Personal Finance of a Marketer/Dancer/Nomad (2025 Full Breakdown)
I tend to do a personal spending breakdown.
- 2019 Personal Spending (Yes, I travelled the world for €7K in 2019).
- 2020 Personal Spending
- 2024 Personal Spending
This exercise helps me to reflect on my income/expenses. It helps me optimize for the future.
But to be honest, 2025 wasn’t about optimization. It wasn’t about performance or growth hacks this time.
After the emotional chaos of 2024, I didn’t want to maximize anything anymore…
I wanted to feel a bit more grounded. I moved to La Réunion. And this single decision quietly reshaped everything (lifestyle, daily costs, revenue, …).
This article isn’t just a spreadsheet.
It’s a snapshot of what it actually costs to relocate, rebuild, and design a life that feels good.
Because money is never just money.
It’s always a reflection of who we’re becoming.
2025 in numbers
Total personal + lifestyle spending:
€38,643
≈ €3,220 / month
Here’s how it breaks down:
| Category | % | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 🍽️ Food | 23% | €8,758 |
| 🚗 Car | 21% | €8,093 |
| 🧠 Work (tools, coworking, telecom, contractors) | 17.3% | €6,685 |
| 🌍 Travel / Nomad life | 14% | €5,368 |
| 🏠 Housing | 12% | €4,786 |
| 🎉 Leisure | 5% | €1,991 |
| 🧺 Others | 3.6% | €1,386 |
| 💃 Dance | 2.2% | €848 |
| 🎧 DJ & Music | 1.9% | €728 |
#1 the big realization
What surprised me. ➡️ The car. Transportation alone cost me €8 093. More than rent. More than travel. More than my business tools.
Basically 👉 my most expensive “subscription” was a car I didn’t even own. If there’s one financial mistake of 2025, it’s this.
Lesson learned: Sometimes indecision is the most expensive choice.
#2 do I eat too much?
Food came first: 23%. That number felt huge.
But then I did the math:
€8 758 / 12 ≈ €730 per month
For La Réunion (imported goods, island prices), that’s actually reasonable. In Brussels (2024), I spent 9,669€ on restaurants, groceries, bars, etc.)
Lesson learned: Come on, Arthur, cook more!!!!
#3 investing in my craft
Tools, coworking, software, telecom, contractors: €6,685 (17%)
For a freelancer working in AI & marketing, this isn’t much, actually… I managed quite well there, but honestly, I’m a bit done working from coffee shops… I start to think about having a flex office…
#4 nomad nomad nomad
Yes, I know my carbon footprint… Quite bad knowing in La Réunion, you need your car every day. But I took less the planes, only 2 trips (business/leisure) (Madagascar & Mauritius): €5,368
Madagascar, in particular, was one of the highlights of my year.
#5 dance baby dance
On paper: Dance + DJ = 4% of my budget
In reality, Probably 30% of my happiness.
Cutting these to “optimize finances” would be stupid. Not everything should be optimized.
What La Réunion really cost me
Living here is paradoxical. Rent is reasonable (for someone from Europe; many young people can’t afford 500€ in rent).
Life quality is insane. But everything else is expensive (cars, imported food, flights in/out).
| Category | 🇧🇪 Brussels 2024 | 🇷🇪 La Réunion 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 🏠 Housing | €9,600 | €4,786 |
| 🍽️ Food | €8,985 | €8,758 |
| 🚗 Transport / Car | €2,681 | €8,093 |
| ✈️ Travel | €8,467 | €5,368 |
| 🧠 Work (tools, coworking, coffees) | €9,780 | €6,685 |
| 🎉 Lifestyle & fun | €3,024 | €1,991 |
| 💃 Dance & Music | €1,085 | €1,576 |
| 🩺 Health & misc | €1,110 | €1,386 |
💰 Totals
| Brussels (2024) | La Réunion (2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly total | €44,732 | €38,643 |
| Monthly avg | €3,728 | €3,220 |
The difference is around 6000€/ year.
Rent dropped a lot (800€ vs 500€) , but car dependency absorbed most of the savings. This alone killed most savings. Objectively, Brussels would have been cheaper (with double the income 💸💸💸💸).
I needed this island more than I needed perfect financial efficiency… Sometimes the best investment isn’t ETF or real estate.
It’s your mental health. How much would therapy cost for 12 months? Probably more than the price difference. So I consider this year a net win.
Improvements for 2026
Top priorities now:
🚗 1. Fix the car problem
As soon I’m back from my European trip – I buy a cheap secondhand car.
🧠 2. Reduce tool chaos
Use fewer tools, or I should share costs with other peer freelancers.
📈 3. Restart investing monthly
Even €100 per month. This year, I didn’t play a lot on crypto, ETFs etc.
🏠 4. Prepare for real estate
Save for a small studio. Move from rent → ownership.
🏠 5. Remember my promises by the end of 2024.
Things from last year that I didn’t accomplish,
Minimize Business CostsOptimize Personal Spending- Invest in People Who Invest in Me
- Focus on Sport and Learn/Growth
Final thoughts
Financially, I’m not proud of 2025… My revenue dropped, and my costs skyrocketed (even if the general numbers are good). I ended up taking out of my savings… Selling 20K€ of ETFs to pay my 2023 taxes and asking for a delay on the 2024 taxes payment…
And still strangely, that feels like progress. I feel I’m at a better stage for what comes next!
