It would be great if you could do a video on your annual costs, e.g. 2022, to include transportation (local and airfare between countries), lodging, food, entertainment and health insurance. Great video!

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

You could check out this video that provides an overview to some of the costs...bit.ly/3PzbhVB Hope that helps! 😊

Most people who haven’t traveled the world, probably wouldn’t know where to go to spend a month. I spent 5 years traveling the globe, went through probably 75 countries, and it wasn’t till 3 years in I knew where it was that I like best. And, this goes in order of country and region. I think it depends on one’s routines and lifestyles. After I’d travel a country, high to low, I’d often just got find an apartment for a month in the place I liked best that accommodated my routines best. One of my favorite spots was Floripa, Brasil, near Lagoa da Concessão, with Mole and Joaquina beaches right there. I also loved La Barra or Maldonado, Uruguay right after the summer crowds left in February. In Europe, there’s great spots, Spain among them. You can’t go wrong setting up outside Barcelona somewhere between Villasar del Mar and Argentona. Or anywhere in Basque Country, like Donostia. So many great spots everywhere, the hard part is knowing where. You don’t want to do a month in a place that isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, but you could easily do two or three months in the right spot.

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Wow, you've certainly earned your nomad credentials with that many years on the road! We do find it's important to do a lot of research before picking a place to spend a whole month...generally we like a mid-sized city with enough entertainment on offer but not overwhelming with crowds and traffic.

@mikeuptegrove

Жыл бұрын

@@OurFreedomYears sounds like a good method. Again however, there’s so many really neat places, and it’s hard to know which you’d want to spend time in without having visited prior first hand. Then again, what one doesn’t know they just don’t know, and thus, every place could be perfect for spending a month if you just don’t know or don’t care what else is out there. Sadly, figuring out what there is, requires lots of traveling about and discovery, and that takes time and money, and knowing yourself and what you like.

@jackbaldwin3649

6 ай бұрын

Thank you for the insight!! Such a great complement to Stephanie & Gillian's video!

I wanted to say that my family loves your videos, we get a kick out of your adventures. Keep it up!

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much -- we really appreciate all the encouragement! It's so motivating. 😊

I can't believe it's already been three years! I have been watching since the first video when Jillian was like a deer in the headlights on video. I love you guys and love following your life. Thanks so much for sharing.

@JRspeaking

Жыл бұрын

I was thinking the same thing! Jillian is WAY more comfortable with the camera now. It's been interesting to watch the progress.

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

So sweet - really nice of you to notice! Gillian has been very generous to participate in my KZread hobby project every month for the past few years 😂

I'm with you two!! Comfort rules!!!

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Exactly! It's so important to feel comfortable in our home away from home.

Love this, thank you for sharing! We are beginning our adventure traveling stateside in a vehicle while staying at Airbnb's along the way and this insight is super helpful. Your ability to travel to other countries keeps the prices more reasonable. We love it that you average out your cost in the multiple categories, allowing yourself to splurge after not spending as much in another country. What is your experience traveling with your sweet puppies? We're curious about flights, Airbnb policies, entertainment, country restrictions/paperwork, etc.

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed the video! Generally we've found travel with our dogs in Europe to be very easy (they have EU pet passports, which we got on our very first visit) while in South America it's been much more difficult...lots of extra vet visits and paperwork. We've covered some of our dog travel tips in this download: bit.ly/3oF4OMc Overall we find that traveling with dogs is a lot more work but is also very rewarding. And we've been pleasantly surprised at how many places we can bring them as we explore different countries.

I love this!! We are working hard toward achieving financial freedom and doing slw travel. Thanks for the motivation! and transparency

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

You are so welcome! Glad to be of help. 😊

😮You Have DOGS! which means ❤ but also this is an extra cost and often many Airbnbs don't allow pets. Dog Lovers will love a vid or more on Traveling with Doggies. btw, WE LOVE YOU!

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for all the love! Traveling with dogs is definitely an extra expense that needs to be considered.Not just the obvious extras, like food and vets but also the need to take more expensive transportation (eg private transfers vs buses) and having limited options for Airbnbs, as you mentioned.

Thanks for sharing these details. AirBnBs rentals can definitely add up. It's so nice when we can get a great apartment at a reasonable price. Right now we're spending a month in the Galapagos (yes, we know it's expensive, but we really wanted to see the marine life) and our apartment rental cost is way more than we were hoping, and while it's nice, it's not as comfortable as we would have liked for that price! Looking forward to the more reasonable prices on mainland Ecuador.

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

You'll definitely get much more value for your spend once you hit the mainland. In the meantime, you're trading the high cost of accommodation for an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience...well done! 😊

Great video! Your adventures are beautifully captured. I've been wanting to keep better track of how much we spend while traveling long-term, but I also don't want it to stress me out 😂. We also tend to spend about the same amount per month on food no matter where we are. Looking forward to watching more of your videos. 🌺Heidi

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

So glad to hear that you're enjoying our videos! We use YNAB to track our spending and find it to be fairly easy. I really enjoy keeping track of our budgets because it makes it easier to validate those occasions when we decide to splurge. 😂

Great video! It's amazing how much cheaper it is to travel full time compared to a similar standard of living in the US, Canada, or Singapore. And seeing that delicious Turkish breakfast reminded us that we are overdue to have one ourselves! We are excited to see where you'll be traveling in the future.

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Yes! We're constantly amazed at how much we save versus back when we were working full-time and living in an expensive condo. I think we might be Europe bound this summer...it would be great to cross paths again in the near future. 😊

@snailtravelers

Жыл бұрын

Wonderful! We hope our paths cross again. We don't know our travel plans for the summer, but we hope to do some planning soon.

I have been to Ephesus in Turkey too. It was a amazing trip , I want to go again ❤

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Such a beautiful place...I could have spent the whole day there. 😊

Very interesting video - thanks for sharing the costs. Your place in Colombia looks AMAZING! We, too, have pretty high standards - must be central, clean, no studio, fully equipped kitchen, bright with a lot of windows and preferably a balcony, laundry, fast and reliable internet, good reviews. You get what you pay for, and we are beyond the backpacker phase (although we travel with only backpacks 😉).

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Glad to hear that we're not the only ones with high standards for our Airbnbs. Those standards tend to drive up the price of our rentals but we're happy to pay for more comfort. Very envious that you manage to travel with backpacks only! 😊

PS. I am impressed you are both slim and fit while traveling. I know the self discipline that takes! You are an inspiration to me.

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

We try our best to workout every day, even if it's just a short exercise session. And of course walking the dogs a few times a day is quite helpful 😊

You guys are the best!

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! 😊

Love your channel ❤️

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! That's wonderful to hear. 😊

I think you're doing really well, budget-wise. I have been slow traveling for 4 months now and we are typically spending well over $2k a month for the Airbnbs we've reserved. They are all in major US and European cities, though. Thanks for the information you provide!

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Glad you found it helpful! As you've probably found, big cities with lots to offer do tend to cost more 😊

@emss1583

Жыл бұрын

Once you get out of North America and most of Europe the Airbnb prices get much lower.. And it gets more interesting too.

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

@@emss1583 Very true!

Awesome video girls, very informative ❤

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! 😊

I so appreciate your transparency about costs. We are not in our 20s anymore. Hell, we are not in our 50s anymore! And one of us is not in his 60s anymore❤. We spend so much more than you on entertainment (Bruce Springsteen in Barcelona! And excursions in ports during 60+ days of cruising annually). And we kept most of our streaming services and newspaper/magazine subscriptions along with our music subscriptions. And we spend about $1200 a month on food as we love the high-end chefs when we’re in their neighborhoods. And accommodations? We average about $2000 a month though we are integrating 6-8 weeks of petsitting to offset the increases we’re seeing in rents..

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Wonderful to hear that you're also making the most of this nomad lifestyle! Yes, it can cost a little extra sometimes but we find that the additional comforts and experiences are well worth it. And I too always look for special tasting menus when I land in a city with a great chef! 😉

I could actually hear the drum roll before you stated the average amount spent for Airbnbs! LOL! I've been so curious as my partner and I are thinking about living this way for sometime as well. Thank you for sharing this!! We've stayed in many Airbnbs already and I don't think $1,700 is bad at all! I love your list of 'must haves', I would add comfortable mattresses and good water pressure. I know these last two are not always easy to ascertain from the reviews but I try!! Also, I love your point that paying more doesn't necessarily mean a nicer Airbnb.

@OurFreedomYears

6 ай бұрын

Great to hear that you enjoyed the video! Our views on what makes for good value in an Airbnb have really evolved over the years. At this point, we're comfortable paying a higher price as long as we're getting all the comforts of home. Of course, as we said, we've also paid a higher price and still ended up in fairly basic place. It's always a bit of a gamble 😂

Thank you for sharing your travels with us! I appreciated the budget information, but I’m also curious about how the travel is going 2 years in. Is slow travel working for you both? Is a month in each location “slow enough” in general - that is, do you want to stay longer, or move more frequently? Is it still exciting or becoming a drag? Just curious!

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Great questions -- we tackled some of them in this video bit.ly/3COfcbP. It's actually well over three years of travel now and we're finding that it's not always an easy lifestyle. Currently we're mixing up short adventure travel with month-long stays in interesting cities and it's going pretty well. We are also visiting our hometown regularly, which is an important time for recharging.

We have been traveling the world for three years in early retirement and spend about $2,200 per month on average for Airbnbs (ranging from $1,250 to $3,000). We typically rent for a month at a time. We won’t compromise much on comfort. One of the things that makes the lifestyle sustainable for us. All but one of our 30+ stays have been great.

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

I'm guessing that you've stayed in some pretty spectacular places -- well done! We feel like our standards are constantly going up for our Airbnbs and we're okay with that...totally agree that a really great Airbnb makes this lifestyle much more sustainable 😊

Haha, buy what looks pretty! Stephanie, you are so funny! Honestly, I loved this and all your videos. I've been on the road for seven months now, all in Mexico. I keep very close tabs on my spending also. I'm doing travel at an even slower pace than you though. I was in La Paz for 3 months, then Mazatland for 3.5 months, and now just arrived in Mexico City for 2.5 months. Just as a comparison to your costs, I'm going to put my averages up for the last 5 months of 2022. The costs are all for me and my little doggie. AirBnb's=$1100, Groceries=$275, Eating out= $90, Transportation=$36, Medical Ins=$200, Miscellaneous=$125. Miscellaneous includes propinas, donations, entertainment, etc. When I add these with expenses that are personal for me, things like my student loans and others, my monthly average is $2300. It doesn't seem like a lot of money (it's not, which is great), but I'm also not missing out on anything. I do what I want, eat what I want, and go where I want. I'm living life pretty darn stress-free and loving it! Good luck going forward and safe travels!

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Great share - thank you! I think it's always useful for nomads to compare and contrast budgets. Your food budget is impressively low! Not sure how you manage it but probably we're just spending a lot on our meals 😂

@dogtiredtravels5286

Жыл бұрын

@@OurFreedomYears My food budget is pretty low, but honestly I don't eat a whole lot. I try to remember to eat to fuel my body and I also intermittent fast, so I"m trying to eat all the right things for only a limited period during the day. Seems to work well for me. (-:

Great channel girls 👍🏻

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Thank you - very much appreciated! 😊

With some places banning Airbnbs and recently Barcelona, this might be a trend. What are your thoughts on this on overall travel cost and options. I love your channel btw on slow travel. New subscriber here from Toronto. I used to work in Singapore too :) 👋

Thank you for this video. Would you make a video about 3 years into early retirement. Do you have regrets, would you do anything different, what is the impact on your health and the doggies health. And other wisdom you gained?

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

That's an excellent topic! We'll give it some thought. So far we're very happy with our choices although we've certainly had some challenges along the way. Likely the biggest learning is that our needs and interests continue to evolve and what works for us one year won't necessary work forever.

I plan to do this next year but limited to America because of immigration. Been thinking about it for about a year but just figured I could do it with Airbnb. 😂 You guys are living my wishful best life. 😅❣️🖖🏿But I look forward to trying to make it work in America and looking forward to next year when my lease ends. I know it must be a bit harder with fur friends for sure😺🙀

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Good luck with all your plans! It's never easy to have a nomadic lifestyle but all the exciting experiences make it worthwhile.

That house in Columbia looks so so amazing

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

It was amazing...although it was a pretty bumpy ride in a jeep to get there 😂

Since you didn't give a total at the end, am I missing anything by calculating $2700 for average monthly cost ? (100+100+800+1700) Of course not counting insurance, airfare, etc., covered in other videos. This is a VERY helpful video, thanks so much!

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

So glad you enjoyed it! Yes, that sounds about right for a monthly average although, like we said, it can vary quite a bit from month to month.

Random question, Stephanie. I always have trouble finding a stylist who can cut curly hair, but in spite of moving from location to location, your hair looks great! Any tips on finding a stylist in a new city - and in a different language?

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

I was worried about this too before we started traveling. Fortunately I have a very helpful partner who watched a lot of KZread videos and is now my personal hair stylist where we go! Our joke is that Gillian grooms all three poodles in our household. 😂 Gillian's hair is more straightforward so she usually looks for well-reviewed hairstylists on Google Maps and shares a photo of her desired hair cut. Hope that helps!

Thank you for sharing your travels! I understand most of your followers might not be interested in traveling with dogs but I was wondering if you could provide some insight on this. I'm particularly interested on how did you manage to move through Europe between Schengen and not Schengen zone? did you have to do a blood exam for your dogs before going back to the EU? if so, did you do it before leaving the European union? any tips on where/how to do this? is it better to do it in some countries versus others within the EU? I understand there are some restrictions for dogs coming from certain countries. Thanks a lot!

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Great questions! When we started traveling full time, we needed a rabies shot and a titre test before traveling into Europe from Singapore (our point of origin). We then obtained EU Pet Passports for our dogs in our very first destination of Poland. We have since found that non-Schengen European countries (and others) typically accept the EU Pet Passport in lieu of other paperwork. We always advise to look very closely at all the pet requirements before trying to enter a country and even follow up with the national authority if you have questions. Hope that helps!

Love your videos! Can you provide the link to the Airbnb where you shot this video?

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Here it is www.airbnb.com/rooms/4979117 A gorgeous place but you need a really rugged vehicle to get there 😂

I know what you mean about how locals ask what you're paying in rent and then tell you it's too high. They're comparing apples to oranges. Also, I really appreciate people who can think up better conversation questions than "how much do you pay for the roof over your head?"

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Exactly! 😂 I appreciate where locals are coming from with their comments but long-term rentals are very different from fully-furnished short term Airbnbs.

@Moorea2008

Жыл бұрын

@@OurFreedomYears exactly!

Thanks for another interesting video... Who is your accountant keeping track of all the cost details?

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Isn't she great at her job? 😂

COLOMBIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA YESSSS

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

😊😊😊😊😊

Great video and $1700 usd average for Aibnb's is not too expensive considering.. This gives us a very good idea of to expect.

@leapintothewild

Жыл бұрын

$1700 for airbnb only, though -- just clarifying in case anyone reads comments and didn't watch everything 🙂

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Glad it helps! We started out with a much lower budget for our Airbnbs and quickly discovered that it resulted in less-than-ideal apartments 😂

Thanks! Does this budget include your plane tickets to New locations? If not, what's the annual budget?

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

You can check this information for details on how much we've spent on flights bit.ly/3PzbhVB Hope that helps!

❤️ IF YOU WANT A FREE PLACE we love guests

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Nice! 😊

Hello, I enjoy your videos! I have a question, however. Many expats moving to Ecuador complain about the difficulties of bringing pets with them, but you bring your dogs all over the world. Have you broken the code? Is it simply easier when you can transport the dogs in the cabin? Is Ecuador just exceptionally difficult? I would very much appreciate your insight.

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

We do bring our dogs all over the world and always follow the airline requirements and the country import requirements to the letter. Both Ecuador and Colombia had more requirements versus other countries that we've been to (particularly as compared to Europe). We put in a big effort to make sure that we fully understood the requirements and also to find vets that could help with the paperwork as needed.

Wondering if you need permission from the Host first before you’re able to do an Airbnb tour? We’re currently Airbnb hopping and world schooling in the UK before returning home. We decided to try it out for 100 days and we are on our 3rd Airbnb in the UK 😊

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Amazing! Congratulations on trying out the nomadic lifestyle. We've never asked a host for permission to do a tour and typically we've already left the Airbnb by the time the video comes out.

@beahyle

Жыл бұрын

@@OurFreedomYears Thank you for replying and creating your videos! I took a lot of inspiration from your channel to start this and it’s been a crazy adventure 🤣 Next 90 days in Europe - I believe we are limited to 90 days stay in Schengen regions 🥺

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

@@beahyle Happy to hear that we could provide a little inspiration for the your journey!

I am about to take the leap next year may . will complete my 25X ,, was it easy to travel beyond Europe with poodles , coz I have my yorkie . so interested in your Experince

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Congratulations on being so close to your big goal! Traveling outside of Europe with dogs can be complicated. It's important to understand all the import/export requirements of each country and the airlines and follow them to the letter.

@dreamsforevery1

Жыл бұрын

@@OurFreedomYears thank u , I see

When you "tuck things away" in your first day kitchen cleanup.... do you put it all out again in the same place when you leave?

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

It depends! The decorative items always get returned to their original spot. Sometimes Gillian feels that her kitchen reorganisation is an improvement so we leave it as a suggestion to the host. 😂

I've also been curious why you keep a home base? Wouldn't it be less expensive for flying if you went from country to country? why do you fly back home in between "adventures"?

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

We actually don't have a home base. We go back to our hometown to see family at least twice a year and we always stay in Airbnbs when we're there. So worth it to see our family 😊

@pamwelty

Жыл бұрын

@@OurFreedomYears Ah that makes more sense. I got confused as when you say Home what you really mean is "home'ish". We are looking forward to saying "home'ish" in the near future.

So I started looking on Air bnb at your price point. $1,400 US dollars correct? I am not finding anything for that cheap for a month. ??? Is that the website you use to book your stays?

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Yes, we use Airbnb. It all depends on the destination, the season and negotiating further discounts with hosts based on a longer stay.

You are too much 🎉🎉🎉

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!! 😊😊😊

I'd be interested in your grand total for everything for the past year.

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Our spending certainly adds up over the course of a year! We tend not to share our overall expenses as they include a lot of personal items as well (gifts, taxes, clothes, dog stuff) that probably wouldn't be relevant to others. But we always share the most relevant expenses from our month-long stays.

@clairavalon8787

Жыл бұрын

@@OurFreedomYears I didn't mean broken down by item or type, but just one overall figure that includes everything, as a guide for what a year of freedom might cost, but thanks. Really enjoy your channel.

Guys and can you talk about your sources of income?

@OurFreedomYears

11 ай бұрын

Sure, we've talked about it in this video bit.ly/3wzqJ9Z Basically we live off the interest from our investments.

just a question: you never get tired of travelling all the time, not having home to come to after travel, you don't miss your friends and relatives? What about spouse overload? you are together all the time... Work, lets say organized intentional activity is a HUGE part of my satisfaction in live and happiness overall. There are only so many countries to see, you can do it all in couple of years, what after that? If you get sick or old in 20-30 years and want to settle? Are you going to have money for rent and medical expenses? Dont want to be judgemental.. but really, it seems like you are missing a lot of aspects of live

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

These are all great questions and we've addressed some of them in a recent video about travel burnout bit.ly/3COfcbP In terms of the financial sustainability of our lifestyle, we're pleased to say that we've done an excellent job managing our finances for the future, especially because we currently live on less than 3% of our net worth. We've shared our financial strategy in this video bit.ly/3wzqJ9Z Hope that helps answer your questions. 😊

Also, those amounts are they totals or per person? Not clear.....

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

The amounts are all totals, not per person.

Happy I left the USA in 2021 at 79 for a safer, less expensive, and cool weather in Queretaro. Karma never loses an address.

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Congratulations - what a beautiful place to make your home!

Is the total 2700$ USD for a person or is it for both?

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Yes, as @kam7800 said, it's for both of us. Although, as we mentioned in the video, we see lots of variation in our spend from month to month.

@Paul-rx6wz

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the clarification Based on a year travel I see you had travelled in these countries to summarize your budget. Let me know if this is correct Colombia Ecuador Mexico Turkey Spain Albania Serbia

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

@@Paul-rx6wz Very close! Here's where we went in 2022: Spain, Turkey, Canada, Mexico, Canada again, Ecuador, Colombia. Albania and Serbia were in 2021, along with a number of other countries.

What I want to know is how you travel from country to country with dogs.

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

We've done a few videos on this topic. You can start with this one bit.ly/3qdX6ta and you can also review our travel tips for dogs bit.ly/3oF4OMc

I love my Queretaro Airbnb. That includes all utilities. Maid. Security and beautifully furnished with a fantastic view. Have morals. Please be happy with your life. You only Needed your birth Mom to live in the womb.R. I. P Travel and keep written, audio and video journals for better mental health. Do not shack. Get pregnant.

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

We pay up to $7k/month but we're in multi-million $ homes. I don't think we'll ever own again.

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Sounds like you stay in some very beautiful places! 😊

@frankmontague7544

Жыл бұрын

@@OurFreedomYears Beautiful YES and sometimes for $1k/month. As you noted, Price doesn't equal Value.

Did I just get linked to a video called “How much it REALLY costs to travel full time” from a video called “What full time travel really costs?” Fml.

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

😂

first. :)

@OurFreedomYears

Жыл бұрын

Love it! 😊