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What's a typical month for you all in? >> Anywhere between 5 and 600. >> And how long have you been here now? >> This February coming up will be 3 years. >> And how did you pick this city in Cambodia? And what city are we in? >> Uh we're in Siem Reap. I really didn't pick it. The average person you talk to them on the streets like what are you living on and they're like I'm under a grand. Angkor Wat obviously is a draw. So I mean I I knew of it. I'd always wanted to see it. So I just picked here to be that spot cuz I wanted to do the archeol- archaeology tourism for me. But then the the vibe and the feel and the people in Siem Reap just it matched. I told you I was odd and Siem Reap is the same kind of odd I am cuz I fit in. Here was the first time in my entire life I felt like I was at home. So that was a weird sensation. So I had to stay and figure it out. >> And that brings up another question I have that's for you because we've seen your channel and you have a beautiful girlfriend. And there's a saying in Southeast Asia, no money, no honey. And [laughter] and the and often these people are they're on a larger budget and they still don't have a honey. And here you are living this budget. What do you have to say about this no money, no honey thing?

>> I didn't come here looking for a partner. I didn't come here looking for anything like that. I I had a really bad relationship that ended about a decade ago. I realized that I was a bad judge of character. I had horrible taste in women. Staying away, you know, I'm like like nope. Listen, I don't trust myself. I'm done. And then um I met Sopal and she worked at she was doing like maintenance like yard care and taking care of the family that I rented from. But we became friends and that was it. Like for full year she like, you know, maintained property. I hired her to clean my apartment and I said listen, I got a beer or two in the fridge for you if you want. I said, you know, drink them now, take them home. I don't care. You know, just enjoy, you know, it's reward. Thank you so much. >> Yeah. >> And she was just like >> What's this? Who's this guy? >> And [laughter] um I I looked at it as she was my guest in my house. So I wanted her to feel welcome. Right. all I was doing. >> Yeah, yeah. >> Um but she saw that as um me I just had a good heart. >> Yeah.

>> Which is something that she hadn't seen in a lot of the the expats cuz a lot of them don't look at the help, you know? They're just okay, you're just my cleaning lady. >> Yeah, yeah. >> So, I just looked at her like a person which I look at everybody. >> Yeah. >> That's the difference. So, if you want to know how I did it, I treated her like a human being because Cambodia everything here they treat you like human. You're not a number, you're not a cog, you're not an ATM machine, you're person. If you want to be an ATM machine, you're going to be an ATM machine. That's your choice, not theirs. >> Right, right. >> And then the other side too is like you'll have people that pay for company, like pay for attention. >> Right. >> You know, and that's not necessarily I'm not talking about, you know, physical. I'm talking about having somebody sitting and having a conversation with them. You go to some of the bars and you want to buy a lady a drink and you can do that. And that can end up costing a lot more money where my $10 budget for the day they're blowing that in an hour. >> Yeah, of course. >> And that's fine. >> So, what are you doing different than the other expats that are spending a thousand a month or 1,500 or whatever?

>> Again, I like the economic rooms. I I've had apartments that were up to 300 and like my favorite ones are the cheap ones. Just because like I I'm usually more in a local area so my neighbors are local. I'm I'm around fewer expats. >> Right. >> So, with that I'm also having the really cool little hole in the wall restaurants where, you know, it's it's 12:00 they're going to put out the table and they do everything and then they at 2:00 it's all gone. Like you can walk by 3 hours later and the street looks completely different. I'm in a local community but I didn't come to Asia to live a Western life. >> So, Shawn and Chung are having a $1 meal. Thank you. Here in Cambodia at a local restaurant. The soup is 75 and rice is 25 so together it's about >> Yeah, and actually the name of the restaurant you look it on Google Maps and it says it's like uh hour. >> Like $1. >> I don't care much for our food. I've had it all my life. I don't want to eat apples. I I've had them. >> [laughter] >> So, I can go to the store and I can buy an apple for $2 or I can go and buy a bunch of like longan that I've never had before. I can eat a bunch of fruit versus one. I'm going to take the bunch, so my lifestyle is that I like the local cuisine. I like the local foods. I like the local culture.

The average wage here is $200 a month. I'm spending a lot of money compared to them, right? So, >> Yeah. >> like 3x. >> Yeah. So, they look at me as like, "Oh yeah, you spend too much money." Even my girlfriend, she goes, "Honey, you spend too much." I'm like, I I How? You show me how to save [laughter] money. How do I spend less? And then I'll do it. What I find with a lot of the folks is they get the nicer apartment, so they're spending for comfort comfort and convenience, I 100% get it. You want to have comfort. Where you sleep, where you stay, you want to be comfortable. >> Right. >> to spend $500 a month on that? Do it. >> Yeah. >> If that makes you comfortable and that you're happy there, >> Yeah. Yeah. >> and that keeps you here, >> Sure. >> Yeah, congrats. >> Right. >> Um other people can't stay away from their meals. There's a lot of people I know here from the UK. >> Okay. >> Stay Sunday roast. They have to have their Sunday roast. It's like part of their culture. They're like, "I got to have it." So, there's restaurants here that cater to it, but that's like, you know, 10 15 bucks a week. >> Right. Right. >> Well, that's my food budget for most of the week. So, you know, they're doing that in one day. >> Yeah.

>> But, it's things like that. It's like, either giving up a lot of what you like from back home and finding new here >> Right. >> or just just still going to pay a little extra to take get those. And you pay a lot extra at the grocery store. I'm Canadian. If I want maple syrup, that's that's a little pricey here. $15 for a little bottle. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Still haven't I haven't bought one yet. I'm like, okay. Holding out. >> [laughter] >> One day, I'll need that pancake. >> I have a question for you that I've just been on my mind for a few years. And that's this idea that when whenever I interview someone with a low budget like this, which I've interviewed people all over the world that have have low budget comparatively to other expats, um people in the comments will say, "You can't do that. It costs this much. You're lying. This sort of thing. And I have this theory I call it that necessity is the uh root of invention. What I find is that when people are talking about, "No, you need a you need 2,000 a month to live there. You need 1,500. Or you need 1,000." And then I ask them, "So, what's your budget?" They usually say it's a little more at the number that they're saying you need to live there. And so, they don't have a necessity to to live on 600 or 1,000 or 1,200. So, why would they invent it? And so, my question to you is, is it partly necessity for you that that you're living on 600?

>> It it kind of was at first because again, I was I I had my savings from, you know, working and everything back home in Canada. >> Right. >> And so, when I first got here, I just got the retirement visa. So, I can't work on that. So, for that, I was like, "I'm a year. I can't do anything anyway." So, I was looking at my budget of how much money I had >> Right. >> versus how much I wanted to spend and how long I wanted to stay here. So, I fit in a budget that works for me. >> Right. >> And because I've always been of that mindset, like let's say you get a fish. >> Right. >> Fish is going to grow into that tank. >> Right. >> It's going to make it It's going to be the same size. So, what I do is I make sure that my tank is this big, so I grow into it. >> Right. >> gave myself a $1,000 budget, I could give I could do that. >> Right. >> It doesn't matter. So, I give myself that $500 budget. That's my tank size. That's what I want to live within. And it's choice. >> And so, that is the necessity is the tank size. >> Yeah. >> You set your tank and then grow to that size. So, when you talk to other expats here that um, that are talking about you can't live here for 600, >> do that.

>> their tank is bigger, >> but they don't do that. >> They don't do that, yeah. >> No. Uh, you have those few people that like to talk about that. Like, you know, like, "Ooh, you got to be 2,000." The average person you talk to them on the streets, like, "What are you living on?" And they're like, "I'm under a grand." Most guys are coming over here, folks I should say. Uh, if you're coming from the US, you've got a pension or or you've got your, you know, social security, $1,500 a month. Back home, that tank that they have to live in is around $3,000. You can't put $1,500 in a $3,000 tank. >> No. >> So, they come over here and all of a sudden they can start that five or $600 tank for themselves. >> Right. >> And then put the savings. Now, all of a sudden they've got the ability to go take a trip to Indonesia or go travel. They're doing things that they weren't able to do back home. >> Right, right. >> So, they're still spending their money, but they're doing more with it. So, you have a better quality and quantity of life over here when you when you live within your means. >> And you're able to live within your means. I think some people for whatever reason, you know, they lose control of spending or maybe they have a drinking problem.

There's many reasons why expats get into trouble overseas, but you're able to tow the line. I think that makes a big difference. >> You have to have the mental stability. And that's like 50 cent drafts walking down the street, those are tempting. And they're delicious, and they're amazing. And if you're able to stop and have one or two, have a meal, have a beer, you're good. >> Yeah. >> You know? But if you are just going to get it's like, "Well, 8:00 in the morning, time to go have a beer." >> Yeah. >> Don't come here. >> And it's one more, one more, one more. >> So, this is Dan of Vagabond Awake, and today we have Sean from Frugal >> Frugal Wanderer. >> Frugal Wanderer. And Sean, it's a pleasure to have you here. >> Thank you. Nice meeting you guys. >> [laughter] >> So, Sean, tell people where you from and where are we sitting right now? >> Uh so, originally born in Canada. So, I was born in New Brunswick, which is the way East Coast of Canada. I'm further east than Boston. >> And you've also spent time in the US. >> Yeah, about half my life, uh about 20 25 27 years on and off. >> Okay.

>> Uh Florida, Tennessee, Arizona. >> Why Cambodia? How did you end up here? >> Dumb luck. I was working for a company decided to downsize, so they were outsourcing everything to their new center. So, I lost my job, and so I'd been saving and I'd been planning a trip. Everyone else was just Everyone's freaking out about getting a job. I'm like, "I just don't care right now." So, I booked a flight to Thailand. I spent two months there, and then I came across to Cambodia. Did booked a trip to Siem Reap to do a visa run. And the minute I got off the bus in in Cambodia here in Siem Reap, I wasn't like 5 minutes into being here. I had a guy stop up and say, "Hi, how are you? Where are you from?" And I'm like, "Oh, from Canada." "How long you here for?" I said, "2 weeks." He goes, "Oh, thank you for visiting my country. Thank you. Thank you, bong." And then walked away and I was just like, "Well, that was so pleasant." It happened four more times on the walk to my hotel. >> Yeah. >> I'm like, "Okay, this is different." The 2 weeks that I was here, it never slowed down. And on the third day I was supposed to go to Angkor Wat and I'm like, "I wonder what apartments are like here." So, I booked a tour with IPS and they took me all over the place and I just fell in love with the city and Cambodia and so I went back to Bangkok.

I was there for like maybe a week and I'm like, "I'm done. Like I'm going back to Cambodia." Like I'd heard about the retirement visa. I'd heard about things. I'm like, "Yeah, I'm just going to give it a try." >> You also do some travel, don't you? >> Yeah. Because I have that budget of $600. >> Right. >> So, if I if I am lean and I do that $500 for the month, >> Yeah. >> that 100 bucks is bonus money. I set that aside mentally. It's, you know, I don't have a separate account for it. >> Right. >> But I have that I just go, "Okay, I've saved 100 bucks." And then after a couple months or every 2 or 3 months, I'll have, you know, "Okay, I've got 300 bucks." >> Yeah. >> So, then it's like, "Okay, time to go to Kampot. Time to go to Vietnam." >> Okay. >> And so, I just budget everything that way. And then that was the only the only downside to that is like when you travel by bus. You know, those that those are long days. >> Yeah, they're long days. >> Tell us about safety. >> You're from the States? >> Yes. >> They don't have guns here. >> Yeah. >> [laughter] >> Uh okay, so I'm going to I'll I'll I'll give you a breakdown. When it comes to safety, there's none of that here. I don't even hear fireworks here.

>> Yeah. >> I hear the odd chicken, the odd dog, motorcycle running by. Um as for safety with the people, it's a Buddhist country. Even my girlfriend freaks out if I step on an ant. >> Right. >> You know, she's like, "Ah, watch out." You know, um so it's part of their culture, how they're raised is like to do no harm. >> Yeah. >> So, yeah. And there's still going to be nefarious people. If you don't go to places where they hang out, you're going to be okay. >> Well said. If you don't hang around with criminals, you're not going to experience much crime in Southeast Asia. >> The only time I've had a gun pointed at me was in the US. >> Yep, same here. >> Nowhere else in the world, so. >> I was mugged in in Florida. >> By gun? >> Yeah. >> Wow, that's scary. >> Not great day. >> So you were working for a company and you got a pension. >> I got a severance. A severance there's a severance package, yeah. >> And you said everyone else is looking for a job and you said hell with that I'm >> Yeah. >> I'm me, I'm going to travel. >> Yep. >> And so you came over. Did you figure out how much money per month to spend and or did you just hop on a plane or >> I hopped on a plane. >> Okay. >> No clue. >> Yeah.

>> I'd watch you So during the pandemic when everyone else was learning how to make sourdough bread, I was watching guys over here eating amazing food. >> Right. >> You know, like Mark Wiens and those guys that are all all that fun stuff. I'm like, I'd love to have some of that. >> Yeah, yeah. >> So as soon as I I I got to a point where I was like I just was saving money to try to put aside for like okay, I'm I'm going to go on a trip. Like I'm going to go over to Asia. I want I want to I want to see it. >> Right, right. >> Um but I don't I wouldn't I would I change anything? No. If I could do anything about 12 years ago, I got out my my TOEFL and my TESOL. >> Now teaching English as a second language. >> Yeah. So I had those and I was in negotiations with a school in China >> Okay. >> on a six-month contract. >> Okay. >> And I I mentioned that I had that really bad relationship. I gave up going to China and teach English to be with that nightmare. >> [laughter] >> So if I could correct anything, it would be that. But then again, like I'm also of that mindset that everything that happens to you happens for a reason and if I hadn't have done that, if I hadn't gone on that process and hadn't come to Siem Reap, I never would have met Srey Pov, who is like the absolute amazing partner that I've always wanted like you know, when you have those dreams of somebody that like kind of ticks those boxes and then she found that she was ticking boxes I never knew that I asked for. So would I change anything? No.

>> Great way to think about life. >> Yeah, it seems like your heart has not been ruined by life, has it? >> I people ask me all the time it's like, well, how does having a girlfriend change your budget? Doesn't. >> Doesn't. >> Remember I told you that I have that daily budget and how much I can spend? I use Foodpanda as to order food, right? Place I love to get, I get three meals for like three bucks. I get that delivered in the morning, put in the fridge, reheat stuff as I go. So, I could do that for a day or two and then I say, "Honey, do you want to go out for lunch?" And I take her and her daughter out for lunch. It costs me six bucks, 10 bucks. >> Right. >> Well, I've already been saving. >> Yeah, you saved for a few days or whatever. So, now you have money to go on a date or whatever. Yeah. >> Or I can go buy her a coffee if I want. It doesn't affect it cuz again, I have that $10 budget, but I still have $15 that I can spend. >> Right. >> I wanted to go a little bit extra, I can. >> And she's working, so >> She works. She'll also pop over and give me lunch or she'll, you know, you know, bring me a treat and it's a real relationship where, you know, typically a a man of my age coming from the West, you know, the man pays, you know, this is how it is. >> what is your age? >> 58. >> Okay. >> Yeah.

>> So, being raised is like, you know, we're watching our fathers, our grandfathers. >> Sure. >> It was like, you know, the man pays for everything. >> Yeah, sure. >> You earn the the wage, the the mother stays home. They're >> Right. >> Um so, coming over here, when you take on that mindset of, you know, always paying, then you're going to be always paying. But, if she offers to pay, as me, I take that as like this is a huge like a generous offer because I know the the discrepancy between her wage and my wage. >> Yeah. >> So, it's like if she wants to offer to pay for something, I know that this is coming from her heart. >> Yeah. >> So, I accept that graciously. >> Yeah. >> Where other guys are like, "No, no, I've got this." >> Yeah, yeah. >> And that's going to be a difference because you keep putting a person down and not allowing them to give you that gift, yeah, they're going to stop. They're learning, "Okay, well, apparently, you just want to pay for things and I'm just going to let you keep paying for things." So, [laughter] for me, it's a two-way thing. It's it's an open relationship in that she can pay if she wants. I will pay normally, you know, if I'm inviting you out to dinner, I'm paying. That's how I was raised, you know?

>> people go overseas, they're used to Western culture, right? And it's What are my clothes? What is my car, what is my house. That's how I attract the opposite sex. And >> Oh, yeah. >> you can do that here, no doubt about it. And some people do. Um but it's not the local culture. >> No. And And the thing is is like um again, it's a Buddhist culture here, right? And so thing I have found is that the kindness of the people that they show that they have a huge heart. In their culture, they're going to find a huge heart to be something that's attractive. >> Yes. >> You know? And that's what so said. She said I was a good man. >> What's a typical month for you all in? >> [sighs and gasps] >> Cost-wise, obviously. >> Anywhere between 5 and 600, sometimes a little bit more, depending on what happens. >> Okay. >> My rent, I have a small studio apartment here. It's 150, plus I pay for water, which is 5 bucks. And then I get weekly housekeeping, where they change the sheets and they do a complete clean of the apartment. And that's $5 a month. So it's like 160 in for the apartment. And then my utilities for the like the electricity, I'm not crazy with it, so it's anywhere between 30 to 50, depending on the heat. So average around 200 bucks a month just for my my rent.

>> And that electric includes AC? >> Yeah. >> Is that all year, at night, or like what's your >> My habit is I don't like humidity. So whenever I find that it's getting muggy, >> Yeah. >> I just shut the windows to crank on the AC. I put it on dehumidify or the you know, the dry. >> Right. >> Run it for 20 minutes to half hour just to cool down the room. >> Right. >> Then I turn it off and I'm back to just fans and >> And fans after that? >> Yeah. Mostly fans. All night I just have a fan. >> What about food? What's a typical month for you all in for food? >> So I give myself a budget of $15 a day. >> Okay. >> That's just for food expenses, whatever it's going to be. >> Right. >> Um but I try to spend 10. >> Okay. >> Because I want to have that flexibility of like yeah, I'm budgeted for 15, but if I spend 10, let's say my motorcycle breaks down, >> Right. >> I I can fit that still within my budget. >> Okay. >> So, yeah. >> So you your budget includes a motorcycle? >> Yeah. >> So it includes fuel and >> Yeah. Oh, yeah, it's so expensive here. >> [laughter] >> It is pricey. I mean, we're looking at what, 5,000 riel a liter?

>> $1.25 a liter. Yeah. Yeah. >> Right. Right. >> Yeah. I fill the tank up for about 250. That lasts me about a week, week and a half. >> Okay. >> So. >> Yeah, it's not really spread out much, is it, here? And you you live near the center? Would you say it's Siem Reap? >> Yeah. Yeah. I I can walk from my apartment and get to Pub Street within like 15, 20 minutes. >> Wow, that's great. >> Yeah. >> Do you have internet in your apartment or >> It's included. >> Yeah. I buy my own water. >> Oh, you're drinking water you're talking about. >> yeah. So, yeah, like there's taps and hot water heaters, so I I have hot showers and all that kind of stuff. >> What are your thoughts on internet dating here? >> I have a few friends that have done it uh with limited success. I've had some friends that just wanted to date Western women, so they that's really, really hard. Um I had some friends that were just looking for dating Khmer, and some problems culturally affect them. You have to be open-minded with everything. >> Right. Right. >> You're jumping into a relationship, you have to think everything is brand new. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And if you can't accept that, then just don't do it. So. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And some people, when it comes to relationships, are very I I want to have a traditional and like, you can't have a Western tradition or anything here.

>> Tell us about your visa. >> Ah. So, there's two types you can get. Uh the first, when you're over 55, um you get a retirement visa. That's the lowest maintenance one you can get. You go in with your passport. There's Well, when you arrive here, you got two visas you can get, the tourist visa or the e-visa. >> Right. >> The e-visa is if you're going to be here long-term, get that one. >> Okay. >> If even if you're thinking of being here for 3 months, get that one. >> How much is that one on arrival? >> Uh tourist visa is 25. >> 35. >> 30, 10 more. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Yeah. The e-visa. >> E-visa. And that works great because that allows you to expand it up to an additional 3 months. So, you can get 4 months out of that one. If you want to extend it for a full year, you can. It's the same process. You go to a travel agency, you take your passport, take your money, take your picture, it goes off to Phnom Penh, it comes back, and you get your stamp, and your little, you know, you're done. >> Is that the retirement one or the Okay. >> Yeah. Then you also have the uh the business visa. They So, if you already have a job lined up, they will take care of your visa for you. So, they because you're you're being sponsored by that company.

>> Right. >> So, you'll have a the work permit. And so, that's the what I have is like I'm self-employed. >> Right. >> So, I have a work permit that it runs from January to December. But, your visa could run from whenever you get it. So, you have two separate things. >> Okay. >> So, mine runs out in in May everything. So, in May I pay for my visa, in January I pay for my work permit. >> Okay. And the retirement visa, you need to show a pension of how much? >> Nothing. >> Yeah, I knew the answer, but I wanted to >> to show that you have the money to pay for your visa. >> Okay. >> ranges between 290 and 320. >> And who is your agent? >> I use Cam Smile. >> Cam Smile? >> Yeah. >> How spelled with a K? >> C A M. >> C A M? >> S M I L E. Yeah. >> Do you have health insurance or >> You did? >> Yeah. I paid for 2 years for my my insurance. Unfortunately, the older you get, the pricier it gets, especially over here.

And I ran into a situation with friends that ran into with insurance. And it kind of opened my eyes and made me think, "Okay, let's weigh the pros and cons." So, the first off was friend had DVT. DVT, deep vein thrombosis in his >> Oh, okay. >> They had insurance, so they were getting a procedure here, then they went down to Phnom Penh, and they didn't have everything there, then flew to Bangkok, but everything was covered under this insurance. So, you know, ambulance rides, the air flight, everything in the housing, and you know, >> Wow. >> It was over 50,000 pounds when it was done. And another friend locally, the exact same scenario, but he's poor. The Western guy as well, went to the hospital, they gave him medication, which is when my friends were figuring out talking back home, was like, "Well, yeah, we usually just give you the medication that, you know, releases things, and usually you're fine." So, this is what my other friend did, and that was $500. When we hear those horror stories of like, "Well, yeah, it costs you $20,000 if you got this taken care of at the hospital, but that's if you had insurance. You talk to the people that go and get that done out of pocket. I never hear them talking to those people. They're always talking about the people that have insurance because well, you have insurance, right? You know, because we're trained to have insurance.

>> Yeah, of course. >> So, I'm of the mindset that if it's bad enough, if I need to go home, I'll go home. >> Go home to Canada. >> Yeah, I have this we have a the social health health care system. >> Right, right. >> So, I may have to have an emergency thing to get it renewed when I get back. It's but I'm Canadian citizen. I'm I can get it back. >> What are your thoughts about the health care in Cambodia? >> [sighs] >> Knock on wood, I haven't had to utilize much of it other than the pharmacies. >> Okay. >> You know, when you get like a stomach cramps or you get a little little flu or something, you go to the pharmacist and they take care of you. Um 99% of the things you'll need for, you know, regular everyday stuff, just go to a pharmacist. They're taught for 8 years. So, they're basically like a little doctor and they they know your ailments. They go, "Oh yeah, here you go." >> Yeah. >> And you're good. >> And do you need a prescription from the doctor? >> Not for anything I've ever gotten. So, um I know that there may be some things like if there are um certain painkillers or something like that, you may need to see a doctor for it. I've never run into a situation cuz I don't use that stuff. >> Well, Shawn, it's been a pleasure chatting with you. Thank you so much [laughter] for coming on the channel.

>> I appreciate you for giving me the opportunity to chat with you. >> Yeah, and everybody go over to the the channel one more time. >> Provo Wanderer. >> Provo Wanderer and check out what he's up to. And we picked out a video that we're going to share. If you click this video here, it's on his channel. Make it easy for you. Go over there and watch it. >> Appreciate it. Thank you very much.