@Yeww

I'm thinking of leaving the US because of the cost of living here.

I’m seriously considering moving from the US to a vastly cheaper country because of the cost of living crisis here. I’m 26 and make $60,000 annually as a sales rep in the absurdly expensive state of California. My apartment lease expires in roughly 2 months and I’ll be forced to make a critical, life-changing decision: Do I relocate somewhere cheaper within the United States, such as somewhere in the South or Midwest, or do I roll the dice by moving to another country entirely?

If I were to move countries, I'd be departing with $12,000 - $15,000 in savings, depending on which belongings I decide to keep or sell. This should be enough money to sustain me for approximately a year while living a modest lifestyle in some developing country. Of course, I would need to figure out a way to generate income remotely eventually. I'm fully aware of the challenges of securing a remote source of income in this awfully competitive economic climate, but I'm also confident that with a year's worth of time and much hard work, that I’ll figure something out. Plus I would only need about $2000 - $3000 per month to live a very comfortable lifestyle abroad.

My top choice so far for foreign relocation is Koh Lanta, Thailand. It possesses many favorable qualities like abundant nature, sunny weather, and importantly, it's incredibly cheap. I would need to make visa runs every 90 days, which I know can be taxing and unreliable, but it should work in the short term. And If I for whatever reason get denied access into the country, I'll simply jump over to one of the many neighboring, equally inexpensive countries in Southeast Asia.

I'd also be willing to teach English as means to support myself while searching for remote income. As a native English speaker with a Bachelor’s degree, securing a job should be a painless feat. The income from teaching English would give me an even larger financial cushion and more time to develop the skills necessary for remote income. I was thinking of leveraging my 3 years of sales experience to find a remote job, but if I'm moving to Thailand I figure the time zone differences would render that idea a logistical nightmare. Surely starting an online business or finding freelance work is the way to go.

I have two questions.

1) What are some viable ways to generate income given my circumstances? I've explored a few options like copywriting and digital marketing, but everything remote seems oversaturated.

2) What are your general thoughts on the plan I've constructed? Any advice or insight would be appreciated.

It doesn't read like a plan, so much as a few ideas you're mulling over. Have you read any books that could advise you on this matter? Are you engaging people on forums that focus on the topics of remote working, expatriation, and such? Have you reached out to your college alumni association or your fraternity alumni on this matter? Have you begun cultivating skills, contacts, or resources that would have value or utility in such a situation as a collapse?