Their lives used to revolve around city traffic. They gave it up to build an island home in the Philippines for $85,000.

Matthew Straight and April Pasilang swapped city living for an off-grid home on Bohol, an island in the Philippines.

The Grounded Nomads.

• Matthew Straight and April Pasilang traded city life for an off-grid home on an island in the Philippines.
• The couple spent about $85,000 building the property, which came with a guesthouse, a pond, and a vegetable garden.
• Living on the island of Bohol has allowed them to reclaim their time and be less attached to material things.

When...