About two decades ago, Californian Diane M. Evans took her first photography class. She was quickly hooked by the art form. Though she had a busy career in the healthcare sector, she continued to study photography whenever she had the chance.  Eventually, Diane and her husband, Neal, embarked on a year-long sabbatical to Toulouse, France. […]

I woke to the sound of the Saint Lawrence River and the light of the morning sun shining into the RV. As the weather conditions were just right, I quickly set up my camera to film the vehicle against the shoreline, before sending up my drone to take aerial shots of the riverside road. Of […]

Online courses are the future. Whether it’s a YouTube video showing you how to install a car roof rack, or a full-on degree in marketing, there is practically nothing that can’t now be learned from your computer. And for anyone with a skill they can share, this creates a great opportunity.  A number of years […]

Whether you’ve found yourself working from home or are a freelance worker in the gig economy, a key factor for success is the ability to present yourself and your ideas virtually. Being in front of a lens can be intimidating, whether it’s a Skype interview, a Zoom meeting, or an online PowerPoint presentation. But there […]

Some think it was Oscar Wilde, others say Will Rogers, and some claim a Botany suit advert from 1966. No matter where the saying comes from, it’s true: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Maybe even more so in the world of online freelancing. Yet every day I see freelancer […]

I recently finished a new painting—which is relevant from two trending perspectives. First, it fits into a broader trend of focusing less on “job” and more on “living.” To wit: I happened upon a British publication in my recent reading, and inside I found a story headlined: “The benefits of flexible working.” It basically made […]

“I wanted to give my daughter a richer life with additional opportunities,” says Stacey Hansen about her and her daughter’s decision to leave New Brunswick, Canada for the coastal town of Playa del Carmen, Mexico.  Stacey says, “In 2017, my daughter and I chatted about what we’d like our life to look like going forward. […]

Originally from Ireland, Brendan and Gwen O’Toole immigrated to Canada with their daughter in 1988, where they started a successful tire and automotive accessory business. In 2000, the couple went on vacation to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and immediately felt an affinity for the country. In the years that followed, they returned annually to either Puerto […]

A couple on vacation, anywhere from Disney World to Bali, is approached by a friendly stranger at their resort. Would the couple be interested in a free breakfast, theme park tickets, or a gift certificate?  In return, they need only attend a short sales presentation and tour. Of course, it’s a pitch for a timeshare, […]

Amy Stewart has written 11 books, four of which were New York Times bestsellers. But recently, she has found a new way to make money from her talent: teaching her passion online. In 2001, Amy published her first book, a memoir about growing a garden. A year later, she signed up for an oil painting […]

When the global financial crisis of 2008 hit, I was working on Wall Street. Like millions of other people, my finances took a big hit. I survived it, but my financial security and retirement plans were severely impacted. I was getting older—in my mid-50s at that point—and nearing the end of my banking career, so […]

When I started freelancing about 15 years ago, the farthest thing from my mind was adventure and freedom. I just wanted off the corporate treadmill. When I decided to make the break, I printed up business cards, went to Chamber of Commerce meetings hoping to find clients that would need my services, and started pestering […]

Online stock agencies seem like the perfect solution for photographers seeking to find buyers for their images. They allow you to get your photos in front of magazine editors, bloggers, and advertisers from across the world…all without having to pay a fee or leave the house. But to be successful (i.e. make real money), you […]

I was chatting with a Russian friend online last week about pandemic life in Kazan, Russia. She’s been working from home for more than a month now for a multinational U.S. company, and she told me “the company has saved so much money with us working from home that they’re closing the office and letting […]

Last week, I agreed to write a freelance story about climate change research warning that as sea levels and temperatures rise, migration patterns in the U.S. will change. (Spoiler: Buffalo and Duluth could become “climate refuge cities” over the next few decades.) Now, here at The Savvy Retiree, changing weather and migration patterns aren’t really […]

When it comes to battling through tough times, life coach Mike Sassorossi has more experience than most. The former gym owner lost a home and job and endured divorce and cancer. But he’s emerged from those experiences stronger, and today shares the lessons he’s learned with clients, including front-line U.S. healthcare workers, from his home […]

“A lot of people come to Belize for retirement, even if just for the winter, but I’ve been coming here all my life,” says Dan Bingham originally from Ontario, Canada but now a full-time resident of Spanish Lookout in Belize’s Cayo District.  Dan is descended from Mennonites on his father’s side, some of whom relocated […]

A few years ago when my grandmother died, I had the task of going through her effects and selling off everything in the house. I was struck by a piece of paper. I still remember the day she signed it. It was a carbon copy receipt for a certificate of deposit she and my grandfather […]

COVID-19 is going to significantly alter how we live our lives. Some of these changes are relatively obvious and widely reported upon, such as increases in online shopping and working from home. But one change is being less widely discussed: how this situation is reshaping the way in which we perceive and use our living […]

Cruise through some of the profiles you find on freelancing websites such as Upwork or Fiverr and you will likely be amazed—maybe even a bit envious—of what you see. Freelancers living all over the world who are earning substantial incomes doing what they love. And by substantial, I mean high five figures and well into […]

If I see another email that starts “We’re living in strange times…” I’ll scream.  But, really, who would have guessed as we entered a brand-new decade that the good citizens of the world would be in lockdown mode, unable to leave their homes to contain a global pandemic.  For those of us nearing retirement age, […]