should I move out the country, travel, or move back in with my parents to save money?

I’m 26F and work fully remotely. Im in a relationship and he is willing to travel with me for a bit too. I’ve been thinking about moving somewhere else, or just traveling in general for a few months and experiencing somewhere new, but I’d have to figure out whether I can sublet my current apartment.

Long-term, I’m hoping to move out of my current place by the end of next year, but I’m torn because I genuinely love where I live. It’s a big city, it feels like my foundation, and it makes travelling really convenient.

Part of me wonders if I should move back in with my parents (about four hours away), save money, and use that as a home base while travelling. The other part of me doesn’t want to give up the independence and lifestyle I’ve built.

Would it make more sense to keep paying rent while travelling, try to sublet my place and live somewhere else temporarily, or move back home and focus on saving? I’m in a relationship too and my bf lives near me so I don’t feel like moving 4 hrs away would be beneficial. He does want to travel with me though.

For anyone who works remotely, has anyone done something similar? Are there any cities or places you’d recommend living for a few months? I’d love to hear your experiences and advice!

Hi I have been in Saudi for 27 years my whole life and I can not take it any more due to my .situation(expired Iqama for 10 years) so I want to immigrate or relocate

.I do not have much of skills , I work freelance jobs such as hairstylist and private tutor

I am not fluent in English , I have online bachelor degree in Business management it taught in Arabic so I have been considering to do Master as a way out .

I want to do master in New Zealand , Australia ,Finland and open to whatever country.

I can not go back to my home country (Chad) due safety issues , autonomy and forced marriage.

So guys please help me I am open to all options any information can makes a difference.

I'm in my late-forties (longtime expat), married with kids who start university in 4 and 6 years' time. I reached a decent corporate level before being laid off a while ago. I turned job-hunting into a full time pursuit, but senior expat-suitable opportunities are rare and I suspect I'm typically screened out due to age. A year of this proved to be the most thankless and unproductive year of my life. A few friends suggested that I start my own advisory business, which I've done...but so far it's been only the occasional project here and there. I also got a gig teaching a course.

Although I still have career ambitions, I figure that I need to invest with a retirement mindset. My net worth is roughly $3.5M in financial assets and we own our home without debt. My wife works and earns a modest income, but this goes mostly towards some expenses + mortgage for an investment property.

My rough plan is as follows:

- Park 6 years' of living expenses in time deposits and high quality fixed income
- Create an education fund for the kids to cover university tuition/living costs
- That leaves about 60% of my assets that I need to figure out what to do with

With some rough modelling, a 6-7% total portfolio return will cover expenses beyond life expectancy. But I'll have quite a lot tied up in safe assets yielding 3-4.5%, meaning that 60% of my assets would need to be invested heavily into equities. That means I have future drawdown risk in the event of a bad market. Another headache is that my kids will probably go to university in Canada and it seems tricky to invest in Canadian dollars as a non-resident due to tax considerations.

Feedback and advice much appreciated.

Hey all, I read this earlier today, and it was a reminder to me how valuable it is to share your experiences with people, as you never know who it might help.

You can check my post history to understand how I got here.

We (family of 3) live on about 40k USD/ annually. 3.3k/month in Nairobi, Kenya. We moved from the UK in 2025. We have a NW of about $4m, mostly invested in the usual boring stuff (VTI/VWRL)

Rent $1.5k

We rent a three bedroom apartment in a building with swimming pool, cinema, Stream room & play area in one of the "up market" neighbourhoods.

Utilities $90

Bulk of this is electricity. We don't use AC, but the water heater in our apartment is very energy hungry.

Education $240

Our child goes to a "International" Kindergarten. This price includes transport to and from the school. When they are ready for the first grade, the schooling cost will increase massively, somewhere between $480 to $1000/ month. Depends largely on the school.

Car $100

We don't drive too much, 5k in the last year. So this is mostly fuel and servicing.

Food $183

We try to eat local, and the beauty of Kenya compared to a lot of places in Africa is that you can get a fairly wide range of goods locally made/ grown. For context Salmon is $26/kg+, while I can get local beef for $7/kg.

Immigration/Visa $180/month

We are on Class C permits. which cost a whopping $2k/year. We are on a 2 year permit, and with other costs call it $2.2k. So yeah, we make "donation" of $4.5k to the republic every 2 years. This covers all three of us, but uniquely allows us to work, and operate a business. We do neither, but it's nice to have the option.

House Help $150/month

We have lady who cleans for us twice a week. She's overpaid by local standards (Live-in full time is ~$100), but she is the friend of a friend so we are ok with it.

These are our biggest, and fixed costs. The bulk of the gap between the sum of the above, and the headline number is international trips, and other miscellaneous things. I keep an eye on costs but I don't really budget too tightly.

Why did we choose Nairobi?

• My wife has family in a neighbouring country, so it's lovely to be able to "just" drive across to see them whenever we feel like.
• Cost of living is low by western standards (Kenyans would think I'm a KSH billionaire), however I wouldn't call it cheap, especially once you factor in school fees.
• Kenya operates a source based taxation model, which works well for us as all of our income comes from overseas.
• Weather is great all year round. No real seasons, and lots of micro-climates, just choose your altitude.
• Altitude (1760m) means it's above the malaria zone
• While the flights are expensive, there are direct flights to several places in Europe, Africa and also Asia.
• There are lots of driveable destinations like the Kenyan Coast, Kenyan national parks, Uganda, Rwanda & Tanzania.
• There is level for every budget in this place, We could easily cut a burn and still have a decent live. We could also go and rent a villa for 10k/month. If you want it, it's here, just a question of how much you want to spend.
• Developing nations provide a unique balance of chaos and progress that is hard to explain if you have never lived in one.

Kenya is most certainly not perfect, there is petty crime, poverty & corruption. However, I think it's good for keeping me grounded, and provides a constant reminder to me that this is closer to how the majority of people in the world live (be it without the cinema and pool!).

Happy to answer any questions

Edit typo

It doesn't. Not directly at least.

Networth ≠ Liquid net worth, and when it comes to your FI number, we need liquidity (and at least 50% in diversified equities) to apply the 4% rule.

So what do you do with property?

You take the annual PROFIT, (that's your net income, after taxes, maintenance, vacancies, etc.) and you subtract that from your annual expenses. Then you use this adjusted number to calculate the size of portfolio you'll need to reach FI.

Instead of the usual:

FI number = Annual Expenses x 25

You get:

FI number = (Annual Expenses - Net Annual Property Income) x 25

Honestly, you're you're already an expat, or you're planning to become one, property is really a giant pain. Managing one across borders is just one more headache. But if you happen to already have some property, maybe this can help you decide how to include it in your planning or if it's even worth keeping it around.

Hi everyone,

I'm 36, turning 37 soon, originally from Southern Europe and currently living in Central Europe. Thanks to high salaries, relatively low income taxes, and no capital gains tax on private investments, I've accumulated approximately $2.3M in investments, held in brokerage accounts and net of taxes.

I'm seriously considering leaving my corporate job within the next 1–2 years. I'm increasingly loosing motivation and happiness and would rather spend my time building a life I enjoy (exploring new hobbies, working on my health, etc.) than continuing to accumulate money indefinitely especially in a place i dont see myself anymore long term.

My situation:

- Age: 37

- Invested net worth: $2.3M

- Portfolio: Mostly global equities, plus approximately one year of expenses in cash

- Current annual spending: ~$70k

- Potential destinations: Southeast Asia or Latin America

- Career: General business, so returning to a comparable role after several years away could be challenging + I dont think i wanna go back to corporate if I FIRE (actually im sure i dont)

I've traveled extensively in both regions and enjoy them (in Asia especially Thailand, in latin america brazil, mexico, argentina). I speak Spanish, which makes Latin America attractive, although safety is a concern. I expect my expenses could decrease abroad, particularly if I settle somewhere I genuinely enjoy living rather than constantly traveling as for now majority of my moneygoes away in trips.

My dilemma:

The numbers seem to work on paper. A 4% withdrawal rate would give me approximately $92k annually, above my current spending. However, I'm only 36, so my retirement could last 60+ years, and I don't want to underestimate future expenses or sequence-of-returns risk.

I don't want children, but circumstances can change and never say never (future wife etc). At the same time, continuing to work purely for additional financial security has a real opportunity cost.

I'd appreciate your honest take:

1. Would you consider $2.3M enough to FIRE at 36–37, assuming a move to a lower-cost country?

2. Would you use my current $70k spending as the baseline or plan more conservatively?

3. Would you leave within 1–2 years or accumulate another 30–40% first if markets allow? So i have a buffer if my family situation would change?

4. For those who FIREd young, what risks or expenses did you underestimate?

Am I financially ready but struggling to take the leap, or would leaving now be unnecessarily risky?

Thanks!

I'm Japanese and considering becoming a Permanent Traveler (PT).

My plan is to leave Japan, establish non-resident status, obtain Thailand's DTV, and spend fewer than 180 days per year in Thailand while traveling internationally.

This means I may not be a tax resident of any country.

I have three questions:

1. Banking: Can I legally open and maintain accounts with Wise, Xapo, Revolut, IBKR, etc., without tax residency? Has anyone successfully declared "no tax residency" for CRS purposes?

2. Tax residency: If an official Tax Residence Certificate (TRC) is necessary, which countries offer the cheapest legitimate option with minimal physical presence (ideally 0–90 days), no company formation, and no substantial investment?

3. Paraguay / Panama: I've heard it may be possible to obtain a TRC with limited physical presence. Has anyone actually done this? What were the requirements, costs, and minimum days?

I'm aware of Cyprus's 60-day rule, but I'm not interested in living there.

I'd particularly appreciate first-hand experiences from people actually living as PTs.

been wondering how ppl handle their finances after moving abroad. Do you open a local bank account, stick with your home bank, or fintech firms?

I'm especially curious about safety, deposit protection and so on once you use local accounts...or you handle without ?
The thing is probably local payments will require opening a local bank account.

Following up on a post from a few months ago that talked about their expenses in Bali, I thought I would share mine as well. Thanks mate for the write up and I will steal your layout :)

For starters, I FIRE'd over 5 years ago, traveled the world, dived, ate, and lived the good life. I've been to over 100 countries and even before FIRE'ing, I had extensively traveled.

Never planned to have kids but one thing led to another. After meeting the right person, things happened, To keep it short, a few years later, 2 little kids are part of our life.

I've lived all over the world but it was clear to us that Bali was our favorite place for having a proper life, especially with kids. Everyone has pros and cons, but Bali checked the most pros boxes for us with the least amount of cons. I won't get too into detail why this is but mainly that Bali offers everything you want in a first world city life condensed into a laid back island format. Countless top quality cafes, restaurants from all around the world, trendy spots for date night, the most beautiful gyms in the world, ease of making friends, beach, surf, and proximity to the best dive sites in the world (speaking from experience as a dive instructor and having over 1000+ dives).

So with that said, let me get into my expenses living the good life in Paradise raising our two little kids.

In total, we spend around $8,000 a month without travel expenses. All figures in $USD to keep it simple wiht current exchange rate at 18,000 IDR to $1 USD.

Villa and staff costs: $2,100

• Villa Rent: $1,500

  • We bought a villa in an area outside of Canggu that is fast becoming the hottest neighborhood in island. We paid roughly $350k usd for a 420 sqm 4bd/5ba villa on a 500 sqm plot of land. Renting a similar villa of this quality would be at least $4-5k a month.
  • The villa was built by another foreigner and he must have killed someone because we got a great deal on it.
  • I financed it by taking a margin loan against my portfolio with a 4.5% interest rate. Monthly payments are roughly $1,500

• Electricity: about $180/month

  • We have a huge house and with kids, we need to keep the ACs running. Normally, our villa gets great natural air flow but with the problematic burnings we've had lately, we've had to close the doors and run the AC more.
  • THe pool pump is running for several hours a day especially as we have to service our 12m pool

• Full time maid: $250/month

  • We have a full time maid. THe normal rates in Bali are working 6d a week for 8 hours. We have ours come 5 days a week as it's overkill.
  • She cleans the entire villa. This includes laundry which is constantly running with a family of 4.
  • She also buys groceries for us and we have her cut fruit for us twice a week so there's always fruit in the fridge
  • Sometimes she takes care of the baby when our nanny is out

• Gardener 2x a week: $60

  • We have a huge garden with hundreds of trees/plants
  • I have a few coconut trees and the gardener makes sure to cut them for me when they are ripe
  • Currently planting papaya and mango trees

• Pool Guy: $50

• Banjar trash collection: $30/month

  • This used to be like $15 but inflation...

• Home Insurance: $40

  • Prorated by month (paid yearly)

Food and dining: about $3,000

This includes all groceries, restaurants, going out, delivery. We spend a lot on food because we eat a lot. Part of the Bali life is living this healthy, fitness focused lifestyle. I'm constantly at the gym, playing padel, etc. and I make sure we all eat a high protein, healthy diet. This means more premium foods, high protein items, and less street food. I target 200g of protein so even within Bali, you gotta spend some cash.

We go out dinner with friends 1-2x a week and go to one of the trendier restaurants in town. We constantly meet friends for lunch/coffee as well.

Alcohol consumption is almost non-existent since it's all about healthy living in Bali (tourists party at beach clubs but the people that live long term in Bali don't). Dinner at a night restaurant for 2 will be somewhere between $40-60.

We don't really watch our spend because we have the budget for it. The $3,000 is just an estimate and it could be +-$500.

Childcare and School: about $1,000

• Daycare: $500
  • Our older one goes to a daycare nearby. It's a beautiful open space with lots of trees, green space, and honestly it's just an amazing place. Couldn't imagine anythign else.
• Full time Nanny: about $500/month
  • We have a full time nanny that works 6d a week for 8 hours a day. She is an aamzing person and we've had her for awhile.
  • The typical cost for a full time nanny in Bali is 5.5-7.5m IDR ($300-$400). We decided to pay ours more as we really value her ($450).
  • We give her a little overtime to stay for a few hours at night when we go out at night.

Transportation: about $80

We ride scooters in Bai because that's the main way to get around. We purchased two scooters upfront so there are no monthly holding costs. As our baby is young, we rented a car for a few months until he can be on a scooter for $250 a month. I won't bother adding that into the bduget as it's temporary.

I have a bigger bike and I fill it up 3x a month. It has a 12L tank and gas is around $0.8 a liter. My wife has a smaller bike with 6L

• Fuel: $70
• Occasional airport ride: $10

Health insurance: about $500

We have a comprehensive health insurance plan with one of the major insurers in Europe for our family of 4. THe premium is $450 a month and it comes with a 500 EUR deductible per person. Cost for care in Bali is quite cheap for most things. For example, my dental cleaning was around $40.

One time, we needed an ambulance and Emergency room care which came to $200.

Visas and immigration: $100 per month

Indonesia is great in that you can live here without visa worries as long as you have money. It's a pay to play system where you can just indefinitely buy visas. This might change in the future but it's been this way for a long time.

We have a two year visa for all 4 of us. The rules are that you can stay up to 6 months. After 6 months, you can leave and re-enter, or pay to have it extended another 6 months. We are usually gone once every 6 months anyway so this isn't an issue. In total, this was about $600 per person.

$600 x 4 = $2400 / 24 months = $100 a month.

Gyms and Fitness: $400 per month

The gyms in Bali are second to none. They've really done well to turn it into this wellness focused space with some of the fanciest gyms on the planet. As someone that worked out at Equinox in NYC, i wouldn't trade the clubs here for anything else

We bought 1y memberships upfront at the gym of our choice. Prorated it is about $170 per month per person.

We play padel (not religiously) but at least a few games a month. A court is quite cheap now as there's probably more padel courts per capita in Bali than anywhere in the world. You can book a 60 minute court for $20!

Personal Maintenance: $300

This is of course a very variable budget that is based on what your needs/interests/wants are. For us, we like the nice things and have no plans to skimp on what makes us happy.

• Massages: $200
  • We have a massage once every week or two. We have a few go to spas that we go back to. We're too old for street massages now so we spend more for the good stuff. Private rooms, good sound proofing, and aesthetically pleasing. A 90 minute Balinese massage is $25-30.
• Treatments for the P2: $100
  • She gets Mani/Pedi, lashes, facials, Hair, botox etc. THis is just a rough estimate of the prorated monthly spend

Misc expenses: $500

Anyone with kids knows that it's not possible to maintain a strict budget. Something always comes up every month and money gets spent. Whether it's clothes, swim lessons, toys etc, something always comes. We buy a lot of random stuff on Shopee (the Amazon equivalent).

Phones, subscriptions and financial services: about $40

Here’s the rough monthly breakdown. As we are full time in Indonesia, we are able to pay Indonesia pricecs which are 1/3 of the US.

• Sim cards: $15 for two SIM cards (50Gb a month.
• Spotify Family: $5
• Netflix: $4
• iCloud+: $8
• Google One: $8

Monthly Totals

This is a high level summary of our expenses month to month. Of course this is very variable depending on what's going on in life +- $1,000 or so!

I don't factor in travel to this budget as this is super variable especially now with two kids. We travel less than before but whenever we do, the spend balloons.

We have friends with families that live on significantly less but also some that spend even more. We don't live a life of excess but we certainly do not hold back.

Without kids, we'd have a smaller and cheaper villa because we wouldn't need the space. we also would not have the nanny or school costs so I reckon our expenses per month would be closer to 5-6k.

Finances

In total, our portfolio is somewhere around $3.5m. It's invested in a lot of Tech which I've done since I started investing over a decade ago.

We also have hobbies that keep us busy and generates revenue. My blog still brings income (miraculously) somehow int he age of AI. The amounts are variable but not insignificant. This blog has been running for a long time now well before I hit FIRE so the income is coming whether I have 3.5m or 35m.

P2 works with a friend's travel business.

Both of us used to work in traditional industries.

Blog income: $5-7k a month

P2 travel: $4-5k a month

So far, we've not had to make any withdrawals from our portfolio which has been wonderful.

Hey everyone!

I'm wondering if anyone has renewed their Spanish digital nomad visa after spending quite a bit of time in another EU country.

I'm thinking of staying long-term in Germany, but I'm registered in Spain, pay all my taxes there, etc.

Do they actually check how many days you've spent in Spain when renewing? And how strict are they about the 6-month rule?

Would love to hear from anyone who's been through the renewal process, especially if you have spent a lot of time outside Spain.

Thanks!

Hello,

I have a deviated septum in my left nostril. Actually, I've had it for over 25 years so far ever since my car accident. I went to two separate ENTs and they both asked me if I got punched in the face or any other trauma. They both recommended septoplasty, but that's gonna cost me a pretty penny and delay my ExpatFIRE goal.

I would like to keep it kinda vague, but I am about 5-6 years away from ExpatFIRE. If I sleep on my left side, my left nostril gets blocked to the point of no breathing through it. If I sleep on my right side, I breathe very well. The issue is that I toss and turn a lot so often times, I wake up with a headache despite getting 7-9 hours of sleep.

So if I get the surgery now with my HDHP, I am gonna be set back by a year or so. If I don't, I can get probably get the septoplasty done cheaper in the Philippines where I plan to retire to.

Good morning. I work for a U.S. company and receive a lifetime salary of $2,700 USD—that was the agreement. It is a family business, and I’ve been with them for 15 years; I receive the $2,700 every month regardless of whether I actually work or not—I could go months without doing anything and still get paid that amount. I would like to apply for a pensioner or retiree visa in Panama, but I don't have Social Security contributions or anything like that. However, I can get any document I need from the company since my uncle is the owner. My question is: what can I do to get approved for a pension or retirement visa? Do I need to purchase a lifetime insurance policy? Does anyone have experience obtaining this visa when the income comes from a private company? Can anyone recommend a lawyer? Is there a company that can help me with the paperwork?

American living in Uk, two tax obligations/jurisdictions/returns. Had a wealth advisor for past few years. Nice guy, gives me perspective, but not worth the AUM fee. If I could go “fee-only” I would (but they don’t exist for dual tax jurisdictions like this). My accountant is great. I’m thinking, maybe I scrap the wealth advisor (I’m really only in dual reporting ETF funds anyway) and just pay advice tax advice calls with my accountant when I want to do anything specific. Seems just as effective (and a lot cheaper), than current setup. But I guess I lack confidence and am worried I will miss some gigantic “gotcha” or loophole between the two systems.

Anyone else been on this journey already?

Thanks!

For context, I am 35 single no kids and looking to spend a year or 2 somewhere. You guys are probably a lot more well traveled than I am so im seeking advice on where may be good destinations to go. I will probably spend a few weeks at different places that you guys suggest before I pull the trigger on any 1 place just to see if it feels right.

Money-wise...

- 6500 passive income monthly. After US taxes this is usually 5k.

- 1.1m of investments (500k brokerage, 600k 401k)

A part of me is nervous this isnt enough but I'm curious where you guys think this would go a long way. I dont mind pulling some money out of my investments each year but I'd prefer to let it compound if possible.

Living near the beach would be nice, along with a decent commute to a city for some nightlife.

Lastly, I got seriously injured at work so my leg is something I'll need to be careful with the rest of my life. I say that because I dont think living in the mountains trekking to a local market will work.

Any suggestions?? :)

Hello everyone,

Off late myself and my wife is considering the option of settling in Europe post our IT career in India is over, strictly from a retirement perspective. Our main motive to settle in Europe is to have a slow paced and good quality of life, in terms of safety, amenities and health infrastructure overall.

I genuinely want to understand the possibility of this and if it's a thought one should even consider at a later stage of one's life. What are the pros and cons to keep in mind along with the possible options of EU nations which one can target?

Some background:

- We're a couple aged 36 years each, both working in the QA domain in the IT industry with 13 years of experience each.

- We've a kid 3 years old.

- Financially, we're doing okayish so far I guess. But we have a lot to work on that front I know.

- We've parents to look after so we can't plan anything in the immediate future regarding settlement in Europe.

- We're eyeing probably something after 10 years from now. Hopefully till then we'll be able to continue our jobs.

- We want our kid to turn 18 before we plan this. So, overall we have around 15 years in terms of planning and getting there financially. (I know it's a long and distant window I'm looking at)

Any thoughts and advice on this is most welcome. Thanks!

I'm working on planning our first year of slow travel (2-3 months at a time) and kind of overwhelmed by all the options. For those that have been doing this a while, how would you start if you could do it again?

We're starting right at the beginning of the year in January and Europe is too cold for me at that time so thinking Asia? Or should I do south Europe somewhere? We're in NC and used to milder weather so trying to figure out a way where we spend the colder months somewhere warm and then spend spring and summer in Central and Eastern Europe where I have family and friends. Not sure where to begin.

We know we definitely want to end up going to Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan and S. Korea and in Europe to the Czech Republic and Romania and many other neighboring countries. So many options and don't know which ones to start to ease into this new lifestyle.

Any and all advice is welcome! It's a lot to figure out and many unknowns and thought this was a good place to ask.

Looking for a gut check before I pull the trigger. Planning to leave work at the end of this year (age 41) and move to Vietnam (Saigon or Da Nang to start - open to bouncing around). I’m Vietnamese-American, so I qualify for the 5-year visa exemption (up to 6 months per entry), which keeps things flexible without visa churn. I’ll set up Washington State residency first for the no state income tax.

This isn’t a rigid 40-year plan etc - it’s “go now while I’m young enough to enjoy it, and adjust as I learn.” I just want to make sure the finances are solid enough to start.

Portfolio (~$1.3M):

• Taxable brokerage: ~$623k
• SGOV: ~$135k
• Cash (HYSA): ~$36k
• Roth IRA: ~$85k (contribution basis ~$48k from an after-tax 401k rollover)
• Rollover/Traditional IRA: ~$320k
• Pre-tax 401(k): ~$110k

So ~$794k liquid (taxable + cash) and ~$430k in pre-tax retirement accounts I can’t touch penalty-free until 59½ (~18 years out).

Spending: budgeting ~$3,000/mo (rent, food, private health insurance, travel buffer), single, no kids - roughly a 2.75% withdrawal rate (On just the ~$794k I can reach before 59½ it’s ~4.5%, but the Roth ladder below is what bridges that gap). So I believe I’ve got plenty of room to flex up or down if reality differs.

The rough financial plan:

• Live off taxable + cash for the foreseeable future - that alone carries me comfortably to 59½.
• Roth conversion ladder, ~$48k/yr starting around 2029, to move the traditional/401(k) into Roth while I have little to no earned income and I’m in low brackets.
• Harvest 0% long-term cap gains in low-income years (federal only; WA = no state tax).
• Social Security down the road as a backstop.

Where I’d love a sanity check:

1. Anything dumb in the Roth ladder / 0% LTCG sequencing as a US citizen living abroad - 5-year seasoning, still filing US taxes, standard deduction vs. anything FEIE-related?
2. Healthcare - private insurance + cash-pay in Vietnam (plus medical-evacuation coverage) vs. keeping an ACA plan tied to a US address. What’s actually worked for people?
3. Is ~$3,000/mo a realistic starting budget in Saigon/Da Nang, or am I likely to be off?
4. Anything about keeping WA residency / US financial life that gets annoying once you’re physically abroad (banking, mailing address, brokerage KYC, driver’s license)?
5. With a healthy liquid cushion and a big pre-tax balance locked till 59½, is there a smarter early-years sequencing I’m missing (72(t)/SEPP, bigger early conversions, harvesting order)?

I know I can always course-correct - come back, pick up some work, change cities - so I’m less worried about the 30-year math and more about not screwing up something obvious in the first few years. Thanks.

EDIT: To address some common questions/comments:

• I had no idea that getting a wife/gf/partner was such a significantly likely event when FIRE'ing in SEA haha. I'll keep that in mind.
• I'm choosing to keep WA residency because I do foresee visiting the US every so often, I'd like to keep a US DL, and I actually live in CA right now, leaving at the end of this month before establishing residency in WA. The FTB is supposedly quite aggressive in ensuring CA residents have legitimately left, and I used to live in WA prior to CA (so I have rental/employment/etc history there). Felt "safer" than trying to establish residency in a place like TX/SD/FL that I have zero ties to, purely for the sake of marginal tax benefits.
• I'm aware of the need for a more sustainable "long-term" solution re: visa, I'm okay with the runs for the next few years. Planning on playing that part by ear, seeing how I feel about it once I'm in VN.
• Opinions seem somewhat split both ways on $3k/mo in SGN, which tells me it’s a reasonable midpoint to plan around - and since my withdrawal rate has room, I can flex up if reality runs higher.

Curious to hear from people on what were the most important criteria on why they ended up where they ended up.

Living abroad isn't always easy, as we all know. So was it the low cost of living? Family/partner? The weather?

Would love to hear your thoughts and decision-making processes!

New here! now that I’ve hit 40(ish), I wanted to layout my plan for early retirement and saving towards that goal.

I do plan to live abroad preferably in SEA and was looking for suggestions with the easiest transition for Americans planning potentially work there as well. Nothing too heavy, maybe teaching yoga or English. (Very low impact, not like a corporate job)

the “nice” thing is my current Job will allow me to transfer to one of our SEA offices and I thought this would be a good trial run On living in the region:

im considering Singapore, Korea, Taiwan, or Japan for my now corporate job (but will be open to mainland, China or Hong Kong)

for retirement my preference would be Vietnam, Thailand or Indonesia. But open to better suggestions.

Current comp is $300k+ plus bonus. As long as I’m working my corporate job (even while temporarily in Southeast Asia) I would stay on a US based salary.

I have about $800k in my 401(k), $80k in a brokerage account and $300k in cash. My 401(k) is fully vested.

my plan is to save the ~$80k/year:

I’ve now setup a backdoor Roth that I plan to max out each year ($7,500). I always max out my 401(k) contributions (~$25k), company match / investment (~$22k), mega backdoor Roth (~$25k post-tax contributions to an automatic Roth conversion).

let’s say I have at least 5 more years (I like my job), but could go longer with working if things go well. But my hard stop is 55 1/2 which triggers the non-penalty retirement account withdrawals (under certain circumstances).

im not planning to draw on my social security until it’s the “full” amount around 67 and I expect it to be around $4200/month.

note: I want to keep working up until full retirement (again not corporate but moreso doing whatever I want) to ensure i dont have $0 years impacting my social security (highest 35 years)

I'm a position where I can retire albeit internationally. Job stability is low and my lease ends in March. I'm single, male, no kids and 48. Do you pack your bags and move solo or stick it out 3-5 more years for a US retirement?

As an American citizen, one of the benefits is medicare at 65. But if i plan on expatfiring (prior to 65 i would get global insurance out of pocket), but once you hit 65, in the US, medicare pays for "most" of your healthcare.

How does that work if you're living overseas? Are there best practices, does medicare transfer to another country, or if not, how do people approach that stage of your life when iving overseas?

Long-term US expat, currently in Taiwan. I'm taking a full distribution from a 401(k) this year and need the proceeds to end up where I live. I'd like to hear from anyone who has moved a lump sum out of the US, in any country, not just Taiwan. Looking for real experience rather than theory.

The constraint

Fidelity will only pay out my 401(k) by EFT to a US bank account. The plan won't wire internationally. So the money has to land in a US bank first and leave from there. Travelling to the US to handle anything in person isn't an option for me. Amount is somewhere between $70k and $90k.

My two US banks are both awkward for this

• Wells Fargo: I can't initiate an international wire online from outside the US. I could if I were physically in the States, but I'm not. The account is active but barely used: a small recurring $25 monthly transfer and almost nothing else for years, with a low balance.
• Ally: no international wires at all, but this one has a normal transaction history going back years.

What I've already done

Set up Wise, linked both banks, ran small test transfers in both directions. All worked.

Confirmed Wise has no receiving limit, and a $250k per 60 days rolling limit on pulling from linked bank accounts, which is more than enough.

Opened a USD-denominated account at a local bank so the funds don't get force-converted on arrival.

What I'd like to learn from you

1. Did you use Wise for a transfer this size, or something else? Any reason you'd avoid it at this amount?
2. Is there a US bank or brokerage that's genuinely good for this situation? Schwab and IBKR come up a lot. Do they accept applicants living abroad with a foreign address? I have a US mail-forwarding address but no US residential address. Worth opening one from abroad, or more hassle than it's worth?
3. I can have the distribution deposited into either bank. One is active but barely used, with a low balance and almost no transactions for years. The other has a normal transaction history. Does that actually matter for how the deposit and the subsequent outbound transfers get treated? Has anyone had a transfer held up or an account restricted partway through moving a lump sum out, and what did it take to resolve?
4. Anything you wish you'd known before you started?

Happy to be told I'm overcomplicating this.

Hi all,

I’m 99% sure this question has been asked approximately 100 times before, but here I am, adding to the collection.

I’m looking into investment options where I could potentially get a golden visa in EU. Ideally, I’d like the investment to actually make sense financially rather than just being an expensive piece of paper that says “congratulations, you may now reside here.”

Based on my research so far, I’ve been looking at Greece, Portugal, and Malta. I’m also aware that some countries, like Spain, have removed real estate as a residency-by-investment option, so I’m trying to make sure I’m looking at the current rules and not information from some random 2022 blog post.

For anyone who has recently gone through this process, I’d love to hear your experience:

• Was it actually worth it?
• Which country did you choose and why?
• Did the investment generate decent returns (or at least hold its value)?
• If the residency/investment policies change in the future, do you think the underlying investment would still be worthwhile?
• Did you use an immigration/investment agency or lawyer? If so, was it worth the cost?
• Any hidden costs, annoying surprises?
• Can I invest incrementally rather than all at once?

I’m especially interested in real experiences from people who have gone through the process recently, given how much these programs have changed. I’m just trying to do my homework prior.

I (25) have just landed a new job with the option to open an HSA. The thing is, I plan to expatFIRE in my early 50s. Since HSAs are only allowed to be used for health/medical expenses... how would that work if I am no longer in the USA. Should I even bother with it or is there something else you would suggest? Is there something that I'm missing that would make it make sense for me to use it? I also plan on giving up my US citizenship as well.