Money |
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| ScruffyPete wrote: |
So my question is- "how much can I save in 12 months?" I tend to cook my own food and drink little. I would live anywhere but the middle of nowhere, and teach kids or adults. |
I can answer how much I think I spend:-
HK$ monthly (approx)
food: 4500
rent: 9000
bills (water/gas): 50
bills (electric) - can't remember, depends on a/c - 300?
internet/phone - 500
transport - 500
random wastes of money - 2000
total: 16850
Ok, there's a bit of guesswork there. I know that between me and my wife, we spent 20K last month. Perhaps I should let her eat more than just my leftovers... |
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Perilla
Joined: 09 Jul 2010
Posts: 792
Location: Hong Kong
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| Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 7:23 am Post subject: |
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Interesting differences. Me and the missus each put 15K into a joint account to cover the regular monthly expenses - ie. 30K altogether. That usually just about covers it, but not always. But that 30K does not cover our travel costs or weekly lunches/snacks - we pay those separately.
Our rent is 8.5K. We mostly eat at home but eat out occasionally. The main difference I can identify that somewhat explains our higher expenditure is booze. You all seem to be virtual teetotallers, whereas we go through a bottle of vino most days - not to mention I like a beer on the ferry home - though at $10 a beer compares favourably to my $26 morning juice! Plus we enjoy a drink out at least once a week. |
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sistercream
Joined: 18 Dec 2010
Posts: 497
Location: Pearl River Delta
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| Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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Fascinating ... I really do seem to be living in a parallel universe out here in the far flung corners of the New Territories ... I think I'll stay here 
This year I'm with an NGO, basically on food, board & pocket money, but last year I was paying 6K monthly rent, could walk to work, and my normal other monthly expenses (food, utilities, clothing, entertainment, holiday expenses - admittedly local only) never rose much over 6K, and were normally around the 5K mark. Then again, I'm teetotal, do most of my own sewing, and when my friends & I head out for a meal it's most likely to a local dai pai dong or dim sum palace.
But now I'm in my 50s, and I did enjoy the luxuries I could afford with the international school package I was on when I first came here (back when 9K got a nice harbour view flat in Robinson Road), so I wouldn't begrudge anyone the chance to "live it up" while young - the novelty wears off eventually  |
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Perilla
Joined: 09 Jul 2010
Posts: 792
Location: Hong Kong
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| Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 3:23 am Post subject: |
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| sistercream wrote: |
| But now I'm in my 50s, and I did enjoy the luxuries I could afford with the international school package I was on when I first came here (back when 9K got a nice harbour view flat in Robinson Road), so I wouldn't begrudge anyone the chance to "live it up" while young - the novelty wears off eventually |
Hey sister, I'm 50 next year! Honestly though, there's nothing I'd call extravagant about our lifestyle. Choosing organic produce and buying freshly squeezed fruit juice once a day doesn't really equate to luxury living - and we also live in the boonies (Lamma).
Everything is relative, as they say. We certainly used to enjoy a bit of extravagance, like jetting up to Seoul for wild weekends at the Grand Hyatt when we worked in a far-flung corner of South Korea. (But then, the plane ticket to Seoul cost less than the taxi fare from central to Tuen Mun, which we used to do two or three times a week when we lived there!).
Totally agree having fun and splashing out a bit once in a while adds some spice to life. And as my gran used to say, there are no pockets in a shroud! |
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Joshua2006
Joined: 04 Jan 2010
Posts: 342
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| Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 7:30 am Post subject: |
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14k on mortgage and gov't rent etc.
8k on child's education
3k on insurance fund things in the bank
1k on phone bills
1k ish on domestic bills
1k ish on hand phones
Bollocks....I can't do a further breakdown otherwise I will be listing every last detail.....suffice to say that about 10% of my salary goes into a savings account and we seem to be able to live on what is left. We do drink wine from Watson's rather than Park n'shop. We do eat out every weekend without fail.
It's possible, even without living frugally.... |
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