Before You Move Abroad, Read This

I once found an American guy on Instagram who moved to the Philippines with his heart set on building a coaching business.

Oh, and his CATS came too, ha!

He had some savings already (6 months worth, if I’m not mistaken), but his business wasn’t making enough to support him yet. 

Long story short…

…he returned to America.

I don’t blame the guy. He did the thing, he gave it an honest effort, but in the end his vision didn’t come together in time. 

I’ve got a few thoughts on this. 

Thought #1: Don’t cut off your “safety net” before you’re ready

This is a tricky one.

“Ready” can mean so many different things:

• Enough savings to survive if the income doesn’t come
• At least one paying client, or proof someone will pay you
• A rough idea of your monthly costs
• The emotional stomach for your plan not working right away

For me, “ready” leans more financial.

Though, I wasn’t ready in that regard before I set off for Asia in 2023. Just like the guy who moved to the Philippines, my business wasn’t yet stable enough to support me long-term. Maybe I just got lucky. 

Generally speaking, I’d tell you to save more than I did. 

3-4 months if you’ve already got a stable source of income, or closer to 1 year if you don’t.

Having financial runway is important when you’re building something from scratch, regardless of your risk tolerance. You don’t wanna be a few months into whatever it is you’re building and realize money’s going out faster than it’s coming in. That was almost my situation. It wasn’t fun. 

It also makes it easier to say no to bad deals.

I used to take $100-200/month deals when I should’ve been taking $1-2K+ deals, because I was afraid of scaring away my prospects. 

Which brings me to my next thought…

Thought #2: Your monthly burn rate will probably be higher than you anticipate

I call this the “nomad tax.”

Otherwise known as the:

“Crap-I’ve-just-been-scammed” tax. 

Or the:

“Nobody-told-me-THAT!” tax. 

A good rule of thumb is to budget 1.3-1.5x more than you anticipate (yes, really!). If your anticipated monthly spend is $1500, budget $1950-$2,250.

Because aside from the potential splurge, you might run into…

• Visa runs and immigration paperwork
• Replacing things you forgot to pack
• Last-minute flights
• Medical expenses
• Coworking spaces
• Tourist pricing
• Scams (yes…plural)
• Random subscriptions you forgot to cancel back home

Even if you THINK some of these things “won’t happen to me,” they probably will. Don’t let it catch you off guard when you’re already stressed about making rent.

I’ve booked last-minute flights, got scammed a few times… one time I lost money on a hotel because I needed to unexpectedly leave Bali…

You can’t prevent all of it. 

However you can stop one lousy medical bill from being the thing that ends it all. That’s the whole point of a financial buffer. 

Budget more than you think… I beg you lol. 

You’ll always spend more in the beginning.

Thought #3: Cold outreach is your friend. Do a lot of it. 

Especially if you don’t have enough experience or big network providing you with opportunities already. 

This could mean:

• Sending personalized Twitter/X DMs to your ideal clients
• Cold emailing founders or decision-makers
• Leaving genuine comments on social media and then pitching via DMs
• Offering a free audit/consultation/30-minute call as a low-friction entry point

Cold outreach is what kept me afloat in my early days abroad (mostly via Twitter DMs). As boring and repetitive as it can be, it’s still one of the highest ROI activities you can do.

Maybe you’re thinking…

“I’ve tried cold outreach already.”

Okay…

How many?

Twenty?

Fifty?

a hundred?

If your dream depends on finding clients, outreach (and a LOT of it) should be as routine as brushing your teeth. A non-negotiable. Not something you only do when you “feel inspired.”

Thought #4: Freedom can wreck your focus (so be wary)

It’s nice to have “freedom.” 

But freedom doesn’t automatically make you more productive.

Nobody’s expecting you anywhere. No commute. No boss. No 9-to-5 shape to the day. No one wondering why you slept until 10am. 

Which SOUNDS amazing…

…until Tuesday becomes Thursday and you realize you’ve spent more time watching YouTube, rearranging your Notion board, and perfecting your logo than building the business you quit your job and/or moved across the world for.

When I first came to Asia in 2023, I spent more time exploring than building my business. Then I paid the price when I almost ran out of money. 

I fixed it by giving freedom some “walls”:

• Finding a home base (Chiang Mai)
• Waking up at consistent times (even setting an alarm!)
• Only traveling on weekends (if possible)
• Having dedicated coffee shops for working
• Picking the day’s one important task the night before

That’s how you make sure you don’t drift. 

None of this is meant to scare you away from whatever your “dream” is.

If anything, it’s the opposite.

I want you to go for it… 

…but go for it smart. Better to spend an extra 6 months preparing than spend 6 months chasing the dream only to be forced to call it quits early.