S’porean Couple Quit Their Jobs, Rented Out Their Flat To Travel With Their Dog For "2 Or 3 Years"
The couple tells 8days.sg that they started saving since 2015 while working full-time in the public sector, and only plan to return in two to three years’ time.
No part of this story can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
While we have heard of pet owners flying overseas with their furkids for a holiday, Matt, 42, and Jane, 38, have been travelling full-time with their dog for over a year.
They quit their jobs in the public sector, rented out their five-room Sengkang flat, and have been travelling around Europe with their dog — Meiji, a 10-year-old beagle — since June 2024.
Their adventures with Meiji began on a flight from Singapore to Amsterdam. Since then, they've mostly driven around Europe in a car they bought ("No COE needed!"), and have visited London, Wales, the Netherlands, Albania, and Austria, and are now currently in Croatia.
Their IG feed (@manwomandoggo) is a visual dream packed with cinematic sunsets, forest hikes, and mountain backdrops, mixed with helpful travel hacks and budgeting tips for anyone tempted to follow in Meiji's paw prints to travel the world with their furkid too.
It is a lifestyle they have planned for meticulously. In fact, the couple says this has been in the pipeline for about 10 years now.
Jane told 8days.sg that they began saving since 2015, once their careers became more stable. “We started to invest more regularly and plan for an earlier retirement that included travel and a slower pace of life,” she said.
She declined to reveal how much they have saved, but revealed: “On average, we were able to save most of our income, close to 90 per cent as we kept our expenses in check. We also rented out our extra room in our flat, reinvested that income, and focused on dividend-paying stocks.”
“We started living off our dividends even while employed and were never too restrictive in Singapore. We did this for over 10 years,” she added.
The couple has spent about $50K in the past year on their travels, mainly on accommodation.
Did they have any qualms about travelling the world with their dog?
Jane reveals: “Meiji has slowed down from when she was a crazy puppy, but she is still in good health, and we can’t spend life worrying. In fact, she is so easy to travel with now. She sleeps when we are on the road, or having our rest days and plays when we are out. She's the perfect travel companion,” she says.
The couple was "ready to leave in 2020 but then Covid happened". The delay turned out to be a blessing in disguse, as they had more time to clear out their flat which they were renting out.
“Unknowingly, we accumulated so much over the years. We took almost six weeks of donating and selling on Carousell to clear our flat,” Jane says.
Jane and Matt plan to travel for two to three years before returning to Singapore.
Jane also tells 8days.sg that they have no safety net once they are back in Singapore and have no intention of returning to work full-time.
“We might consider some flexi-work or explore some small business ideas. Matt has an interest in pawnbroking gold and silver, while I love dogs and perhaps would do something related to that,” she says.
Photos: manwomanandoggo/IG
