About Us
We’re Sandra and Jeff, American expats and senior nomads who left the USA in 2023 and have been living abroad, on a budget, one country at a time since then.
After 20 years rooted in Oregon, we sold everything and embarked on our journey as senior Americans living overseas and discovering where in the world we could afford to retire to without draining our savings. Spoiler alert: It’s not where we thought it would be!
Because like most Americans we aren’t rich so we armed ourselves with determination and a tight budget and set out to live overseas-one country at a time – choosing places that aren’t too hot or too cold, and that research says are truly affordable.
Our original plan? Retire to Panama with our savings. Simple, right? Wrong. We discovered that having money in the bank doesn’t qualify you for residency anywhere just based on cash. Panama’s pensionado visa requires a guaranteed-for-life pension from the government or a major company – not investment income.
This led us to discover the magic of nomadic retirement: maxing out 90-day tourist visas instead of seeking permanent residency. Three months per country would give us enough time to really experience a place without the bureaucratic nightmare of residency applications, and not live the fast-paced life of tourists.
And no, we’re not funding our travels with credit card points or airline miles. Those strategies often require spending money (we don’t have) to earn those points (and if you’re truly living on a budget, what exactly are you spending enough money on to rack up rewards that regularly cover flights or accommodations?)
What Triggered Our Exploration of living as American Expat & Senior Nomads?
Jeff’s a veteran, Sandra grew up as a military brat, and together, we’ve lived in a variety of places – from small towns in the USA to villages in England. After 20 years rooted in Oregon, we realized we missed the excitement of discovering new destinations.
But the real catalyst? Health reality checks and growing concerns about the growing unrest in the US.
- In November 2022, he went in for a routine follow-up and they started him on blood pressure medication. When he went back 3 weeks later, his BP was 228/122, so they sent him to the ER. He’d been monitoring at home and 202/103 wasn’t unusual – the systolic number was seldom below 180. This was his third admission to the hospital for “this is the kind of thing people die from” situations.
This got him thinking very seriously about retirement sooner rather than later. Like, he’d always wanted to travel more and was apparently running out of time to get that handled. (She also loves to travel but was not ready to retire – she loved her job and her work for various local non-profits) - Around the same time and his health concerns, 45 announced he was going to try and become 47 and we were both uncomfortable with what we imagined the campaign was going to be like, having already dealt with 2 years of “I didn’t actually lose; the Dems cheated.” Even if 45 wasn’t a contender, it looked like the runner up would be the GOP nominee and that was hardly an improvement.
Where we’ve lived and traveled
Why We Hope You’ll Love Our Blog
We’re not here to sell you a dream or paint Instagram-worthy-yet-delusional pictures of what it’s like to live abroad. We’re here to help see a realistic picture of what is like to live abroad, as an American Expat and nomad, on a budget.
Our blog is for anyone who:
- Wants to explore affordable places to live abroad and hasn’t quite reach the threshold for retirement residency status for the places you might want to live (just like us)
- Needs practical advice on full-time travel
- Enjoys stories that are as honest as they are entertaining.
Here’s what you can expect:
- Budget-Friendly Relocation Advice: From cost breakdowns to cultural insights, we’ll show you how to make the leap without going broke.
- Destination Spotlights: The good, the bad, and the weird—every place we’ve stayed has a story.
- Relatable Tips: We’re figuring this out as we go, so you’ll get advice that’s fresh, practical, and occasionally hilarious.
Curious about the thought process that went on behind the scenes before we left the United States? Visit our Backstory page
