My spouse and I like to journey. Within the 5 years that we have been collectively, we have made many unforgettable recollections throughout our journeys overseas.
However in July 2021, we took a Greek Isles cruise for my spouse’s forty ninth birthday that really modified our lives. As we sat in our ocean view cabin, we talked about how we’d spend our empty nest years. Our 5 kids had all moved out of the home.
Throughout a Greek Isles cruise journey, Kimanzi Constable determined to promote their belongings and journey the world as digital nomads.
Photograph: Kimanzi Constable
It felt unimaginable to journey once more after Covid-19 shutdowns eased. So we took the leap and bought our belongings to journey full-time as digital nomads.
How we moved overseas and have become digital nomads
A number of elements influenced our choice. First, my spouse and I run a consulting firm and online education program that teaches entrepreneurs the way to model and market themselves. Our work would not require us to be in a single particular location.
We had been additionally annoyed with the circumstances of being individuals colour within the U.S. We ceaselessly confronted racism in the feedback part every time we printed articles and movies on-line. We even had individuals flat out inform us that they would not do enterprise with us as a result of I am African American and my spouse is Puerto Rican.
Operating an internet enterprise permits Kimanzi and his spouse to work from anyplace, like this rooftop in Lisbon, Portugal.
Photograph: Kimanzi Constable
However after watching YouTube channels like Our Rich Journey, studying blogs like Nomadic Matt and listening to podcasts like Chris The Freelancer’s Podcast, we realized that we might lower your expenses overseas. YouTube channels like Passport Heavy additionally confirmed us that there may very well be fewer experiences of racism in different nations.
So after the cruise journey, we bought our automobile and belongings, aside from just a few particular gadgets that we preserve in a storage unit. We additionally bought our five-bedroom, four-bathroom, 3,100-square-foot house in Lakewood Ranch, Florida for $810,000, and our second house in Bushnell for $265,000.
We used the earnings to pay down debt and spend money on our retirement and emergency funds. A part of that cash additionally helped pay for our first six months of journey, together with our Airbnbs and flights.
Kimanzi and his spouse’s first cease as full-time vacationers was Puerto Rico, the place they related together with his spouse’s heritage.
Photograph: Kimanzi Constable
In October 2021, we lastly landed in Puerto Rico, the place we had been in a position to join with my spouse’s heritage. Since that journey, we have lived in locations like London, Rome, Lisbon and Good.
How we earn, save and spend cash
Along with our on-line enterprise, which generates a mean of $19,000 in month-to-month income, my freelance writing aspect hustle brings in round $1,000 per thirty days.
Once we first began touring, we dedicated to not spending greater than after we did in Florida. Our common month-to-month bills again then had been:
- Mortgage (on two houses): $5,686
- Upkeep and insurance coverage charges (on two houses): $2,385
- Utilities and telephone: $621
- Automotive funds and gasoline: $2,058
- Automotive insurance coverage: $275
- Medical insurance: $548
- Meals (groceries and consuming out): $2,500
- Health memberships: $438
- Streaming companies: $65
- Bank card debt: $525
Complete: $15,101
Our objective was to dwell a cushty and enjoyable life whereas additionally saving cash. Now, we have reduce our month-to-month finances by greater than 50%, and we give ourselves a most of $8,000 per thirty days to fund our lives as digital nomads.
To this point, our month-to-month bills have averaged $7,886. We put each buy we are able to on our bank cards to build up factors and miles, then redeem them totally free flights.
Kimanzi places most of his purchases on bank cards to earn factors for flights.
Photograph: Kimanzi Constable
We spent February this yr in Lisbon, Portugal. Here’s a breakdown of our month-to-month bills there:
- Lease (Airbnbs): $2,683
- Flights: $1,498
- Transportation: $131
- Meals (groceries, consuming out): $2,137
- Streaming companies: $65
- Cellphone: $121
- Automotive insurance coverage (our daughter’s automobile): $195
- Small storage unit within the U.S.: $95
- Remedy: $780
- Leisure: $81
Complete: $7,786
How we select our digital nomad locations
We select our locations based mostly on seasonal climate, value of residing, and whether or not the nation is on both of our bucket lists.
One of many locations Kimanzi and his spouse selected was Good, France, the place they visited earlier this yr in March.
Photograph: Kimanzi Constable
We keep in Airbnbs over resorts as a result of we would like locations with a big kitchen, a washer and dryer, a pleasant view and devoted area for us to work. Lodges simply cannot provide all of that.
We spend anyplace from one to 3 months in every place. For some individuals, it will probably really feel tiring to have such a transient life-style, however we like it.
We construction our schedule to steadiness work and enjoyable
Work takes up a lot of our time in the course of the week. We’re on our computer systems and telephones Monday via Friday, usually from 8 a.m. to about 4 p.m. I am the chef within the household, so we eat at house in the course of the weekdays.
Weekends are after we actually get to have enjoyable. We sleep in on Saturday mornings, and I wake my spouse up with espresso and a selfmade breakfast. Then we’ve a listing of points of interest we need to go to from YouTube movies that we have watched.
We discover every nation we journey to, delight within the native delicacies, and stroll loads. Our favourite metropolis to date has been Rome. The Italian meals there’s unbeatable.
Rome has been the couple’s favourite cease to date.
Photograph: Kimanzi Constable
We like that we are able to stroll from our Airbnb close to the Vatican to the middle of Rome in about 25 minutes. We might depart and be indulging in pizza or gelato very quickly. The stroll across the metropolis and again to our Airbnb helps us burn off an excellent quantity of energy.
Full-time journey is freedom for us
We have been digital nomads for seven months now and we do not remorse our choice to promote the whole lot and journey full-time.
We’re at present in Medellin, Colombia.
Kimanzi and his spouse keep in contact with their 5 kids by way of FaceTime, Zoom and journeys again house to the U.S.
Photograph: Kimanzi Constable
Whereas touring, we use Zoom and FaceTime to remain in contact with individuals again house. Know-how permits us to dwell the full-time digital nomad life-style with out feeling so distant from our household and pals.
We’re saving cash and staying in nations that really feel welcoming to us as individuals of colour. Europe was such an excellent expertise that we’re contemplating getting long-term residency there.
We’re so grateful that we get to dwell a lifetime of freedom, and the place day-after-day appears like a brand new journey.
Kimanzi Constable is an entrepreneur and a contract author. His work has been printed in Fortune, Entrepreneur, Black Enterprise, SUCCESS, NBC, Journey & Leisure, CBS and Mother and father, amongst many others. Observe him and his spouse on YouTube to maintain up with their travels.
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