...does your mom still cook/clean/shop for you? Other countries are not alien planets which are devoid of grocery stores and somewhere you can buy a broom. Just grab a backpack and go. This whole 'arrangement' thing is very american. Use hostelworld, go stay at some hostels for a while. Meet people and have an adventure. Backpack around your target country (or countries) and find a city you like. Ask the people that work at the hostel there how to get set up with a place. Or, get to a country and take language classes at a school somewhere and ask your professors.
This sort of comment isn't useful. You might have tried asking about my experiences before assuming things. I've lived in six different countries, I speak five languages. I've stayed in hostels, or in apartments, I've cooked for myself and I've had others cook for me.
Right now I'm in production mode with my business, and having someone else cook is a massive boost to productivity. That's why I asked. Am not interested in hostel travel right now.
P.s. am not trying to start an argument. Just letting you know the norm in comments here. Remember that all commenters are human beings. Don't assume the worst if there's a charitable interpretation of comments. Cheers!
I usually buy my food on the street -- i eat rice with pork or noodlesoup with beef in the morning ($1), eat some springrolls or whatever for lunch ($1), and go to the market and buy a grilled fish ($2) or some chicken ($4) with some rice and vegetables ($0.50).
You can easily get someone to do the cleaning and shopping for you, but I like to hop on my motorbike and do the shopping myself. I sometimes work from restaurants and chat with the staff (they get paid a bad salary, but their work atmosphere is really relaxed and have lots of time to chat).
As for the financials, I was lucky to get an exit with my business that basicly covered all the money I was personally in debt for plus a little extra. I rent my house completely furnitured through an agency which specializes in couples that are getting divorced, which brings in around $1000 a month. This covers my morgage and health insurance.
I live off money I had left after the exit (around $25k), and just accepted a freelance gig for a few grand which I'm really enjoying.
All in all, one of the best choices I made in my life, it really is so incredibly different here, and you really learn what it's like to live in a country without decent doctors, for example. At this point I do really start to miss my family and friends back home, but I'm very happy the Khmer are a very friendly kind of people, so I made a lot of friends here. I don't really hang out with expats, since they are generally still part of the whole lifestyle I want to avoid.
A friend of mine works as a cleaner for someone who is general manager of a real estate agency, and she knows a lot of people. I helped that friend out a few times in the past, now she helped me find that villa.
Furthermore, a lot of negotiating. Original price was $450, I ended up getting $250 if I paid 6 months in advance.
