US Expats & PTs Exempt from Obamacare

Amid the discussions of "Obummercare," as so many commonly refer to this disastrous legislation, one fact rarely comes out.  Yes, some people are exempt from those requirements to buy and maintain pricy healthcare coverage: e.g. prisoners, illegal aliens, and members of Native American tribes. 

But take a good look at one more exemption: Americans who remain outside the US for a year!  US citizens who meet qualifications for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) are also exempt from the insurance provisions of the Affordable Healthcare Act. 

What do you need to do to qualify for the health insurance exemption?  Do you have to actually claim FEIE on your US income tax return?  You only have to be qualified to take FEIE; you don't actually have to do it.  

If you are legally resident for a full tax year in another country, you are exempt from maintaining the US insurance. Likewise for Perpetual Travelers (or PTs): if you remain outside the US - physically present in another country or countries - for at least 330 days a year, you are exempt from this insurance requirement. 

Considering healthcare coverage in some countries costs less per year than a US policy costs per month, this is good news for expats, PTs, and long-haul travelers.  Considering healthcare costs in a number of countries is 20% or so of US costs, medical care abroad without health insurance (e.g. if insurance is not available) is cheaper than the copay under most US health insurance policies.

Healthcare and health insurance have all been rising dramatically since passage of the very-unaffordable "Affordable Healthcare Act."  Escape this tax and get better healthcare for less simply by living and/or traveling abroad.

Have fun long-haul traveling, and. . .

May your road rise to meet you!
Ann

Calling US Citizens: How to Vote While Abroad

The countdown has begun – US elections are rapidly approaching!  Tuesday, 6 November is merely 7 weeks away.  So it’s time to get your absentee ballot from your Registrar of Voters if you will be away from home on Election Day. 

If you are registered in a “home” city, state, just contact your Registrar of Voters via phone, email, mail.  Ask for Absentee Ballot.  [If you don’t have contact info for your local Registrar of Voters, go to google.com, in the search box enter “TownName, StateName, Registrar of Voters” – website listings come up - click on the official government one.]

Live overseas with no US home base anymore?  No problem!  US citizens can vote in federal elections wherever they live.  Visit the Federal Voter Assistance Program, complete the voter registration form online and mail it back to them with postage. It’s a much quicker and simpler process.  Good Voting Resource: General Voting Resource from the Federal Government.

Either your Registrar of Voters will send you your local absentee ballot, or you can use FVAP not only to register to vote but also to request an absentee ballot for the state where you are registered to vote.  Use the step-by-step online “wizard.”  Or print out the form and handwrite your answers, then mail your ballot.

The process keeps getting faster and easier, so there’s no excuse for not voting.  Besides, if you don’t vote, you have no right to complain if “your guy” loses and “that other Worthless-POS” wins.  Don’t let WPOSs win!  Vote.

May your road rise to meet you!

Ann

Like the New Look?

Tell me - what do you think?  Like the new look?  Or is it too hard to read, too dark, too "busy," more exciting, or - or - or?

Actually, I'm looking at starting a full website.  As soon as I learn how to create one!  The learning curve is sometimes steep, and I have to create something which I can easily update on-the-fly or on the road.  Bear with me as I experiment and grow - and travel.  I want to make this fun as well as oh-so-very useful for the Road Warrioress.

We're busy.  We're on our own.  Usually short of time or money or clothes or something.  So do tell me if you like the look.  Do tell me what you like, want, need.  I know I have quite a few readers, but so far, you're a pretty quiet bunch.

Do tell it to TravelTellers!

May your road rise to meet you -
Ann

How Low Can You Go?

I’ve been a wallet-watcher most of my life.  Before I pull out the old wallet, it had better be something I really want and am willing to pay the price.  Most of the time, I’m not willing to part with the dough.

Traveling with a travel hot-pot to boil water for coffee or ramen noodles has been standard operating procedure for ages.  I hate waiting for room service more than I hate instant coffee!  (I always carry my favorite teas anyway.)  I also refuse to see anybody until I’ve had my coffee, and resume some state resembling human-ness.  If anybody has a source for a dual-voltage travel pot, please, pretty-pretty-please, POST it here!  The old one bit the dust – mourn, mourn.

Eat local?  Of course.  Find “cheap Chinese” – hawker stalls and little take-out places?  Yum-yum!  Swedish meatballs at IKEA?  They’re actually very good, and totally superb for the price.

There are oodles of ways to economize while traveling.  If you’re a business traveler on expense account, you probably have a limit per diem, or per meal, or per-something.  If it’s your business, you are absolutely on a budget or bust your biz.  There's hardly a Road Warrioress anywhere who does not need to watch some pennies, pence, rupiah, and yen somewhere.

So grazing some other travel blogs, I came across Nomadic Matt, a Perpetual Traveler – backpack variety – who lives & travels off income from his travel website and blog.  He survived 5 days in pricy Stockholm on US$100.  Of course, it can be done.  If you impose on the kindness of friends for an extended period.  If you do your work out of an internet café for as long as you can nurse a lemonade.  If you walk everywhere.  If you miss the best a city has to offer – the real reasons for exploring abroad.  Even Nomadic Matt admits it was a bummer.

Here’s his story, not a pretty one:  http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/the-myth-travel-is-expensive-how-5-days-in-stockholm-cost-me-100-dollars/

Skip the appetizer, but not the entrée.  Skip the liquor, and sample the local brew.  Yes, you can slash travel costs.  But why bother traveling if you are going to miss the best a place can offer?  You could have stayed home and seen it on TV!  It’s the experience which matters more than the money.

Got any budget-friendly tips you use?  Share – share – share!  We all care about our budgets, but still want to get our work done, see the real sights, and live a fruitful Road Warrioress life.

May your road rise to meet you!

Ann