SNM022: Living the Island Lifestyle

A One Month Vacation Turns into Our Island Lifestyle

We were living somewhere smoky and gross. The crowded city made everyone sick, so we took action. Most people talk about living somewhere amazing but they never do so much as a basic Internet search.

American Assumptions

Most Americans assume that everything in other countries is terrible, but living abroad can increase your salary by 30% and slash your cost of living by at least 50%. You can live like a king or queen on your current salary. We base our assumptions on television shows and tourist destinations; if you stick to tourist areas you will always pay tourist prices.

Taxes

If you spend more than 330 days outside the United States, you don’t pay any taxes on the first 100k you make. That’s a pretty good reason to look at making a run for the border. If you are from any other country, the numbers are even better. If you are from some countries, you only have to spend six months abroad to eliminate your tax obligations.

Education

The United States recently increased in educational rank from 17th to 16th according to research firm Pearson. Is that really good enough for your kids? Those statistics include public and private schools. If you can’t afford private school in America, the deck is already stacked against your children. There are better, cheaper English-speaking schools in countries around the world. You can afford better education when you are abroad.

Our education system fails the smart and the low alike; smart and slow kids waste most of their time in class. There is no sin greater than wasting a child’s time and yet teachers in America do it millions of time every day.

Rule of Law

In the United States about 4% of people who are convicted of murder and sentenced to death are later found to be innocent. This does not include those given life sentences or any other lesser crimes.

That’s pretty horrifying. There are many countries with worse legal systems, but there are also countries with better ones. The only way to find out is a little research. Find a forum for expats in that country to get the real information.

Can You Trust the Mailman?

Every letter in this country gets stolen, but packages always arrive. Not every country has reliable mail. Although in many countries the mail is also WAY faster than in the United States. Many countries expect letters to arrive the next day!

Infrastructure

Take a look at the power grid, Internet providers, water potability and transportation options. You want multiple ways to leave if there is a problem or an emergency back home. Most of the amenities of the West are now available everywhere. I can shop on Amazon just like you 😉

Helping the Local Community

One of the best parts of moving is making a difference. In this day of hashtag Twitter activists who never actually help anybody, it feels pretty good to help more than seventy people on my island survive. Being a job provider is really wonderful. I would rather spend my income here than in the mall back in America.