Books! I don’t think we’ve ever written about books here. This particular one is a doozy, so what better way to start writing about books than with one of the most comprehensive “living abroad” books we’ve ever read?
A quick summary: The book is called A Better Life for Half the Price, and its tag line is “How to prosper on less money in the cheapest places to live.” That’s a good summary of the book, but this guy is selling himself a bit short. The book is way more than that.
If you’ve ever read our blog, you probably know who Tim Leffel is – seen above with his wife and daughter. (See here and here on our blog for more.) He’s one of the best in the expat/living abroad/travel game, writing his own books as well as articles for pretty much every travel-related publication you can think of.
He also runs the website Cheapest Destinations (among others), and is well-known for his super-selling book of a similar name, The World’s Cheapest Destinations, which is at least in its fourth edition, as far as I can tell.
Basically, Tim is The Man when it comes to these subjects. We know first-hand because we know the guy, but also because we’re fans and he’s a damn good writer with damn good advice. While we were expats and travelers before we knew who he was, our experience can tell us and you that he’s on the money pretty much all the time.
We also know people who follow him religiously, and who’ve carved their own paths based on what Tim has written. It doesn’t really get much more legit than that.
So, Tim was nice enough to give us a copy of his new book, and we figured we’d read it. He didn’t ask for anything, but the breadth and depth of what he wrote impressed me so much that I really wanted to write a post about it.
Basically this: If you have any inkling or interest about living abroad, cutting your expenses, and/or being a little adventurous, you must have this book in your life. Even if it’s only crossed your mind once or twice, it’s a read that you should have.
I don’t want to go on forever about it, so I’ll just give you some bullet points.
What we like:
- Tim’s knowledge shines through, with personal experiences in various countries laid out all across the book’s pages.
- He covers all the basics you need to know in a variety of countries, including Europe. Yes, there are countries in Europe where you can cut your costs by quite a great deal.
- It’s no-nonsense. There is no filler, and while he’s positive about all the great things you can accomplish if you really want to, he doesn’t fill the book with all the pluses of how you can live like a king but without all the minuses that come with it. He makes it absolutely clear that it’s not always candy canes and unicorns. There can be, are, and will be things you don’t like or aren’t used to.
- He also makes it clear that this lifestyle is not for everyone. He absolutely advocates that you should always visit a place before committing your entire life to it, or buying property, or whatever. House Hunters International is mostly bullshit, regardless of how entertaining it is.
- This book is crazy comprehensive. It’s not a quick read, but it’s entertaining and eye-opening. If you have any interest in living abroad, your eyes will be stuck to this book, imagining all the possibilities while learning about the lifestyle and all the advantages and disadvantages of living in various countries.
What we don’t like:
- Nothing. Seriously. The book is that good.
The paperback version was just released, and you can get that right here on Amazon.
If you want to get extra-serious about it, you can get the eBook version from the book’s website, and tack on packages that will afford you all sorts of extras that reach far beyond what you’ll find in the book. He has three packages available, the first one at a miserly USD $22.00, which includes extra reports and writings by other expats.
Going up from there, you’ll find packages that include access to his private community, an insider’s newsletter, more reports from other expats, live webinars, and all kinds of crazy stuff. It all depends on how far you want to go.
And I can tell you right now that the info is more than worth it. Just look at us: We’re living proof of the possibilities that are out there. Just do it, it’s worth the investment.
I don’t really care if it seems like I’m gushing. This really is required reading if you want to do what Tim does, what we do, what our friends do, and what thousands of other people are doing all the time. While it takes work, it’s not rocket science, and A Better Life for Half the Price is a definitive guide to getting started on your own path.
And that’s a wrap.
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Have you ever read any of Tim’s work? If so, what’d you think? If not, now’s the time to start. Let us know your thoughts in the comments!