IraHayes wrote: ↑Thu Apr 16, 2020 11:38 pm
But the question remains, what are the laid off teachers doing? How are they coping? (Rent still needs paying etc) And what will happen when the school closures are rolled back and everyone goes back to work.

TeachingForPeanuts wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 7:09 amYou're not living comfortably. You're starting threads devoted to where to find Scotch for $6 a liter.

Electric Earth wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 8:47 am

TeachingForPeanuts wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 7:09 amYou're not living comfortably. You're starting threads devoted to where to find Scotch for $6 a liter.

It's called budgeting, and being a responsible adult. Well, responsible enough, anyway. : ) You can live comfortably and budget your money. Before I discovered a cheaper place to buy liquor, I was drinking Teacher's scotch at $11/liter, and that was fine. Now I've found something just as good for $6, so yay. I'm not living it up drinking Lagavulin every night and blowing through my cash, no, but I'm living comfortably. I've also started watching youtube videos on cooking and have started making dishes at home rather than going out to restaurants every other night. Does that mean to you that I'm not eating comfortably also? I actually enjoy cooking and making cocktails(long history of bar-tending and management). I enjoy it and it's a hobby. There's only so much of my day that I can waste online. Hell, I even made an excel spreadsheet with cost breakdowns of food and liquor pricing that spits out meal and drink costs. Again, history of bar management, and what the hell else am I gonna do all day? Just because someone decides to budget rather than blow through their money doesn't mean they can't live comfortably. If schools don't start back up before my funds start running low, I'll head back home. If I weren't living comfortably, I'd do that now. You can live comfortably in Cambodia on $500/month.

And you're welcome for the tips on cheap, but decent liquor.

Electric Earth wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 12:06 am

IraHayes wrote: ↑Thu Apr 16, 2020 11:38 pm...But the question remains, what are the laid off teachers doing? How are they coping? (Rent still needs paying etc) And what will happen when the school closures are rolled back and everyone goes back to work.

Many teachers are struggling to get by. I know some have borrowed from family. I suspect they may end up going back to their home countries when funds run out. Many already have gone back home. I like to hope that schools will start back again soon, but I kind of doubt it. I'd guess it'll be at Least another month, and probably more. If it ends up being much more, I'll be going home myself. I can't afford to just live in Cambodia forever with no income. I'm currently doing on an online course for online teaching, but as you'd expect, that market is flooded with teachers right now. I'm trying to learn how to do it right rather than just saying "I'm an ESL teacher and I know how to use the internet. Pay me."

As for what will happen when schools do open again, it'll be interesting to see. I wonder where the balance will fall between reduced student enrollment, fewer teachers, and schools struggling financially. The schools will be a big factor. A lot of people who are sticking it out now are gonna bail if schools start up again and pay is only $500/month rather than $800-1,000. I'd be one of them. I like living in Cambodia, but that's just not enough money. We have to consider things like finances when we leave Cambodia. I can't stay here on no money knowing that when I do go back to the US, I have to pay for a plane ticket(god knows how much that will cost these days...) and have a few thousand to get by until I have a steady income back home. If you can't afford to save something and are just barely getting by, it's just not enough in the long run. You'll end up screwed and broke in Cambodia, and living with family trying to get back on your feet when you get home.

It'll definitely be interesting to see what happens with Cambodian private schools in the next couple months. They're arguably the only decent way to get an education here, so hopefully it all works out OK.

Electric Earth wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 8:47 am

TeachingForPeanuts wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 7:09 amYou're not living comfortably. You're starting threads devoted to where to find Scotch for $6 a liter.

It's called budgeting, and being a responsible adult. Well, responsible enough, anyway. : ) You can live comfortably and budget your money. Before I discovered a cheaper place to buy liquor, I was drinking Teacher's scotch at $11/liter, and that was fine. Now I've found something just as good for $6, so yay. I'm not living it up drinking Lagavulin every night and blowing through my cash, no, but I'm living comfortably. I've also started watching youtube videos on cooking and have started making dishes at home rather than going out to restaurants every other night. Does that mean to you that I'm not eating comfortably also? I actually enjoy cooking and making cocktails(long history of bar-tending and management). I enjoy it and it's a hobby. There's only so much of my day that I can waste online. Hell, I even made an excel spreadsheet with cost breakdowns of food and liquor pricing that spits out meal and drink costs. Again, history of bar management, and what the hell else am I gonna do all day? Just because someone decides to budget rather than blow through their money doesn't mean they can't live comfortably. If schools don't start back up before my funds start running low, I'll head back home. If I weren't living comfortably, I'd do that now. You can live comfortably in Cambodia on $500/month.

And you're welcome for the tips on cheap, but decent liquor.

theKid wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 9:16 amIt’s been exactly one month since schools were ordered to close. 6 weeks in SR. It’s very difficult to understand how expat teacher are “struggling” after just ONE month without or reduced income.
Don’t wanna sound too harsh but this doesn’t exactly speak for the quality of teachers in this country.

Kammekor wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 9:16 amI bought the wooden shack in front of my house a few years ago, and currently rent it out for 50,000r a month to a peasant family. Of course, being a greedy landlord, they pay 1,300r per KWh plus 2,000r per concrete jar of water. So you'll understand I can live as king with this passive income.

My guess is they live on less than 150$ / month, maybe even less than 100$, and they consider their life more or less comfortable. They even had the luck of catching the occasional snake which makes a nice snack. Of course the snake involves drinking the prestigious tasty Ganzberg beer so they might overspend occasionally.

TeachingForPeanuts wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 8:55 amIf you arrived with proper savings and were living on $500 a month then you wouldn't have to worry about going home to the USA in a few months if schools don't open back up. You'd be able to get by for a year or two spending $500 a month. Too many Westerners move here with next to nothing and then when they have an accident or some misfortune they are soon homeless or borrowing money from friends and family or setting up gofundme pages.

Electric Earth wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 10:20 am It's not a huge deal if I leave in a month or two since schools are closed anyway.