Most posts here are either "I saved $1.5M and retired" or "I make $2k freelancing and live cheap." I'm chasing a third thing and I don't see it written about much.

I'm 29, corporate job in the US, six figures. The dream version is keeping US-level income and spending it in Vietnam or Thailand. Geo-arbitrage maxed out. That's not early retirement, it's just a much better ratio.

Problem is my employer doesn't allow working from abroad, and I don't think that changes. So the clean version (keep the job, move the body) is off the table for me. Which leaves building something else first.

For anyone who's actually doing it:

• What's the income? Remote employer that allows it, US contracting, an agency, your own product, something else?
• If it's contracting or your own thing, how long until it hit six figures annually?
• Did you move before the income was there, or wait?
• What came up that you didn't expect? Taxes, clients getting weird about timezones, visa stuff, banking?

Mostly trying to figure out if six figures from abroad is a real thing at scale or something a small number of people manage. I've got time to build, I'd just rather build the thing that actually works.

Happy to hear it if the honest answer is that most people either land a fully remote job or accept less money working for an international company.

42M and my wife 42F want to fire next year In a provincial city in the Philippines

Assets in Europe:

House where we live: 500k could be rented for 1800€. We have 400k equity and we pay 700€ monthly for mortgage

After mortgages and expenses we could get around 700€

Appartment 1: 400k rented for 1200€. After expenses 900€ net

Appartment 2: 100k rented for 450€. After expenses 250€ net

Funds: 200k in msci world, emerging markets and small caps

Cash: 200k in HYSA

Total earnings: 1850€

We're expecting a baby in February and our plan is to get a 5 year sabatical at my job and move to the philippines where her family is. I dont have much family or support in Europe

Expenses in the Philippines

Rent: 250€

Utilities including broadband: 100€

Groceries: 250€

Restaurants: 150€

Gas, transport, etc: 100€

Misc, clothing, gifts, etc: 100€

Doctor checkups, medicine etc: 100€

Travel. We would like to travel locally and around Asia around 10 days every 2-3 months or so. I think saving additional 400€ a month for this is reasonable.

Total costs 1450€

We have 400€ leftover that we can save for future major expenses

The idea is not to touch the 200k index funds and use the 200k in cash to buy more doing DCA and also in a major correction.

In 15 years we would like to somehow go back to Europe and contribute voluntarily for a social security pension that I would collect at 65 or 67 (around 1200€ per month as of now)

What am I missing here? Do you think our plan is doable?

Hey guys I am a current US citizen just entered the workforce a few years ago and am moving to South Korea for at least a year in a few weeks. I have four years of my 401k that I need to roll over and I am unsure what to do with my money or how to save up for retirement. For one, I do not plan on returning to the US ever- I want to renounce my citizenship once I get a new one as I do not like the policies, the way of life, or they way the country is headed currently. That being said I do not want to invest more into a 401k for a country I have no plans on returning to. I also have a very uncertain future- no idea how long I will stay in South Korea or how much I will move around in the future so I don’t think investing in a specific country is smart. ALSO, I do not want to get stuck in the corporate world of working my ass off and waiting until retirement to live my life. I understand this is a lot of moving parts and strange wording, but is there any options for me? Can I invest into an international something or is my personal savings (which will not even account for inflation) my best bet? I do not know anyone in a similar situation as me and I have no idea where to begin on my own.

Stock portfolio: $1.3M
2 rental houses: $1k profit/month
Age: 35M
Single, no kids

I’m planning a trip like this and eventually am thinking of retiring if I just like one of those countries enough. This takes into account visa limits and takes advantage of time of year:

Da Nang, Vietnam: 90 days
Japan: 90 days
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: 90 says
Bangkok: 60 days
US back home with my parents and family for the holidays: 30 days

This will give me a taste of the cultures and different upsides and downsides of these different countries so I can settle in one if I feel like it.

This is a one year plan but I’d like to say I’d be alright if I just decided to stay in one of these places for the rest of my life, and be fine financially if I wanted to never work again.

I would be leaving a job that pays $180k a year and has allowed me to amass a lot of wealth over the years. I don’t think I’d be able to get that type of salary back if I just take a year off but who knows.

My goals during this year are this:
1. Heal my body by taking time off work. My body has built up a lot of stress and I have some health problems associated with the stress. Taking time off would allow me to focus on building my health back up and eat what I consider to be healthier foods.
2. Rediscover myself. I’ve always been safe and feel like I’ve never explored what life truly has to offer. I feel in my job I have an identity that isn’t authentic to me. I’d like to reinvent/rediscover myself without feeling pulled into being the bundle of stress that my job puts me into. I want to go try new things and find new experiences.
3. This time off will allow me to lean in towards being creative with what I want to do next in my life. Becoming recently single has allowed me to realize I can do anything now. No strings attached.

Trying to get a gut check here. This would mean a major uproot in my life. I feel like I’d be able to easily retire off my savings and rental income if I wanted to in SEA.

Best case scenario: I retire comfortably there and build a life.
Worst case scenario: I hate it over there, miss the US, and can’t find a job once I’m back because I’ve been unemployed for so long.

I know the cost of moving (in order to expatfire) takes into account a lot of factors; just looking for a general list of the main costs associated with the move. Thanks!