My life looks completely different today than it did 15 years ago, when I was 19 years old and pregnant with my first child. Without a stable job, I struggled to keep up with living expenses.
But I wanted to give my son the best life possible. So, I pawned my possessions and put down a rental deposit, started waitressing part-time, and took out loans to enroll in online classes.
Now, at 34, I’ve got a solid grip on my finances. I’m an adjunct professor, content creator, and happy mother of three kids — a 13-year-old, 2-year-old and 18-month-old.
But the biggest change is that I moved from Canyon, Texas to Munich, Germany. Here’s how my family and I are living the dream life, and why we’re actually able to save more money:
I could barely afford the American dream
I earned my bachelor’s, master’s and PhD in communications in five years. As a student, I worked full-time as an instructor, but I never made more than $1,500 a month.
It wasn’t enough to cover housing and daycare costs, so I took on credit card debt. I often skipped meals and pulled all-nighters. Some semesters were so packed that I had to drop my son off at daycare at 5:30 a.m.
When I was 24, I got a job as an assistant professor of business communications and management. I was making $65,000 a year, and people pointed at me as an example of the American dream.
But I was in debt and living paycheck to paycheck. I knew things needed to change.
Building a new life in Germany
In 2018, my university paid for me to attend a conference in the Czech Republic. I used it as an opportunity to travel around Europe and explore a potential life abroad.
On the streets of Prague, I met my husband, who was visiting from Germany. He walked up to me and asked for tourist hotspot recommendations. We immediately hit it off, and eventually began a long distance relationship.
We got married in 2019. I quit my job, sold everything that wouldn’t fit into my two suitcases, and bought two one-way tickets to Munich.
As the spouse of a…
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