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My single biggest worry until now was how I would be able to afford the move to Ukraine. It was a needless worry, as most of them are. The truth is that even as a South African with not much money to speak of, I can still afford a reasonably comfortable lifestyle if I don’t splurge and manage my daily expenses well.
And on top of it all, my lifestyle choice will mean that I shall have enough money to cover my daily living expenses, and maybe some for the odd luxury expense once in a while! As a matter of fact, I might even be living a great life in comparison, on a relatively tight budget, as my income won’t be taxed up the wazoo (with nothing to show for it!).
I read an account by a Canadian volunteer in Ukraine that her chronic pain has all but disappeared due to the way that she is moving and that she feels she has a new purpose in life. I don’t have pain, but my stress levels are pretty much through the roof and I don’t like that at all! If keeping busy with some new, worthwhile-to-me projects can help lower my blood pressure and get my body moving, then I am all for the change of pace!
So…
Seed money…
Obviously, I’ll need money for the initial move, to purchase property in rural Ukraine, and to buy a truck to convert to an RV. (And launch some YouTube episodes from there!) The people who deal with my kinds of immigration also recommend that I put enough money into the company to pay myself a salary of UHR10k per month. That is a small fraction of what I earn now, but that means that I shall have to hit the ground in Ukraine running so that the company can afford to keep me on as the least-paid CEO in Kyiv! That seed money will also have to buy the equipment that I’ll need for blogging and vlogging my adventures and to equip a studio and workshop. And I’ll probably need a good Internet connection, too: either Starlink or a boosted LTE connection, depending on the reception.
The idea has always been to sell my current property and use that money as capital, but I have also been trying very hard to find ways to supplement that amount without touching my retirement fund. After that, I’ll need a way to emigrate financially without incurring too much of a loss. As I said before, I don’t mind paying taxes if that money is applied where it should properly go, but I also firmly believe in “Paying Caesar what is due Ceasar, not what Caesar wants!” Therefore, if I can legally avoid some tax payments, I shall definitely endeavor to do so.
While I don’t mind working hard to achieve a given goal, I am born lazy and prone to both overthinking things and procrastinating to the last few seconds. That’s one of the reasons for this blog – so that I can at least be held somewhat accountable. BUT those bad habits must end, and soon! I am seriously considering purchasing most of my vlogging equipment before I make the flight to Europe, even if I am sure that it would be cheaper there! The simple reason for that is that I want to create video material from the moment I set foot on European soil, if not before. (Yes, I’ll look like a Japanese tourist!)
That means I would have to set up quite a few accounts in advance, too. YouTube, WordPress, and Amazon KDP, to name but three. A daunting thought, because once that’s done, I would have passed a new checkpoint toward my ultimate goal. And there’s no turning back!
Am I scared? You can bet your last cent on that! I’ve never been out of my country by myself, never been out of Africa and this is the furthest that I’ll ever be from my family. However, I am going to a country that has survived the war and that has some of the most courageous people on this planet! It’s not a matter of avoiding fear, but to find a way to work through it. And I know that if I give up now, I’ll never be able to recover. Therefore…
I’m making a list and checking it twice. So much to do… The problem is that the due date for this goal is pretty much like the date of the Second Coming, no disrespect intended. It all depends on how quickly the orcs can be made to leave Ukraine, and nobody knows when that will be. What that means is that I need to be ready to go at the drop of a hat. That could be fun!
Anyway, that concludes my brain dump for tonight. If you want to contribute to my progress, feel free to donate here. Every cent counts and is appreciated, so this is a good reason to get rid of all of your loose change.
