33-year-old mom: I left the U.S. to live 10 minutes from the beach in Jamaica for $1,900 a month—’I could not be happier’

Back in 2017, I was raising two young kids, working as an HR specialist and trying to pay back over $50,000 in debt. 

I started a blog called “Money Talk with Tiff” to chronicle my journey to debt freedom and help others do the same. Two years later, I started the “Money Talk with Tiff” podcast and became a full-time entrepreneur, running my business from my home in North Carolina.

I didn’t think about leaving the U.S. to live somewhere else until very recently. My dad is from Jamaica, so I have always felt connected to the island. In 2021, when I was 31 and pregnant with my third child, I finally got the opportunity to visit.

I fell in love with everything about it: sights, smells, weather, people, food.

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I stayed for a month, visiting family I’d never met, meeting new friends who felt like family, and traveling from city to city. I didn’t want to leave.

I started to seriously consider moving to the island. I came to the conclusion that I had been my own boss for a while, and I could work from anywhere — why not this place that truly felt like home?

So, in May, I moved with my two youngest kids, 10 and one, to Negril, Jamaica. I’m so much happier now. Here’s why.

Whenever I sit out on my veranda, I say, “My office is open.” There is some incredible scenery right outside my door, so I work outside every day.

I live on the cliff side of Negril, so getting to the beach is about a 10-minute drive. It takes me only two minutes to walk to one of my favorite restaurants, Rick’s Cafe, where I can jump off the cliffs into the ocean. 

My house has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a fenced-in yard with many fruit trees. I have moringa, mangoes, naseberry, and ackee in my yard.

The area I live in is one of the most expensive on the island, because it is more popular with tourists. But my expenses come to about $1,900 a month, including rent, utilities, childcare, food, transportation, school fees and home maintenance.

When I lived in North Carolina, my same expenses were about $3,000 a month. 

My oldest will graduate soon, so it made sense for him to live with his dad and finish high school in the U.S. But my middle child is in elementary school and was not thriving academically in North Carolina. This was a chance for him to get a fresh start. 

In Jamaica, the kids get to be out in nature for much of the day instead of sitting in front of screens all the time.

When he is at school, my son and his classmates have two recesses, one for 35 minutes and another for 45. When he gets home, he stays outside until dark. I have noticed his concentration improving already.

Kids in Jamaica start school at three years old. My youngest is nearly two now, and I’m excited for both of them to experience this kind of educational environment.

The kids and I often have beach days and sometimes go to the river. We go fishing without rods, just plastic bottles, hooks and fishing line. I’ve even gone crab hunting at night. 

Some folks here like to do “bush cooking,” where they prepare food outside, and people will happily offer you a plate if you are around.

The food here is incredible. Everything from fish to fruit is fresh and not ultra-processed. Many vendors sell local favorites, items like patties, delicious savory pastries filled with spicy beef and jerk chicken. 

There is so much culture and community here. I love reggae music, and it isn’t unusual to hear people blasting it throughout the day. 

Even though I was friendly with my neighbors back home, we barely saw each other. Here, even though people are busy with work and chores, everyone regularly stops by to say hello and ask after your well-being.

On my lane, most of the residents are related to each other, and they have graciously welcomed us into their family. 

We don’t have hot water, which I surprisingly don’t miss. We have one air conditioner and we wash our clothes by hand and hang them out on the line. I love it. This is what life was like for my grandparents and their parents, and now we get to be a part of it.

Being here, there isn’t the hustle mentality and the constant stress and anxiety that is so prevalent in the U.S. The people here are more relaxed.

That can manifest itself in unexpected ways too. When I opened my bank account, it was an all-day event. It’s the same with many chores you want to accomplish. Getting your food at a restaurant takes a while, because everything is cooked from scratch.

The slower speed used to frustrate me, but I’ve realized everything is fine if you go with the flow. Rushing is no longer necessary. You can take your time and be in the moment.

This move has inspired me. I am in the process of launching another business to chronicle my journey here and help others see Jamaica and all of its natural beauty. I could not be happier to have made this leap. 

Tiffany Grant is a financial educator, writer, podcaster and coach. Before she was an entrepreneur, Tiffany was an HR professional. She is the founder and host of “Money Talk with Tiff,” an Accredited Financial Counselor and holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

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