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ChooseFI | Financial Independence Podcast

Slow Traveling the World The FI Way With Nomad Numbers

ChooseFI | Financial Independence Podcast

Jonathan Mendonsa & Brad Barrett | Choose FI Media, Inc

Investing, Careers, Business

4.85.2K Ratings

🗓️ 22 June 2020

⏱️ 61 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Mr. and Mrs. Nomad slashed their travel budget to $40,000 annually while visiting countries most people only dream about — and their health insurance costs less than what many Americans pay. Brad and Jonathan sit down with this couple who left conventional careers to design a life of perpetual travel, revealing the practical systems that make digital nomadism financially sustainable. The couple details their transition from traditional employment to location independence, sharing how they budget for long-term travel without sacrificing quality of life. Their approach includes negotiating extended stays for better rates, strategically using travel rewards to eliminate major expenses, and maintaining a diversified investment portfolio in low-cost index funds to fund their lifestyle. Key Timestamps & Topics: [00:02:25] The realities of digital nomadism beyond the Instagram highlights [00:03:24] Their path to financial independence and the decision to go nomadic [00:08:09] Breaking down their $40,000 annual travel budget [00:12:30] Travel rewards strategies that cover flights and accommodations [00:34:27] Expat health insurance options that cost less than U.S. plans [00:38:38] Building meaningful connections while constantly moving [00:59:40] How their goals continue evolving as nomads Practical Strategies: Negotiate long-term accommodation rates to reduce daily costs Maintain cash reserves for down years in the market Diversify investments into low-cost index funds for stability Actively participate in community groups to counter isolation Leverage travel rewards systematically to minimize major expenses Notable Insights: "Financial independence is a precious gift of time." [00:48:19] "Everything in life happens for a reason." [00:56:28] Resources: Nomad Numbers Blog The Simple Path to Wealth by Jim Collins

Transcript

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0:00.0

Your listening to Choose Applied Radio.

0:09.8

The blueprint for financial independence lives here.

0:20.6

If you're looking to unlock the secrets to financial independence and early retirement,

0:25.6

you're in the right place.

0:27.4

Stay tuned and join a community of like-minded people who are getting all finance to

0:31.8

be here and taking control of their lives in the pursuit of financial independence.

0:36.5

Choose FI, your home for financial independence online.

0:40.4

You know what's really interesting is that you think about financial independence as

0:53.0

really the opportunity to design your future, to design this life that you want to live

0:56.8

into.

0:57.8

It actually starts to pose some significant challenges because you realize like you have

1:02.2

your entire future ahead of you.

1:03.8

What do you want it to be?

1:05.3

What if you want to be location independent?

1:06.9

What if you don't want to kick that down until you're 65?

1:09.9

What are the practicalities of traveling the world, walking away from potentially, I don't

1:15.4

know, median income, high income jobs and taking this on?

1:19.2

I think today in this episode we're going to get chance to explore that idea, that concept

1:22.8

with two individuals, Mr. and Mrs. Nomad, who actually write over at nomadnumbers.com.

1:27.9

They've been doing this for the last 18 months and they've been documenting their story,

1:32.2

they've been documenting their cost of living, the challenges that come with community,

1:35.9

the challenges that come with filling their time with meaningful ideas and projects and

...

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