My wife and I love to travel. During the five years we have been together, we have created many unforgettable memories during our travels abroad.
But in July 2021, we took a cruise around the Greek islands for my wife’s 49th birthday, which really changed our lives. As we sat in our cabin overlooking the ocean, we talked about how we would spend our empty years in a nest. Our five children had moved out of the house.
During a cruise on the Greek islands, Kimanzi Constable decided to sell his belongings and travel the world as digital nomads.
Photo: Kimanzi Constable
I felt amazing traveling again after stopping the Covid-19 relieved. So we jumped in and sold our belongings to travel full time as digital nomads.
How we moved abroad and became digital nomads
Several factors influenced our decision. First, my wife and I run a consulting firm and an online education program that teaches entrepreneurs how to brand and market. Our work does not require us to be in one particular place.
We were also disappointed by the fact that we were colorful people in the United States. We often encounter racism in the comments section when we publish articles and videos online. We even had people who told us categorically that they would not do business with us because I am African American and my wife is Puerto Rican.
Running an online business allows Kimanzi and his wife to work from anywhere, like this roof in Lisbon, Portugal.
Photo: Kimanzi Constable
But after watching YouTube channels like Our Rich Journey, reading blogs like Nomadic Matt, and listening to podcasts like Chris The Freelancer’s Podcast, we realized we could save money overseas. YouTube channels like Passport Heavy have also shown us that there may be fewer experiences of racism in other countries.
So after the cruise we sold our car and belongings, except for a few special items that we keep in stock. We also sold our five-bedroom, four-bathroom, and 3,100-square-foot home on Lakewood Ranch, Florida, for $ 810,000 and our second home in Bushnell for $ 265,000.
We used the profits to pay off the debt and invest in our pension and emergency funds. Some of this money also helped pay for the first six months of our trip, including our Airbnbs and flights.
The first stop for Kimanzi and his wife as full-time travelers is Puerto Rico, where they connect with his wife’s legacy.
Photo: Kimanzi Constable
In October 2021, we finally landed in Puerto Rico, where we were able to connect with my wife’s legacy. After this trip we lived in places like London, Rome, Lisbon and Nice.
How we earn, save and spend money
In addition to our online business, which generates an average of $ 19,000 a month in revenue, my freelance writing experience brings in about $ 1,000 a month.
When we first started traveling, we were committed to spending no more than we did in Florida. Our average monthly expenses then were:
- Mortgage (for two homes): $ 5,686
- Maintenance and insurance fees (for two homes): $ 2,385
- Utilities and telephone: $ 621
- Car and gasoline payments: $ 2,058
- Car insurance: $ 275
- Health insurance: $ 548
- Food (groceries and eating out): $ 2,500
- Fitness membership: $ 438
- Streaming Services: $ 65
- Credit card debt: $ 525
Total: $ 15,101
Our goal was to live a comfortable and fun life while saving money. We have now cut our monthly budget by more than 50% and give ourselves a maximum of $ 8,000 a month to fund our lives as digital nomads.
So far, our monthly expenses average $ 7,886. We place every purchase we can on our credit cards to accumulate points and miles, and then redeem them for free flights.
Chimanze puts most of his purchases on credit cards to earn flight points.
Photo: Kimanzi Constable
We spent February this year in Lisbon, Portugal. Here’s a breakdown of our monthly expenses there:
- Rent (Airbnbs): $ 2,683
- Flights: $ 1498
- Transportation: $ 131
- Food (groceries, eating out): $ 2,137
- Streaming Services: $ 65
- Phone: $ 121
- Car insurance (our daughter’s car): $ 195
- Small US storage unit: $ 95
- Therapy: $ 780
- Entertainment: $ 81
Total: $ 7,786
How we choose our digital nomadic destinations
We choose our destinations based on seasonal time, cost of living and whether the country is on any of our lists.
One of the destinations Chimanzi and his wife chose was Nice, France, where they visited earlier this March.
Photo: Kimanzi Constable
We stay at Airbnbs instead of hotels because we want places with a large kitchen, washing machine and dryer, nice views and a special place to work. Hotels just can’t offer it all.
We spend one to three months in each place. For some people, it may feel tiring to have such a transitional lifestyle, but we love it.
We structure our schedule to balance work and play
Work takes up a lot of our time during the week. We are on our computers and phones from Monday to Friday, usually from 8 a.m. to about 4 p.m. I am the head chef in the family, so we eat at home on weekdays.
Weekends are when we can really have fun. We sleep on Saturday morning, and I wake my wife with coffee and homemade breakfast. Then we have a list of attractions we want to visit from YouTube videos we’ve watched.
We explore every country we travel to, enjoy local delicacies and walk a lot. Our favorite city so far has been Rome. Italian food there is unsurpassed.
Rome is the couple’s favorite stop so far.
Photo: Kimanzi Constable
We like that we can walk from our Airbnb near the Vatican to the center of Rome in about 25 minutes. We can leave and indulge in pizza or ice cream in no time. Walking around the city and back to our Airbnb helps us burn a good amount of calories.
Full-time travel is freedom for us
We have been digital nomads for seven months and we do not regret our decision to sell everything and travel full time.
We are currently in Medellin, Colombia.
Kimanzi and his wife keep in touch with their five children through FaceTime, Zoom and return home to the United States
Photo: Kimanzi Constable
As we travel, we use Zoom and FaceTime to keep in touch with people at home. Technology allows us to live a full-time digital nomadic lifestyle without feeling so distant from family and friends.
We save money and stay in countries that feel friendly to us as people of color. Europe was such a good experience that we are considering a long-term stay there.
We are so grateful that we can live a life of freedom and where every day feels like a new adventure.
Kimanzi Constable is a freelance entrepreneur and writer. His work has been published in Fortune, Entrepreneur, Black Enterprise, SUCCESS, NBC, Travel & Leisure, CBS and Parents, among many others. Follow him and his wife on YouTube to keep up with their travels.
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