The cost of moving to a new country can be expensive endeavor…particularly as you get older and accumulate nice things. When you are young and single, it’s easy to sell all your stuff, pack a few suitcases, and couch surf until you get on your feet.

However, for many (most?) of us this is not a realistic scenario. Most of the time we do need or want to take the things we own with us when we move abroad. After all, some have sentimental value, others are just too costly to replace in your new destination, and sometimes your couch just fits you perfectly and you’d never give it up.

One thing is consistent across movers, however: whether moving internationally for work, retirement, or some other reason, cost (and budget) is usually top of mind. Shipping your stuff is typically the biggest cost of an international move unless you’re dealing with lawyers to help with a visa.

The good news is there are ways to keep your moving costs down. Here are our tips for moving on a budget so that you can keep some extra cash in your pocket:

Read more…

Let’s be honest: finding decent health insurance is difficult. As an expat, finding health insurance after you’ve moved overseas can be difficult. Every country has its own healthcare system and since your family’s health is at stake, you want to make sure you have the right care. To help you figure out the right coverage for your family, we’ve sought advice from the experts. Here are the top tips:

Jonathan Connelly
Cigna Global Communications Manager
www.CignaGlobal.com

1. Be sure to check if the country you are moving to offers free nationwide healthcare insurance. If you are being relocated by your employer, be sure to check if they will be covering or partially covering your insurance.
2. Be sure to check the health advice vaccination recommendations by organizations like the CDC before moving to any country.

Phillip Carey
Expacare Senior Marketing Executive
http://www.expacare.com/ Read more…

As a coffee lover, I always look forward to sipping a cup of java in the city I’m about to explore. My usual routine is to ask a local where their favorite cup of coffee is. Since I’m not multilingual, there were multiple times that I needed some help in order to ask the million-dollar question, “Where do I find the best cup of coffee around here?” Thankfully for my sleepy, non-morning-liking, caffeine-fueling self, I had my translation apps.

Gone are the days where expats rely on flipping through a 100+ page book of English translations, taking up precious room in their already tight backpacks. With a quick swipe, tap and scroll of a finger, Translation Apps have made it possible to communicate with just about anyone, anywhere.

Below are some of my favorite translation apps I recommend you keep handy in case, you know, coffee is your thing too.

Google Translate
Download on: iOS, Android, Windows
Free

In my books, Google Translate is “the favorite” of all translation apps. Why? Because it’s: free, can be used on many devices (iOS, Android, Windows Phone), translates more than 80 languages, works offline and can translate by using speech, typing text or taking a photo of a word or sign with the camera option. The simple layout and quick translation also brings this one to the top of my list. Read more…

If you’re feeling creative, there are lots of ways to feel comfortable and cozy while sleeping during your travels abroad – all without staying at a single hotel.

We’ve explored a few options to give your next morning coffee abroad a new view:

Sleep in a Swag

Swag (n): traveling with ones personal belongings in a bundle.

The term swag (often called a bedroll) comes from our friends in Australia and New Zealand. Essentially, a swag is a padded sleeping bag that allows you to sleep outside under the stars, safely and comfortably. Whether your travel plans take you exploring the Australian outback or hiking the grounds of a National Park, a swag is the closest you’ll get to sleeping face-to-face with nature. Read more…

(Check out our latest article on How to Stay Connected and Keep Your Phone Number After Moving Abroad.)

Staying connected with your family and friends can be difficult when you move abroad. As an expat living in Sydney with family on the east coast of the United States, there were only a few hours during the day when talking was even feasible. We often had to schedule Skype chats using email. But there are lots of other great tools you can use to stay connected so I thought I’d share some of the ones I’ve found:

Rebtel  www.rebtel.com

Rebtel is similar to Skype in a lot of ways — free computer-to-computer calls and cheap calls to phones. The big draw for expats is that Rebtel’s rates for international calls to phones are a bit cheaper than Skype.

Viber   www.viber.com

Viber is a multi-platform app available for pretty much any smartphone. It offers a simple communication through free text messages, photo messages, and calling between Viber users over data connections. It also has a feature for communicating with non-Viber users for a price. The ability to have unlimited calls and messaging to anyone, anywhere in the world as long as you have a data connection is their standout feature.

Whatsapp www.whatsapp.com

Given Facebook’s blockbuster $19 billion price tag for Whatsapp, chances are you’ve heard of it. This app for your smartphone allows free texting and picture and video sharing to anyone in the world who also has Whatsapp. It also lets you message groups in case you want to text everyone at once. All you need is a data connection.

WeChat www.wechat.com

It only makes sense that one of the biggest mobile communication apps in the world would be born in the biggest mobile market in the world — China. WeChat is available for most smartphones, as well as through a browser. The app has chat and video calls that function like the others, though its voice chat is particularly different. Instead of having a constantly streaming conversation, you send short voice messages — definitely helpful if you have a limited data plan.

Bonfyre https://bonfyreapp.com

Bonfyre is like a private version of Facebook. You can set up groups (i.e. Family, Friends) and share posts, photos, and send messages — all for free.

What other tools have you found useful to stay in touch with people back home? Let us know in the comments.