Hey guys, today’s videos is one of my favorites I’ve ever recorded. The video doesn’t dive deep into incredible mental frameworks. It doesn’t offer any crazy facts you’d never heard of before. This video is quite comical, however. Let me explain.
Last month I stayed in a hotel in central KL for only $14/night… including breakfast. While this sounded cheap, these prices aren’t unheard of by any means for a well traveled nomad in Southeast Asia. I’ve stayed in solid places in Vietnam for under $10/night.
Unfortunately, Hotel Pudu 88, the hotel I stayed at in May was far from solid. If you’ve slept in budget accommodation before you know what to expect: A small room, poor view, older facilities, that kind of stuff.
Hotel Pudu 88 was legendary in my books, however, for being so ridiculously bad. In addition to the typical cheap room stuff I mentioned above, Hotel Pudu 88 had many other surprises waiting for me as well.
For two nights I enjoyed the luxury of mold on the ceiling, a sticky door handle, feeling itchy in bed (who knows why), flat pillows, mirrors that had toothpaste on them from the last guest, and the list goes on and on. The staff even refused to let me borrow one of their power adapters to charge my phone (I was forced to purchase the adapter from them).
Let’s continue. I got two more juicy details you’re going to love. The free breakfast we were promised? Bread. To their credit, however, a toaster, peanut butter, and sugary jam were available to go with that bread.
The whole breakfast area was depressing. The other people wouldn’t make eye contact with you. It was as if everyone was in a state of disbelief all their hopes and dreams had amounted to residing in this bottom of the barrel accommodation. Despite laughing as I write this post, I’m only exaggerating this story slightly.
My favorite part of the whole ordeal, however, was when I asked to get some toilet paper from reception. Now, when we got to the hotel they left us half a roll of toilet paper in our room.
This may be sufficient for one person staying overnight, but we’re a couple staying two nights. I was staying with my girlfriend and I just can’t see how two people needing one more roll of toilet paper during that stay is in any way unreasonable.
I ask the front desk guy if we can have a roll of toilet paper and he says and I quote, “Take one.” And there was some preeeety heavy emphasis on the one. Man, I thought I was frugal.
Anyway, is there much of a point to this story? I don’t know. This place was even dirtier than the $6/night hotel I stayed in that asked not so jokingly if I wanted a lady with my room. I guess the biggest thing would be to see just how bad budget accommodation can be in Southeast Asia.
I get that many of you are newer digital nomads that simply can’t afford to drop $50-$100 a night on a baller place to stay in during your travels. I get it, me too. However, understand that sometimes there can be a big difference between $6/night and $12/night or $120/month for an apartment and $200/month.
For an extra few dollars per night, you can get a lot more comfort that’ll allow you to easily focus on doing the most important thing — generating income. If $5/night extra is a significant hit to your budget… it’s time to focus on making more money. Don’t live like an animal.
Don’t get stuck in the phase where you’re bragging about how cheap everything is abroad forever. Appreciating the lower prices in foreign countries is just the first level of expat and digital nomad living.
Enjoy it, but then get grinding. A better ideal, is to be making enough money that you’re far more proud to talk about the income you’re bringing in than the cheap street food and rock bottom accommodation you’re staying in.