6 Secrets to Living Abroad Employed or Not

1. Generating Income

Not all of our jobs allow us to live abroad. I'm lucky that my job lets me to live where ever I choose. The benefit of freelance writing is that you're not tied down. A number of other jobs allow you to telecommute as well. Consultants of various flavors, software engineers, web designers, and photographers can all live aboard quite easily because they are rarely tied to a desk. If your job isn't telecommute-friendly, that doesn't mean you'll always be glued to your desk. While you may not be able to generate income, you can still live on savings. Calculate how much it would cost for you to live a year (or however long you would like) in your ideal destination. Then, calculate how long it would take you to put aside the cash to live even if didn't generate any income while living there.

2. Create Two Budget

This is helpful for saving before you go and once you get there. You want your budget to be as accurate as possible and if you're unsure of a number, always choose the larger end. The last thing you want to do is run out of money while you're there. This budget should include housing, utilities, transportation, food, toiletries, clothing, weekend travel, gifts, insurance, etc. After you've come up with your magic number, it's time to find the money.

Next up, calculate your at home budget and be honest about what you're spending. This may require a few months of saving receipts in order to accurately come up with a number. Find places that can be cut. When we did our budget extra money came from cutting out cable, reducing cell phone minutes, sharing one car, and eating out only once per week. Then find ways to generate extra money by selling your possessions. Take a long hard look at what you own and minimize, minimize, minimize. Have a yard sale, use Ebay, or sell designer clothing to a high-end consignment shop.

3. Do all the Free Stuff First

Once you get there, don't blow the budget. No matter where you live there are plenty of free and inexpensive things to do. Make a list of all the free things you want to try in your chosen destination and do these activities first. If you're headed to a big city explore the architecture, parks, markets, and festivals to get a feel for the city. If you're headed to the tropics think about hitting the beach, hiking, and camping. Act like a local rather than a tourist. That doesn't mean missing out on sight seeing, but only pay for places that are worth seeing. Skip the tours, pricey restaurants, and excessive shopping.

4. Eat Like a Local

One of my favorite parts of nearly every city I visit is the farmers' market. That's where you learn how people eat, what people eat, and what the area provides. This is true of some of my favorite places on earth from fresh macadamia nuts, avocado, and mango on Kauai to bright green collards, sweet corn, and purple garlic in Charleston. Not only is the farmers' market a great way to learn about a destination, it's also the best in cheap eats. According to Barry Frangipane author of the Venice Experiment, "ou could spend a small fortune eating in the tourist trap restaurants, or you could buy fresh groceries every day and live as the locals do, creating your own meals and stopping by the smaller, lesser known eateries and cafes frequented by the locals."

5. Travel Light

Not only does traveling light save you money in commute, it saves you money once you get there. The more stuff you have, the larger a place you have to rent when you're aboard. It's always best to travel with a little as possible and rent a small furnished apartment or house. This way you don't have to haul a bunch of stuff with you and you'll get to find a place based on location rather than size. And you can get rid of tons of stuff that you won't be using while you're gone.

6. Location, Location, Location

This isn't true of everywhere in the world but in cities and towns throughout Europe especially, and much of the world, public transportation is ample and available. As I said above, it's always better to pay slightly more for a small place in a good location because then you have access to public transportation. The metro and buses will save you loads of cash and you won't have to fight traffic patterns that you don't understand.
While it may seem intimidating to move abroad, living minimally and planning ahead can make it easier than you ever could have dreamed. As Barry Frangipane says, "ask yourself. Do you have any real concrete reasons you can't go? Or is it just that you're afraid you might like it too much?