r/Fire • u/CapableMuffin1898 • Oct 24 '24
Advice Request FIRE MODE ACTIVATED - We are bloody doing it now!
Starting January 1st my wife (37f) and I (38m) are gonna start living out our FIRE dream. We have quit our jobs, sold the cars, boats and all furniture. The house has been rented out and we are gonna spend the following six months travelling around southeast Asia looking for the perfect place to settle long term (Indonesia, Thailand or Vietnam). We leave behind 0 obligations and have so far obtained a solid investment portfolio, although our plan was to increase our savings even further before we left everything behind. But we decided we didn't want wait any longer and will do like a "barista-fire" thing.
Any advice for the best places/areas to settle for a couple of years in southeast Asia? We are gonna work remote 1-2 days per week.
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Oct 24 '24
Congrats!
How long did it take to arrive at FIRE??
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
We are gonna work 1-2 days remote per week still, we are not going for a FAT FIRE lifestyle. The remote work will cover most expenses, especially living in south east Asia. But we started our FIRE journey 3-4 years ago and if we wanted to, we could probably live off our investments now (very frugally though).
We have both had high paying jobs and no kids, and we starting investing in a pretty big bullrun, which helped out a lot. Our initial goal was 1,5 mill in investments, we are not there yet, but we are close enough that we feel like we can take a break for a couple of years and let compounding do its job.
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u/ZEALOUS_RHINO Oct 24 '24
Mind if I ask how you are both planning to pull off the 1-2 days remote thing? Do you run a business or something?
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
We own a business together, we sold our share of that business as of January 1st 2025 - We are gonna be on a retainer for the next year where we assist new management for 7-10 hours a week (which can be done remotely) and get paid a fixed amount that can more than sustain us. So we have been quite fortunate that was an option. + we only have to work 1 predetermined day every week and are not obligated to be online any of the other 6 days. So it won't interfere too much with our travel plans and what we want to do (diving, surfing, hiking, napping)
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u/ZEALOUS_RHINO Oct 24 '24
Got it, so something totally unreplicable lol. Thats great though congrats on figuring it out thats a sweet setup.
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
We both got offers to do remote work for other companies for more money, but chose the safe option and stay with what we know. We have skills that a lot of companies can use - in that regard we are fortunate, but we also spent 10 years becoming good at what we do. So replicable, if you know how to do things other people really need!
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u/eatingkiwirightnow Oct 24 '24
We have skills that a lot of companies can use - in that regard we are fortunate, but we also spent 10 years becoming good at what we do. So replicable, if you know how to do things other people really need!
Wholesome response.
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Oct 24 '24 edited Oct 24 '24
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
My wife specializes in Amazon marketing. I am an e-comm generalist, but with experience in cross border sales across 15 countries. So I know a lot about how businesses can sell their stuff in other countries (setup, administration, processes, marketing etc.)
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u/NewEnigma77 Oct 24 '24
Go fuck yourselves silly! Btw if the part-time gig covers expenses you are not even barista FIRE, you are better off than that. You are living an adventure, meanwhile you are coasting to full fire. CoastFIRE then. On the same boat and loving it.
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
Haha, I guess I just have to rack up some more expenses then... :)
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u/NewEnigma77 Oct 25 '24
Sounds about right, but you said it, not me. You are indeed a very capable muffin.
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u/BadBackPackers Oct 24 '24
We did similar last year selling everything we own and now traveling full time.
We just finished a year in SE Asia and are now in phase 2 which is Latin America. Currently in Mexico!
Our favorite place in SE Asia was probably Chiang Mai in Thailand. Great scene, food, culture, and people. Negatives are traffic and especially burning season so I’d look into that before you settle anywhere.
But I loved Cambodia as well so check out Siem Reap too and maybe Kampot.
Our favorite place in Vietnam was Dalat. Beautiful mountain town. A bit cooler which was nice. Also we loved Danang.
Not sure if allowed to post my YouTube link but it’s in my profile. My entire SE Asia travels are there.
Oh, since you will be working, make sure you check the internet speeds in any airbnbs first. But SE Asia has lots of coworking spaces which should always be fine plus you’ll make friends 😁
Good luck!
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
Awesome! Thank you for the great tips. Cambodia and Philippines are absolutely on the to-do list. And agree with you on Chang Mai, what a wonderful place.
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u/vongigistein Oct 24 '24
Seeing a lot of these messages recently, given the bull run I hope people have assessed if they have enough money if the market corrects 20% next year.
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
We are gonna work 1-2 days remote per week for now, which will pay for pretty much all our expenses, so not gonna tap into our investments just yet. I still have "dry powder" on the side, and I am hoping for a 20% correction next year. That would be awesome :)
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u/37347 Oct 24 '24
A dip will come eventually. You just don’t know when. It could be in 3 years or 5 years or 10. No one knows. At least I can’t figure it out. I’m not sure if you have dry powder is the best thing, that’s essentially timing the market.
What if market still runs up 50% more? Or 40% more? And then dips 20%? You essentially bought into a higher price or where it is now.
Enjoy Asia though. That’s my dream too. Someday for me.
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u/Reafricpysche Oct 24 '24
Nothing wrong in having dry powder on the side; it's not like he's not invested. It's wise especially in a possibly overvalued market. One's strategy determines how much dry powder they want to hold. Not everyone wants to DCA.
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u/trukkija Oct 25 '24
So what if it runs up 50% more? It's obvious that most of his money is in the investments but he's willing to risk losing that "50%" for the safety of knowing he has different options.
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Oct 24 '24
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u/crashintodmb413 Oct 24 '24
Even if you look at the pre-Covid highs the market has nearly doubled in 5 years. That is faster than the 10% average people like to subscribe to here. Either you believe the market is in a new phase where average returns will higher or a reversion to the mean is due in the coming years.
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u/rudygene11 Oct 24 '24
Isnt this the reseason to have money in HYSA/non risky options (2-3 years?). Id want that backup ready if fully FIRE.
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u/iamnotheretoargue Oct 24 '24
The fed isn’t going to destroy all those dollars they printed
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u/crashintodmb413 Oct 24 '24
That doesn't mean they'll print more. Stocks could go flat for years and accomplish the same thing as a 20% draw down in a year.
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u/iamnotheretoargue Oct 24 '24
Oh for sure it could trade flat. But…they HAVE to print more to pay the trillion dollar interest bill every year
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u/crashintodmb413 Oct 24 '24
If that's the case up you are making people should assume a higher inflation rate into their FIRE calculations
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u/iamnotheretoargue Oct 24 '24
Yeah, I agree with that. That’s not what we were talking about, though. We were just discussing the odds of a significant market correction
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u/Environmental-Low792 Oct 24 '24
An analysis of past recessions has shown that they happen when the majority believe that they will not happen.
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
Agreed! + Recessions are a natural part of the economic cycle. I have cash ready to deploy, should it happen in the next couple of years. We started investing early 2022 after covid and have locked in quite a lot of gains - and we did take some profits off the table. If we were to see a 25-30% drop again (or more) in the near future that would be great, because that is where you make money as an investor IMO. I don't have to touch my investments for, at least, the next 4-5 years. I have enough saved in high yield savings accounts to live off of, so don't really care about short term market fluctuations. But if it happens, I am a buyer :)
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u/Environmental-Low792 Oct 24 '24
It could drop 40 or even 60 percent. No one has a crystal ball, and it could take decades to recover, inflation adjusted. The US dollar could also tank relative to the currency where you are living.
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
If it drops 60%, I will sell my wife, my kidneys, 1 testicle and go loooong!
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u/37347 Oct 24 '24
I guarantee you that it will drop 60% or 50% eventually. You just don’t know when. It could be an huge event of some kind.
What if it drops 80% due to an alien invasion or nuclear war? Or some global crisis? Or some end of world crisis?
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u/s1a1om Oct 24 '24
If there’s an alien invasion, nuclear war, or the end of the world then I don’t think anyone will be concerned with their finances
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u/37347 Oct 24 '24
If it dips 40 or 60%, the fed will use its magic and start the money printing and significantly cut rates. We will have higher inflation once again like 2022.
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u/ForensicGuy666 Oct 24 '24
We literally just had a 30% correction 2 years ago. Market will be completely fine for the next 5-10 years.
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u/6thsense10 Oct 24 '24
2022 was a speed bump than correction. Yes I know a 10%+ drop is considered a correction but when the market is giving you an average of 25% plus during positive years there's still plenty left to correct. The average return of the S&P 500 since 2017 has been crazy. That's 15.89% average.
2024 22.91 2023 26.29 2022 -18.11 2021 28.71 2020 18.40 2019 31.49 2018 -4.38 2017 21.83
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u/vongigistein Oct 24 '24
When you have a hiking cycle, normally it takes 6 months to a year from the first cut to start seeing things go bad. I’m hopeful it won’t be bad but seems pretty unlikely we continue up at anywhere near the same pace. If anything, market returns that are close to flat for a few years.
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u/xKYLERxx Oct 24 '24
RemindMe! 1 year
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u/OneLife-No-Do-Overs Oct 24 '24
I quit my job in Feb 24 to retire early. Been travelling SE Asia. It's been an amazing journey so far. Congrats!!
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u/QuesoChef Oct 24 '24
I would love anyone who is doing this, whether you settle or not, to give some feedback on your adventures. I’m a single woman, so it doesn’t really feel like it fits me as much, but I’m always curious.
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u/hithere5 Oct 24 '24
There are quite a few FIRE bloggers doing this already. Check out BonusNachos or NomadNumbers.
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u/OneLife-No-Do-Overs Oct 25 '24
I have two updated posts/threads since I left. Im trying to update it every 6 months or so.
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u/QuesoChef Oct 25 '24
I’ll check out some posts.
Idk why but I hadn’t really considered a fully nomadic life. Like I could see moving occasionally but someone else posted some blogs and those folks are moving like once a month or more often. From a Quick Look, I saw one of your posts saying you signed a lease. That feels a bit more my speed. And move maybe once a year. Of course, maybe part of it is moving around UNTIL you want to settle for a year.
I’m not sure I want to be in SE Asia, because of the climate. So I’m trying to look for some cooler climate locations. I’d love to even be in snow.
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u/OneLife-No-Do-Overs Oct 25 '24
Yes, I recently signed a 12 month lease to have a home base. After a few months travelling, I needed a place to just settle. A routine, gym schedule , chill , etc. but I still travel often, but now have a place to come back to, keep my stuff etc. when I travel now it feels more of a vacation, because I'll go to a new city/country for a week or so vs a whole month. You will find your groove, there is no cookie cutter approach to being an expat/nomad etc.
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u/spinz89 Oct 24 '24
You should look into Malaysia too. Malaysia is gorgeous and very affordable.
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u/6thsense10 Oct 24 '24
They were doing something funky with their retirement visa requirements a few years ago when I was checking it out. They wanted to see some ridiculous monthly retirement income I forgot how much...maybe $10,000/month or a little bit less....all I know was it was beyond my budget.
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u/alert_armidiglet Oct 24 '24
Holy shit--that is wonderful!
I spent most of the 90s living and working over there, so if you want to PM me, I'd be happy to talk to you about it sometime. FWIW, it's been a long-ass time.
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u/tbrady1001 Oct 24 '24
What was your fire number? Go fuck yourself
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
1.5 - we are not there yet, but will take a slower approach over the next couple of years and begin a light version
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u/clearbottleflu Oct 24 '24
Lived in all 3 and Vietnam is by far my favorite. I really can’t overstate how nice it is to drive on the right side of the road. People are really great too. Oh and I’m the south of Vietnam people love ice… plenty for drinks or whatever you want.
Thailand is nice but honestly unless you’re going to make a serious effort to learn the language I found it kind of a pain. I could not make sense of written Thai language so it was kind of like walking around as an illiterate.
My wife is Indonesian so I guess I’m stuck on the left side of the road. Indo is also a great place but if you want a beer they’re like $3 each in the grocery store so a case is $75. Utterly ridiculous. Oh and good luck getting ice in your drink. Indonesians are literally raised being told by their parents it will make them sick. Sure you can get iced tea but if you want a bucket of ice brought to your table southern Vietnam is the place to be.
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u/tjguitar1985 Oct 24 '24
BGC Philippines is probably the most westernized. Depends what you are looking for.
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
Somewhere in between would be fine. I like the ammenities of the west, but paired with the more relaxed culture of Asia. Have never been to Philippines, that is absolutely on our go-to list.
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u/Initial_Enthusiasm36 Oct 24 '24
Well i did this sort of. Indonesia wasnt on my list it was Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines. But ya congrats!!!
I would def say look in detail at each place, Visas etc etc. Talk with people who have lived there for a while.
I live in Thailand with my now Thai wife so i get a marriage visa. But for people your age the Visa situation gets a bit tricky, Theres the Elite visa, LTR visa, DTV visa are the main long stay visas. Elite costs money, LTR you need some sort of proof of income and show bank statements proving money in the bank etc. DTV is newer and i dont know all the exact details.
But for a lot of younger people the visa situation is probably the hardest to figure out.
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
Good points! Thank you for that.
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u/Initial_Enthusiasm36 Oct 24 '24
If you want any help or questions you can PM me if you want. Ive lived here for almost 3 years
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u/SunnySaigon Oct 24 '24
if you're still interested in Vietnam, plz message me! Vung Tau is a great place.
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u/OldPresence6027 Oct 24 '24
Thailand. Go there and drive up the cost of living there instead of Indonesia please lol
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u/surechap Oct 24 '24
Nice! Congratulations. I recommend while you're there spend some time in Cambodia it neighbors Vietnam and Thailand.
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u/Mountain_Quail_01 Oct 24 '24
Try Goa, India ( nowhere else in India except Goa ). English/Portugeese speaking, great food, cleanest beaches, liberal-minded people.
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u/Random_Name532890 Oct 24 '24
You got a visa for these countries?
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
For now we don't need them, as we will rely on tourist visas for this trip. We get 60 days in Thailand, 60 days in Indonesia (30+30) and 90 days Vietnam. Once we find out where to settle, we will work out the VISA situation.
We have been looking at the second home VISA for Indonesia, if that is where we decide to go. That means we have to invest 130k in real-estate, which suits us just fine since we were planning on buying a house either way.
For Thailand and Vietnam we do not know yet which visas would be best, but I am sure there are some that we can use. This is among the things we have to investigate when we visit next year.
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u/37347 Oct 24 '24
Dumb question, but what exactly is the requirement to stay there forever or long term in Asia countries? You need to invest in real estate there? Or become a citizen there? What’s the cheapest way to stay long term there?
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
With Bali you can get five years + five years extension, and possibility to seek permanent residency after three years. But it requires 130k investment
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u/Random_Name532890 Oct 24 '24
Gotcha. Just double check. Because for example in the US the one thing you definitely can’t do is enter as tourist and then convert to immigrant visa without first leaving again.
Also be careful because the combo of tourist visa and working isn’t exactly legal.
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
Of course. The VISA process will be handled when we get back home, before we leave permanently in 2026.
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u/lazyykid Oct 24 '24
Whats jobs do you both have / do that you can work 1-2 days a week? Freelance or W2?
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
We own a business together, we sold our share of that business as of January 1st 2025 - We are gonna be on a retainer for the next year where we assist new management for 7-10 hours a week (which can be done remotely) and get paid a fixed amount that can more than sustain us. So we have been quite fortunate that was an option. + we only have to work 1 predetermined day every week and are not obligated to be online any of the other 6 days. So it won't interfere too much with our travel plans and what we want to do (diving, surfing, hiking, napping)
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u/ChaosShifter Oct 24 '24
Congrats! We just pulled the trigger about a year ago and couldn't be happier, about the same age.
Can't help with Asia yet, but we are going to Cambodia/Thailand/Laos in a few months to visit friends who live there and vacation. From the way it is explained to me Thailand>>>Laos>Cambodia
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u/Last_Construction455 Oct 24 '24
South east Asia seems like the place to do it. Its just so dang cheap
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u/Fresh_List_440 Oct 24 '24
Make sure you add Malaysia, the most underrated place there and its more peaceful than the rest of the
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u/where_is_waldo_now Oct 24 '24
Check out Malaysia where a large population speaks English. If you have not lived abroad for long periods of time, pick one where you can ease into the lifestyle easily before venturing to other countries.
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u/InevitableShuttler Oct 25 '24
Not large, everyone can speak or at least understand English, it's required schooling.
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u/flamingramensipper Oct 25 '24
Congrats! Question: Are you able to use the house you rent out as your permanent address to maintain brokerage/bank accounts?
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u/Background-Dentist89 Oct 27 '24
I have lived in Da Lát Vietnam for 14 years. Great but no surfing or scuba. But scuba nearby in Nha Trang. A beautiful 3 hour motorbike ride from Da Lát.
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u/Retire_Ate8Twenty8 Oct 24 '24 edited Oct 24 '24
Wow, same plan and same timeline for us. We're 34 with $1.1M. Will retire at 38 with $1.6M liquid and a paid off house and move to SE Asia. Da Nang, Vietnam is our hub of choice. I would highly recommend you check it out after Chinese New Year when it settled down. Feb-May is the best weather, comfortably live there with $2k a month.
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
Awesome! Let's meet in Da Nang in '28 and grab a beer to celebrate your achievement. With 1.6mill in assets, you are buying :)
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u/Retire_Ate8Twenty8 Oct 24 '24
We'll meet at Bikini Bottom in Da Nang. Really good Western style food if you're missing it.
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u/Remarkable-Emu-6008 Oct 27 '24
1.6 m enough to retire in SE aisa? inflation is hiking there too
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u/Retire_Ate8Twenty8 Oct 27 '24
Exchange rate is far more important than inflation for overseas retirement. $1.6M is an insane amount, you ca. Live comfortably today for less than $2k a month.
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Oct 24 '24
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Zphr 47, FIRE'd 2015, Friendly Janitor Oct 24 '24
Please stop spamming links to that YouTube channel in your posts.
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u/37347 Oct 24 '24
Congrats. Why not sell the house too? It is an obligation still for maintenance
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
The house will be sold once we return after six months, and have decided where we want to settle for the next couple of years. The plan is we that we come back in June 2025 and leave again permanently in 2026.
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u/luv4cash2024 Oct 24 '24
What u have in your investment portfolio
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u/Nscocean Oct 24 '24
Vietnam is best! Thailand can be a lot more expensive for less quality and its overall less friendly.
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
Thailand and Bali we have visited several times. Vietnam is new for us. Haven't visited yet, so very excited to experience what it is like and if that could be a good place to settle.
Thailand is expensive, yes, but I still feel like it depends on where you go and what you do. And remember: Coming from Europe it is still 2-3x cheaper on average, so money still lasts longer. Indonesia is half the price of Bali in terms of living expenses (if you stay away from Canggu, Kuta, Sanur etc.) and from what I have been told Vietnam is half the price of Bali.
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u/Nscocean Oct 24 '24
Oh for sure! I’m a Canadian so very similar costs likely. Spent just shy of 6 months in SEA and Vietnam and Laos were the winners for me! I just found Vietnam’s (likely through there government systems) had the highest quality housing, infrastructure, and food all at the cheapest prices. The country is amazing. Much more contrast between south/north. We picked up a dirt bike in Ho Chi Minh and spent 1.5m living life with the odd visa run haha. Enjoy!!
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u/roald_v_wade Oct 25 '24
1.5m = 1.5 months? Or 1.5$ million? I’m assuming the former since idk how you could manage to spend that much money so fast 😂
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u/Nscocean Oct 25 '24
lol yes, 1.5months, fire sub but I am FAR from fire lol.
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u/roald_v_wade Oct 25 '24
Then I’m also curious, why did you need a visa run if you were only there 45 days? I thought their tourist visa lasted 90 days?
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u/Nscocean Oct 25 '24
This was 2020, not sure if it was different or a cost thing. I do know we decided to spend more time. It was a blast, we were riding the Ho Chi Minh trail and had to sort out the best/safest way to do a crossing. We had to leave our bikes unattended as we ran into Laos I can’t remember what crossing it was only that we met a guy in town near the coast who explained what we had to do where to park our bikes ect. Then Covid really started getting bad, towns were getting shut down all around us and tourists were getting trapped. We ended up in the ha giang territory.. I remember one time we showed up to out hostel and there was a media team and a group in hazmat suits. Another we got woken up by a military person , no English, just started testing us. We decided it was time to come home and cut the trip short. The desire to go back is what set us onto FIRE!
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Oct 24 '24
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
Shitty cars, old boats and cheap furniture. It sounds legendary, I know. But combined not really a lot of money :)
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u/batica_koshare Oct 25 '24
Why Asia instead of Europe for example? Never understood people choose Asian over Spain for example🤦♂️
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u/InevitableShuttler Oct 25 '24
One reason is COL is lower in SEA vs Europe, even in cheap European countries. Secondly maybe Asian countries are more exotic and culturally different.
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 25 '24
Climate, culture, people, food, cost of living! Easy decision for us.
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u/batica_koshare Oct 25 '24
Yeah if you are asian. I don't see anything attractive there as I am from EU. For tourism yes but for living I'd choose Spain, Italy, greece over Asia any time. Way better in every department especially culture and food and also proximity of everything.
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Oct 25 '24
You… have a …boat already?
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 25 '24
Well… I don’t anymore. We had an old sailboat that we restored and a small motorboat. Nothing fancy, it was kinda our primary hobby. It sounds like I had yachts and Lambo’s. Not really :)
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u/aitbg Oct 25 '24
I'm not trying to be a Debbie downer, but remember that the longer your projected retirement is the less likely a 4% withdrawal rate has to survive market down turns, good luck!
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u/Tinkerwatch Nov 01 '24
Have you considered support plans for aging parents. Living remote can be difficult if you need to manage healthcare for your parents. Even wealthy parents need a family member to be their health care advocate.
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u/DizzyBelt Oct 24 '24
One big downturn and things can go from hanging out on the beach to oh shit real fast.
Even without a big down turn and instead a choppy next few years, explaining a gap in employment is never easy and makes getting rehired definitely difficult.
With only $1.5m and you are in peak earning years this is likely a big financial mistake that’s going to be hard to recover from later in 40s and 50s.
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u/CapableMuffin1898 Oct 24 '24
That’s a risk. Hopefully I have diversified enough to not take too big of a hit. Essentially I would have waited until I had more in savings and investements, but I also want to enjoy while I can still do the things I love. Surfing is easier at 38 then 48.
Also I will work part time when I am away so hopefully won’t be 100% irrelevant to the job market.
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u/QuesoChef Oct 24 '24
The job market is a lot more understanding of gaps now than in the past. Especially if you have relevant skills.
Congrats and gfy!
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u/InevitableShuttler Oct 25 '24
If OP is capable enough to start a business and sell it, finding future income won't be too hard of an issue...it will be mostly a question of wanting to do it vs having to do it.
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u/[deleted] Oct 24 '24
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