This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Gabriel Filer, 34, who’s based in Sydney. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
Do you have a story to share about leaving the US? Contact this reporter at ccheong@businessinsider.com.
When I was a kid, I’d look up at the sky and think about what life was like outside my hometown, Middletown, Connecticut.
As I grew older, I became interested in exploring other countries. In 2019, at the age of 28, I visited Australia and fell in love with it. During the pandemic, I thought about applying to move there once the borders reopened. Civil unrest in the US also drove me to seriously consider leaving the country.
Before moving to Australia, I wanted to pay off my student debt of over $90,000, build a six-month emergency fund, and cover my relocation expenses, such as the cost of my visa application.
I was disciplined about setting money aside, and paid off my debt in August 2023, less than four years after I started seriously saving, and almost a year before I moved.
It felt like a sacrifice, but living with my parents for 7.5 years is what made it possible.
I set aside money each month to pay off my debt balance
I graduated in 2013 with a degree in community, environment, and planning, then got my Master’s in city and regional planning in 2016. After grad school, at age 25, I moved back home.
I was very frugal growing up, and once I started working at age 26 in 2017, I paid money into a brokerage account. By the end of 2019, I had saved roughly $47,000, but it wasn’t enough to cover my loans of roughly $90,000. Between 2019 and 2024, my annual salary as an urban planner increased from around $40,000 to $65,000.
In January 2020, I began paying $1,000 a month from my paycheck toward my student debt, and from May, I put between $1,000 and $2,000 into my brokerage account.
Using that money, the interest it accrued, and some existing savings, I paid off $65,600 of my student loan in October 2021. The three-year student loan payment pause during the pandemic, when my loans didn’t accrue interest, felt like a golden window to pay off my debt. I also wasn’t really going out and spending money on petrol, and my parents didn’t charge me for rent or groceries.
This allowed me to save a lot from my monthly salary, which was roughly $3,400 between 2021 and 2023.
Each month, I used my Apple Notes app to write down and track all my expenses. When I paid a bill, I’d strike through that expense on the note.
In August 2023, I made a second payment to clear my balance before the student loan payment pause ended that September.
After paying off my debt, I saved over $38,000 to relocate and for emergencies
Once I got my debt under control, I focused on setting aside money for my visa fees and relocation. By April 2024, I had accumulated over $38,000 in short-term reserves to contribute to my emergency fund and relocation costs.
I hired an immigration lawyer to help me navigate applying for permanent residency in Australia. I’m don’t have great reading comprehension, so it was helpful to have a professional assist me with the complicated immigration process. I also joined a Facebook immigration support group, which provided me with a network of people who were also moving to Australia, and was helpful for information sharing about the process.
I volunteered virtually so I’d have professional references when I got to Australia
In April 2024, I moved to Sydney. I’d made contacts by volunteering virtually for an Australian nonprofit while I was in the US. That helped me gather professional references for my job search.
Within two months of being in the country, I got a job as a grants officer in the education sector. My salary is 113,575 AUD, roughly $73,700, which is more than I was earning in the US.
Initially, I rented an apartment for the equivalent of $1,645 per month, which felt much better value than what I could rent in a big American city.
In June 2025, I finalized the down payment on a unit. It’s nice to have my own place and be able to invite people over after years of living with my parents.
I prefer living in Australia compared to the US. People are very nice here, and going to the pharmacy doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. The work-life balance here is unparalleled. When I finish work, I don’t feel guilty about leaving, whereas I always felt stressed in the US.
Moving to Australia was a dream come true. I had a feeling life would be better outside the US, I just needed the courage to step out of my comfort zone and go for it.
Do you have a story to share about leaving the US? Contact this reporter at ccheong@businessinsider.com.
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