Turkish frugal habits I learned while living in Istanbul 🇹🇷 | budget living on a digital nomad visa

I just got back from living in Istanbul, Türkiye, for three years on a tourist residence permit and eventually a digital nomad visa. Without the safety net of being able to get a job in person, I worked really hard to lower my budget and live below my means as much as possible and being integrated into Turkish culture and really leaning into local life in Istanbul helped me to learn local habits that cut down overall cost. These are the frugal living habits I picked up and continue to practice even now that I'm back in Canada. 🎬 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 introduction and explaining my life in istanbul as a digital nomad 01:00 how living in türkiye changed me for the better 01:55 never wasting bread (or other food) 02:48 drinking more tea than coffee 03:29 not drinking wine with every dinner 04:25 homecooked meals with simple ingredients 06:10 bringing homemade food when traveling 08:00 investing instead of holding onto cash savings 08:50 leaning into community and my close circle 11:05 board game culture and "third spaces" 12:20 shopping at discount stores and buying no-name brands 14:25 learning habits through leaning into turkish culture intimately 15:00 thank you for watching! don't forget to subscribe :) 💻 CONNECT WITH ME Instagram: @itskaitmcinnis Email: [email protected] My travel and lifestyle writing: https://muckrack.com/kaitlyn-mcinnis 📚 BUY MY GUIDEBOOK 111 PLACES IN MONTREAL THAT YOU MUST NOT MISS: https://amzn.to/4cJVBgs ☕ SUPPORT MY YAPPING Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/kaitlynmcinnis