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fter earning our degrees we left Orem, Utah, a 95,000‑person city, for a tiny Wyoming town. The move was driven by a desire to stretch our modest freelance writing income and to save for a home. Bridger Valley’s Mountain Valley offered two‑bedroom rentals for about $650 a month—half the price of our former lease—and the region’s low taxes and cheap gas further increased our savings.

    Living in a 1,000‑person community meant fewer neighbors who worked remotely; we were the only two of us in the area. The distance from my wife’s family in Utah made visits rare, and the local amenities were limited to a gas station, a grocery store, a bowling alley, a small library, and a handful of restaurants. Yet the tight‑knit church and community friendships helped us adjust. The biggest challenge was the long, cold winters that often lasted from November to April, with temperatures below freezing and icy roads that sometimes closed the highway to Utah.

    Despite the hardships, the financial benefits were clear. Over two years we avoided state income tax, paid no sales tax on most groceries, and saved enough to purchase a little over an acre of land in rural Washington near my family. Today we own the property outright and are preparing to build our first home. In the meantime, we stay in a renovated ADU at my parents’ house.

    The experience taught us that sacrificing convenience and proximity to family can pay off. The slower pace of life, the friendships forged, and the substantial savings made the cold winters and limited amenities worthwhile. In two years, the decision to move to Wyoming turned into a stepping stone toward homeownership in Washington.