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Financially, I moved from the EU to South East Asia, decreasing cost of living by 70-80%. Additionally, just before I moved I was able to get a position with a

Financially, I moved from the EU to South East Asia, decreasing cost of living by 70-80%. Additionally, just before I moved I was able to get a position with a 50% increase in pay. I'm saving a lot of money here, and locally am investing it into quite a few ventures which would continue to exist if the worlds economy would go south. Mentally & physically, I am taking beatings, right and left, every day, doing martial arts, a lot of running and swimming. I think, when the hard times come around, I'll be conditioned enough by always being tired and sore, that its just going to be a walk in the park. Anxiety wise.... since I moved here, and started doing all these things, its the first period in my life where I feel almost completely anxiety free.

m_nyongesa 4y ago
Do you have suggestions for finding jobs that support this kind of work arrangement? For example, do the jobs advertise themselves as 100% remote from the beginning, or is that something you negotiated with them during the interview process? Also, how do you deal with the time difference?
- esperent 4y ago
  I'm in a similar situation (European, getting paid US rates, living in SEA) and for me it's been freelance all the way. I'm earning enough that I save way more than I would back home, I have an amazing quality of life, and I don't have to work non-stop. When a freelance project ends, I work on my own stuff for a while, or travel. I've been working on a project for about a year now and it'll end soon. During that time I've easily saved up enough to live for... maybe 5 years here if I went super basic. But at least 3 with my normal lifestyle. Not counting holidays back home which would cut into my savings a lot. I'm not planning to take 5 years off, I'm gonna take a few months to work on my own projects, then a vacation for a month or two since I haven't been home since before covid. Hopefully one of my own projects will start to earn me some money and I'll work on growing that, but if it doesn't I'll probably start looking for more freelance work at around the 6 month mark. It's not all roses, there's visa issues, tax compliance is essentially impossible (although I do have a visa that allows me to work) and I do sometimes struggle with the culture here, as much as I love other parts of it (so not much different to home there I guess). But, on the other hand, as someone who grew up poor, this level of financial security is almost impossible to believe. I can just... Take 6 months off work. Or a year even. And not have to worry about money. I feel free in a way that I never have before. I know this is privilege and I acknowledge that and try to ensure I don't abuse it.
b20000 4y ago
where in SE Asia?
- bugbuddy 4y ago
  Cambodia is a great choice in my opinion. Check out this (Itchy Feet on the Cheap) Canadian YouTuber’s reasons why he chose Cambodia after living in many countries including Vietnam: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IFlFA0b9070 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IFlFA0b9070
gchaincl 4y ago
> few ventures which would continue to exist if the worlds economy would go south. What kind of venture is profitable (enough to beat inflation) and economy-going-south resistant?
- tinktank 4y ago
  I'm interested in knowing this too.
pharmakom 4y ago
> I think, when the hard times come around, I'll be conditioned enough by always being tired and sore, that its just going to be a walk in the park. What do you think is going to happen? Mass civil unrest?
- fbrncci 4y ago
  No real prediction, but economically we are definitely in one of the largest downtrends of the recent past. And I somehow doubt that we are trending towards avoiding even worse or getting a happy ending.

m_nyongesa 4y ago

Do you have suggestions for finding jobs that support this kind of work arrangement? For example, do the jobs advertise themselves as 100% remote from the beginning, or is that something you negotiated with them during the interview process? Also, how do you deal with the time difference?

esperent 4y ago
I'm in a similar situation (European, getting paid US rates, living in SEA) and for me it's been freelance all the way. I'm earning enough that I save way more than I would back home, I have an amazing quality of life, and I don't have to work non-stop. When a freelance project ends, I work on my own stuff for a while, or travel. I've been working on a project for about a year now and it'll end soon. During that time I've easily saved up enough to live for... maybe 5 years here if I went super basic. But at least 3 with my normal lifestyle. Not counting holidays back home which would cut into my savings a lot. I'm not planning to take 5 years off, I'm gonna take a few months to work on my own projects, then a vacation for a month or two since I haven't been home since before covid. Hopefully one of my own projects will start to earn me some money and I'll work on growing that, but if it doesn't I'll probably start looking for more freelance work at around the 6 month mark. It's not all roses, there's visa issues, tax compliance is essentially impossible (although I do have a visa that allows me to work) and I do sometimes struggle with the culture here, as much as I love other parts of it (so not much different to home there I guess). But, on the other hand, as someone who grew up poor, this level of financial security is almost impossible to believe. I can just... Take 6 months off work. Or a year even. And not have to worry about money. I feel free in a way that I never have before. I know this is privilege and I acknowledge that and try to ensure I don't abuse it.

b20000 4y ago

where in SE Asia?

bugbuddy 4y ago
Cambodia is a great choice in my opinion. Check out this (Itchy Feet on the Cheap) Canadian YouTuber’s reasons why he chose Cambodia after living in many countries including Vietnam: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IFlFA0b9070 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IFlFA0b9070

gchaincl 4y ago

> few ventures which would continue to exist if the worlds economy would go south. What kind of venture is profitable (enough to beat inflation) and economy-going-south resistant?

tinktank 4y ago
I'm interested in knowing this too.

pharmakom 4y ago

> I think, when the hard times come around, I'll be conditioned enough by always being tired and sore, that its just going to be a walk in the park. What do you think is going to happen? Mass civil unrest?

fbrncci 4y ago
No real prediction, but economically we are definitely in one of the largest downtrends of the recent past. And I somehow doubt that we are trending towards avoiding even worse or getting a happy ending.