Budgeting

Regular Costs:

• Monthly loan payments: $300
• Rent + utilities: $400
• Food: $100
• Entertainment/adventure/leisure: $50
• Savings: $100
• Business costs (website maintenance, advertising, travel, etc.): ?? $50 ??

TOTAL: $950

(*note: I acknowledge that if necessary, I could cut out adventure/entertainment, savings, and shave some off the food budget: perhaps subtracting 50+100+25= 175, or $775)

To Acquire Before Leaving:

• MacBook Pro: $1,269
• Digital camera: $3,000
• Unlocked iPhone & local SIM card: $450
• $5,000 to open account with First Republic Bank in California - awesome for travelers!
• 3 months buffer to cover first three months of relocation without needing to full-time work

TOTAL: $12,569

Yeesh!!!  That's a little absurd, no?

I could move abroad tomorrow, with no laptop (I have an iPad and keyboard), no digital camera, no fancy phone (buy a cheap local on arrival), no fancy bank account with no fees (keep my current account and pay hefty fees for international transactions and withdrawals), and no buffer. 

I think there's probably a nice middle ground to be found. I just wanted to give you a sense of what my 'ideal', 'safe', 'high-town-and-fancy-to-do' vision of being a freelancer abroad looks like. 

And then we'll see how I actually make this happen. 

Because there's NO WAY IN HELL that I'm waiting until I have $12,000 saved up to move. And you shouldn't either.