Everyday is a vacation for Jeremy Jacobson and Winnie Tseng. The couple, who retired in their 30s, travel 52 weeks a year to destinations like Belize, Taiwan, Mexico and Guatemala. Envy their dreamy lifestyle? Jacobson and Tseng say way more people could do it than you probably think. Um, we’re listening.
13 years ago the couple drastically changed their lifestyle. They decided their goal was to save 70% of their combined $135,000 yearly income, which meant doing things like getting rid of their car, cooking every meal at home, and relying on nature as their main sources of entertainment.
The couple, who now have a young daughter, currently lives on an income of $4,000 a month. On their money/lifestyle strategy blog “Go Curry Cracker” they explain that this lifestyle is actually feasible for many people. Both Jacobson and Tseng came from low-income homes and spent about six years paying off student loans before the saving process really began.
“Many assume that you have to work more than 40 years to retire, or that long-term international travel is only for college dropouts and dirty hippies living on rice and beans,” said the husband-and-wife team. “It doesn’t require winning the lottery, inheriting a windfall, or getting lucky on some penny stocks. There is really one thing that determines how quickly you could join us on the road: savings rate.”
Hmmm…time to whip out the piggy bank.
