Tom Wedding was tired of feeling “poor” while living paycheck to paycheck in Australia, so he packed his bags and moved to Asia.
The 24-year-old sold his belongings in early 2023 and worked remotely from his laptop while traveling abroad.
Tom, who splits his time between Bali and Thailand, told FEMAIL he couldn’t afford to go out on a night out with friends in Australia, rarely dined out in restaurants and felt constrained by his finances.
He now invests and saves 60 percent of the $6,500 he earns each month while working in tropical paradises.
‘I missed a lot of things in Australia and I felt like it controlled my life. “It all adds up so quickly when you go out,” she said.
‘Now I’m very spontaneous: if I want to go somewhere, I’ll book it. It’s also nice to work remotely because it gives me the freedom to do so.”
Tom Wedding (pictured) left Australia for Asia and hasn’t looked back since. He moved in early 2023, lives out of a suitcase and rents luxury villas
Tom also met his now girlfriend while they were living in Asia (pictured together)
Tom had a brief stint in an office job in Australia, but quickly realized it wasn’t for him after three months. Since then he lives out of a suitcase.
For the past four months, Tom has returned home to visit his family and has been house-sitting for free between the Gold Coast and Melbourne.
During this time he realized how unaffordable Australia has become.
“The cost of living here in Australia is absolutely crazy,” he declared in a TikTok. video.
“I haven’t even gotten a haircut for about two months while I was here for Christmas because I don’t want to pay $40 to $60 — that’s just ridiculous.”
“Sure, I could go somewhere cheap, but I want to get a good haircut.”
While in Asia, Tom said he can “live like a king” because meals, accommodations and amenities are drastically cheaper.
He also chose to live in Bali and Thailand because they are close to Australia and the locals are friendly despite the language barriers.
While abroad, he rents a scooter for $150-$200 a month and gas costs around $10 to fill up the tank.
He spends $1,200 a month on a huge villa in Thailand or Bali, while in Australia he paid $2,200 a month.
While living in Australia, Tom rented a small apartment that cost $2,200 a month, but now he pays $1,200 for a luxury villa in Bali that he has to himself.
As for food, takeaway in Australia tends to cost at least $25 per meal, but in Asia Tom only needs to shell out $5 to $10.
Every two months you need to leave Bali or Thailand to reapply for the visa, but you tend to travel to places you haven’t been before.
So far he has visited Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam and then uses Bali and Thailand as his “home base.”
While abroad, he rents a scooter for between $150 and $200 a month and gas costs about $10 to fill up the tank.
However, one thing he misses about Australia, besides the picturesque beaches, is the safety.
Every two months he needs to leave the country to reapply for the $60 visa, but he tends to travel to places he hasn’t been before. So far she has visited Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam and then uses Bali and Thailand as a “home base.”
Tom works two full-time jobs for a real estate company and a marketing brand and earns a combined salary of $6,500. And while he likes living abroad, he would like to have an office space to retire to.
Tom works two full-time remote jobs for a real estate company and a marketing brand that bring him a combined salary of $6,500 per month.
He also has a side hustle that helps teach others how they can transition to remote work and live a nomadic lifestyle.
As for finances, he invests 30 percent of his income in cryptocurrencies, saves 30 percent for an emergency fund, and lives off the rest.
Tom believes that working remotely is the best way to reduce the cost of living and live a balanced lifestyle that is not controlled by finances.
At the moment he has no plans to return to Australia permanently, but will always consider it his home.