British woman’s Thailand epiphany leads to £6K savings a year (video)
A British woman revealed her ability to save 274,000 baht (£6,000) a year after having an epiphany during a trip to Thailand.
Chrissie Milan embarked on a no-spend challenge and is on course to accumulate nearly £6,000 by eliminating extravagant clothes shopping and costly dining experiences.
The 25 year old Londoner began reassessing what she considers essential expenditure after having an epiphany on a visit to the Land of Smiles. Witnessing the stark contrast in living costs between Thailand and London during her trip, Milan resolved to join the no-spend year trend upon her return.
The young influencer and video producer slashed her £150 (7,000 baht) monthly clothes shopping budget entirely and put an end to impromptu evening meal meet-ups with friends. Milan also ditched her daily coffees and ceased buying lunch, resulting in a monthly saving of £240 (11,000 baht).
Now the West London professional manages to save an average of £500 (23,000 baht) per month and is on course to accumulate £6,000 by the year’s end, which means she can spend, no pun intended, more time on holiday in the Land of Smiles.
“It’s not something I ever thought I would do really. A smoothie cost me £1 in Thailand compared to £6 in the UK and it was much nicer. So, it made me think about what I actually need to spend money on at home and also what I am getting in return.
“So in January, I decided to only spend on essentials, which are things like my rent and food and I can really feel the difference.”
While Chrissie acknowledges the noticeable difference, she admits it doesn’t feel entirely natural to cut out all the things she’s accustomed to doing.
“We spend lots out of convenience and the first few weeks I found easy as it felt like a new challenge. In the middle, it dipped a bit and it was easy to slip into old habits.
“Things like meal prep and planning ahead get harder. I had a few weeks in the middle where I regressed slightly.”
Milan confessed to being a frivolous spender in the past, often giving in to impulse and boredom buying. However, committing to a no-spend year has significantly helped her rein in these tendencies.
“It helps you realise what you like spending your money on. I’ve found that going out to eat really isn’t for me but I love trying new coffee or going out to breakfast instead. “Everyone has different essentials too so people can decide what they want to class as essential. It is about getting to the root of what’s important. Stripping everything away and starting from zero helps you realise what you miss and what you don’t.”
Milan added that saving money gives her peace of mind as she can stash it away for a rainy day, or another trip to Thailand.
“The aim is to challenge my spending, so I think the money I save will be best put away for a rainy day or invested. I want to build a comfortable financial future. I don’t feel the need to blow it on something huge.'”
