Post: #1

I've built a stream of online income that now amounts to about US$1500 a month, while needing only 6 hours a week of active attention from my part such as answering customer emails, tweaking the websites etc. I expect to expand / built new websites, so that amount should increase in the future.

I have one more year until I graduate from uni with a master's degree and will likely have no debts in my books, so I'm seriously considering leaving Europe for warmer shores.

I'm thinking about settling in Mexico, Colombia or SE-Asia - Europeans get 180 day or 90 day visas, making living there quite easy. I'd be planning to rent a beach bungalow or something, living an easy life of going to the beach, working out, eating well, hiking (I love hiking up mountains), riding horses, reading, sleeping and perhaps the occasional girl at my side.

While this all sounds good, I'm a bit afraid that at some point this will all become too old-fashioned, too pedestrian, and some years down the road one might ask oneself: "Is that really all there is?"

It seems like a great contradiction, since I know in my heart that working 40 hours in an office won't make me happy, yet I'm doubting the opposite lifestyle as well.

And if I decide to go back, who would hire an uni grad who decided to live on the beach after graduation? With little work experience under my belt, it'd probably be hard to reintegrate into the job world should I want to go back.

I feel so torn. Do you guys have any advice for me?

Post: #2

(12-06-2015 10:19 AM)lonewolf Wrote:  I've built a stream of online income that now amounts to about US$1500 a month, while needing only 6 hours a week of active attention from my part such as answering customer emails, tweaking the websites etc. I expect to expand / built new websites, so that amount should increase in the future.

I have one more year until I graduate from uni with a master's degree and will likely have no debts in my books, so I'm seriously considering leaving Europe for warmer shores.

I'm thinking about settling in Mexico, Colombia or SE-Asia - Europeans get 180 day or 90 day visas, making living there quite easy. I'd be planning to rent a beach bungalow or something, living an easy life of going to the beach, working out, eating well, hiking (I love hiking up mountains), riding horses, reading, sleeping and perhaps the occasional girl at my side.

While this all sounds good, I'm a bit afraid that at some point this will all become too old-fashioned, too pedestrian, and some years down the road one might ask oneself: "Is that really all there is?"

It seems like a great contradiction, since I know in my heart that working 40 hours in an office won't make me happy, yet I'm doubting the opposite lifestyle as well.

And if I decide to go back, who would hire an uni grad who decided to live on the beach after graduation? With little work experience under my belt, it'd probably be hard to reintegrate into the job world should I want to go back.

I feel so torn. Do you guys have any advice for me?

Congrats dude! You're in a similar situation to me, except my income is NOT passive. I have to work about 20-25 hours a week. Still, this thread might help you out. Lots of great advice so far for me!

/thread-52121.html

Post: #3

Isn't it obvious???

....Profit!

Post: #4

Also, I HIGHLY recommend you pick up the book "The 4 Hour Workweek". Tim Ferris discusses EXACTLY the issues you're facing now. It should prove a very appropriate read, PLUS it details how to get even MORE efficient on passive income. Definitely a book everyone on the forum should read.

Post: #5

(12-06-2015 10:31 AM)whateverfuckit Wrote:  Also, I HIGHLY recommend you pick up the book "The 4 Hour Workweek". Tim Ferris discusses EXACTLY the issues you're facing now. It should prove a very appropriate read, PLUS it details how to get even MORE efficient on passive income. Definitely a book everyone on the forum should read.

So funny you quote it, I read it three years ago and used his blueprint to built my first online business. I owe this man every dollar of passive income I have, because without him, it never would have happened. Looks like it's time for a re-read.

Actually I'll remember it vividly, I bought it in the Singapore airport when I was looking for a book to read on the plane and the title caught my attention. I remember I only had $20 left in my wallet, and the book was $25. I told the teller that's all I had and whether she could lower the price. She asked the manager, and he agreed. Given the ROI I got, the book was the best buy in my life. When I see that manager again, I'll give him a kiss.

Post: #6

(12-06-2015 10:33 AM)lonewolf Wrote:  

(12-06-2015 10:31 AM)whateverfuckit Wrote:  Also, I HIGHLY recommend you pick up the book "The 4 Hour Workweek". Tim Ferris discusses EXACTLY the issues you're facing now. It should prove a very appropriate read, PLUS it details how to get even MORE efficient on passive income. Definitely a book everyone on the forum should read.

So funny you quote it, I read it three years ago and used his blueprint to built my first online business. I owe this man every dollar of passive income I have, because without him, it never would have happened. Looks like it's time for a re-read.

Definitely. He even discusses situations like how to re-enter the workforce if you decide your "mini-retirement" is done.

BTW, what exactly do you sell? An eBook? Online video course? Just curious. I could never decide on a product. So I just sell physical goods.

Post: #7

You are going to need more than $1500 per month. Try and get it to $3-4,000.
One accident, or a trip to the hospital can make everything change on a dime. And, you dont want to live around poor people, they might get wise and kill or kidnap you. With some money in the bank you can get a residency visa in Mexico.

Post: #8

Quote:BTW, what exactly do you sell? An eBook? Online video course? Just curious. I could never decide on a product. So I just sell physical goods.

Me too. I started with an eBook and it was the first thing I ever sold in my life. When the "Payment received" PayPal email arrived in my inbox, I almost started sheeding a tear, doubting whether it could really be that easy. I grew up in a family where money was always scarce and my dad always said that making money is hard. But then, there I was, with a 30 page eBook, a one page website and money in my account. That moment showed me how easy it is to make money.

Nowadays I am basically a retailer for health & beauty products. I source them wholesale and resell them at a markup. It's 90% automated, quite similar to Ferriss' thing in his book.

Post: #9

(12-06-2015 10:39 AM)rpg Wrote:  You are going to need more than $1500 per month. Try and get it to $3-4,000.
One accident, or a trip to the hospital can make everything change on a dime. And, you dont want to live around poor people, they might get wise and kill or kidnap you. With some money in the bank you can get a residency visa in Mexico.

How is that different from being in America exactly? Isn't most of the "middle-class" one catastrophe away from near destitution? Sure, you could go on welfare, but given the culture here, I think 90% of us would rather beg on the streets than be parasites.

Post: #10

(12-06-2015 10:44 AM)whateverfuckit Wrote:  

(12-06-2015 10:39 AM)rpg Wrote:  You are going to need more than $1500 per month. Try and get it to $3-4,000.
One accident, or a trip to the hospital can make everything change on a dime. And, you dont want to live around poor people, they might get wise and kill or kidnap you. With some money in the bank you can get a residency visa in Mexico.

How is that different from being in America exactly? Isn't most of the "middle-class" one catastrophe away from near destitution? Sure, you could go on welfare, but given the culture here, I think 90% of us would rather beg on the streets than be parasites.

Being broke in America is very different to being broke in a foreign country.

Post: #11

(12-06-2015 10:19 AM)lonewolf Wrote:  While this all sounds good, I'm a bit afraid that at some point this will all become too old-fashioned, too pedestrian, and some years down the road one might ask oneself: "Is that really all there is?"

It seems like a great contradiction, since I know in my heart that working 40 hours in an office won't make me happy, yet I'm doubting the opposite lifestyle as well.

That will happen no matter what path you choose. You could have 20 million dollars, living on a beachfront estate with a harem of 9's, and eventually that question will assault you.

When we're poor with nothing it can be swept away with a, "Well if I had a million dollars, beautiful girl, and all the rest."

But when we have all of that and the question still comes....then we're in a serious spot with nowhere to hide, no where to point the finger to. Which is actually better because then the finger is now free to point in the direction it really needs to go.

Post: #12

The video and audio are not 100% in-sync (very slightly off what I can tell) but just watch this.

It is President Nixon post-resignation discussing the purpose of life. It's some of realist shit you will ever watch. Someone who made it to the top, lost his position prematurely, went out in disgrace in front of everyone, and now has to live with it forever.

Post: #13

OP, if you do leave, you wouldn't have to tell employers you just "sat on a beach."

You ran your own location-independent business!

That's a great story.

Of course, most employers basically want a clone of whoever you'd be replacing. So that might limit you to, say, positions selling whatever you sold in your own businesses.

So, you can go back.

But chances are, you won't have to, and you won't want to.

In fact, ironically, one thing that you'll probably do with your free time is try and make even more money. Not because you need to, but because you'll miss being productive.

I should know - I became location independent in July (through a different path, see my signature).

In spite of that, I'm still interested in making money - except this time, on my terms, and on my schedule.

Oh, and $1500 a month should be fine to get you started in most places. Check cost of living websites like numbeo.com to be sure. I spend about $1400 a month here in Poland, and that's with me spending twice as much as average on rent, since I only commit four weeks at a time on AirBnB.

Post: #14

(12-06-2015 10:19 AM)lonewolf Wrote:  I feel so torn. Do you guys have any advice for me?

(12-06-2015 10:33 AM)lonewolf Wrote:  When I see that manager again, I'll give him a kiss.

(12-06-2015 10:42 AM)lonewolf Wrote:  Nowadays I am basically a retailer for health & beauty products.

(12-06-2015 10:42 AM)lonewolf Wrote:  When the "Payment received" PayPal email arrived in my inbox, I almost started sheeding a tear,

Post: #15

Lift.

Post: #16

Scale up (or out) your passive income streams.

Post: #17

(12-06-2015 10:19 AM)lonewolf Wrote:  And if I decide to go back, who would hire an uni grad who decided to live on the beach after graduation? With little work experience under my belt, it'd probably be hard to reintegrate into the job world should I want to go back.

"I started a business and it took off, so I decided to try my luck and grow it"

Starting a profitable business is much harder than most jobs ever will be.

Post: #18

You make it sound like you're making 15K a month, not 1500.

1500 is barely enough to get by. Without a large savings, one emergency could wipe you out and get you into trouble. Get to 10K a month then ask yourself, what next?

Post: #19

(12-06-2015 10:27 PM)Il Bersagliere Wrote:  Scale up (or out) your passive income streams.

This.

Don't have any passive income? Work hard until you get $100 per month.
Only make $100 per month? Aim for $200. That's your new goal.
Only make $200 per month? Aim for $500. That's your new goal.
Only make $500 per month? Aim for $1,000. That's your new goal.
Only make $1,000 per month? Aim for $1,500. That's your new goal.
Only make $1,500 per month? Aim for $2,500. That's your new goal.
Only make $2,500 per month? Aim for $5,000. That's your new goal.
Etc..

$1,500 is pretty good, nearly everyone would kill to make $1,500 a month in passive income. You've done something that most cannot do. You now know that it is possible to build something from nothing and get rewarded for it. Now just use your brain and figure out your next plan. You can do it man.

I will be waiting for your thread in a couple of months, "I make $5,000 a month in passive income and I don't know what to do." Work hard and kick ass.

Post: #20

After finishing your masters degree, give yourself a year or so to enjoy the beach lifestyle in SEA. Once you've grown bored with that (and I think it's safe to assume that you will), I'm sure you'll know what the next step is.

If you've accomplished everything that you have, there is no doubt in my mind that you have a list of business ideas that you'd love to explore.

Post: #21

Seems there's two issues here: 1) personal fulfilment, and 2) strategic positioning for future career/income generation.

1) comes down to what you truly value. Some people need to "build something great" to feel fulfilled, others are happy living a life of travel, art, learning, etc. e.g. I know a guy who makes bank for a few months of the year and just travels and games and learns languages. Obsessed with new languages, pickup, and learning new skills.

Other people need to make an impact to feel fulfilled, so it depends what personally makes you feel alive.

You're so young anyway. You'll discover more of yourself as you go.

On 2),
My advice: Don't just be the cliche'd dude on the beach in Thailand, plowing through hordes of semi-pros and "simple" girls and partying. Have a few week/months of party and travel adventure, sure. But doing that for years and just making enough to survive is a trap.

After you've had your fill, think about meeting high-end expats, entrepreneurs, connected locals, networking, making things happen. Do some digital marketing consulting, etc.

As long as you're still growing your business and generating cashflow, you are building THE skills most valuable to a business, employability/consulting opps will be very present later on.

Make it the adventure of a lifetime, but don't just be a beach bum.

Post: #22

I think some work experience before embracing the location-independent life is not really a bad idea. Those first few years in your professional career are probably where you're going to learn the most and it'd be useful to be surrounded by senior guys who have more experience, plus you'll make a professional network. It'll help you in the long run, but obviously the desire to just get out ASAP is understandable.

Post: #23

You need more money.

Post: #24

Bucket list time for me. Travel, languages, skills, experiences

After a couple years of that, legacy building.

WIA

Post: #25

(12-06-2015 10:39 AM)rpg Wrote:  You are going to need more than $1500 per month. Try and get it to $3-4,000.
One accident, or a trip to the hospital can make everything change on a dime. And, you dont want to live around poor people, they might get wise and kill or kidnap you. With some money in the bank you can get a residency visa in Mexico.

I agree he needs to increase the flow - that was my thought exactly. But...

We don't really need this kind of fear mongering around here, do we?

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling