Is it normal to spend 700 USD or 21,000 NTD in 3 months?

You mentioned your family’s socioeconomical status, which leads me to assume that your family pays for your expenses here. Are they okay with your spending? Do you have to cutback on other priorities, such as eating healthy, in order to afford your lifestyle? 7K NTD might be chump change for some here (Those are likely expats with a high income), but the average Taiwanese college student spends around 10K-15K per month excluding housing, so 7K is a lot for entertainment.

If you are not planing to raise children, then it’s perfectly fine. Otherwise, you’d be spending 20K+ a month just paying for pre-K or Kindy.

$700 USD in 3 months, so only around $200 a month? No! This is NOT normal! You need to go out more! I usually spend $500 USD a month. (But I’m including restaurant meals and movies, etc. and not just clubs.)

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You need to go out more! I usually spend $1000 USD a month. See how that works? It’s not helpful at all.

45 years ago I spent that in two months, partying. Considering inflation I have no idea what it would be now.

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No problem. If the cash is available without running up a credit card bill, go ahead and enjoy!
Now.
Enjoy the fun while you can, so you won’t regret missing it later

But you have your memories! Hmm, well, maybe not. :beers:

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it’s a tithe.

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Yes, I was also thinking maybe I’m just old.

10 years ago I you could still see me at Brass Monkey, M Taipei or whatever, dancing and drinking until 4 AM and then deciding where else to go with the new friends I’d just met.
Fast-forward to present time, here I am, totally fine at home, unwilling to pay for a beer in a club 3 or more times what it costs in a supermarket (and not buying it at the supermarket either, because I don’t need a beer anymore).

Yikes, I AM old.

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I answered the OP’s question. They asked what is normal, and $500 is more in the normal range. $200 is not, and neither is $1,000.

$1,000 is the full salary for most young people, and $200 is what it costs per month for dining out alone, if you eat out with friends once or twice a week spending US$30-40 per meal.

So you think spending half of one’s full salary on entertainment is normal?

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Keep in mind they don’t pay rent, since they live with their parents. So they’re really making the equivalent of someone who makes $1,500 who is renting.

1/3 on rent ($500 - covered by parents)
1/3 on necessities ($500)
1/3 on entertainment ($500)

Seems pretty normal to me.

Even if they live with their parents (many don’t) and don’t have to pay rent, most will have to give their parents 孝親費, which is up to 1/3 of their income. Also, where are the budgets for insurances (outside NHI), which most Taiwanese I know have, and savings, which most Taiwanese will budget? In fact, most Taiwanese don’t go to bars and clubs at all…

I put all of that under “necessities”, but most young people making only US$1,000 a month aren’t able to save.

They go to karaoke bars more often than any other people I know.

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For a period of about two years, I spent way more than 700 USD per three months just on flights that I ended up not going on.

Drugs, alcohol and prostitutes would have been a far better use for that money.

Don’t feel too bad about your expenditure. No one has the right to judge you on it, just be sure it’s going towards things that you enjoy and/or improve your quality of life.

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Only for you @Marco went out of my way to an OK mart. Unfortunately the coffee is not OK… The worst among convenience stores.

Too bad, in HK (under the brand K-mart) it’s not too bad… It’s OK😂

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