nice to meet you

Written By Lorraine .

📍Altos del Maria, Panama

Picture this: two Americans, two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs 🐾, one cat with far more patience than we deserve 🐱, and way too many suitcases. That’s how our adventure began. What started as “maybe we should try living abroad for a year” turned into four (and counting!) years of slow travel, expat life, and learning how to stretch every dollar so we could keep exploring.

We’re Lorraine & Jeff — the humans behind JetSetSavage. Our motto is simple: Travel far. Spend smart. ✈️💸 We believe adventure doesn’t have to mean draining your bank account. It’s about being intentional, finding joy in small discoveries (like local markets or a new café), and learning to laugh at the little mishaps along the way (because there are always mishaps).

Over the years, we’ve learned the real cost of living in places like Panama City and Buenos Aires, figured out how to grocery shop abroad without blowing the budget, and tested just about every “cheap travel hack” on the internet. We’re here to share what works, what doesn’t, and what life really looks like when you pack up your pets and start chasing experiences instead of stuff.

✨ Why We Started JetSetSavage

Lily & Duck at our first house in San Carlos, Panama

When we first moved abroad, we had no idea what we were doing. We weren’t living out of Instagram-worthy infinity pools or jetting first-class every other week — we were standing in grocery aisles with Google Translate, trying to figure out if we were buying milk or yogurt. 🥛

And that’s exactly why we started JetSetSavage. So much of the travel and expat content online shows the shiny side — the dream villas, the curated feeds. But what we wanted (and couldn’t find) was the real stuff: How much does rent actually cost? Can you really live off $25 of groceries for the week? What little changes let you save more money so you can travel longer?

Over the years, we’ve tested it all — from budgeting apps to “life-changing” finance books — and we’ve made our fair share of mistakes, too (spoiler: not all budget airlines are created equal ✈️💸). Our goal here is simple: to share the lessons, hacks, and behind-the-scenes truths that make travel and life abroad feel not only possible, but sustainable.

We want JetSetSavage to be the kind of resource we wish existed when we were first fumbling through this life — equal parts practical and playful.

✨ What You’ll Find Here

At JetSetSavage, we keep things simple: real stories, practical tips, and a little bit of fun along the way. Here’s what you can expect when you hang out with us:

Penny lounging in Argentina

Penny lounging in Argentina

  • Budget Travel Hacks ✈️ → From finding cheap flights to stretching $25 at a local market, we’ll share the strategies we use to travel more while spending less.

  • Cost-of-Living Breakdowns 💸 → Curious what groceries, rent, or a night out really cost abroad? We’ll give you the numbers — and the context behind them.

  • Finance & Smart Money Tips 📊 → The money habits, apps, and even books that help us save, budget, and make travel sustainable long-term.

  • Expat Life (with Pets!) 🐾 → The good, the challenging, and the funny moments of living abroad with two Great Danes and a cat in tow.

Thanks for stopping by and getting to know us a little better! We’re excited to share the highs, lows, and everything in between as we keep chasing new adventures — sometimes on airplanes, sometimes in grocery aisles, and always with two dogs and a cat along for the ride.

If you’ve ever dreamed of living abroad, saving more to travel, or just want a peek into the realities of expat life, you’re in the right place.

👉 Stick around by subscribing to the blog for updates, or follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to see the behind-the-scenes moments (and plenty of Great Dane cameos 🐾).

Here’s to traveling far, spending smart, and making life abroad a little less intimidating — and a lot more fun. 💸✈️🌍

Lorraine .