A Better Way

Expat Relocation Planner

Getting started with the planner

Ten minutes from download to your first real number. Here’s how to open the planner, what to fill in, and how to read what it tells you.

  1. Open it

    Download the planner from your Gumroad receipt email or your Gumroad library. Then pick one:

    • Excel: open the file in the Excel desktop app. If Excel asks, click Enable Editing so the formulas can update.
    • Google Sheets: upload the file to Google Drive, right-click it and choose Open with › Google Sheets. Make your own copy so your entries are saved.

    Keep a clean copy of the original file somewhere safe, so you can always start fresh.

  2. Find your way around

    You’ll see three tabs:

    • Relocation Dashboard: where you enter your details and see your results. You’ll spend most of your time here.
    • Visa Requirements: every visa route in the planner, side by side, with fees, minimums and the documents each one needs.
    • Timeline & Checklist: your week-by-week to-do list, counted back from your move date.

    The data that powers the planner (rents, flights, exchange rates, pet rules and tax notes) lives on hidden tabs. You don’t need to touch them.

  3. Fill in the yellow boxes

    On the Relocation Dashboard, only the yellow boxes are for you. Everything else updates on its own.

    Destination Country
    Any of the ten countries.
    Desired City Tier
    Tier 1 (big city), Tier 2 (mid-size city) or Tier 3 (smaller town). The dashboard shows example cities for each.
    US Origin Airport
    JFK, LAX, ATL, ORD or DFW. Pick the one closest to you.
    Household Size
    Everyone moving with you. Visa fees, flights and bags scale with it.
    Visa Pathway
    The options depend on the country. Choose this again every time you change the country.
    Bringing a Pet
    Dog, cat or none. Pet prep, transport and quarantine costs are added automatically.
    Current Relocation Savings
    Cash you’ve set aside for the move itself.
    Current Monthly Income
    Your household’s monthly income after tax, in US dollars.
    Total Liquid Assets / Retirement Savings
    Everything you could show a visa officer, including retirement and brokerage accounts. Some visas ask for proof of savings.
    Estimated Time Horizon
    3, 6, 9 or 12 months until you’d like to move.
    Planning Start Date
    Usually today. Your move date and checklist are counted from here.
    Current US State
    Where you live now. It’s used for the state tax check.

    The planner assumes you move with luggage only: three extra checked bags per person, no shipping container.

  4. Read your results

    The four numbers across the top are the headline: your total one-time move cost, the additional savings you still need, the monthly savings target to get there in time, and your target move-out date. Below them:

    • Section 2 shows the visa you picked, what it asks you to show in income or savings, how long it takes to prepare, and which documents you’ll need.
    • Section 3 breaks the move down line by line, with a link to the source for each one.
    • Section 4 checks your savings plan, and whether your income and savings meet the visa’s minimums. If they don’t, it tells you by how much.
    • Section 5 is a preliminary US tax check: the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, whether your state tends to keep taxing people who move abroad, and the FBAR reporting threshold for foreign bank accounts.

  5. Work through your checklist

    Open Timeline & Checklist. Every task has a target date counted back from your move date, from renewing passports to booking temporary lodging. Tasks that don’t apply to your country, visa or pet are marked so you can skip them. Update the Status column as you go and watch the progress fill in.

  6. Compare countries

    Change the destination, choose the visa pathway again, and the whole dashboard reprices. Try two or three countries and two city sizes. The gap between them is often bigger than people expect.

Good to know

  • All amounts are in US dollars at the exchange rates in the planner’s data. Your bank’s rate on the day will differ a little.
  • The planner covers one-time moving costs. For monthly living costs, start with the rent and utilities on our country pages, then add groceries, transport and health insurance.
  • Visa rules change. Before you apply, check the official page linked in Section 3 or on the Visa Requirements tab.
  • The tax checks are a starting point, not tax advice. Talk to a tax professional who works with Americans abroad before you move.

Stuck?

Email hello@abetterwayabroad.com with the email address you bought with, and tell us whether you’re using Excel or Google Sheets. If the file won’t open or doesn’t match its description, we’ll fix it or refund you (see our refund policy).