A message recently received from one of my friends: “So, like, if I wanted to get a visa to live in Prague, could I? I mean, I’m not saying I want to, yet. But, like, could I—just in case?” It’s the “just in case” that stopped me.  I’m accustomed to questions from friends and acquaintances […]

I am “Out of the Office.” Not for you—I mean, you are reading this column, so I did, in fact, write it. But for all those people out there who want me to edit and format their screenplays, I’m actually not around at the moment. And let me tell you why: There are only so […]

“You have one of the nicest rooms,” the hotel clerk insisted as she walked me up a flight of wooden stairs. She pushed open the door to a spacious room and steered me to a set of French doors that she flung open, almost cinematically, to reveal the ancient, Venetian port of Chania, Greece just […]

Money magazine called me last week. One of its reporters wanted to chat about Americans who are increasingly interested in skedaddling to destinations south of the Rio Grande—particularly Panama, Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, and Brazil. So many Americans now have the capacity to work from wherever, and the cost-of-living is generally so much cheaper, that relocating […]

Once our children left home, my husband, Pete, and I realized the days of big family dinners and holiday gatherings were going to be much less frequent. So, in our 40s, we sold absolutely everything we owned and decided to explore as many countries as we could over a five-year period and then settle back […]

Growing up, my Sunday looked like many other Italian-American’s. From pasta and fresh bread to dinners ending with espresso, Sunday’s were about famiglia. At the time, I took this for granted, not understanding how special these occasions were. When I lost my grandfather and then shortly after my father to cancer, I realized our Italian […]

A larger trend that began several years ago is now ramping up as an after-effect of the COVID-19 pandemic: the work-and-live anywhere lifestyle of digital nomadism. What was once mainly a trend among millennials has become a coveted lifestyle among various age groups that now have the freedom to move about the world and work.  […]

What’s the best investment you can make these days? And stick with me—this is not a financial story…which, actually, hints at the answer. Because at this particular moment in history, I’ll argue that the best investment you can make is in yourself. Yes, yes, yes—one could make the identical assertion, regardless of the historical moment. […]

Professional blogger and Francophile Janine Marsh never imagined she’d earn an income through writing. The former banker launched her blog merely as a way to share her excitement about a renovation project she was working on.  Almost immediately, however, her blog started gaining a following and before long she was getting 60,000 views a month. […]

Josh Acree always wanted to move to a Caribbean island, but he’d presumed this dream would have to wait until retirement. Then he and his partner, Chad Sorrow, were presented with the opportunity to buy a business in Bocas del Toro, Panama, and they decided to bring this dream to life…decades ahead of schedule.  The […]

Maybe you saw this bit of recent news: ExxonMobil management has declared that shareholders are more valuable than workers. That’s about the most honest take on the financially troubled oil giant’s decision this month to conserve cash by eliminating its 401(k) retirement-savings plan match for employees…while preserving the dividend it pays to shareholders.  And if […]

Before I retired from practicing medicine, I began looking for a home base for travel in South America. I wanted a location that was safe, had first-world healthcare, would allow me to brush-up on Spanish, and had a rich history and culture. Ecuador checked all the boxes.  Once I downsize and sell property here in […]

Two recent research reports from opposing sides of the Atlantic caught my attention last week. They both pretty much make the same point: That older workers face a daunting future—at least in the traditional work-a-day world. But here at The Savvy Retiree, we don’t play in that sandbox. We look for our opportunities elsewhere. And […]

Dropshipping is a business model that allows you to own and operate an online store but without having to buy or store inventory. The process works like this: A customer goes to your online store (website), orders a product at the retail price, and you take the payment. You then order the product from your […]

I came to freelance writing after a variety of careers…professional cooking, aircraft mechanics, real estate. When, health issues forced my retirement and I started looking for a less strenuous form of income…

Let’s immediately dispense with the bad news… The U.S. economy will not rebound quickly. We lost 5% of the economy in the first quarter, and another 9.6% in the second quarter. Those are epic numbers. On a more human scale, tens of millions of jobs are gone and more than 100,000 businesses have shuttered for […]

In March 2018, I moved to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon with my three cats. The first nine weeks were challenging as my household goods made the slow trek across the Atlantic Ocean in a shipping container. I spent that time in an empty shell of an apartment with only a bed, a folding chair, […]

If you love travel and have an affinity for the written word, travel writing can be an excellent way to do what you love and get paid for it.  Earning paychecks as a travel writer is a more accessible career path than most people realize. There are virtually countless print and online travel publications out […]

“Screw society. Living up to anyone’s expectations except your own is a pointless way to go through life.” You might call that the summary of a very short conversation—by way of text messages—I had this past week with my son back in Louisiana. Kid’s smart as a whip, but clearly not built for the antiquated […]

The way we work is changing dramatically before our eyes, as the coronavirus has compelled companies in virtually every country and industry to embrace remote working. Once we emerge from this pandemic, this is going to open up the benefits of the digital nomad lifestyle to countless new workers. As a professional writer and blogger, […]

Five years ago, I decided to leave the corporate rat race behind and start a new life in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. In the half-decade since, I have not regretted this decision once. As an online coach, I’ve found the city to be the ideal remote working destination. Home to just over half a […]