HELLO, EVERYONE! WE’RE LAURA AND DAVID, AND WE WANT TO SHARE OUR JOURNEY FROM BEING IN DEBT TO LIVING A LIFE OF FREEDOM AS DIGITAL NOMADS. IT HASN’T BEEN AN EASY PATH, BUT IT’S ONE THAT HAS TAUGHT US INVALUABLE LESSONS ABOUT RESILIENCE, PRIORITIES, AND THE TRUE MEANING OF WEALTH. IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING WITH DEBT OR LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT OF THE RAT RACE, WE HOPE OUR STORY WILL INSPIRE YOU.
When we first found ourselves in huge debt, it felt like we were trapped in a never-ending cycle of stress and worry. Our debt was largely due to the legal costs of adopting our daughter, Tegan. We had borrowed from friends and family, and the weight of that responsibility was immense. Declaring bankruptcy wasn’t an option for us—not only did we want to honour our commitments to those who had supported us, but we also couldn’t bear the thought of losing their trust. The pressure was overwhelming. Every month, after paying our rent and bills, we had nothing left. Despite living in a picturesque farmhouse in Cornwall, just a mile from the beach, we couldn’t shake the feeling of discontent. It was as if our lives had become a race to acquire more, to keep up with societal expectations, but we were never really living. We were working to afford a home that we barely had time to enjoy, and the joy of life was slipping through our fingers.
We knew something had to change. We realised that the traditional 40-hour workweek wasn’t serving us or our children. We needed a new approach, one that would allow us to break free from the shackles of debt and rediscover the joy in our lives. The first major step in our journey was downsizing—drastically. We knew we needed to minimise our expenses and simplify our lives, so we made the difficult decision to let go of most of our possessions. This process took three months, and it was both physically and emotionally exhausting. We started by going through every single item in our home. We asked ourselves, “Do we really need this? Does it bring us joy or serve a vital purpose?” If the answer was no, it had to go. We ended up giving away around 95% of our belongings, including more than 45 bin bags of clothes, toys, and household items to charity and families in need.
It was an emotional process, letting go of things that had been a part of our lives for years. But with each item we released, we felt a weight lifting off our shoulders. We were making space—not just in our home, but in our minds. We were left with just a few suitcases and a small box of meaningful items, like our son Tyler’s first outfit from the hospital. The rest was gone. The freedom that came from this downsizing was incredible. We were no longer tied down by our possessions. We could focus on what really mattered—our family, our health, and our happiness.
With our lives streamlined, it was time to tackle our finances. Our first goal was to reduce our living expenses as much as possible. We realised that by embracing a nomadic lifestyle, we could not only cut our costs but also gain the freedom to explore the world and spend more time with our children. We sold our cars, which were expensive to maintain, and booked one-way tickets to Spain. We began staying in different accommodations through Airbnb, often securing significant discounts by booking long-term stays. But our real breakthrough came when we discovered house and pet sitting. By taking care of people’s homes and pets while they were away, we were able to live rent-free in some amazing places. During our 18 months in Spain, for example, we lived rent-free in a beautiful house on 10 acres of land in the mountains of Murcia. Our children were able to run free, explore nature, and learn without even realising they were in the midst of a global pandemic. We found that by staying in one place for a longer period, we could reduce our costs even further and create a more stable environment for our kids.
Remember, the journey to freedom starts with a single step. What will your first step be?
English Author, Entrepreneur, Minimalist, and Digital Nomad.
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