Budapest is definitely one of my favourite cities in the world. It has the same appeal as other major European capitals but at a fraction of the price.
The Danube
Budapest Cafe Culture
My wife and I are huge cafe fanatics and Budapest definitely doesn’t disappoint. The franchises are starting to invade, but for the most part, cafes and restaurants remain one-off unique establishments with real personalities. Most have breakfast and lunch specials where you can get a full meal with a good coffee for US$4 to $8. Hungary is definitely one of the best countries in the world to eat out. The quality and service relative to price are difficult to beat.
Hungary is Wine Country
With smaller traditional vineyards in areas like Eger, Villany and Tokaj, Hungary doesn’t produce the quantity of wine necessary for large international buyers. That means that great wine can be purchased relatively inexpensively. I am no wine expert, but I would venture to say that comparable wine of richer countries like France or Italy can be purchased for one quarter the price in Hungary. Buying directly from local wine cellars offers the best deals. If you are a wine…
What does it really take to make a location independent travel lifestyle work? Many people assume that it is okay for single people in their early twenties to take a gap year to travel the world, but what if you are getting older and need to focus on a career? What if you are travelling as a couple? How do you make a living? Simon Fairbairn and Erin McNeaney of NeverEndingVoyage.com share their experiences transitioning to a life of long-term travel in this interview.
Please tell us about yourselves.
We are a British couple who’ve been together since we were 18 (we’re now 30). Our first backpacking trip together was around Europe when we were 19 and we’ve continued to travel ever since. Simon has worked his way through varied careers as a musician (the highlight was playing at the Glastonbury Festival), legal caseworker to help asylum seekers stay in the UK, and web designer. I worked for a community arts organisation working with refugees to organise arts projects and events including an annual multi-cultural festival attended by 10,000 people.
How did you decide to embark on a nomadic lifestyle of long term travel?
Finding comfortable and affordable accommodations is one of the most difficult aspects of long-term travel. What if you could find quality, furnished apartments and stay for free? House sitting might be the answer. Professional house sitter, Teresa Roberts, author of the book Finding the Gypsy In Me – Tales of An International House Sitter, shares her experiences house sitting around the world in this interview.
Please tell us a little about your background?
I was born and raised in the United States. I sort of grew up on the road. You might say that I inherited the gypsy blood from my father. Most of my adult life, I lived in the state of Maine. That is where I raised my two kids. For about fifty years, I was in school. That’s the truth! I was either a student, a classroom teacher, or a principal of an elementary school. No matter which category, I have been on the school schedule for most of my life. I made a decision not too long after my youngest graduated from college to retire early. I was fifty-four years old. I actually still enjoyed…
More and more people are considering retiring overseas to make their savings go further. Great weather combined with a lower cost of living make countries like Costa Rica, Thailand and The Philippines great choices for long term stays. Bob Webb and his wife have chosen to make Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia their retirement home base. Bob offers some insights into his retirement in this interview.
Please tell us a little about your background?
We are Australians who retired after a number of years in the Public Sector. I spent 40 years with the Australian Defence Department (20 in uniform and 20 as a civilian) and my wife worked for Veterans Affairs. We retired about 2 years ago and decided to head overseas.
Why Kuala Lumpur?
We started off on our travels to Asia and then caught up with our daughters in New York. We then moved on to Las Vegas, Memphis, Cancun and finally ended up in Kuala Lumpur. We had been to Asia a number of times during our working lives, but had no ties to Asia.
English is understood by nearly everyone in Malaysia. There is a great diversity of entertainment here, including theatres, bars and clubs. Unlike…
Have you ever dreamed of quitting your job and selling everything to move to paradise? Nadine Hays Pisani and her husband did exactly that and are now living in Costa Rica on $1000 per month. Paradise doesn’t have to be as expensive as you may think. Nadine shares her story in this interview.
How long have you lived in Costa Rica?
I moved to Costa Rica four years ago. We only traveled here a few times before deciding we wanted to retire there. We didn’t know anyone, just knew that this was the type of lifestyle we were dreaming about. It was a big leap of faith but thankfully it worked out.
What did you do to prepare to retire?
We didn’t do too much planning. We sold everything and figured we could live for 10 years on our savings. It was important to have enough money that we were not rushing into any businesses since we knew nothing about how to set up one in Costa Rica. By taking our time, we were able to see where different opportunities exist. I think that’s the most important thing about moving to a foreign country, not rushing into anything.
Most people are surprised at how inexpensive a travel lifestyle can be. With a modest and consistent online income, a life abroad is probably a lot easier than you think. This interview with Matthew Karsten, of ExpertVagabond.com, is a great case study on what is possible.
Please tell us about your travels.
I first began traveling long-term in November 2010. Before I left for good, I took a “practice” trip in Mexico for 5 weeks to see if I’d like it, and to learn about any logistical problems that might pop up (mail, banking, internet, etc.). After that I flew into Guatemala and have been working my way South through Central America for the last 10 months.
What made you decide to begin a nomadic life?
There really wasn’t a single big reason, more like a combination of many. I was bored with my life. I moved around a lot, and it was something I actually looked forward to doing. I guess I just couldn’t stay in one place for too long before I started wondering what it would be like living somewhere else. I think I was just born with a nomadic gene.
It is hard for most people to imagine what it is like to constantly travel. Most imagine that great riches are required, but from my own experiences and those I have interviewed, a travel lifestyle is probably much easier than you imagine. Digital nomad, James Clark of NomadicNotes shares his story of creating a life of constant travel in this interview. By keeping his expenses low, he is able to fund his travels through various advertising driven travel related websites.
Please tell us about your travels.
My first trip abroad was a brief holiday to Hawaii which activated the travel bug. I took some annual leave holidays after that, but I found that even saving up 2 months of leave from work wasn’t enough time to explore in a time frame I wanted. My long term travels began in 1999 when I moved to London on a 2 year working holiday visa, where I used London as a home base for travels around Europe. So far my travels have taken me to over 40 countries across North America, Europe and Asia. I still have much of the world to see, but I am…
We often hear expressions like “the journey is its own reward,” yet most of us tend to live jumping from one achievement to the next. We often think that everything will be so much better when we graduate, get a job, get a raise, buy our own house, get married, pay off our car, start our own business, or retire. We talk about living for the moment, yet remain focused on the next accomplishment, purchase or life milestone.
Benny Lewis shared this great video recently that puts this in perspective.
Instead of looking for the next mountain to climb or goal to cross off your bucket list, how about just enjoying what you are doing now?
Do you have to wait until you are 65 years old to retire? What would it take to quit your job and travel the world? How much money would you need and what would you do to prepare? Wendy Justice answers those questions and offers some great advice in this interview.
How did you come to the decision to retire at age 50?
I wish that I could have retired earlier! It wasn’t until I was 50 that I felt that I had enough funds accumulated to afford relinquishing my full-time nursing job. Even then, I looked at it more as a sabbatical than a permanent lifestyle change. To me, working was always intended to be a means to an end – in this case, becoming a global traveler.
What did you do to prepare to retire?
I have always lived frugally. I don’t like being in debt, and that helped a lot when it became time to retire – my first piece of advice to someone considering this is don’t even think about it unless you’ve settled all your obligations first. The last year or two that my husband and I were working, we knew that retirement was…
I have written previously about how my wife and I need routine in our lives. While it is great to live in new countries, constant travel is very time-consuming and stressful. We have been consider setting up roots again and having a more stable lifestyle.
The big problem with settling down is that it costs a lot of money. It actually costs a huge amount of money to have a normal western lifestyle.
Here is a rough breakdown of monthly expenses that we would expect to incur if we permanently relocated to my home city of Calgary.
Mortgage on an average starter home: $1800
Property taxes: $200
Utilities: $350
Telephone, Internet: $150
Cell Phones: $200
Car Payments: $300
Car Insurance: $100
Car Maintenance and Gas: $200
Furniture and Household Items: $500
Clothing: $200
Food: $500
Entertainment: $500
Total $5000
The North American Idea of a Normal Lifestyle
We don’t have to spend that much money of course, but it is hard not to when all of your peer group does. Expenses of $5,000 per month are normal for a professional couple in Calgary. It doesn’t matter how independently minded you…
More and more people are considering retiring overseas to make their savings go further. Great weather combined with a lower cost of living make countries like Costa Rica, Thailand and The Philippines great choices for long term stays. Bob Webb and his wife have chosen to make Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia their retirement home base. Bob offers some insights into his retirement in this interview.
I have written previously about how my wife and I