Put yourself in my shoes, what would you do?

P

PlusEV

Confused about dryer sheets
Joined
Oct 30, 2018
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Imagine you're 36 years old, single, no kids, and you just wanted to drop everything and go somewhere cheap (Thailand, Argentina, Ukraine for example) to start a new life. Imagine you don't have anywhere near enough to retire on, but would scrape together about 100K (USD) if you sold your house and maybe another 35 or so in a retirement fund, and that you really didn't want to work any more to earn more even though you know it would be a safer and smarter way of doing things. Imagine you've made about $50,000 profit from sportsbetting and $15,000 from poker in the last two years and while you cannot guarantee that those sorts of numbers would continue you realize that there is a decent chance that year on year you'd be able to record some sort of profit at the very least. What would you do?

Would you go back to work and save some more and aim to retire at age 40? 45? 50?

Would you save money so that you could travel without selling the house, rent the house out and put in the difference needed to keep up with the mortgage so that you benefit long term from increases in equity and then live off the rental return once the house is paid off in 30 years time?

Would you sell the house and take the money overseas and chill out trying to make enough to live off from poker and sportsbetting with an aim to simply return home if you lose more than half of your money and then maintain that lifestyle forever if you can make more than you spend? (which is reasonably likely based on past results but certainly not guaranteed)

Would you do something completely different?

One of the reasons I'd rather leave sooner rather than later is that it's a dream that can only be realized while single, right now I am! If I stay here and get in a relationship it'll be harder to follow through, and staying single for 5-10 years would get boring. I've been single for the last two years focused on getting to where I am now, and even another two years seems like a long time even though realistically it won't be less than that.

To help you answer. I don't need to live a life of luxury but have no intention of roughing it either. I think in most of the countries I'm interested in I could get by on about 1.5k USD a month based on my research. I think that's realistic anyway, could spend a little less if pushed and would spend a bit more if it felt safe to do so.

If anyone takes the time to write a helpful answer I'll be very appreciative.
 
It's a high-risk venture.

Worse case, after a few years you are drug addicted and 10 years older. IN a not-as-worse case, you never recover from the financial hit, and you have to work until 70.

OTOH, you might make a good living from that, or find that passion you may be looking for.
 
There is no shortcut to financially secure future. I wouldn't do it.
 
If you have no dependents and no responsibilities I would do it

There won’t be a better time
 
You’re single. You can do what you want and this could be a great adventure, if nothing else. If this is where you’re drawn, go for it. My only word of caution is on the gambling. Stop it or at least set a hard limit on what you’ll accept for losses. It is just too easy to chase losses and find yourself broke.
 
I think you have to ask yourself where you want to be at 40, 50, 60, etc.

Do you want to end up, say, 53, still single, with no savings, no real prospects, a resume full of odd jobs, and no chance of finding a wife able/willing to start a family with you?
If you're ok with all that, go ahead.

If you think you can count on the gambling in any way at all, you're being a bit foolish.
 
Given your temperament, you should go overseas for a year and try it. I would think that most people on this site, including myself, would never do it however.
 
I'd ponder my wanderlust to figure out its cause then address that directly.
 
From when I retired at 34 until about 45 was the best time in my life. I would try to get enough to pay off the house, sell it carrying the mortgage note for a new buyer and not using a realtor, and live off whatever the note pays you in interest.
There’s a bunch of real hotties in Thailand
Go have a blast!
No more gambling
 
Discipline equals freedom. Keep saving until it hurts. Someday you'll have all options in front of you. Today you don't.
 
You should have done it 16 years ago.....now, maybe a tad late.
 
If I wanted to move to a foreign country, I'd learn the language first.
 
You only get one life to live, so make the most of it.

Me, I wouldn't do it. You, go for it. Go big or go home. Just have a Plan B to fall back on if things don't work out.
 
My 38 year old son had a dream of going to Vietnam to teach English and math. He has been there a year and loves it. His plan is to stay a few more years.
 
Rent the house out, and go find out what you have been searching for. Give it a year, and re-evaluate your financial, and mental state at that time to either end, or continue your adventure.
 
There is a real feeling of freedom when one is unattached and has the ability to live wherever one chooses. Less than a year ago, I found myself in a similar situation and I took the opportunity to make big changes (including moving halfway around the world).

But, in your shoes, I would be uncomfortable with the proposed financial picture. I suspect that we don't have the same appetite for risk though.
 
Read the blog https://www.mrfreeat33.com/

Jason "retired" at 33 and lives in Thailand.

He has details about his spending. ~$1,400 per month in a furnished luxury apartment.

His nest egg is bigger than yours. I would get to $300k to $500k in taxable before trying. Healthcare is cheap in Thailand.
 
Hold on here, care to flesh out those numbers?..you are 36 have made 65K in two years sports betting and own a house.

Yet you have a total of 100K assets including your home equity and at 36 and single have only 35K in retirement funds..these numbers absolutely do not add up. Care to elaborate otherwise I'm putting on my skeptic hat...
 
It wouldn't be what I'd want. Seems kind of lonely to me.

But I haven't been single since my early 20s, and never had a dream of living in a poor country trying to make a living gambling.

Since you are single, nobody is depending on you. Do whatever you think would make you happy. Hopefully, if it doesn't work out, you could come back and resume a more traditional life.

What kind of work are you doing now? Would it be easy to resume in a few years if things don't work out as you hope?

Are you sure this isn't just some sort of emotional reaction to something that happened 2 years ago when you became single? If it is, then dealing with that may be better than running away from it.

If you do decide to chuck it all for the gambling life, check back in occasionally and let us know that you are enjoying it, okay? And let us know if you decide not to go and why?

I wish you luck.
 
Last edited:
ivinsfan said:
Hold on here, care to flesh out those numbers?..you are 36 have made 65K in two years sports betting and own a house.

Yet you have a total of 100K assets including your home equity and at 36 and single have only 35K in retirement funds..these numbers absolutely do not add up. Care to elaborate otherwise I'm putting on my skeptic hat...
Click to expand...

Could have something to do with "been single for the last two years" perhaps? Sometimes "becoming single" can be rather expensive.
 
Last edited:
PlusEV said:
Imagine you're 36 years old, single, no kids, and you just wanted to drop everything and go somewhere cheap (Thailand, Argentina, Ukraine for example) to start a new life. Imagine you don't have anywhere near enough to retire on, but would scrape together about 100K (USD) if you sold your house and maybe another 35 or so in a retirement fund, and that you really didn't want to work any more to earn more even though you know it would be a safer and smarter way of doing things. Imagine you've made about $50,000 profit from sportsbetting and $15,000 from poker in the last two years and while you cannot guarantee that those sorts of numbers would continue you realize that there is a decent chance that year on year you'd be able to record some sort of profit at the very least. What would you do?

Would you go back to work and save some more and aim to retire at age 40? 45? 50?

Would you save money so that you could travel without selling the house, rent the house out and put in the difference needed to keep up with the mortgage so that you benefit long term from increases in equity and then live off the rental return once the house is paid off in 30 years time?

Would you sell the house and take the money overseas and chill out trying to make enough to live off from poker and sportsbetting with an aim to simply return home if you lose more than half of your money and then maintain that lifestyle forever if you can make more than you spend? (which is reasonably likely based on past results but certainly not guaranteed)

Would you do something completely different?

One of the reasons I'd rather leave sooner rather than later is that it's a dream that can only be realized while single, right now I am! If I stay here and get in a relationship it'll be harder to follow through, and staying single for 5-10 years would get boring. I've been single for the last two years focused on getting to where I am now, and even another two years seems like a long time even though realistically it won't be less than that.

To help you answer. I don't need to live a life of luxury but have no intention of roughing it either. I think in most of the countries I'm interested in I could get by on about 1.5k USD a month based on my research. I think that's realistic anyway, could spend a little less if pushed and would spend a bit more if it felt safe to do so.

If anyone takes the time to write a helpful answer I'll be very appreciative.
Click to expand...
Imagine that you spend $1,500 a month. Imagine that you start with $100K. If your investments make and lose no money, you run out in 67 months. Imagine your investments tank and lose 50% of their value. You run out in less than 33 months. Imagine being homeless in a foreign land with no safety net, and no social programs.
 
The ones who failed spend the next 50 years playing catchup

I enjoy living vicariously through the stories of folks who embarked on risky adventures and succeeded. It's not my personality, but if it's yours then more power to you.

However, I suspect that the number of folks who engage in improbable risks and faceplant is larger. The difference is that they don't write their stories.

If you do go with the Big Risky Plan, please check in here from time to time and update us on how it's going.
 
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