FuzzX's guide for retiring before 35

[FuzzX]

I realize a bunch of you are older than 35 but this is my guide... I posted it on a PUA forum at one time but was cut down pretty quick by the self improvement crowd.

A little back history about me:
I've been teaching english for about 5 years on and off.
I've lived in Korea, Japan, Brazil, Mexico and Canada (My home).
I have no degree
I've done most of my travelling by saving money while working at a factory so anyone with a regular job has got one up on me.

This year I got my CDL/AZ License here and I'm going to drive truck for a year and live with my parents..> I can make it abroad on $2000 for a year but I should be able to save up enough in two years to retire forever.

You can retire abroad at an early age even working a restaurant job. Its not hard but you have to learn to live on less. ALOT LESS. Last year I lived in Guadalajara in a two bedroom house in a good area for $350/Month, I was supporting myself and my ex-girlfriend on about $100 a month and we ate extremely well (farmer's market). The cheapest place I lived was in Toluca, Mexico in a two bedroom apartment for $150/month in an upscale area.

Retire in a year
------------------

Step 1. Figure out how to sell everything in your house and do it. Throw everything into the bank.

Step 2. Create two seperate bank accounts. (1 Savings Account) (1 Local Living Chequing Account)

Step 3. Split your income into 5 Jars at the beginning of each month (1. Entertainment) (2. Transportation) (3. Food) (4. Savings) (5. Clothing and Gifts)

Step 4. Dump all your money from entertainment, clothing and gifts and whatever else is left over at the end of the month into your savings account.

Step 5. Buy discount/used items only, get a small ruled paper book and start writing down the prices of items at the store, look for the best deals and compare to your book. Eat mac and cheese for a year if you have to.

Step 6. Record all expenditures in your budget book.

Step 7. If you aren't working maximum hours then get a second job or start a small business.. its ok to pick fleas off a dog or flip burgers at McD's, just keep in your mind that you are retiring before 99% of the population.

Step 8. Get a TESOL, TEFL, TESL, Celta (This one sux)... I've done both TESOL and CELTA and I would strongly recommend the TESOL... I took mine here (http://www.globaltesol.com)

Step 9. Sign up at http://www.couchsurfing.org and start talking to people that are living in the place you want to go... some of them will even help you find a cheap place to rent or good cheap places to buy food. Email everyone and make lots of friends... aquire as many MSN and Yahoo Chat contacts as possible. I've run into a couple major problems abroad and have had more than a few couchsurfers bail me out and even rescue me from a violent situation.

Step 10. Research discount flights, last minute seating and courier services, you can probably cut your travel expenses in half this way. I've heard that some companies will even pay your flight to carry their package or give up some of your luggage space.

Step 12. Get travel insurance, you might not need it but its good to have just in case... Most places you can visit the doctor and buy medicines for under $10

Step 13. Turn your savings account into traveller's cheques.

Step 14. Make friends locally of the place you wish to travel to... most likely they'll have people there that will help you out. Ask about rents, cost of living. etc etc.

Step 15. Join http://www.daveseslcafe.com and talk to the teachers... usually these guys are living on nothing or next to nothing and can advise you about the best places to get cheap goods from ie: cleaning fluids, used refridgerators and appliances and in some cases gas tanks. Also ask about WATER REFILL STATIONS. They can also help you get setup in jobs or with friends who might be hiring. (I've met an excellent contact this way)

Step 16. Print off teaching resumes so you can hit the ground running. Make several copies of your passport and diplomas (colour copies) and when you hit the dirt, you'll be prepared... if you want to get a teaching job I suggest that you hit all the schools in the area then goto all the factories. Every factory will have a resident teacher and you can ask him about taking over a few of his classes for a small fee.

Step 17. Buy a hidden money pouch (get them at walmart) and always stick you passport and cash on the inside of that when you travel. I like the ones you can wrap around your waist and hide in your shirt.

Step 18. Goto the library and get a bunch of books on home repair and learn a bit of that before you go... it'll save you alot of money if you need something fixed.

Step 19. WORK IN A RESTAURANT... try working in at least 2 restaurants, what you will learn will be invaluable to you abroad. If you know how to cook, great... but I highly recommend restaurant training... they'll teach you everything about safe food prep and creating excellent meals from cheap foods AND you'll get paid to boot.

Step 20. JUMP IN.

I like this website aswell. http://www.roadjunky.com/ its another good travel site that tells it like it is.

If you have any questions feel free to PM me, I'm always happy to help... oh btw I've only ever had foreign girlfriends...currently dating a brazilian.

[Nate]

I realize a bunch of you are older than 35 but this is my guide... I posted it on a PUA forum at one time but was cut down pretty quick by the self improvement crowd.

A little back history about me:
I've been teaching english for about 5 years on and off.
I've lived in Korea, Japan, Brazil, Mexico and Canada (My home).
I have no degree
I've done most of my travelling by saving money while working at a factory so anyone with a regular job has got one up on me.

This year I got my CDL/AZ License here and I'm going to drive truck for a year and live with my parents..> I can make it abroad on $2000 for a year but I should be able to save up enough in two years to retire forever.

You can retire abroad at an early age even working a restaurant job. Its not hard but you have to learn to live on less. ALOT LESS. Last year I lived in Guadalajara in a two bedroom house in a good area for $350/Month, I was supporting myself and my ex-girlfriend on about $100 a month and we ate extremely well (farmer's market). The cheapest place I lived was in Toluca, Mexico in a two bedroom apartment for $150/month in an upscale area.

Retire in a year
------------------

Step 1. Figure out how to sell everything in your house and do it. Throw everything into the bank.

Step 2. Create two seperate bank accounts. (1 Savings Account) (1 Local Living Chequing Account)

Step 3. Split your income into 5 Jars at the beginning of each month (1. Entertainment) (2. Transportation) (3. Food) (4. Savings) (5. Clothing and Gifts)

Step 4. Dump all your money from entertainment, clothing and gifts and whatever else is left over at the end of the month into your savings account.

Step 5. Buy discount/used items only, get a small ruled paper book and start writing down the prices of items at the store, look for the best deals and compare to your book. Eat mac and cheese for a year if you have to.

Step 6. Record all expenditures in your budget book.

Step 7. If you aren't working maximum hours then get a second job or start a small business.. its ok to pick fleas off a dog or flip burgers at McD's, just keep in your mind that you are retiring before 99% of the population.

Step 8. Get a TESOL, TEFL, TESL, Celta (This one sux)... I've done both TESOL and CELTA and I would strongly recommend the TESOL... I took mine here (http://www.globaltesol.com)

Step 9. Sign up at http://www.couchsurfing.org and start talking to people that are living in the place you want to go... some of them will even help you find a cheap place to rent or good cheap places to buy food. Email everyone and make lots of friends... aquire as many MSN and Yahoo Chat contacts as possible. I've run into a couple major problems abroad and have had more than a few couchsurfers bail me out and even rescue me from a violent situation.

Step 10. Research discount flights, last minute seating and courier services, you can probably cut your travel expenses in half this way. I've heard that some companies will even pay your flight to carry their package or give up some of your luggage space.

Step 12. Get travel insurance, you might not need it but its good to have just in case... Most places you can visit the doctor and buy medicines for under $10

Step 13. Turn your savings account into traveller's cheques.

Step 14. Make friends locally of the place you wish to travel to... most likely they'll have people there that will help you out. Ask about rents, cost of living. etc etc.

Step 15. Join http://www.daveseslcafe.com and talk to the teachers... usually these guys are living on nothing or next to nothing and can advise you about the best places to get cheap goods from ie: cleaning fluids, used refridgerators and appliances and in some cases gas tanks. Also ask about WATER REFILL STATIONS. They can also help you get setup in jobs or with friends who might be hiring. (I've met an excellent contact this way)

Step 16. Print off teaching resumes so you can hit the ground running. Make several copies of your passport and diplomas (colour copies) and when you hit the dirt, you'll be prepared... if you want to get a teaching job I suggest that you hit all the schools in the area then goto all the factories. Every factory will have a resident teacher and you can ask him about taking over a few of his classes for a small fee.

Step 17. Buy a hidden money pouch (get them at walmart) and always stick you passport and cash on the inside of that when you travel. I like the ones you can wrap around your waist and hide in your shirt.

Step 18. Goto the library and get a bunch of books on home repair and learn a bit of that before you go... it'll save you alot of money if you need something fixed.

Step 19. WORK IN A RESTAURANT... try working in at least 2 restaurants, what you will learn will be invaluable to you abroad. If you know how to cook, great... but I highly recommend restaurant training... they'll teach you everything about safe food prep and creating excellent meals from cheap foods AND you'll get paid to boot.

Step 20. JUMP IN.

I like this website aswell. http://www.roadjunky.com/ its another good travel site that tells it like it is.

If you have any questions feel free to PM me, I'm always happy to help... oh btw I've only ever had foreign girlfriends...currently dating a brazilian.

You cut through the whining and bitching to get to the point: You can change your life if you want to, even if you dont have much income. >>>It is that "Do whatever it takes" attitude that wins in the end.

Nate

[Travel Dude]

I like your thread. Yes, I have personally lived in Peru on about $300 per month (but not in the captial). It is possibile to live on $300 per month overseas and not feel deprived or like a homeless person.

If you feel personally that you don't need all the modern things in like (a car, a large apartment, daily trips to Starbucks, eating at high end restaurents...etc etc), you can really enjoy life overseas on a tenth of what it costs in any large city in the USA or Canada.

The key of "the good life" is not how much you earn per month but HOW MUCH YOU REALLY NEED per month. For me, I am happy with the basic needs in life (a good drink, a nice woman and my health)....THATS IT.

[FuzzX]

What was your experience like in Peru? I am heading there next to see the Nazca Lines... and then maybe onto Bolivia to see the Pooma Ponga Ancients.

[Travel Dude]

What was your experience like in Peru? I am heading there next to see the Nazca Lines... and then maybe onto Bolivia to see the Pooma Ponga Ancients.

Peru is great. One suggestion is to spend less time in the captial and head to the beaches of the north. Punta Sal is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Very quiet with white sand and blue/green water. Piura is a nice city in the north full of very friendly people and nice looking ladies. There are so many great cities but I really know the north of the country. I hope to explore more of Peru in the future. Right now I am stuck in the USA in a boring job.