TIPS ON MAKING YOUR (OR YOUR PARENT'S) MONEY LAST WHILE STUDYING & WORKING OVERSEAS.

So you're going to take a TESOL certification course in Thailand and then try your wings as an English teacher in a public school'  Good for you!  It'll be a great adventure.  You'll be the envy of all your friends and family back home.  Whether you're using your own funds or are getting help from your family while you begin your new career abroad, here are some tips on living economically and making those dollars stretch in Asia, Africa, or South America:

1. Drink the local beer (if you can stand it).  Imported beers are always twice or three times as much.
2. Eat the local cuisine.  Of course, make sure it's hygienic.  A steak and salad, with mashed potatoes, can set you back 300 baht in Thailand ' while a bowl of nourishing and filling noodles is just 30 baht.  Do the math!
3. Buy local products, but make sure they are what you want & need.  For instance, you can get very cheap toothpaste but it may not contain fluoride ' which you need to prevent cavities.  Most overseas countries do not have fluoridated water, so you need that ingredient in your toothpaste.
4. Don't give money to beggars. They may be in true dire need, or they may be con artists, but either way if you want to help you should use your own funds to buy them a piece of fruit or something healthy to drink.  It won't cost much but it can certainly salve your conscience.
5. Invest in good shoes at home.  You're not likely to find them in Burma or Indonesia, and if you do the price will be outrageous.  The same goes for a good set of clothes for your job interviews and special occasions ' you can visit the Goodwill and find great slacks, skirts, blouses, and dress shirts that will fit you well ' in Chiang Mai, Thailand, you won't find the same stuff at any price.
6. See if you are covered by your insurance (or your parent's health insurance) while overseas.  Sometimes you can get away with being covered by health insurance back home for nearly a year by simply saying you will be 'traveling'.  If you can't get insurance from home, consider going without it, at least for the first year out ' that's if you are in good health w/no pre-existing health problems.  Medical care is incredibly cheap and very competent in many countries overseas.  I recently had some outpatient surgery done in Thailand and my total bill came to $120.00, including my meds.  If you plan on teaching, work hard to find a school that will offer you at least some basic coverage.
7. Ever sleep in a hammock'  In tropical countries it's usually the coolest, most comfortable way to snooze.  You can buy one for literally pennies.  Don't go investing in furniture for your apartment.  It's a waste of money.  On average, most overseas teachers move at least twice in the first six months.  Ask your landlord for an old table and some chairs ' he or she will probably be able to scare something up and you'll save big-time.
8. Depending on the country you're in, you may be able to go to work for a school that gives you a free apartment.  Places like Korea and China do this quite often.  Make that a number one priority; otherwise expect to spend approximately a quarter of your monthly salary on rent.
9. And watch your utilities!  Schools never pay your utility bill, so if you leave the a/c on all day while you're at school you're going to have an unpleasant, and expensive, surprise waiting for you at the end of the month.  Did you know that any refrigerator that is over two years old uses four times the electricity of the newer models'  You're not getting any bargains if you buy an old icebox that will gulp electricity.
10. Bring your laptop/notebook.  It's true you can buy them cheaper in places like Thailand and the Philippines, but most of the hole-in-the-wall shops that will give you a great deal will also be gone two months down the road, when your laptop suddenly starts to overheat.

Just remember, it's not so much how much you make overseas as it is how much you save.  And we haven't even gotten into the native girlfriend/boyfriend thing!  For that I recommend castration ' it's cheaper in the long run.