Video by Grounded Life Retirement Travel
Retiring Abroad: 8 Uncomfortable Facts After 6 Years
Grounded Life Retirement Travel say a routine checkup in Malaysia found she needed surgery immediately, and they had it done there rather than flying home. The surgery, CT scans, blood work, and four hospital nights still didn't reach their $5,000 insurance deductible. They say the insurance they had at home in the US was worse than their options abroad.
What it cost them
As stated in the video, May 2024. Prices change; these are theirs.
| Bare-minimum fallback budget (Thailand/Malaysia)what they knew they could live on if things got bad, learned before the 2020 crash | $1,000/month | ▶ 4:10 |
|---|---|---|
| Surgery, CT scans, blood work, doctor's fee, 4 hospital nights (Malaysia)stayed below their $5,000 insurance deductible | under $4,000 | ▶ 8:49 |
| Monthly budget in Atlanta, last working year | $8,000/month | ▶ 11:26 |
| Monthly travel budget after retiringsay they live better on half as much | $4,000/month | ▶ 11:26 |
| Budget overrun in Norway, Iceland, and Switzerlandhadn't watched other creators' cost breakdowns beforehand | $1,000 over | ▶ 18:45 |
| Hot dog at an Iceland gas stationa gas-station hot dog in Iceland; the captions garble the figure, so play the clip | $15 | ▶ 20:17 |
Their situation
Questions this video answers
How much did surgery in Malaysia cost compared to their insurance deductible?
Grounded Life Retirement Travel say the surgery, CT scans, blood work, doctor's fee, and four hospital nights in Malaysia still didn't reach their $5,000 insurance deductible. ▶ 7:15
Why did they decide to have surgery in Malaysia instead of flying back to the US?
A routine checkup found she needed surgery right away; Grounded Life Retirement Travel say the thought of flying back to the US never crossed their minds. ▶ 6:13
How did they cut their monthly budget after retiring?
Grounded Life Retirement Travel say they spent about $8,000 a month in Atlanta, then set a $4,000 monthly travel budget and say they live better on half as much. ▶ 11:26
Which countries blew their travel budget the most?
Grounded Life Retirement Travel say Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland, visited back to back, were their most expensive stretch, missing their budget by about $1,000. ▶ 18:45
Do they feel lonely traveling full-time?
No — Grounded Life Retirement Travel say they don't feel lonely at all; people recognize them from YouTube in places like Japan and Bangkok and they meet people easily. ▶ 24:29
The moments, in order
Press ▶ to play the video from that second.
- ▶ 6:13
About five or six months before filming, a routine physical/health checkup in Malaysia found she needed surgery immediately; they decided on the spot to have it done there rather than fly back to the US.
- ▶ 7:15
The surgery, CT scans, blood work, the doctor's fee and four nights in the hospital in Malaysia together still didn't reach their $5,000 insurance deductible — despite the common fear that getting sick abroad would bankrupt you.
as stated, May 2024
- ▶ 7:47
They conclude the insurance they had at home in the US while living in Atlanta (not a government insurance plan or a good company plan) was worse than what they found once they left the country, so healthcare options actually improved abroad rather than getting riskier.
- ▶ 11:26
Their last year working in Atlanta they were spending about $8,000/month; on the road they set a budget of half that, $4,000/month, and say they live better on it because the same standard of living is just cheaper.
as stated, May 2024
- ▶ 15:03
They didn't expect to get bored traveling full-time, but staying mostly in hotels where cooking and cleaning are done for them left far more empty hours in the day than they'd planned for.
- ▶ 18:45
They hadn't watched other creators' country budget breakdowns ahead of some trips, then missed their monthly budget by about $1,000 in pricier-than-expected stops; Norway, Iceland and Switzerland, visited back to back, were their most expensive stretch of travel.
as stated, May 2024
- ▶ 20:17
In Iceland they ate from gas stations to limit the overage, where even a hot dog cost about $15 (the captions garble the lower figure) — a price they say felt shocking then but looks less extreme now given how much prices back home in America have since risen.
as stated, May 2024
- ▶ 21:51
They learned that friends and family back home don't track their day-to-day life abroad the way they might hope, so their advice is to plan the lifestyle for yourself rather than to impress or update other people.
- ▶ 24:29
Contrary to the common fear of loneliness abroad, they say they don't feel lonely at all — people recognize them from YouTube in places like Japan and Bangkok, and they meet people easily wherever they go.
Worth knowing before you go
- ▶ 15:03
They didn't expect to get bored traveling full-time, but staying mostly in hotels where cooking and cleaning are done for them left far more empty hours in the day than they'd planned for.
- ▶ 18:45
They hadn't watched other creators' country budget breakdowns ahead of some trips, then missed their monthly budget by about $1,000 in pricier-than-expected stops; Norway, Iceland and Switzerland, visited back to back, were their most expensive stretch of travel.
as stated, May 2024
This is their experience, retold in our words, and not medical, insurance or financial advice.