In 2025, Monica and I spent $60,286.11 on travel. That covers flights, hotels, food and everything else.
We did it while each of us worked under 20 hours a week. It was an amazing year, and it was a lot. Now it is time to slow down.
These numbers are from October 2025, when this was first written. Pay changes every year, so check current rates in Map My Pay.
Where we went this year
We spent more time on planes than in scrubs this year. Here is how it played out:
- January: three weeks in the Philippines
- May and June: three weeks in New York and Toronto
- June: one week in Georgia
- August: Curacao and New York
- October: two more weeks in New York
- December: snowboarding in Whistler to close out the year
Yes, it was a lot. It was amazing, but it was a lot.
We spent a lot and worked a lot less
When I looked at the numbers, I laughed and cringed at the same time. Our pay records show this:
- I worked 699 hours and made $100,720. That is about 17 hours a week.
- Monica worked 743 hours and made $115,560. That is about 18 hours a week.
Together, we earned around $216K while each of us worked less than 20 hours a week. We also spent over $60K seeing the world.
It was a year of freedom. It also showed us that freedom is not free. If you want to see how we set up our work this way, read how we tracked our 2025 nurse pay by the hour.
Our plan for 2026
Starting in January, we are locking in. The plan was to list our house this spring and move back to New York City next August.
We would live off about two-thirds of our home equity for a couple of years. That would let us go all in on Map My Pay. It is the business we built to help nurses see what their paychecks are worth and where they come out ahead.
We are still all in, just with fewer flights and more focus.
Update: In April 2026, we put this move on hold. You can read why our move back to NYC is on hold.
The biggest lesson from this year
Freedom is not free. Every trip, every week off and every slow morning costs something.
Still, being able to live on our own terms is worth a lot to us.
We are closing out 2025 very grateful. We are thankful for this group, for the nurses in the Accelerator, and for everyone who backs Map My Pay. We are also thankful for everyone who has followed us from broke and burnt out to building something that matters.
Next year is all about focus. That means saving more, growing the business and staying grounded. If you want to see where the bigger numbers came from, read about how we paid off $128K of debt in one year.
Your next move
See what you’d take home, then make the move
Map My Pay shows what nurses take home after taxes and rent at 465+ hospitals and in 21,000+ cities. It’s the app I co-founded so you can compare cities before you pack a single box.
The Nurses to Riches Accelerator is the plan Monica and I used to go from $37 an hour in New York to $143 an hour in California: license, city, hospital, and what to do with the money after.
Get the Map My Pay app
See the Accelerator plans
Every Accelerator plan is a one-time payment with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Written by Jason, RN. I went from $37 an hour in New York to $143 an hour in California and paid off $128K of debt in under a year. I share our numbers in the Nurses to Riches newsletter and on YouTube.