1. What it's Like to Save Money and Live Better 30:32

Can you imagine living on a beach, in a bigger house, with more disposable income and more free time, doing work you enjoy?  Julia Vitality, the guest on this week's episode, says stop dreaming–make this your reality.  Julia and others like her are using a strategy called geoarbitrage: lowering their cost of living, usually by Moving to a different town or country, to make their incomes go further.  Julia — a Ukranian-Canadian now living in Cancun, Mexico — shares her fascinating life story, along with practical strategies and plenty of inspiration for anyone flirting with the idea of making a life change. 

In this episode:

  • 01:10 Definition of geoarbitrage
  • 01:58 Why Julz decided to use this strategy; some of her background
  • 05:12 Comparing living costs in Toronto vs. Cancun, Mexico
  • 08:53 Things to consider before Moving 
  • 11:12 Language issues (or lack thereof!)
  • 13:43 Taking on such an adventure as a single person
  • 19:08 Working in a foreign country
  • 24:17 Getting rid of unneeded “stuff”
  • 26:32 Medical system in Mexico

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Elizabeth Pearson Garr Podcaster

Elizabeth Pearson Garr has spent a lot of her life asking questions. A daughter of a professor and a principal, as a kid she loved sitting at the “adult table” during their dinner parties so she could participate in the “real” conversations.

Elizabeth went on to graduate with honors from Harvard with a degree in History and Literature, and promptly attended professional cooking school to become a food writer. That led to various career opportunities, including becoming one of the first employees of the Television Food Network; writing/producing gigs at networks from PBS to E!; anchoring/reporting at the NBC affiliate in Billings, Montana; earning a graduate degree in Documentary Film & Video from Stanford University; and various and sundry other things. The through-line to all this has been curiosity. Elizabeth is a skilled interviewer who loves diving deep into research, finding connections, and telling good stories.

Elizabeth has a husband, two daughters, and a fluffy white dog who rarely leaves her side.