2 Homes

Well, I have decided–  starting now, I will be splitting my time each year between Thailand and San Francisco.

6 months I’ll be based in Thailand, and 6 months I’ll be based in SF.

My next step is to find a reasonably cheap apartment in Chiang Mai, Thailand… where I have decided to live.  It’s smaller and more relaxed than Bangkok, easy to get around, and has a lot of great restaurants.   Mountains, camping, etc… are also close by.   And finally, the rent is cheaper in Chiang Mai.

I have already done some research on the web and I can definitely get a nice apartment for $250 – 350 dollars a month.  By “nice” I mean an apartment that is as good or better than my $2000 a month apartment in San Francisco (which is absolutely outrageous, yet “normal” in SF)!  Talk about an easier lifestyle!  Life in Thailand is sooooo much easier.

The real challenge comes when I return to SF and begin searching for a cheaper apartment in my same neighborhood (The Mission).   I keep hoping the housing crisis will crash SF rents, but so far they have only nudged down a little bit.   Another option will be to sub-lease a place for 6 months at a time, and store my things at a friends’ (or storage place) when I’m not in SF.

My overall goal is for my total annual rent (SF + Chiang Mai) to remain the same or drop…  thus no increase.

The great news is that even if my total rent remains the same, my overall expenses will drop because food and other expenses are so much cheaper in Thailand.

In general, I’m now following the principle of “zero expense growth”.  Even though my income is growing, I have put a firm limit on my expenses.   In other words, I’m saving more and more as my business grows.  Given the likelihood of more economic disasters (coming at the end of the summer, I predict),…  saving more is a very very good idea!

And really, it’s a good idea anyway!