Priced out of New Zealand's housing market, Kiwi couple Ruth and Bryan Tucker and their two children have taken off overseas in the ambitious attempt to save enough for a home in New Zealand.
Talking to AM hosts Ryan Bridge and Melissa Chan-Green from their first stop in Bali, Indonesia, the couple explained that, by their calculations, jet-setting across the world is more economical than living back home.
Their rent in Auckland, including power and water, was around $1000 a week.
"We just can't buy a house. We're just not getting forward anywhere," Ruth said.
She described them as middle-income earners and said it was a "pretty tough situation".
After looking at the cost of living around the world, they decided to make the temporary move and, "the first place we're staying at in Bali is around $1000 a month so we've immediately saved".
"We've been here for about three weeks now and our bank balance is already looking tidy," she said.
The couple works online running an insurance brokerage.
"Our work just continues," Bryan said, "I just have to get up a lot earlier in the morning to answer emails".
Their children are seven and nine and they intend on enrolling them into New Zealand's correspondence school in 2024.
"That has tutors with it, and we're just going to work around that," Ruth said.
They intend to stay overseas for two years, or as long as it takes to save for a deposit.
While they are saving on rent, they have been asked questions about airfares, which are typically one of the most expensive parts of travel.
"What we've discovered is that as soon as you leave New Zealand, airfares between countries can be fairly inexpensive," Bryan said.
Over the first six months, the couple has calculated that they will be spending around $500 monthly on airfares for the whole family.
Other super-savers overseas are food, drinks, laundry, and a variety of fun day trips and experiences.
A beer at a restaurant is costing them around $3, but they're expecting that to drop to just $1 in Vietnam.
In Bali, they say they can go out for a nice sit-down meal and feed each person for just $5.
Ruth also said, "fruit and vege are so cheap, the food is amazing".
Their accommodation additionally has cleaners who come in every day.
The couple has purchased travel insurance for the duration of the trip and, because their brokerage is based in New Zealand, will continue to pay income tax as normal.
They are documenting their travels on their social media.
"You might've convinced a few Kiwis to go over there and join you," Chan-Green said.
Watch the full interview on AM above. If you're interested in learning more, check out the family's Instagram here.
