Hi friends. It’s me – your favorite nomad. Going after the life I want!
Every woman out there who has become suddenly single knows what it’s like to have your life catapulted into a new world.
For us low income women, survival can be a tough reality.
My reality is choosing if I stay where I am, struggling to come up with the rent, buy groceries, and pay all the bills.
Or…
Finding a better life for myself just about anywhere else in the world.
That’s why I love that saying in the above photo. Well, the horse caught my attention first, but you get the gist!
I live my life beneath a wandering star with a driving need deep inside – pushing me forward with a desire to always be on the move.
Cheryl @ The Lifestyle Digs
Finding financial and emotional freedom
So how do we go after the life we want when we don’t have financial or emotional support?
Us low income older single women work all our lives chasing financial freedom.
Does money make us happy? Maybe not… but if we had money then we’d sure be able to afford our own misery!
I always thought that once I become a millionaire, then I’d be happy. But unless I win the lottery (and I don’t normally buy tickets) I’m unlikely to suddenly become a millionaire in my senior years.
We need money to live. And many times where we’re living costs us too much money.
I had to change my thinking to match my meager income and with this new way of thinking, I found out I need less money than I thought.
If financial freedom is costing you emotional freedom – it’s not worth it.
Get rich quick
There are so many scams out there I need to remind everyone to avoid get rich quick ventures. Also be aware of scammers who promise it’s NOT a get rich quick scheme but you will be rich in a few years. You will go into retirement not worrying about money. Yeah right. Usually the opposite is true. You got scammed out of your money and put more debt on your credit card all because of some sweet talking scammer.
And go into retirement with even more debt, worrying about paying it off.
I am not talking about a romance scammer, though those can be even worse. These get rich quick scammers are offering some kind of business or investment opportunity.
Don’t get involved with get rich quick schemes, MLM network marketing, or anything that stinks of a Ponzi or pyramid scheme. For sure all these things will make you suffer financially and emotionally.
And I can say something that we’ve all heard: if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Let me give you another little gem to think about. If it was as easy to get rich as that shyster wooing you suggests, then everyone would be doing it.
Think about it. If it was that easy to get rich, then there would be no more poverty in the world.
No debt
I have been debt-free for around 10 years and that releases me from the emotional burden of stressing out how I’m going to pay off the money I owe.
Unfortunately, financial stress can affect your health. Anxiety. Depression. Weight gain or weight loss. Insomnia. Drinking too much. Physical ailments.
Anything that is affecting your mental and physical health will make it harder to manage your money and can lead to even more financial problems.
This is no way to live. I have a few past articles on this blog that you can read to help you take control of your debt and find organizations to help you.
Single Women and Debt Reduction
Taking Control of Debt on a Low Income
And don’t knock my messages in my posts until you consider trying my suggestions. I’m living a life of freedom as a nomad and international housesitter and the first big step was getting rid of the debt. I’ve shared good advice. Real advice. From one low income woman to another type of advice. None of the usual advice that involves families on dual income in the 6 figures type of advice that we can not relate to.
I’m going after the life I want with no debt bogging me down.
Adventure of a lifetime
Is there someplace that you want to travel to that you would call a trip of your lifetime?
For some people that might be a cruise to Alaska or through the Panama Canal. Maybe spending a month in Italy or Greece. What about scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef?
Have I had my trip of a lifetime? I’m not sure yet. I know what is still ahead of me in slightly different wording. For me, I’ve been yearning for the adventure of my lifetime. For decades.
Yes, decades.
My adventure of a lifetime has stayed the same. I’ve been close, almost did it in early 2024, but nomad life pushed me to volunteer in the Caribbean instead.
The adventure of my lifetime has come up a few times on the blog, usually when I run a post about things that are on my mind.
In February of 2023 you read it here first – Ready to be a Nomad. I posted a list of places that I wanted to visit, or revisit, after I finished walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
My adventure of a lifetime is to go to Peru and see Machu Picchu and then off to Ecuador to visit the Galapagos Islands.
Of course I’ll be doing other things in both those countries, but going to Machu Picchu, and then seeing as how I’m somewhat close, adding on the Galapagos has been my dream for a very long time.
And it will be happening. I’m heading to South America later this year for a few months! Yay me! Dreams do come true!
Going after the life I want
If I hadn’t become a nomad and an international housesitter, my life would be struggling in Canada. I’d be draining my savings paying rent and other bills because my government issued senior security is not enough to cover rent.
Instead I made a choice to live a relatively rent-free life by staying in other people’s houses while they go on vacation. Instead of paying rent, I look after other people’s houses and pets.
I’m going after the life I want!
And I’m travelling the world!
What about you? Do you choose to spend your senior years struggling in poverty in Canada or America? Or can you live a better life somewhere else?
There’s your thought for the day!
Published by Cheryl @ The Lifestyle Digs on May 29, 2025.
