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Location Independence Datasheet
04-27-2017, 10:34 AM
Insightful blog post-CleanSlate.
I can relate to much of what you wrote.
I think there is a fine line between doing what you did, making a somewhat planned but still a leap of faith, and overthinking and overpreparing and waiting for someday to come. Maybe in some ways that jump you've done forced action and to swim and stay afloat.
Do you have clients in the USA? I have a similar business model to follow a path of nomadic work. Many of my clients are in the USA. While I don't talk to them on the phone but maybe once every two weeks, we do email during the day. How has being in SEA affected your working with clients in the USA regarding time zones and communication?
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Location Independence Datasheet
04-27-2017, 10:57 AM
Most of my clients are in the USA. Being 12 hours away has been a minor issue with respect to scheduling skype calls, etc. But we almost always use email. Sometimes I schedule my emails to be sent during US working hours, especially for outreach, where I don't want prospects to know I'm 12 +/- 2 time zones away -- at least not yet.
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Location Independence Datasheet
05-26-2017, 02:55 AM
Yet Another Update:
I'm happy to share that my financial position is much stronger than it was even a few months ago, and it's not just because of the cryptocurrency bubble.
I have two clients on a monthly retainer, which pays me enough money where I can start saving again.
When I started my business, my goal was to match my old job's salary.
Now I am almost up to my old job's take-home pay.
With the lower cost of living here in SEA, my tax savings using the FEIE, and with less money going to the job's "benefits", I actually have more disposable income than I did when I was in the States.
This will last as long as the retainer agreements will last -- that remains to be seen -- and as long as I continue to market my business in a way people are able to find me when they look for some specific work that they need to outsource.
Anyway, I've settled into a nice routine. Here's what my day looks like now:
- Wake up and make a morning coffee with coconut oil
- Go to gym and do 5x5 compound lifts
- Eat a big post-gym workout lunch
- Work 5 to 6 hours
- Have dinner
- Each evening I do one of the 4 things... 1) hang out with other forum members, 2) chill with my Vietnamese girl, 3) meet other expats, or 4) chill at home myself.
More on this later. I'll put up a new and more detailed blog post about it.
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Location Independence Datasheet
09-28-2017, 12:32 PM
Just got a Traveling Mailbox. Thanks for helping us out, CleanSlate.
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Location Independence Datasheet
12-14-2017, 06:23 PM
Location independence and the growing expat movement calls for an update on remailing services.
I know that OP and others reflect favor for USglobalmail based in Houston, but competition to serve this market is growing, too.
Here's a roundup from late November, 2017, from "tech-vise":
https://tech-vise.com/best-parcel-forwar...-shoppers/
I notice that Stackry in New Hampshire - like Houston, Texas - is also a state free from income tax.
And then there's THIS highlight for those who simply want a place for packages and mail to hang out for up to 180 days for FREE!
Quote:Quote:
Vyking Ship
With Vyking Ship, you get a free account in Minnesota, the USA where your mail and parcels can relax for 180 days at no cost to you. This is by far the only service which doesn’t come with an asterisk and extra conditions to get 180 days of free storage. You don’t pay a dime to sign up and nor is there a monthly or yearly fee to get your hopes down.
ME LIKEY!
“There is no global anthem, no global currency, no certificate of global citizenship. We pledge allegiance to one flag, and that flag is the American flag!” -DJT
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Location Independence Datasheet
12-20-2017, 10:49 PM
Have you spent much time in Bangkok? I’m wondering how long one needs to live in a city to see if it is going to workout well for them. For example, if someone wants to settle down in SEA for a while like yourself, how do they go about doing recon for the best city for them? Spend one week or one month in each city? Or just do a lot of research beforehand?
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Location Independence Datasheet
12-20-2017, 11:27 PM
I’d say 2 weeks bare minimum. But 3 months is a more reliable indicator whether you’ll like staying there or not. I realize that’s not possible for those who have jobs back home, but if I gave Vietnam only a week or two, I would have never come back here. Meanwhile I stayed in BKK for 8 months, and it took me that much time to realize that it’s not a long term place for me.
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Location Independence Datasheet
12-23-2017, 12:49 PM
Hmm I'm confused. I thought you said you just signed a 1-year lease in BKK, but then you said you didn't like it after 8 months?
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Location Independence Datasheet
12-24-2017, 12:02 PM
Gotcha. Thanks for clearing that up. Bangkok seems like a fun place to visit, but long-term living could be a bit hectic from what I've read.
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Location Independence Datasheet
09-25-2018, 06:40 AM
Are you heading back to the states or just giving up the blog?
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Location Independence Datasheet
09-25-2018, 10:38 AM
So did the location independence mission fail then? Come on bro, you're leaving us hanging lol.
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Location Independence Datasheet
09-30-2018, 05:16 PM
Just stumbled upon this from your post on my thread.
I bought the one-way ticket for the Philippines this January! Absolutely pumped!
Love to know what you are up to, or how things are going
Anyways, great post,
cheers!
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Location Independence Datasheet
10-01-2018, 12:37 AM
I was checking this thread on and off for the past 2 years. Just noticed the blog link doesn't work and saw you closed it down.
Good luck on your future endeavors!
In Bangkok September - October 2018