In 2018, we set off into the unknown, slowly exploring the world, immersing ourselves in local cultures, tasting incredible food, and even navigating the challenges of a global pandemic. By sharing our adventures, cost-of-living breakdowns, and lifestyle insights, we’ve built a wonderful online community and formed many genuine connections along the way.
On this page, you’ll find a collection of places where our story has been featured beyond our own blog.
Press/Media: For inquiries, please reach out contact form or send us an email.
Podcasts
Nomad Summit Podcast (Sept 2025)
How to Cut Costs in Half While Traveling the World (episode page) – In this Nomad Summit Podcast episode, Christoph and Palle chat with Mr. Nomad Numbers. Since 2018, him and his wife lived all over the world while cutting their cost of living in half compared to San Francisco. Mr. Nomad Numbers breaks down how they comfortably live on about $40K per year as a couple, the custom tool he built to track expenses (Nomad Purse app), and the practical hacks that make this lifestyle sustainable. From credit card rewards to Airbnb negotiations, he shares hard-earned lessons on keeping costs low while maximizing experiences.
Topics covered:
- Travel hacking and Airbnb negotiation tips
- Reducing living costs by 50% through slow travel
- Budgeting $40K/year across several destinations
- Affordable nomad-friendly spots (under $10K/year)
Captain FI podcast (Sept 2023)
Mr. Nomad Numbers on Slow Travel (episode page) – In this episode, CaptainFI chat with Mr. Nomad Numbers, who along with his wife sold everything to slow travel the world. Through their blog they show how living abroad can actually cost less than staying in high-cost cities like San Francisco. By embracing geo-arbitrage, they’ve cut expenses nearly in half while pursuing financial independence and a values-driven lifestyle.
Topics covered:
- Selling everything to travel full-time
- How slow travel costs less than city life
- Geo-arbitrage and money-saving strategies
- Personal finance, minimalism, and FI lessons
Millionaires Unveiled podcast (March 2021)
Traveling the World on 40K a Year (episode page) – Mr. Nomad Numbers and his wife reached financial independence with a net worth primarily invested in the equity markets, plus a rental property. For the past three years, they’ve been slow traveling the world while living comfortably on $30K–$40K annually. In this episode, they open up about their journey—from income and spending to investing and lifestyle design.
Topics covered:
- Designing an intentional, values-driven lifestyle
- Spending $30K–$40K/year while traveling full-time
- Income history and path to financial independence
- Asset allocation and investment strategies
- Rental property ownership and cash flow
The FI Show podcast (Dec 2020)
Living in Taiwan and Slow Traveling The World (episode page) – In this episode, we talk geo-arbitrage. Geo-arbitrage is all about moving to locations that offer financial advantages, like a lower cost of living or favorable tax treatment. After leaving California and reaching financial independence, Mr. & Mrs. Nomad Numbers have relocated to Taiwan on a 3-year Gold Card visa that allows them to live there full-time. Mr. Nomad Numbers also shares insights into Taiwan’s highly effective COVID-19 response and what it was like to experience it firsthand.
Topics covered:
- What geo-arbitrage is and how it works in practice
- Why Taiwan became their chosen base
- The Taiwan Gold Card: benefits, application, and costs
- Cost of living in Taiwan compared to the U.S.
- Taiwan’s COVID-19 response and day-to-day life during the pandemic
- Lessons on freedom, flexibility, and designing life abroad
The Joney Talks podcast (Nov 2020)
An Introduction to Slow Travel (episode page) – In this episode, Jonathan chats with Mr. Nomad Numbers, who together with his wife left well-paid corporate jobs in 2018 to embrace a life of full-time slow travel. Originally from France and the U.S., they’ve built a lifestyle focused on freedom, experiences, and intentional living—proving it’s possible to travel the world without breaking the bank (and no, it’s not just sipping Piña Coladas on the beach). This conversation is perfect if you’re curious about how everyday people can design alternative lifestyles or if you dream of exploring the world once travel opens up again.
Topics covered:
- Leaving stable corporate jobs for a life of travel
- Building a sustainable slow-travel lifestyle
- How to live richly without overspending
- Lessons learned from life on the road
- Why slow travel is about more than beaches and cocktails
The Nomad On Fire podcast (May-Oct 2020)
Update about Taiwan, the COVID19 pandemic, and deep dive into the Taiwan Employment Gold Card – In this episode, Mr. Nomad Numbers returns to share updates from life in Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic. He talks about navigating travel restrictions, the realities of living on a modest budget, and how the Taiwan Employment Gold Card has opened doors for digital nomads like him and his wife.
Topics covered:
- Life updates since his last appearance
- Traveling and quarantining in Taiwan during COVID-19
- Cost of living breakdown: $1,500–$1,600/month for two
- Co-working spaces for digital nomads in Taiwan
- Taiwan Employment Gold Card: process, cost, and benefits
- What the future looks like for Mr. & Mrs. Nomad Numbers
Financial Independence and Slow Travel (May 2020) – In this episode, Mr. Nomad Numbers reflects on discovering the FIRE movement, strategies for balancing money, relationships, and health, and the importance of building community while living intentionally.
Topics covered:
- Getting started with FIRE
- Designing a values-driven lifestyle
- Managing money on the road
- Balancing finances, relationships, and health
- Building community as a nomad
Choose FI podcast (June 2020)
Slow Traveling the World the FI Way (episode page) – In this episode, we sit down with Mr. and Mrs. Nomad, a couple who left traditional careers behind to design a life of financial independence and slow travel. They share how they manage money while exploring the world, from leveraging travel rewards to budgeting across diverse cultures. Along the way, they highlight the role of community, staying healthy on the road, and the key lessons learned from their investment journey.
Topics covered:
- Transitioning from 9–5 jobs to a nomadic lifestyle
- Budgeting techniques for long-term travel
- Travel hacking and reward strategies
- Choosing low-cost countries to stretch savings
- Benefits of long-term accommodations
- Building community while living abroad
- Health and wellness on the road
- Lessons from financial independence and investing
Man Overseas Podcast (Dec 2020)
FU Money, Investing & World Travel (episode page) – After 13 years working at top Silicon Valley tech companies, Mr. & Mrs. Nomad Numbers reached financial independence by their mid-30s. At ages 36 and 37, they walked away from corporate life, embraced slow travel, and discovered that exploring the world can actually cost less than staying put. In this podcast episode, they open up about their journey from tech careers to full-time nomads, while diving into money, mindset, travel, and the tools they’ve created to track expenses worldwide.
Topics covered:
- Fun reflections: books, simple wealth paths, and what they’d do with $1M
- Early retirement & resisting lifestyle inflation
- Why slow travel can cost less than $30K/year
- Real estate investing in Texas
- How to negotiate better deals at work
- Staying anonymous while sharing their story
- Life lessons from working in the Silicon Valley
- Travel planning: from Southeast Asia to Europe
- Expense tracking tools (including Nomad Purse)
- Mindset in early retirement: FU money, time management, and quarterly check-ins
- Daily practices: meditation before bed, goal-setting, and mindful travel
FI Europe podcast (Feb 2021 – Dec 2019)
(Feb 2021) Live Update Nomad Numbers & RE in Taiwan (episode page) – In this episode, Alvar sits down with Mr. Nomad Numbers to discuss what FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) looks like in Taiwan and the unique benefits of building a life there. They dive into the latest updates from the Nomad Numbers journey, including how travel has evolved since COVID-19 and what life looks like now as long-term nomads.
Topics covered:
- A personal life update from Nomad Numbers
- Financial independence and early retirement in Taiwan
- Lessons from traveling through the COVID-19 era
(Dec 2019) Slow Travel & Reaching FI as a French citizen thanks to geo-arbitrage (episode page) – In this episode of the FI Europe Podcast, we sit down with Mr. and Mrs. Nomad Numbers to explore how geoarbitrage and smart financial moves can unlock freedom. From building high-income careers in the U.S. to investing across continents and eventually returning to Europe, they share their path toward financial independence through intentional choices and global living.
Topics covered:
- The Simple Path to Wealth
- Investing strategies between the U.S. and Europe
- Vanguard ETFs and long-term growth
- A day in the life of a FI nomad couple
- U.S. travel hacking strategies
- U.S. tax advantages for expats
Youtube Interviews
Francois Devatine Youtube Channel (Aug 2023)
They retired mid-30s and decided to live in Taiwan – In this interview, Mr. Nomad Numbers reflects on his and his wife’s journey from tech jobs in San Francisco to early retirement and slow travel. Since 2018, they’ve explored 17+ countries, with Taiwan becoming their favorite long-term base thanks to its safety, friendly people, access to nature, and vibrant food culture. The conversation dives into their daily life in Taiwan, balancing exploration with personal projects like the Nomad Numbers blog, and their philosophy of living minimally while maximizing experiences. They explain how the FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early) shaped their path, breaking down concepts like the 4% rule, the trade-offs between saving vs. lifestyle inflation, and why tracking expenses is essential.
Topics covered:
- Practical tips for cutting expenses and starting the path to FI
- Why Taiwan became their top choice for long-term living
- Cost of living in Taiwan ($1,500–$1,600/month for two)
- Daily routines combining exploration and creative projects
- Lessons from selling 90–95% of possessions and embracing minimalism
- FIRE basics: the 4% rule, savings rates, and compounding
- Trade-offs between homeownership vs. financial freedom