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Portugal Junkies Podcast
Portugal Junkies Podcast

Portugal Junkies Podcast

Hi! We are Meredith + Mark and we just said goodbye to the traditional “American dream” in Charlotte, NC to instead experience a life of adventure RIGHT NOW in Porto, Portugal. It’s been a wild and glorious ride, full of ups + downs + change + discomfort - but man are we glad we did it and are excited to share ALL of it right here. If you’ve ever considered moving abroad, we hope hearing about our journey will help you too. And if you’re considering moving or retiring in Portugal, stayed tuned for more content about our move, the visa process, Portuguese culture, destinations + travel tips!

Available Episodes 10

We are heading to the UK + USA for the holidays in a few short days and are both feeling a lot of feelings. We talk through our emotions around this, our anxiety about traveling to the USA post-election + the realities of things we sacrifice around the holidays since we moved abroad.


Key Resources:

https://stan.store/portugaljunkies

You all had so many questions over the past couple of weeks, so this episode is dedicated to answering a few of them!


Here's a few we talk about in this episode:

- Did your relationship change when you moved abroad?

- How do you manage and continue to grow your relationships at home?

- Do you have any regrets one year later?


Find more key (and some FREE!) resources on our website at https://www.portugaljunkies.com + on our Stan Store at https://stan.store/portugaljunkies


Give us a review + comment if you are enjoying the pod and subscribe so you never miss an episode!

So how much does it really cost to live in Portugal, you ask?


We share everything here! We walk through our current budget line by line to give a realistic look at our financial impacts since moving abroad to Portugal.


Something we forgot to mention here. Once we realized that our United Explorer Credit Card did not have international fees, we compared the conversion costs on the credit card versus when we move money over using Wise. They were almost identical - so we decided to operate like we did in the USA. All expenses that can go on a credit card do, and then we pay it off in dollars every month. Rent + health insurance in Portugal has to be paid from our Portuguese bank account so those are the only expenses that we can't put on our credit card + must convert to euros each month.


United Explorer Card Referral Link (gets you 10K miles!):

https://www.referyourchasecard.com/215n/VDV6J0M8K8


Key Resources + Help At Our Stan Store:

https://stan.store/portugaljunkies

Did that "pipe dream" idea of moving abroad + leaving the USA get a lot more serious in the past week, post-election?


We get it. We talk through the first five steps we recommend to get you on the path to moving abroad in the next 12 months.


  1. Research your top potential locations for affordability, safety + climate
  2. Choose your path: residency visas, 90/90/90/90 in and out of Schengen countries, or citizenship through heritage
  3. Work with a CPA + immigration attorney to review finances + prepare
  4. Make work decisions - if you aren't with a company that supports remote work or can not retire yet, consider making a move to a company that does.
  5. Research local real estate listings, not only for price ranges, but for the cultural differences in living in certain areas abroad

Recommended Resources:


Compare cost of living from city to city with Numbeo

https://numbeo.com


Search Portugal rentals and properties for sale:

https://idealista.pt


Schengen Zone Calculator Website

https://schengencalculator.net/


Schengen Zone Calculator App:

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/180-days-schengen-calculator/id1663779128


Work With Us - 1:1 Calls (Ask Us Anything)

https://stan.store/portugaljunkies/p/book-a-11-call-with-us-o146p


Work With Us - Algarve Relocation Services

https://stan.store/portugaljunkies/p/get-our-free-pdf-of-relocation-services-packages


Work With Our Immigration Attorney, Joao Pinto

https://portugaljunkies.com/partners


Work With Our Tax Advisor + CPA, Rui Borges

https://portugaljunkies.com/partners

Like many people around the world this week, we are grieving the results of the 2024 election. This is a quick message from us in lieu of a full episode as we process like many of you are as well.


If the results of this election are making you ask yourself what your next action steps are - and if those steps may include a move abroad or to Portugal, we have some great resources for you on our Stan Store.


https://stan.store/portugaljunkies


Take care of yourselves and we will be back next week.

Our local tax advisor, Rui Borges, joins us again on the podcast this week to provide updates on the latest and greatest about Portugal's NHR (Non Habitual Residence) tax benefit. The program has changed a lot recently with the implementation of a new government + Rui provides us with details about what's happening right now with NHR and what is on the horizon for those who may move from the US to Portugal in 2025.


Rui has graciously offered our listeners a FREE consultation call AND a 20% discount - so if you are looking for a trusted CPA to help you with your move to Portugal before, during or after, we highly recommend Rui.


Download Rui’s list of services for FREE + schedule your FREE call + get 20% off:

https://stan.store/portugaljunkies


For more information on NHR updates, check out Rui's blog: https://goalseek.pt/blog


Meet our friends Taylor + Mike, who moved to Portugal from the US on the D8 Digital Nomad Visa this past year. We chat with them about why they chose Portugal, their immigration experience, their biggest struggles so far + what kind of advice they have for others around successful assimilation into the Portuguese culture.


Find them here:

Roam Away From Home Website

Live Music Threads


Episode Transcript


We've been so social here in Tavira compared to our time in Porto. We talk about why that may be + what it takes to make meaningful friendships in mid life and also as immigrants to another country.

Episode Transcript


In this episode, we do some fielding of listener questions about our recent move to Tavira, including how we like our new apartment in the Algarve, if Tavira could be our "final stop," + more reflections on the devastation at home from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.


To donate to Hurricane Helene relief, please visit:

⁠www.helenehelp.org


Episode Transcription


We bring you our first episode from our new home in the Algarve in Tavira, Portugal - home of some of the most beautiful beaches in the world! This starts another new journey for us in our Portugal adventure and we're excited to share with you about our move + some cool things we've learned already about our new city.


To donate to Hurricane Helene relief, please visit:

www.helenehelp.org