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I finally have a few minutes to share my excitement with the community. A couple of weeks ago, I took the last step to move to Pico Island in the Azores. It’s a beautiful, low-key island to live in.
There were a bunch of reasons why this move made sense. I’ll mention the first three:
The cost of living in the US was too much to upkeep.
I didn’t want to wait for retirement. I had three close friends who died of cancer a year before or a year after they retired.
I needed an environment that wasn’t neurotic and anxious, such as the Northeast.We have been able to afford this move with $400K in investments. I have been acquiring real estate mortgages since 2021.
They have been paying a 10% – 12% annual yield. These investments were enough for me to quit my job at the end of 2023 and focus on the logistics of the move in 2024.
I am excited to share the following things we’ve traded since the move:
$1,800 1 Bedroom apartment for 400 euros
$30 breakfast for two to 7 euros.
$40 lunches for two to 13 euros.
$15 wine bottles to 3 euros.
$1,300 car insurance to 90 euros.
$500 medical insurance to free.Car maintenance 4 times a year to once a year.
I’ll stop here, but feel free to ask me for more examples.Now that all US expenses are gone, except for a small storage unit and a mailbox, these investments will give us the runway to settle in 2025.
By the way, it really helps that my wife was raised here. Also, working at the grocery store, the locals and tourists love her vibes.
In the meantime, I am getting caught up with our personal finances and business tasks. Next, I’ll get back to studying for my AWS Developer Certification. Once I get my residence permit, I’ll be able to look for work in the EU—I really miss web development!