Just realized my view on cheap places was pretty off after a talk in Medellin

I was having coffee with a local friend here last week and she asked how long I was staying. When I said maybe two months because it's so cheap, she kind of smiled and said, 'But do you like it?' I mean, I'd been picking spots mostly by cost for like a year, chasing the lowest rent. That simple question hit me because I realized I was in a city I didn't really connect with, just because I saved $400 a month. It made me rethink my whole checklist for where to go next. Has anyone else gotten stuck in a place just for the numbers and not the feel?

2 comments

2 Comments

charles_green1mo ago

But what are you actually saving that money for, if not to spend it on a life you enjoy living right now? It seems like you're trading months of your life for a future that might not even feel the same when you get there. That $400 feels big on paper, but it's buying you days in a place that doesn't fit. Doesn't that make the savings kind of pointless if you're just waiting to leave?

reese5501mo ago

Honestly that math always made sense to me. Saving that much every month adds up to real freedom later. The vibe of a place can change, but a solid budget lets you actually stay long enough to find it.