Part 3: Questions often asked when thinking about becoming an American Expat

Hey there! We’re a couple on the cusp of retirement, itching to trade the house and yard for a life of adventure. But here’s the catch: we’re on a budget. That’s where affordable retirement travel comes in – exploring the world without blowing our savings.

Planning this adventure has been an eye-opening experience, and guess what? There’s lot to think about! This post tackles some of the practical questions (and potential solutions) we’ve encountered so far.

Can We Earn an Income While We Travel?

Turning our travels into a side hustle is tempting. Can we monetize the affordable traveling retirement concept at all to help subsidize our senior nomad travels and maybe not skate into SS completely broke? Could we get jobs in foreign lands to supplement our savings? She’s good with tech and I’ve got a big personality so perhaps we could establish ourselves as a ‘hints and tips’ resource for folks interested in affordable retirement travel or extended vacations.

👋 New Here? We’re Jeff and Sandra, American expats exploring affordable places to live around the world. We share our experiences visiting destinations across the globe and the real costs, honest reviews, and practical tips for living abroad on a budget, one country at a time.

The Cost of Living Challenge & Affordable Retirement Travel

For cost of living and convenience reasons we are looking at cheapest countries to live in and had our eyes on Montenegro and Croatia. Studio and one bedroom apartments were plentiful in the $500 to $600 per month range. But wait….

Affordable Retirement Travel: How Long Can We Stay In a Country?

One appealing option was the idea that we could do 90 days in Croatia then take a bus and do 90 days in Montenegro. 

I looked into visa requirements and restrictions and it turns out we would not need a visa for short trips to the European Union (EU) or countries in the Schengen area if we were staying for 90 days or less in a 180-day period.

This means that someone can enter the Schengen Area as many times as they want, but only stay for a total of 90 days, every 180 days. (This rule applies to every state of the Schengen Area.)

So could we do 90 days in the UK (not in the EU) then go to Croatia (in the EU) for 90 days, then go back to the UK for 90 days and then go to Montenegro for 90 days? 

(Update:  Montenegro is not currently in the EU or the Schengen zone – yet – but it’s also really tiny (slightly smaller than Connecticut!) so 90 days might be too much)

We’ll also need to schedule occasional trips back to the US to visit family. Is that annual trip? 

Healthcare on the Move: Prescriptions and Sleep Apnea

I was really struggling with how my prescriptions could be handled and Sandra suggested that perhaps they could be shipped to the US Embassy wherever we were living. That might could work because we certainly aren’t liable to move anywhere that doesn’t have a consulate at least  (Update – Apparently non-narcotic prescription drugs are much more readily available pretty much anywhere outside north America. Whodathunkit?)

My sleep apnea therapy is another healthcare consideration; the CPAP machine I have is pretty bulky but I know there are smaller, more portable options available – that’s another expense to consider.

You might also be interested in our post Prescription Refills – Planning an extended period overseas? What You Need To Know About Prescription Refills Abroad

House sitting and Pet Sitting: A Short-Term Affordable Retirement Travel Solution?

House Sitting or pet sitting gigs could be a way to stay in one place for a bit and explore locally. Plus, caring for a furry friend wouldn’t be too demanding if the only responsibility is to feed and walk Fido twice a day.  First glance at this sort of side quest are generally going to be a week or at most a month at a time (Update: Pet sitting and House sitting while traveling internationally is proving to be more complicated than we first imagined…. some countries view pet sitting, house sitting and even volunteering abroad to be “unauthorized work” and deporting or denying entry to travelers who are doing this.)

The Pet Quandary: Can We Travel with Them?

Speaking of petsitting, another challenge is what to do with our 2 cats? We love them and they are an important part of our home life. Seeaytee was a rescue from the animal shelter and when we first got her it took 3 days before she came out from under the bed. She’s around 10 years old now so another rehoming would be pretty traumatic after 7 years with us. Anathema was a barn kitten we turned into an indoor cuddler. Well, not really that cuddly, there is a reason I sometimes call her “Razor Floof”. Traveling with them fulltime is complicated due to quarantine requirements and the logistical nightmare of managing food and litter box issues. It would limit our access to rentals as well as making spontaneous changes in plans problematic. Can we rehome them?  

So, what are we going to do?

We’re still figuring it out! This blog is all about sharing our journey, the challenges we face, and the solutions we discover along the way. Maybe you’re a soon-to-be retiree with wanderlust too, or perhaps you’re just curious about affordable retirement travel. Either way, join us as we navigate the world on a budget, and who knows, maybe we’ll inspire you to chase your own retirement dreams!