Moving abroad with your family isn’t just about packing boxes and booking flights — it’s a whole life transition. You’re taking your routines, your dreams, your toddler’s favorite snacks… and trying to make it all work in a brand-new place.

Over the years, we’ve done two big international moves: first from Mexico to Indonesia, and more recently from Indonesia to Spain. Each one came with its own surprises, and honestly, we handled them very differently.

So I’m sharing exactly how we budgeted for both — the real situations, the thought process, and how we kept our sanity (and bank account) in check along the way.

Two Moves, Two Very Different Strategies

We quickly learned: there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to moving abroad. Our financial strategy for our first move looked nothing like our second.

Mexico to Indonesia: Just Trying to Make It Work

When we left Mexico, we were in make-it-happen mode. We sold almost everything — including our car — to help cover flights and extra luggage fees. No fancy strategy, just survival mode.

The silver lining? We both had full-time jobs, so there was no gap in income. That helped us pay the first three months of rent in Indonesia (which only required a one-month deposit). Later on, we found a long-term rental and paid upfront to get a discount.

A quiet little bonus? I still had some savings in Rupiah from before I got married and moved to Mexico. That helped more than I expected.

Indonesia to Spain: More Planning, More Peace

By the time we moved to Spain, we were in a much more stable place. We’d spent almost two years in Indonesia, saving intentionally for retirement, education, and emergencies. We knew this move would be covered by our emergency fund — and we were okay with that.

That said, there were still challenges. I had quit my job six months before the move, so we had to adjust. We paused contributions to our daughter’s education fund, knowing that school costs in Spain would be much lower.

We also built a separate “move fund” and parked it in a low-risk mutual fund — letting it grow a bit before cashing it out. And once we arrived in Spain, our first financial goal was rebuilding our emergency fund — this time in Euros.

Thanks to modern banking, we didn’t need to convert all our Rupiah at once. My Indonesian bank had a forex pocket feature — basically a Euro wallet within the same account. I could use my debit card to spend in Euros with no extra fees. I just transferred what we needed every few weeks. Total game-changer.

The 7 Things That Helped Us Budget Better

Whether you’re prepping for your first international move or just want to feel more confident about your finances, here are the biggest things that worked for us:

1. Two Budgets: One for the Move, One for Landing

We split our plan into two clear parts:

• The move itself — flights, documents, luggage, short-term stay.
• The first 3–6 months in the new country — rent deposits, groceries, school fees, transport, basic furniture.

It was important for us to see the move not just as one event, but a whole transition period that could take months.

2. “Bare Minimum” vs. “Comfort” Budget

We built two versions of our plan:

• A bare-bones budget that covered just the essentials (think: flights, visas, toddler must-haves).
• A comfort version that included shipping personal stuff, hiring immigration help, and giving ourselves a little grace for takeout.

Having both gave us a clear idea of what to cut if expenses started piling up.

3. We Let Go of (Almost) Everything

Shipping was expensive — and with no clear address waiting for us, we decided to keep things simple.

During our first move, we sold about 80% of what we owned. Before the second move, we left almost everything behind. We arrived in Spain with just what fit in our suitcases.

It was hard, but it gave us more flexibility — and honestly, less stuff = less stress.

4. We Tracked Everything

From the day we said “okay, we’re doing this,” we tracked every expense in a shared Google Sheet:

• Flight comparisons
• Visa fees
• Short-term rentals
• School registration, SIM cards, new bank accounts
• Document translations, bus passes, groceries — the works

Seeing it all in one place gave us peace of mind, and helped us plan without constant surprises.

5. A Move-Only Emergency Fund

We set aside a small emergency buffer just for the move. This wasn’t part of our usual savings — it was a dedicated stash for random surprises (like needing an extra week in an Airbnb or paying an unexpected document fee). Spoiler: we used it more than once.

6. We Pressed Pause on Luxuries

For a couple of months before the move, we hit pause on non-essentials: no new subscriptions, less online shopping, fewer meals out. It wasn’t forever — just long enough to build some extra breathing room. Worth it.

7. We Talked (A Lot) About Priorities

We had so many conversations about what really mattered:

• Was it worth spending more to live near school?
• Should we pay for extra help, or DIY it?
• What could wait until later?

These talks helped us stay on the same page, even when things felt overwhelming.

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Moving abroad as a family is emotional, messy, and expensive — but when your finances are in order, everything feels a little less scary. And a little more possible.

If you’re planning a move soon (or even just thinking about it), I made something to help: a free budgeting checklist that walks you through every major cost — before, during, and after the move.

📥 Click here to download the Moving Budget Checklist (PDF)

And once you land, budgeting doesn’t stop — so I also created a super simple Monthly Budget Tracker to help you track your spending, saving, and shifting priorities as you settle into your new life.

🧾 Check out the Monthly Budget Tracker here — it’s designed especially with families in transition in mind.

You’ve got this 💪 — and I’m rooting for you every step of the way.