From Business Insider · · 1m 30s
She sold everything at 57 and retired to Bali
Debbie Welsch turned a US home and a lifetime of belongings into $550,000, then moved to Bali with her 82-year-old mom.
In brief
Debbie Welsch turned a US home and a lifetime of belongings into $550,000, then moved to Bali with her 82-year-old mom. Cutting your cost of living can do more for a retirement number than growing it. Her rent went from a US mortgage to $375 a month. Originally reported by Business Insider.
A $550,000 exit at 57
Debbie Welsch sold her US home and her belongings at 57 and walked away with $550,000. That number became the whole plan.
“At 57, Debbie Welsch sold her US home and belongings for $550,000”
She did not go alone
She relocated to Bali with her 82-year-old mother, so the move had to work for two people, not one retiree chasing cheap sunsets.
Rent is $375 a month
Housing is the line that changes everything abroad. In Bali she pays $375 a month, a fraction of what the same roof costs in the US.
“Today, she pays $375 a month in rent”
Making savings stretch
With no salary coming in, the goal is not growth but duration. Her new life in Bali is built around how long $550,000 can last.
“a new life centered on making her savings stretch”
She budgets out loud
On this episode of Cost of Living she breaks down what retiring in Bali actually costs, category by category, instead of quoting a vague monthly figure.
The alternative is still working
Other Cost of Living stories follow Americans over 80 driving and working to pay bills. Welsch chose a cheaper country over a longer career.
“How Americans over 80 keep working to pay the bills”
The essence
Cutting your cost of living can do more for a retirement number than growing it. Her rent went from a US mortgage to $375 a month.
