Videos – GTFOutcast

Episode 11 – Financial planning while traveling and how to cut costs

Your front row seat for conversations with two computer hackers turned travel hackers – living globally, financially independent and semi-retired, both following their dreams and helping you to do the same. You can also find us on iTunes, YouTube or however you listen to podcasts, and we love getting your 5-star reviews. Follow the conversation with us on Twitter @GTFOutcast and stop into the blog often to read the latest and give us comments and feedback.

On the December 19 episode of the GTFOutcast, Beau and Taylor discuss the many ways to cut down on your monthly expenses — whether it is while you are traveling, or to save up more at home before setting off on your travels.

Watch GTFOutcast Episode 11:

0:15 – Taylor is finally ready to move out of his house after putting it up on the market.

1:24 – Taylor talks about how his RV risked being towed away

4:34 – Beau segues into the topic of geo-arbitrage — basically a concept of “3rd world budget; 1st world income,” which has worked out (unsurprisingly) really well for him. Taylor talks about how life on the road in an RV isn’t as cheap as people think it could be.

7:30 – Beau breaks down his monthly expenses living in Mexico City:

$1200 /mo for all housing and utilities for a 2 bedroom house on a short-term lease
$800-1000 /mo for food, drinks, coffee etc.
$1000 /mo for travel

9:52 – Taylor guesstimates his expenses:

$800/mo for RV slip+all utilities to park at nice RV camp
food / drinks TBD as Taylor plans to cook a lot more to save money
travel in the RV so far gives 8mi/g (!!!) and $.45/mi just in gas

14:00 – Taylor suggest many ways reduce food/drink costs, like, stop drinking coffee from Starbucks! Consuming less alcohol is also a no-brainer. Cut back on Coke/soda by buying your own fizzy water/soda maker, like a Sodastream machine. How about getting a filling meal from a sandwich shop versus eating at fine dining restaurant. Granted, these are some things one cannot always do when traveling.

16:09 – Taylor talks about how he cut costs on coffee bought from outside by getting a coffee maker and an AeroPress.

18:43 – Beau talks about how he eliminated all his monthly auto-billed costs like cable subscriptions. Beau also cut back on discretionary expenses such as toys. As in, expensive ‘man toys’.

25:00 – Beau recommends thought exercises to be more aware of what you’re spending on. Like, $4 on a cup of coffee, or what else the same amount of money could buy at a beach in Costa Rica? Both Beau and Taylor highly recommend mint.com for financial planning.

28:29 – Beau wraps up the show.

Save $100 on your monthly cable bill TODAY and when you’re traveling. Find how in the next episode of the GTFOutcast.

Episode 10 – Falling sick and how to deal with medication when traveling

On the November 17 episode of the GTFOutcast, Beau and Taylor discuss travel medication and how to go about buying and carrying medicines when traveling to foreign countries.

Watch GTFOutcast Episode 10:

0:44 – Beau kicks things off with some “under the weather” talk.

2:00 – Taylor asks Beau about how to manage medications when traveling. Beau brings up the important fact that some household drugs in America are known by different brands in other countries.

5:18 – Beau often describes the symptoms to the local pharmacist. But be careful as getting the wrong drugs in exchange can be dangerous for your health. That said, doctors and pharmacists are often well-educated people and may speak English compared to the average local.

9:25 – Beau recommends getting some booster shots before setting off on travels, like vaccinations for hepatitis A and hepatitis B — which are always recommended when going to tropical nations.

11:56 – Taylor brings up antibiotics and carrying your prescribed essential medications. Beau also advices on carrying medications with your name mentioned on the casing, just to be safe when passing through security.

16:56 – Taylor recommends carrying alcohol wipes, for cleaning cuts. Depending on where you are going, it’s also important to keep all of your pills and your medications in its original packaging. Penalties in some foreign countries for (or perceived) drug peddling are sometimes death.

20:55 – Beau talks about travel insurance and the perks of having it. Taylor talks about DAN — the Diver’s Alert Network.

24:20 – As an expat, Beau doesn’t need to apply for ‘Obamacare’ — most of the plans doesn’t cover Americans internationally

26:35 – Taylor wraps up the show

Episode 09 – Traveling alone vs. traveling with a group — which is better?

On the November 1 episode of the GTFOutcast, Beau Woods and Taylor Banks talk about their experiences traveling solo versus traveling with a group. From the advantages to the disadvantages, traveling alone or with someone else makes for an interesting discussion. Which do you prefer, and why? Let us know in the comments.

Watch GTFOutcast Episode 09:

0:36 – Taylor asks Beau about his solo trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua

2:27 – Beau shares his experience traveling around by bus — which cost him a *shocking* $50 for 10 days!

4:17 – Taylor dives into the topic of contrasting solo travel to that of traveling with a group or a partner. Taylor has rarely traveled alone, while Beau has largely traveled by himself, and gives his reasons as to why traveling solo is great.

5:48 – Taylor explains his heightened sense of security and acclimating when traveling with his wife.

9:30 – Clearly there costs benefits to traveling in a group versus going alone. Like sharing accommodation costs, eating out, shared transportation, etc.

10:57 – Taylor shares his thoughts on traveling with a loving partner and how traveling together has been a great bonding experience. The situations a couple faces when traveling together can help learn more about each other — which could end up in a break up, or evolve into a better relationship.

13:53 – Taylor now talks about the upside and the downsides to group travel. Safety and security issues are fairly non-existent, but deciding where to eat can be annoying when you are in a group!

15:15 – Beau brings up the theories mentioned in the book 16:30 – Taylor talks about the fun involved in doing the research yourself and getting a chance to be adventurous when traveling solo or as a couple. Something that’s hard to do when traveling in a group.

20:30 – Taylor mentions the Get Lost guides — which are not written by your typical travel writer, and how the guides helped him go the off-the-beaten path in Amsterdam.

23:37 – Beau talks more about the positives and the sense of accomplishment traveling solo provides.

26:08 – Taylor wraps up the episode.

Episode 08 – Why carrying a GPS device is more helpful than a smartphone

On the October 8 episode of the GTFOutcast, Beau Woods and Taylor Banks talk about their upcoming travels, discuss what traveling in an RV is like, before closing out the show with the usefulness of GPS devices when traveling to parts of the world where internet connectivity may not always be available for your smartphone.

Watch GTFOutcast Episode 08:

0:21 – Beau kicks off the show with some molé, a type of sauce commonly used in a lot of Mexican dishes, from pastry to salads. Taylor asks about the availability of a gluten-free food in Mexico City.

2:38 – The duo then dive into the topics. Taylor describes his first big trip in his RV, from Atlanta to Louisville (in Kentucky). A 7-hour drive full of lessons learned about riding and parking a 13,500 pound RV. Taylor talks about how the living conditions were for four people inside the RV.

10:18 – Beau brings up the issue of bringing only the essentials when staying in a confined space. Learning how to live with only the things you really need when traveling in an RV.

12:40 – Taylor asks Beau about his next trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

14:16 – Beau then takes the discussion into how a traveler could better plan for a trip to a part of the world where information on getting around, where to stay, etc., isn’t easily put up online by the local population.

16:58 – Taylor interjects with the important fact the prices quoted online are often far higher than what may be charged if you were to contact the hotel directly.

20:15 – Taylor questions Beau about the safety of hostels, especially when traveling with expensive electronics and safety for women in general.

24:27 – Guidebooks can be outdated because it was written once from one visit, which implies they aren’t updated as much. Beau points out this can be an issue for a rapidly developing country and why sometimes relying on travel forums is a better option.

25:32 – Travelers have become quite reliant on their smartphones when traveling, but in regions where you may not even get internet connectivity on-the-go, Taylor recommends carrying a Garmin or TomTom GPS device. He recalls his time in Costa Rica when a refurbished GPS device came in handy when riding towards a volcanic spot.

Episode 07 – Learning languages and absorbing local culture

On the September 20 episode of the GTFOutcast, Beau and Taylor discuss how learning local languages helps break the ice in a foreign country and makes immersing oneself in the local culture easier.

Watch GTFOutcast Episode 07:

0: 30 – Beau and Taylor talk about how they plan to meet in Louisville and do an episode of GTFOutcast together in person.

2:00 – While Taylor was cooking his Loco-Moco burger, Beau segues into the topic for the day, which is about how to best immerse yourself in the local culture as soon as you arrive. And how food is often a good gateway into understanding foreign culture.

6:35 – Taylor talks about his experience teaching in Amsterdam and how at the end of the class, the whole group would cook together.

9:34 – Beau talks about DuoLingo, a free language education website; Taylor talks about TripLingo, a language service he found useful.

11:48 – Beau insists learning new languages helps greatly and asking for directions when traveling — or even how it can make you new friends.

15:52 – Taylor brings up his experience of speaking broken Spanish in Barcelona, where the dialect spoken was different.

20:30 – Beau ends the session with his experience in South Korea attending a security conference there and how it helped network with locals

22:20 – Taylor plugs his upcoming blog with his girlfriend called thelearningbanks.com, which will chronicle their journey as they travel across the United States in their RV.

Episode 06 – Making money while traveling, and mail-forwarding services

In this episode of GTFOutcast, Beau Woods and Taylor Banks chat about how one can make money selling goods bought cheap from their travels abroad. The discussion then moves on to the important topic of how travelers can ensure their mails are received securely and forwarded while away from home.

Watch GTFOutcast Episode 06:

0:54 – Taylor talks about the process of selling his house and clearing out furnishings, old electronics and computers using a combination of Craigslist, eBay and donations to locals charities. All in a bid to raise funds for the upcoming journey.

3:40 – Taylor gives us a brief tour of his 34-feet long new mobile home, nick-named the “Snuffleupagus”

6:29 – Beau gets in to the topic of how a traveler can make money while on vacation, and using funds from those sales to continue paying for his/her vacation.

8:48 – Taylor brings up the possibility of using an online marketplace to simplify the arbitrage process of selling goods on your behalf.

11:19 – Beau talks about building relationships with distributors you meet while on your travels, where by you find a reliable local partners to ship the goods over and paying them online for doing so. Taylor brings up consignment shops and using them as agents to conduct the sale for you.

12:56 – Taylor discusses ways to set up your mail in order to receive packages while on the move

15:05 – Taylor talks about Earth Class Mail, a service that accepts your mail, opens it, scans it and makes it available online. If you are an RV owner, there are several operators and RV clubs that offer mailbox rental and mail forwarding services.

16:54 – Beau shares how he solves his mail-forwarding problems using a service called Virtual Post Mail. A service, from his personal experience, is best set up while still in the US.

21:50 – Taylor and Beau bring up the concerns of identity theft and how to be sure third parties who receive your mail aren’t snooping around, invading your privacy, or even misusing your packages.

GTFO FTW: Presentation at BSidesLV

Taylor and I presented this year at the excellent BSides Las Vegas conference. It was a great time. Yeah I hear you saying “pics or it didn’t happen.” Here you go smarty pants, we got a video of it!

If you like this and want more you ought to check out the GTFOutcast podcast and get social with us. Add GTFOutcast to your Google+ Circles. Follow GTFOutcast on Twitter.

GTFO FTW: Hacking your lifestyle for fun and profit

(Video courtesy of BSidesLV and Irongeek.)

Episode 05 – How to establish an online brand and attract customers

On the August 29, 2013 episode of the GTFOutcast, Beau and Taylor discuss the process of building a brand online and how to attract customers to your website. From SEO, advertising and online promotions, Taylor shares his experiences setting up AceHackware.com.

Watch GTFOutcast Episode 05:

2:29 – Taylor talks about the DerbyCon security conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

4:42 – The guys dive into the topic of building a brand. Taylor talks about how to build an audience for a brand, event or product — and working backwards can often help attract the right user.

8:11 – Taylor talks about creating ads on search engines using the right keywords. Apply the logic of targeting specific buyers and not the casual audience and the widest reach. Also, it’s important to tweak a campaign based on the initial feedback. This will help cater to the right demographic.

Website

13:39 – Taylor talks about using Google Analytics and Facebook Advertising to better learn about the incoming audience. Using social media can help you understand your demographic — especially if you are not keen on grabbing a user data using cookies.

16:50 – How do you determine your budget and resources for buying your audience? SEO, advertising and other mean of internet marketing — learn a bit of everything is Taylor’s advice. At the end of the day though, customer acquisition expenses will come down when you succeed in attracting the right audience and serve them well.

20:00 – Taylor talks about where his early investments were made in customer acquisition. From spending way too much at the beginning to finally learning from his mistakes.

21:40 – Beau asks Taylor about how to identify the initial keywords when using Google AdSense. Taylor’s answer to that is to draw inspiration from successful social media techniques in grabbing people’s attention.

24:40 – Taylor wraps up with the lessons he learned and how he ultimately built a better website. Paid traffic was used to learn from, and that paved way to growing organic traffic.

Episode 04 – How to find apartments on rent when traveling to a foreign country

On the August 25 episode of the GTFOutcast, Beau and Taylor talk about the process of find a place to stay in a foreign country. We’re not talking hotels here. Instead, long term accommodation like apartments and houses you can stay on rent, and yet, get that truly local experience that you seek.

Watch GTFOutcast Episode 04:

0:21 – Beau checks in from Mexico City and kicks things of by talking about the talk he and Taylor gave at the BSidesLV conference.

4:31 – The two talk about the manner in which they put the slides together for their presentation.

6:12 – Beau talks about how much he’s enjoying Mexico City, and the exhausting process of looking for a place to live. Turns out Craigslist in Mexico City has just as many scammers as anywhere else. Beau eventually ended up using AirBnB.

11:17 – Taylor asks Beau about his learnings on how to make it easier or better to find a place in a new country. Beau suggests AirBnB for your stay upon arrival, but use this time to learn more about rental policies and prices. Taylor recommends VRBO if AirBnB isn’t an option.

15:36 – Taylor ask Beau about the rent in Mexico City and if he got a place worth the price. Beau talks about how his rent covers everything, from maintenance to utilities.

17:57 – Taylor asks Beau about how his AirBnB experience went. For Taylor, he was quite “burned” the last time he used AirBnB.

22:24 – Beau concludes his AirBnB experience by saying one of the best perks of using AirBnB has been connect with locals. Taylor then asks Beau about how the transportation facilities in Mexico City are and how cheap and convenient it is.

26:54 – Taylor wraps up the episode.

Episode 03 – Overcoming obstacles before setting off on your travels

On the July 11 episode of the GTFOutcast, Beau and Taylor discuss the obstacles they face before setting off on their travels and also how to get rid of stuff they don’t need in order to, either raise money for their trip, or to just travel light.

Watch GTFOutcast Episode 03:

0:46 – Taylor talks about the obstacles in getting started with his travel plans. Selling off the stuff at home to raise funds for his RV trip isn’t working out as easy as he thought it would be.

4:35 – Beau quotes Billy Hoffman, who said the hardest thing to do as an entrepreneur is splitting time to do everything you want to do, and how it parallels with life and travel.

5:49 – Taylor mentions the Pomodoro Technique, a time management method

8:17 – Beau talks about the obstacles he faced when beginning his travels. Like finding a good place to stay.

10:44 – Taylor agrees with Beau that it’s great to seek where the locals hang out and not where all the tourists flock. Not only does this help in bagging better deals, but it also guarantees a true local experience.

12:34 – Beau asks Taylor about luggage bags. Taylor agrees with Beau that roller bags aren’t the best for the kind of travel backpackers enjoy.

18:22 – Beau suggests Taylor do a trial run living in his RV. That will help understand what are the things that are essential for a long trip and things that are not.

19:38 – Taylor asks Beau how he went about selling all of his stuff. Beau did a combination of Craigslist, a yard sale for 3 days and gave some things away to his friends when time ran short.

22:37 – Taylor ends the show talking about the things we have an emotional attachment to and how to let go of them.