Don't be rich, Live rich • Hacker News Board

Re: Don't be rich, Live rich

#61

Post by Joeri » Sun, Jun 26, 2011, 9:15 PM UTC

smikhanov wrote: post #27

georgieporgie wrote: post #17

What are the best technologies to focus on in order to be mobile/remote? I've notice that nobody is interested in remote C++ development, and the few people I meet who are doing something like this are in some branch of web development.

Sure. The bottom line is that nobody is interested in any serious stuff being done remotely. So those type of stories you usually hear from someone like these folks who did "online communications" and "freelance web design/programming", which is not serious by definition. Projects involving something like C++ have significantly higher chances of having a bigger scope, impact and different set of responsibilities from…

It helps that they are from Belgium. Healthcare isn't an issue, because I'm sure they arranged for repatriation insurance ahead of time for anything serious, and once back in belgium getting medical treatment is cheap. Career and experience weren't affected, because a gap year doesn't matter much to employers. Passports similarly aren't an issue. I've been to south-africa, thailand and the US, and I never needed a visum.

I used to be big on the idea of leaving belgium and going to "nice" places to live there. Over here the weather always seemed to be cold and rainy, the people inhospitable and narrow-minded, and the cities dull and lifeless. Travelling sort of brought me back home. The weather is cold and rainy at times, but it's also totally unpredictable, and appreciating that has made me realize it's not as rainy as I thought it was. The people may not be as warm and welcoming as they are in thailand, but they also respect your privacy and they are more honest with their emotions. As far as the cities go, I've really come to love Antwerp, where I live now. When I go on vacation to thailand now (went once a year for the past few years), it's amazing, and I get to do things that are impossible in belgium (I got married with nothing but green fields between us and mountains on all sides), but after a few weeks I always get homesick.

In a way, I think this sort of on-the-move lifestyle is meant for people that haven't found a home yet. Once you do find a genuine home, not just a place where your bed is, and come to appreciate it, you simply don't need to do this. I still like to travel, but only to satisfy curiosity, not because I think other places are nicer.

Re: Don't be rich, Live rich

#62

Post by billpaetzke » Sun, Jun 26, 2011, 9:17 PM UTC

econgeeker wrote: post #55

We've been doing this for three years now. This couple seemed to focus on having a year abroad, we've made it our lifestyle, and we're doing a startup (rather than consulting). I started this as a response to the "how to keep productive" question, but I'll try to address the other questions people have been asking in the thread later on. We also have the issue of taking some period of time to get back into the produc…

Could you give more detail on your health insurance--what you have now, and some other ones you're considering?

Re: Don't be rich, Live rich

#63

Post by Joeri » Sun, Jun 26, 2011, 9:21 PM UTC

illumin8 wrote: post #57

econgeeker wrote: post #55

We've been doing this for three years now. This couple seemed to focus on having a year abroad, we've made it our lifestyle, and we're doing a startup (rather than consulting). I started this as a response to the "how to keep productive" question, but I'll try to address the other questions people have been asking in the thread later on. We also have the issue of taking some period of time to get back into the produc…

It sounds like a lot of fun, but how do you save for your retirement? If you spent 10 years doing this, wouldn't you be too far behind to catch up and end up living a poor lifestyle when you should be traveling and enjoying your later years?

I always hear people talk about all the things they'll do after they retire, but somehow I never see them actually do it. Sometimes you just need to do things instead of putting them off to some uncertain future.

Re: Don't be rich, Live rich

#64

Post by georgieporgie » Sun, Jun 26, 2011, 9:24 PM UTC

Harkins wrote: post #22

georgieporgie wrote: post #17

What are the best technologies to focus on in order to be mobile/remote? I've notice that nobody is interested in remote C++ development, and the few people I meet who are doing something like this are in some branch of web development.

Web stuff works for me. Demand is high enough that there are companies willing to take part-time workers.

How do you go about finding new work remotely? Is it primarily return business from previous clients?

Re: Don't be rich, Live rich

#65

Post by Harkins » Sun, Jun 26, 2011, 9:24 PM UTC

jen_h wrote: post #54

sjmulder wrote: post #7

What’s the best way to go about finding places to live for a short time that don’t cost an arm, leg and rib?

We've been doing this for going on two years now. Off-season--even just by a few weeks--rocks for better pricing. We've gotten a bunch of beautiful places very inexpensively off-season, after school starts, for example...this is in the US; for what we do, we need consistent & reliable Internet access, plus we're traveling with our pet. VRBO & HomeAway have been pretty solid senders, we've tried a bunch of other optio…

Funny, the only time I've had luck with VRBO/HomeAway is peak season, grabbing last-minute deals on things that would otherwise stand empty. :)

Re: Don't be rich, Live rich

#66

Post by leyfa » Sun, Jun 26, 2011, 9:25 PM UTC

illumin8 wrote: post #57

econgeeker wrote: post #55

We've been doing this for three years now. This couple seemed to focus on having a year abroad, we've made it our lifestyle, and we're doing a startup (rather than consulting). I started this as a response to the "how to keep productive" question, but I'll try to address the other questions people have been asking in the thread later on. We also have the issue of taking some period of time to get back into the produc…

It sounds like a lot of fun, but how do you save for your retirement? If you spent 10 years doing this, wouldn't you be too far behind to catch up and end up living a poor lifestyle when you should be traveling and enjoying your later years?

He mentioned that they don't spend any more money than they would have in the US. It shouldn't make a difference for the retirement plans then, I assume.

Re: Don't be rich, Live rich

#67

Post by ori_b » Sun, Jun 26, 2011, 9:37 PM UTC

How does this work with respect to visas and the like? I don't imagine that countries like you coming in to work and earn money without paying any taxes.

Re: Don't be rich, Live rich

#68

Post by econgeeker » Sun, Jun 26, 2011, 9:42 PM UTC

billpaetzke wrote: post #62

econgeeker wrote: post #55

We've been doing this for three years now. This couple seemed to focus on having a year abroad, we've made it our lifestyle, and we're doing a startup (rather than consulting). I started this as a response to the "how to keep productive" question, but I'll try to address the other questions people have been asking in the thread later on. We also have the issue of taking some period of time to get back into the produc…

Could you give more detail on your health insurance--what you have now, and some other ones you're considering?

We kept the insurance we had in the states before. Due to obamacare our previous plan was shut down (as it became illegal to sell lower cost plans like it) and we were put onto a more expensive plan. We're researching our options. But we may end up buying insurance in the USA and then supplementing it with World Nomads coverage. They charge around $50 a month and provide $500k emergency transport back to the US (where your insurance will cover you) plus a variety of other benefits. WorldNomads.com

Some of the other companies we've heard about are mentioned in this article, but we don't have experience with them: http://www.nomadtopia.com/faq-what-do-you-do-for-health-insu...

Sorry, I can't give a definitive answer on the solution, but this is an area where we're still learning.

Re: Don't be rich, Live rich

#69

Post by kristofferR » Sun, Jun 26, 2011, 9:51 PM UTC

BTW, my favorite podcast is The Lifestyle Business Podcast: http://www.lifestylebusinesspodcast.com/

The hosts are two guys who have created a million dollar business in the last three years while traveling. Their business is not some bullshit "blog"/earn money by selling tips on how to make money thing, it's a real business that actually sells physical products.

Everybody should check it out. It's a shame that they're charging for the first episodes since it makes it kinda hard to recommend to people (I discovered them before that), but their content is definitely worth paying for. It's probably the best audio-only business content I've heard.

Re: Don't be rich, Live rich

#70

Post by econgeeker » Sun, Jun 26, 2011, 9:59 PM UTC

illumin8 wrote: post #57

econgeeker wrote: post #55

We've been doing this for three years now. This couple seemed to focus on having a year abroad, we've made it our lifestyle, and we're doing a startup (rather than consulting). I started this as a response to the "how to keep productive" question, but I'll try to address the other questions people have been asking in the thread later on. We also have the issue of taking some period of time to get back into the produc…

It sounds like a lot of fun, but how do you save for your retirement? If you spent 10 years doing this, wouldn't you be too far behind to catch up and end up living a poor lifestyle when you should be traveling and enjoying your later years?

We're not living like tourists, we're working, a normal life. It is essentially the same as if we'd remained in the USA and done a startup. Yes, it is true, we do take longer and more frequent "vacations" than others (but that's in part possible because we live like raman lovers the rest of the time.) I think that's just part of a good work-life balance. The thing is, if we were in the states it would still be good to take such breaks, but it is much harder.

Whenever you decide to start a company with your partner, you're making a big commitment. You're taking risk of future reward in exchange for giving up immediate high salary (but horribly no-fun corporate jobs.) Previously we'd done the corporate jobs and the startup thing, and it was time for us to do our own startup.

For anyone out there considering doing what we're doing, the budget is what matters. If you can do this for the same cost of living, or less, than living in the USA, then why not do it?

What I didn't talk about is how much income we're currently making. And I didn't mention whether we were profitable or not, or whether we've passed the income we would have been making if we'd stayed in our corporate jobs. I don't want to go into that, because it isn't really useful for anyone considering this, as you have to make your own determination, but I feel safe in saying that I expect to live more comfortably in "retirement" than I would have if I hadn't done this startup.

Finally, I'm not sure what retirement is, really. I took a long break before, and travelled, and within a week of being on the road I was exploring ideas for starting a company. I had set aside 6 months for myself, didn't have to do anything (and when I came back, I got a job quickly, with the interviewers seeing my "employment gap" as something to be jealous of.) I don't expect I will ever stop working.

But, in my "later years" I do plan to travel more luxuriously.