[Sherman]

(07-13-2017 02:04 AM)This Is Trouble Wrote:  

Schwab is American only.

Seriously though guys, don't let damn ATM fees be the detriment towards making the leap and going after what you want. Be smart about it, sure.

But seriously - we're talking about the occasional $5-$10 fee and making it sound like it's climbing Everest. It's not that hard.

I tried to open a Schwab account but they wouldn't let me because I live in Mexico. However, I was told that Schwab does have a foreign account option for people living in other countries. But you have to keep more money with them. However, I use a Fidelity Investment account ATM card which also fully reimburses ATM fees.

[SpursFan741]

(07-15-2017 10:45 PM)Suits Wrote:  

(07-15-2017 05:12 PM)SpursFan741 Wrote:  

Indeed, but i'm thinking to start with 24k€ like adviced here on the forum.

You don't need that if you establish a reliable income source first.

For example, if you were going somewhere with a job already lined up, you'd just need a few thousand USD to get started.

Yes, true. But i'm thinking in worst case. If i got fired after a time and i don't have any income than for a few months, i need some decent savings to overcome all these issues ( or some unexpected hospital costs, could be anything). So around 24€k.

Quote:

Teaching English/ an online job ( as sales/ customer representive) would be a good start, then i could focus on location independent self employed lifestyle. I'm focusing on linkedin at the moment to search for this options ( teaching job or online job)

Have you considered getting a job that combines the two? Online English teaching is a new trend. Having witnessed some lessons in progress, I think it's retarded from the perspective of actual education, but it would be a convenient way to earn money while travelling.

Yes, i applied for an online teaching job but i got rejected because of the lack of teaching experience. But i keep trying till i find something.

(07-15-2017 05:12 PM)SpursFan741 Wrote:  

I'm checking Airbnb at the moment for several locations what is the accomodation cost like in certain countries( Damn Colombia would be cheap, you can find decent rooms for about 229$ a month) I could live at least 1 year decent in that country without spending to much.

Do consider the downsides to sharing a place with other people.

If i have my own bathroom and my own big room, i'm pretty fine with sharing my living room and kitchen with 2 or 3 other people ( only guys).

(07-15-2017 05:12 PM)SpursFan741 Wrote:  

Visas/
I checked the possibilities for a working holiday visa for several countries which my country has an agreement with. The only 2 countries that appeal me are Taiwan and South Korea. Don't know how it's get paid over there. Wil follow this up.
China will be a pain in the ass to get a visa for sure, you need at least 2 or 3 years experience for a work visa.

I don't think the two year rule is really enforced. As long as two years have passed since you graduated university, you should be good to go.

I've had multiple work visas even within two years of my university graduation date and all the processing authorities seem to do is confirm the date of graduation on the copy of my diploma, which my employer usually doctors to make it look like I graduated earlier than I did.

I only graduated about 1 year ago. So i doubt whether it will be possible. What you mean exactly mean by doctor the copy of your diploma? Anyway, one thing is for sure , that i'm not going to work in China again without a proper working visa ( Z- visa). I don't want to live on X-2 visa again like i did before ( as the company suggested that), because you can't leave the country.

(07-15-2017 05:12 PM)SpursFan741 Wrote:  

Other preparations:
Sold my car and will inform how get rid of my hospital Insurance ( which i won't need anymore when i will live abroad)

If you've already sold your car, it sounds like you are serious. That's a nice change from the guys who come in here, ask for advice on how to change their lives and then do nothing.

Yes off course, i'm serious about it. I feel like i'm wasting my time over here in West-Europe, so i try to sell as much as possible.

U seems like an experiened expat, it makes your input really usefull, thanks for that. What i wanted to ask: How do you control your money worldwide? Like example if you start an bank account in china or Korea or thailand and you earn money on it , how do you send the money on it then to your western account without paying too much costs on it? Paypall?

[Suits]

(07-16-2017 12:14 PM)SpursFan741 Wrote:  

(07-15-2017 10:45 PM)Suits Wrote:  

(07-15-2017 05:12 PM)SpursFan741 Wrote:  

Other preparations:
Sold my car and will inform how get rid of my hospital Insurance ( which i won't need anymore when i will live abroad)

If you've already sold your car, it sounds like you are serious. That's a nice change from the guys who come in here, ask for advice on how to change their lives and then do nothing.

Yes off course, i'm serious about it. I feel like i'm wasting my time over here in West-Europe, so i try to sell as much as possible.

U seems like an experiened expat, it makes your input really usefull, thanks for that. What i wanted to ask: How do you control your money worldwide? Like example if you start an bank account in china or Korea or thailand and you earn money on it , how do you send the money on it then to your western account without paying too much costs on it? Paypall?

I maintain a Canadian credit card. I sent an ATM card to my father, so whenever I want to move money from my Chinese account to the Canadian credit card (or another Canadian bank account), I just put money in the account and have in pull in out of a Canadian ATM and put it into the appropriate bank account.

It's not perfect, but it's far more convenient and timesaving that trying to wire money out of China.

[Sebastian]

Im really curious why you feel like you are wasting your time in W-Europe?
I hope you dont say things like you dont get respect from women in that region.

Personally i find that area fascinating. All europeans are not the same. So at least you can go to different countries in several hours away. If I drive few hours in states, i will be in middle of nowhere. I can change states but its still americans.

[samsamsam]

(07-16-2017 05:45 AM)Roosh Wrote:  

(07-15-2017 06:10 PM)RBerkley Wrote:  

Roosh, do something about this thread.

I don't know how it's gotten from the lamentations of the "War on Cash", to Suits cherry picking a few comments relating to Emma Suckowitz & sodomite female teachers (out of nearly 1000 of my comments/posts) to label me as a 'battyman'.

Roosh, you need to look into this thread. It's gone off-trail, from advice on the Anti-Money Laundering Act and Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, to comments about buggery, battyman and mule....

If you don't like the thread, don't read it. Click the X button. Don't keep posting material that makes it easy for others to poke at you. The mod team is not your personal bodyguard service.

RBerkley, I'll be your bodyguard on this forum. I'll be your own personal Clint Eastwood/kevin Costner bodyguard mixed in with Marc Kasowitz. PM for wiring details.

[lavidaloca]

I'm probably on the conservative side but I'd say you should have 5x your anticipated yearly living expenses.

Why? Because a new business may very well not make you any money in the first couple years. Some businesses take longer than others. Imagine being 3 years in and having started with 100k and down to 40k. That would be a pretty big kick in the nuts considering how long it will take you to recoup that 60k but is nowhere near as bad as if you were still not making money 2 years in.

It's different if you already have a steady business obviously or have already been building the business prior to going.

[SpursFan741]

(07-17-2017 12:43 AM)Sebastian Wrote:  

Im really curious why you feel like you are wasting your time in W-Europe?
I hope you dont say things like you dont get respect from women in that region.

Personally i find that area fascinating. All europeans are not the same. So at least you can go to different countries in several hours away. If I drive few hours in states, i will be in middle of nowhere. I can change states but its still americans.

Western Europe is just not good for younger people to live in my opinion. Here are my reasons for that:

- It's lacking a vibrancy and international atmosphere ( I love living in huge cities with a lot of action like Shanghai or Seoul or tokyo where i feel it's buzzing for example, berlin or paris just don't fit the bill for me for example

- I love to discover a new culture and learning new languages , staying in the same place where i stayed till my 20th is just not cool and exciting

- Girls: It's hard to pull ONS here, terrible characters. It would be possible to get a girlfriend here to settle down but i'm not interested in this,. Dealing with French, belgian , dutch and German girls IS just horrendous. French girls are decent if THEY ARE ABROAD, in France they have high bitch shields.

- Self development: I want to live abroad to develop myself. I want to know more about the world and different cultures. China intruiged me alot, Japan as well. I had the feeling i was living life at it's fullest, in Europe i never have this feeling.

[SpursFan741]

(07-17-2017 01:33 AM)lavidaloca Wrote:  

I'm probably on the conservative side but I'd say you should have 5x your anticipated yearly living expenses.

Why? Because a new business may very well not make you any money in the first couple years. Some businesses take longer than others. Imagine being 3 years in and having started with 100k and down to 40k. That would be a pretty big kick in the nuts considering how long it will take you to recoup that 60k but is nowhere near as bad as if you were still not making money 2 years in.

It's different if you already have a steady business obviously or have already been building the business prior to going.

I agree with your point mate but then i would be stuck for a few more years here in Western Europe and i don't know if I would survive that. And then i would have the feeling like that i waste my younger years here in W-Europe .

Now the target is on 24€K ( so around 27.5 K USD) and having a job lined up in advance abroad or an online job.

[This Is Trouble]

I mean, have you actually done anything in the last two weeks to takes steps towards other than this thread?

You're killing yourself by trying to come up with the perfect number when in reality life is never going to work that way.

[SpursFan741]

(07-18-2017 09:53 AM)This Is Trouble Wrote:  

I mean, have you actually done anything in the last two weeks to takes steps towards other than this thread?

You're killing yourself by trying to come up with the perfect number when in reality life is never going to work that way.

I have sold some stuff of mine that i don't need anymore in the future:
my car for example.

And I will start to apply for jobs in foreign countries from the start of August. Now i'm having a quite busy schedule at the moment ( working 9 hours a day at a multinational + gym daily + a pimsleur spanish podcast after).

And concerning location independent lifestyle: i'm still figuring what would fit to myself. Will find it out soon.

[the-dream]

Edit: saw from your previous post that you've already lived a year working in Poland and China so my post below isn't so applicable. You already know what it's like and you already know what you need and what to do!

Original post:

Keep in mind these people saying you need 5 years savings and things like that are the people that will probably never make it out of Canada or wherever they are. The people that you should be listening to are the people who have done what you want to do.

If you save enough cash to live abroad for 6 months, go experience life in another country, go broke and have to return home and try and get your current life back, do you think you'd be more content with your life than you are now? From your posts, I think you would be! And that is the worst case scenario.

Also, you don't have any kids, mortgage, wife etc I'm assuming so even if you do go broke, you can always just get another job, save up and try again!

I'm just trying to encourage you because your posts sound as if I could have written them 2 or 3 years ago! I knew deep down that the life you want was possible but all external voices were telling me it was a bad idea. I saved money, quit my job, went abroad, had a great time but ran out of money, moved home with my parents, got another job, saved money, moved back abroad with more motivation. In the my first year, I made more money than I would have been making after at least 5, probably 10 years trying to peruse a career in the UK. And the great thing is that I would still much rather this life (and knew I would before I left the UK) if I was earning just 80% of what I was at my job. The extra money is just a bonus but the feeling and experience is priceless!

I would hate if I didn't get that experience and don't want you to miss your chance at the life that you know you want because you take the advice of people who have no experience in what you're asking about.

If you don't mind me asking, what is your job right now and which thing or things in life do you think you have the most knowledge of and interest in?

[CleanSlate]

^ That's one way to do it, and I'm happy it worked for you. The OP, however, was asking how much to save before leaving the West *forever*. If he were open to doing it the way you have, the answer would have been a little different.

Still, it is best to focus on income targets for your business than just waiting until you have enough cash.

[ComebackKid]

(07-03-2017 11:41 AM)Zelcorpion Wrote:  

You should get some 200.000 EUR.

Then you can invest it into various things. Hell - you can even buy 4 rental apartments in an EE tourist city and rent it out via AirBnB. There are companies which do that for you. That way you may make 40.000$ / year and can live off that easily most countries in the world.

Where can you buy rental properties that give you 20% cash on cash return?

[Kelent]

Maybe not a rental but Budapest has... a decent real estate market.

[SpursFan741]

(07-18-2017 05:19 PM)the-dream Wrote:  

Edit: saw from your previous post that you've already lived a year working in Poland and China so my post below isn't so applicable. You already know what it's like and you already know what you need and what to do!

Original post:

Keep in mind these people saying you need 5 years savings and things like that are the people that will probably never make it out of Canada or wherever they are. The people that you should be listening to are the people who have done what you want to do.

If you save enough cash to live abroad for 6 months, go experience life in another country, go broke and have to return home and try and get your current life back, do you think you'd be more content with your life than you are now? From your posts, I think you would be! And that is the worst case scenario.

Also, you don't have any kids, mortgage, wife etc I'm assuming so even if you do go broke, you can always just get another job, save up and try again!

I'm just trying to encourage you because your posts sound as if I could have written them 2 or 3 years ago! I knew deep down that the life you want was possible but all external voices were telling me it was a bad idea. I saved money, quit my job, went abroad, had a great time but ran out of money, moved home with my parents, got another job, saved money, moved back abroad with more motivation. In the my first year, I made more money than I would have been making after at least 5, probably 10 years trying to peruse a career in the UK. And the great thing is that I would still much rather this life (and knew I would before I left the UK) if I was earning just 80% of what I was at my job. The extra money is just a bonus but the feeling and experience is priceless!

I would hate if I didn't get that experience and don't want you to miss your chance at the life that you know you want because you take the advice of people who have no experience in what you're asking about.

If you don't mind me asking, what is your job right now and which thing or things in life do you think you have the most knowledge of and interest in?

Thanks for your motivating answer.

These 24€k i'm busy with saving up is more as a safety buffer while i'm abroad ( extra visa costs, fly tickets, food, trips,.. ). And as i earlier mentionned, i prefer taking to early the plunge to live abroad than stay here for a few more years ( which could screw up my younger years). It's true that living abroad from younger ager gave you more life experience and it helps to discover yourself which country fit to you and which one doesn't ( although it made me broke as well, while other guys who never went abroad can buy a house now , but i would never wanted to change with them haha)



To answer your questions:
I'm working now temporary in a logistic position in a multinational. ( supply and chain)

My interests are:
- International Politics
- Travel ( passion for Asia & Latin America: especially brazil was a dream of my when i was a kid: the carnival, the amazing football culture which i adore , the handsome ladies, rio de Janeiro, the amazing friendly and partying people everyday but it won't be for the upcoming years i think due to the cost from brazil )
-Other cultures and languages ( i now speak 3 languages fluently, hope to add spanish soon to my 4 th language and chinese is also on my list to learn)
-Business ( i studied International busines)
-Sports ( football, basketball, cycling,..)
-Girls
-Real estate

Where i'm good at ( or at least where i worked in) :
-Sales
-Logistics
-Business development
-Languages

[YMD]

I found this thread very interesting.

(07-02-2017 08:23 PM)Suits Wrote:  

The first thing you need to do is decide between seeking a regular job somewhere in the world or going the location independent/self-employed route.

I'm curious about how many people on this forum have taken this "seeking a regular job" route to live outside the West.
Most of people want to live in a cheaper place, but they don't want to live like a local with almost the same amount of incomes as the locals make.

OP, are you still considering which way to go?

[SpursFan741]

(08-24-2017 05:44 AM)YMD Wrote:  

I found this thread very interesting.

(07-02-2017 08:23 PM)Suits Wrote:  

The first thing you need to do is decide between seeking a regular job somewhere in the world or going the location independent/self-employed route.

I'm curious about how many people on this forum have taken this "seeking a regular job" route to live outside the West.
Most of people want to live in a cheaper place, but they don't want to live like a local with almost the same amount of incomes as the locals make.

OP, are you still considering which way to go?

It will depend from the jobs i get hired for. If a job abroad allow me to save up 15k € a year, ( like a teaching job for example) i will go for location dependent. If this not the case, i go location independent.

[digitalconquistador]

I moved to the Philippines two years ago on a considerably high (20k+/month) online income. Living the dream, right? Not really. It's nice, sure, but expensive if you want to live a comfortable western lifestyle. No matter what, the quality of life in LA/SEA/EE or whatever cannot match what can be found in the west, especially for the price.

So what's wrong with the Philippines? The traffic. The Internet. The outrageous prices of decent housing. The heat. The price of electricity unless you enjoy having no A/C. The price of car maintenance unless you enjoy being crammed on a jeepney in said heat. The price of western groceries. The price of luxury goods such as cologne, which you can't even be assured are real. The endless people swarming everywhere, making it hard to enjoy even the simplest of things such as shopping at a mall. The slight anti-western vibe. The difficulties in establishing a real social circle. The stores are restaurants always being out of stock of whatever I wanted. The lack of high-end computer parts which I needed for my job. The constant wondering if said friends are just trying to use you for money. The difficulty in dealing with whatever business you may have.

This is something you must consider, and after living abroad for some time, you might find yourself wondering if it's all worth it.

Finally, you must consider the future. Too many times I've heard people claim that they're going to "retire in SEA in 15 years". Prices are rising every year, as are the wages of locals. I'm sure, 25 years ago, people thought they were going to retire in Singapore.

Just know that it's not going to be everything you expect.

[Beyond Borders]

^ Not everybody is cut out for it.

Anyhow, OP, I'm going to go against the grain here. All this responsible talk rubs me wrong. There's no real need to be so careful - you're in your mid 20s with a safety net to fall back on if needed and decades ahead of you to get your shit together.

Get a baseline income of a couple grand a month rolling in, even in you have to freelance. Ideally you should be prepared to work on increasing this upon arrival because it will certainly not afford you some kind of baller life. Or land a job teaching English before you even go - the money is not great but most men I've met who do it love the job, and it has a tendency to lead into other opportunities.

Set aside a few grand for minor emergencies and a plane ticket home if shit goes south. Then buy a one-way ticket to somewhere that excites you, go there, and figure it out.

I mean, what is really the difference of starting out with "nothing" abroad and starting out with nothing at home, assuming you at least get that baseline income and small exit fund set up in advance? Sure, you'll "feel" more secure in the latter scenario, but the discomfort of a precarious situation makes you evolve as a man.

Worst case scenario you spin your wheels and fail and run back home with your tail tucked between your legs to find a job, likely in a similar capacity to what you're doing now. Big whoop. Nothing really lost and a great adventure under your belt. And if you don't want that to happen it really doesn't have to. You'd be surprised at how putting yourself in a situation like this can light a fire under your ass.

You're going to die someday. This is a given. It really doesn't matter if you do so "safe and sound" there in the country you grew up in, in a third world "shithole" (I say this with affection because I love these places) without a penny to your name, or on some tropical island with a few years of living expenses in the bank - either way you WILL be dead and won't be taking a cent of those savings or that security when you go.

And the clock....is...ticking....right.....fucking.....Now.

So seize the day, as they say, and do what you want whether you're prepared or not.

In one way or another, fortune does indeed favor the bold.

[soltopia]

I agree Europe is no place for young people unless they are born into money. It is old and decaying, just like those who hold most of the wealth.

Young people have been screwed over by so many Govts. You'd be a fool to stay and pay tax for the benefits of those on a pension, who also have a huge house paid off by inflation, while you share a pokey little house or apartment.

Asia Pacific is where it's at. So many more opportunities for smart young people.

I'd advise any youngster under 30 to get a working holiday visa for Australia. Very high minimum wage and possible to live cheaply, and save a fair stack of cash to set you off in Asia. Plus the countless opportunities to slay sweet backpacker chicks.

[Okyanus]

Even 500$ can be enough.
Your survival instinct will kick in and you will find a way to make coin if you have the right mindset.
With the wrong mindset even 1m will not be enough.


I met some Lebanese dude in Bangkok and heard his life story, he came to Bangkok with only 1000$ to his name..

Fast forward 5 years later, he had brought his car, condo and wifed up some local chick. He owned 2 pizza stores in a student neighborhood.

[This Is Trouble]

(08-27-2017 04:24 PM)digitalconquistador Wrote:  

I moved to the Philippines two years ago on a considerably high (20k+/month) online income. Living the dream, right? Not really. It's nice, sure, but expensive if you want to live a comfortable western lifestyle. No matter what, the quality of life in LA/SEA/EE or whatever cannot match what can be found in the west, especially for the price.

So what's wrong with the Philippines? The traffic. The Internet. The outrageous prices of decent housing. The heat. The price of electricity unless you enjoy having no A/C. The price of car maintenance unless you enjoy being crammed on a jeepney in said heat. The price of western groceries. The price of luxury goods such as cologne, which you can't even be assured are real. The endless people swarming everywhere, making it hard to enjoy even the simplest of things such as shopping at a mall. The slight anti-western vibe. The difficulties in establishing a real social circle. The stores are restaurants always being out of stock of whatever I wanted. The lack of high-end computer parts which I needed for my job. The constant wondering if said friends are just trying to use you for money. The difficulty in dealing with whatever business you may have.

This is something you must consider, and after living abroad for some time, you might find yourself wondering if it's all worth it.

Finally, you must consider the future. Too many times I've heard people claim that they're going to "retire in SEA in 15 years". Prices are rising every year, as are the wages of locals. I'm sure, 25 years ago, people thought they were going to retire in Singapore.

Just know that it's not going to be everything you expect.

This is real talk here.

The difference between 1 month in a place versus 1 year is astonishing.

[SpursFan741]

@ Okyanus

I Always take these stories from guys who came to a certain place with only 500$ with a grain of salt. Because i tried it by myself, for example when i wanted to stay in China or Japan , i couldn't get a work visa at that time. And bare in mind that the laws of a foreign country will Always be against foreigners. I remember a nigerian guy telling me something similar in Tokyo, that he came there with only 1000$ and that he made it there as a promoter for certain events, i think he's still illegal in Japan lol

@ beyond borders

Yes, the clock is ticking indeed. That's why i'm leaving soon. I mentionned it earlier as well, spending the rest of my 20's here in W-Europe would be waste of time, even though it would be make me a wealthy men. Teaching english will be hard as a non native speaker, only Vietnam seems a possibility for this at the moment.

@ Soltopia

Why should a men ever go to Australia? I will never go because of the following reasons:

**Other Culture? As far as i know, Australia has a Western culture
**Language? English
**Girls? The few australian girls i met reminded me of the girls from UK, and that's not a good sign believe me.
**It's blood expensive
**It's such a huge country and it has only around 24 million inhabitants

[Pointer]

There are almost 30 countries in the EU, there's no way you can't make it in Europe as a young person. SEA and SA are cheaper and the weather is better but then you have to deal with visas and a culture that's very different (especially in SEA). Minor inconveniences can be tap water that makes you shit your pants and a half dozen diseases passed on by mosquito bites.

I recommend you use your savings to travel:

1. Your morale will go up and you'll start thinking of new opportunities.
2. You'll get to visit the countries you're thinking of without committing all your resources. Sometimes your expectations don't match reality.
3. You'll meet people along the way: a local guy who can point you in the right direction, a girl who will motivate you, a foreigner that can provide a temporary job etc.

[Okyanus]

@Spurs

Of course youre gonna have to bend the rules, possibly work illegaly to survive. If you try to do everything in this world according to the textbook rules you will limit yourself.

So what if you go to the country as a tourist and overstay?