I'm not exactly making tons of USD). I have about another $2k coming to me that I can invest, and I hope to add to my savings monthly after that. Does it make sense for me to open a Roth IRA with Vanguard and invest that in VTSAX, if I'm going to retire by 40? Or should I buy into a different Vanguard fund (bonds, dividends... I don't understand the options too well) with my taxable account? I'm also thinking of trying Lending Club, since the type A part of me is really enjoying checking numbers daily, and I think it could be a fun experiment (with about $500 or so).
Read the MadFIentist on how to allocate your savings for the best return for an early retiree: http://www.madfientist.com/retire-even-earlier/
Out of curiosity, what's the COL like in Vietnam? Is it hard to live there/get a visa, and do you find that the language barrier is difficult?
I've read the whole Mad Fientist series of Roth vs. traditional IRA, and mostly... I'm just confused. I don't understand how if you have taxes withheld, do you claim the part of your income that you put into a t-IRA and get them refunded? Cuz his whole "never pay taxes on your IRA!" thing sounds fantastic, but kind of complicated in practice - not that I mind complicated, but I just want to know what I'm doing before I sign up for anything :)
Vietnam is super cheap! I just went to the morning market and bought three bell peppers, 5 onions, two pineapples ready to eat, 2 kohlrabi, some peeled garlic, a cauliflower, 4 zucchinis, some basil, about 2 kg of tomatoes, 4 potatoes, and two blocks of fresh tofu for about $8! They were sold out of bread or I could have gotten mini baguettes for about 10 cents each.
My rent is $175/mo for half of a 1br apartment, eating street food is about $1.50 per meal... I ride a bicycle or take the bus (30 cents/ride!), so no transportation costs to speak of. It's a very mustachian way to live! I make about $20/hr teaching English and working part time with some side work for a publication is more than enough.
Visas are very easy to get (for a price, of course - 3 months single entry is $120), just kind of a pain with the whole sending off your passport to the embassy, then renewing every 3 months or going on a visa run.
Long answer :) I love it here, but yes, the language barrier is difficult. You can get by on charades, knowing the numbers, and a few other words here and there, but getting by and actually communicating with people are two very different things.