Hey there, fellow explorers of the enchanting world of entertainment, tech, and life’s grand adventures! It’s Sarah Jensen here, dialing in from the vibrant heart of Austin, Texas, where the sunsets are as colorful as my latest tech gadget obsession. Today, however, we’re swapping our usual topics for a tale that’s as inspiring as it is jaw-dropping. Imagine trading your 9-5 grind for a life where your annual rent is less than what most of us spend on coffee in a year. Yes, you heard that right. Let’s dive into the extraordinary journey of a British couple who did just that and moved to Bali.
Matt Dearing, a carpenter by trade, and Carlie Donnelley, a 35-year-old beautician, were once entrenched in the all-too-familiar rat race. Matt’s days were a blur of 10-hour shifts, sometimes stretching across the entire week, leaving him barely an hour each day to spend with his three children. The couple reached a tipping point, driven by a desire to break free from the cycle of “living to work.”
With a daring leap of faith, Matt and Carlie decided to sell their house and all their valuable possessions to seek a new beginning in Bali, Indonesia. Their dream? To achieve financial freedom. They sold their home for a cool 422,000 euros and waved goodbye to their life in the UK.
Bali, known for its year-round tourism and stunning weather, beckoned. Upon arrival in November 2022, the couple explored various regions before settling in Ubud. There, they found a three-bedroom house on a sprawling 1200 square meter plot, all for the astonishing annual rent of 2,300 euros (about 200 euros a month).
Using the proceeds from their house sale, Matt and Carlie built two villas on their new property. Their plan? To sell one villa to fund the construction of more, creating a cycle of selling and renting out properties. Their ultimate goal is to live off the rental yields, free from the need to work.
Matt enthuses about their new life, “The return on investment is incredible… Being financially free for us literally means having the freedom to do what we want with the kids, rather than working ten hours seven days a week.” Now, he gets to live his dream of taking the kids to school and picking them up, embracing the warm gratitude of the local community.
Today, Matt and Carlie live a dream life, spending quality time with their three children and exploring Bali’s beaches, waterfalls, and tourist sites every weekend. They’ve ticked all the boxes for a fulfilling life, proving that sometimes, the boldest moves lead to the most rewarding outcomes.
So, dear readers, what do you think about Matt and Carlie’s leap into the unknown? Could you see yourself making a similar move, or do you have your own dream escape? Share your thoughts and dreams in the comments below. Let’s keep dreaming big and exploring the endless possibilities life offers, together.
As for me, I’ll be here, weaving tales from Austin and beyond, always on the lookout for the next big thing in entertainment, tech, and the logic puzzles that keep our minds sharp. Stay tuned, stay engaged, and most importantly, stay curious.