Debbie Welsch.
Debbie Welsch never thought she'd be retired and living in Bali, Indonesia, across the street from her mother.
Eight years ago, in 2018, Welsch was laid off from her dream job as an interior designer for a developer in Los Angeles. Although she managed to secure some contract work after — sometimes even making $100 an hour — she was always worried about not having enough money.
"Everything just seemed like I was not moving my life forward," Welsch, now 55, told Business Insider.
Debbie Welsch.
It reminded her of her struggles in 2012 when she was forced to shut down her home improvement business because of the financial crisis.
Back then, Welsch had to lease out her house because she couldn't afford her mortgage. She then started living in a room she rented from a friend.
Over the years, anxiety kept Welsch from moving back into her own home even as her financial situation improved.
Debbie Welsch.
This time, being laid off made her realize she had an unhealthy relationship with money, one in which she would always worry about not having enough.
Several hypnotherapy sessions helped her let go of her fears, but Welsch knew she needed a fresh start — away from the rat race — if she wanted to change her life.
The idea of leaving the US started to take root, and by the end of the year, Welsch had sold almost everything she owned to move to Bali.
Welsch had considered various locations before deciding on Bali.
"I actually looked at the Yucatán in South Mexico. I looked at Costa Rica, I looked at Tulum," she said, adding that none of the places appealed to her because "the vibe just wasn't there."
Debbie Welsch.
But Bali was different: Welsch had been there for vacation multiple times before, and she always loved the pace of life on the island.
"The vibe, the energy, the local Balinese culture is so soothing to me. I feel comfortable," Welsch said.
Before she made her decision, Welsch thought it'd be a good idea to visit a friend who was already living in Bali with her husband.
"I spent three weeks just trying to live as a resident versus a tourist, just to see where I would live, what I would do, all that kind of stuff," Welsch said.
Debbie Welsch.
Within six months of that trip, Welsch was back on the island — this time for good.
"When I came here, I felt safe, and I felt like it was where I needed to be, even if it was for a few years," she said.
House-hunting took a couple of months.
"I didn't need a big house or anything like that — the bigger the house, the more maintenance required," Welsch said. "I also wanted to be close by to the cafés and things like that."
Debbie Welsch.
Through word of mouth, she eventually found the perfect one-bedroom home in Seminyak, just an eight-minute walk to the beach.
Welsch's lease was for 10 years, and she preferred to keep the amount she spent on rent private.
With permission from her landlord, she was also able to renovate the villa.
"It was all just concrete — gray concrete floors, gray concrete walls. It was dingy. There were no windows in the back, and there was no breeze coming through," she said.
Debbie Welsch.
Welsch spent six months transforming the entire villa, adding new floor tiles, and even installing a new bathroom upstairs.
"It just needed a lot of work," she said.
In February 2023, Welsch's mother, Linda Puzio, decided to join her in Bali.
Puzio — then 79 — had just been laid off from her job as a legal secretary in Palm Springs.
Even though her daughter had been trying to convince her to move for over a year, Puzio said she finally relented due to financial reasons.
"My boss retired, and I didn't have a job anymore. All I had was my Social Security to live on," Puzio, now 81, told BI. "I couldn't live in Palm Springs anymore. My rent was going to be $1,500 a month. My Social Security is $1,900 — that meant I had $400 for car insurance, gasoline, food, clothing, electricity, things like that."
Debbie Welsch.
It made more sense for her to move to Bali, where the cost of living was much lower.
Now, Puzio lives in a house across the street from her daughter, and the two of them get to spend quality time together.
"She's like my best friend. If anyone's going to hang out with me morning, noon, and night, it's her," Welsch said. "She's in her senior years and needs support, and I have the opportunity to help her with that, just making sure she's taken care of. But there's also a reciprocal thing. I have family here now, so it works well for us."
Welsch and her mother aren't alone in their decision to retire abroad.
With the rising cost of living, more and more Americans are being priced out of the US. A single person would need to earn more than $111,000 to live comfortably in LA, while the average household would need to save for 36 years to afford a typical home in LA.
In recent years, thanks to its relative affordability, Bali has become a popular place for people to live — especially digital nomads.
The cost of living — inclusive of rent — in Bali is 52% lower than in Los Angeles, per Numbeo, a platform that uses crowdsourced data to compare the cost of living in major cities across the world. A person would need around $2,400 in Bali to maintain the same standard of life that they can have with $5,000 in LA.
However, the influx of digital nomads has drawn the ire of some, who accuse them of gentrifying the island and driving up the cost of living over the years.
As much as Welsch appreciates her life in Bali, there are still things that she misses about LA.
"In LA, I had a lot of friends, and there's always an art gallery to go to or just a gathering with my friends and sleepovers — all that stuff. I miss the connection with my friends there," Welsch said. "Even if you have friends here, you're still living an independent life."
She also misses her other family members — like her brother and nephews — and some of the beaches in LA.
Debbie Welsch.
However, Welsch doesn't think that she'd go back to living there, although her mother feels differently.
"I'll go back in a heartbeat, because why? It is OK here and all, but I moved here when I was 79. I really kind of am set in my own ways, in what I want and what I like. I'm used to certain things, and I miss them," Puzio said.
However, both of them are happy where they are. Living a simple life in Bali has allowed Welsch to stay present instead of constantly worrying about money like she used to.
"I can just be, instead of waking up and going, 'OK, how am I going to make money or what's the money situation in my life?' Money is the first thing I'd think of when I wake up, and money's the last thing I'd think of when I go to sleep. It's not like that anymore," Welsch said.
These days, she doesn't feel the need to keep up with the Joneses either.
"I'm satisfied with a basic life, not being fancy, dressing up, going out, looking a certain way, having a certain car," Welsch said. "We don't have to worry what people think."
Have you recently relocated to a new country and found your dream home? If you have a story to share, contact this reporter at agoh@businessinsider.com.
