I am a firm believer in the old adage, ‘a penny saved is a penny earned.’
I have bargained on the rental of my serviced office, to make it as low as possible. I watch my expenses carefully and generally do well.
But, most of my business is done online or over the phone so I have now come up with the ultimate money saving idea. I could simply relocate my office to whichever country is the cheapest to live.
Have you ever been to Thailand? That feeling of paying $1 for a glass of beer is brilliant. Think about sandy beaches, constant sunshine and excellent food.
You can easily find cheap accommodation in places as beautiful as Chang Mai, where you will pay around $30 a month for a small flat. Nearer the coast, a room in the apartments runs at roughly $90 a month.
Another exotic destination where life is also cheap is the Philippines, as long as you follow the rule of getting away from big cities, Manila is not an option.
If you head for Cebu, one of the most developed provinces in the Philippines, with sandy beaches, golf courses and great shopping, you can get a serviced office for $150 a month. In other bustling towns, such as Damaguete City, you can easily rent a room for around $40 per month.
Food is also cheap. $200 a month will be absolutely enough to provide you with all necessities including alcohol and tobacco – a large glass of beer and pack of cigarettes cost $0.55 and $0.80 respectively.
My favourite place is Belize, which is considered one of the most beautiful countries in Central America. It has it all, great beaches, subtropical climate, and diverse wildlife. The official language in the country is English – that makes things simpler, doesn’t it?
The country is also a paradise for scuba diving and snorkelling lovers .The Belize Barrier Reef offers 127 offshore Cayes (islands) where you will find the best preserved marine ecosystems in the world. The costs of living are similar to those in Costa Rica. For a large serviced office in the Cayo district, a one-hour drive west from Belize City, you may pay $300 a month and if you share with two other friends, it is only $100.
But the stupid thing is…I’ll never move my serviced office, it just not practical. Oh well…back to the daily grind, work, commute and stress.
