For Americans thinking about living abroad
Can you really retire abroad on a budget? We’re finding out.
We’re Sandra and Jeff. Since 2023, we’ve been living slowly across countries — tracking exactly what we spend so you can plan with real numbers, not estimates. No guesswork.
Cost-of-Living Reports, Albania, American Expat Life, Durres, Pogradec, Reader’s Favorites, Sarandë, VloreA Real-World Cost of Living Report: Our First Year in Albania
4 Cities, 365 Days, Every Penny A Note From Sandra & Jeff This is not a travel blog post. There are no beautiful photos of us sipping coffee on a terrace while we tell you vaguely that “Albania is so affordable.” You’ve read those posts. You’ve seen the headlines. “We live in Europe for $1,500 a month!” And you’ve thought: sure, but what does that…
8 Thoughtful Gifts for Moms Who Travel
As fulltime travelers, we have a simple rule for this gift guide: If it takes up more than 10% of her suitcase, it’s a burden, not a gift. And let’s be honest: Mom doesn’t need another candle. She definitely doesn’t need one that smells like a fake “Ocean Breeze” when she’d rather be smelling actual salt air in Portugal. If she’s finally ready to click…
Travel Expense Tracker Template for Full-time Travelers – designed by Full-time Travelers
Finally, a comprehensive travel expense tracker for full-time travelers that understands the difference between cost of living while traveling fulltime and relocation costs. Most travel budget trackers fail because they mix your daily coffee with your $1,200 flight to Japan. This travel expense tracker separates them automatically, giving you the clearest picture of your true cost of living. We built this because we needed it.…
Tired of your web host? It’s easier to switch than you think
If you’ve been following our journey as slowmads, you know that our mission is to live abroad on a budget, one country at a time. Whether we are navigating the cost of living in Sarandë or setting up a homebase in Vlore, our goal is always the same: maximum adventure with minimum stress. But there is a “behind-the-scenes” part of this lifestyle that we don’t…
Cost of Living in Sarandë, Albania: What We Actually Spent
What this cost of living breakdown covers In 2026 we spent just over two months living in Sarandë, Albania – to see if if could someday be our home; here’s our cost of living report: A few things to know up front: These are real expenses from daily life—rent, groceries, eating out, healthcare, and everything in between (plus the cost for us to relocate from…
Daily Life in Albania for American Expats and Senior Nomads
Most people imagine fulltime travel as one long string of adventures – castles, beaches, museums, and a never-ending parade of Instagram-worthy meals. But the truth is, daily life for American expats and senior nomads doesn’t disappear just because you cross a border. We still cook dinner, do laundry, run errands, and take lay about our apartment reading. The difference is that right now we’re doing…
Our Top Posts of 2025 | Travel, Gear, and Life Abroad
Our most-read posts of 2025, covering travel gear, cost of living abroad, destination guides, and practical tips from our second year of full-time travel. In this, our second year of full time traveling, we have been amazed by how many of you followed along as we explored new cities, tested out travel gear, shared destination guides, budget hotels, cost of living breakdowns, practical travel logistics…
Retiring to Albania & How to Apply for Residency in Albania
Part 1: Why We’re Even Considering Residency — and Why We May Be Doing This the Hard Way We didn’t arrive in Albania with a firm plan to apply for residency. We arrived the same way we’ve arrived everywhere else over the past couple of years: with time, curiosity, and a habit of staying long enough for the romance to wear off and the reality…
What was our Cost of Living in Pogradec Albania? (2025)
One of our longest stays so far was a little over four months—140 nights—in Pogradec, Albania. We’re sharing this cost of living in Pogradec Albania report as a real-world example of what long-term, slow travel in Albania can cost for a couple on a moderate budget who haven’t yet decided whether the country might eventually become home. Our original plan was to stay one month…
Three Days in Corfu Town: What You Can Do (and What You Can’t)
We’ve learned that when people ask whether you can “do” a place in three days, they’re usually asking two different questions at once. Corfu Town is one of those places where the answer is yes… and no. We spent what most people would call three days in Corfu Town, arriving mid-morning and leaving late afternoon. We saw a lot. We enjoyed ourselves. And we still…
About Us
We’re Jeff and Sandra, two retired Americans, living abroad, on a budget, one country at at time. Most days, we’re just doing what we’ve always done— making ourselves a home, working on projects, cooking, and running errands, wherever home might be at the moment.
Reader’s Favorite Blog Posts
- A Real-World Cost of Living Report: Our First Year in Albania
- Cost of Living in Sarandë, Albania: What We Actually Spent
- ATM Fees in Albania (2025): What Travelers Need to Know
- Best Merino Wool T-Shirts for Travel: I Purchased & Tested 3 Budget Brands vs 1 Expensive Brand
- ResMed AirMini Review: Is This $1000 Portable CPAP Worth It? [Updated 2026]
