NOTE: This is a guest post
Traveling used to be a luxury that was either only granted when you had vacation time available on your job or if you worked in a travel-related industry. When working in a travel-related industry, traveling was part of the job description… it was required. And being able to travel only when you have enough vacation time is so limiting… both travel options aren’t ideal, especially if you absolutely love to travel. Fortunately, those two travel options aren’t the only options you have to be able to live a life of travel full-time.
Today, we live in a digital era, so what does that mean in relation to travel? It means you have the freedom and flexibility to make travel a priority. Not because it’s a job requirement or because you have enough vacation time for it… You have the freedom and flexibility to make travel a priority simply because you want to! And the “kicker” is that you can do it while earning an income… That’s what most would call “living the good life.”
This unique lifestyle that most would call living the “good” life is actually a nickname for the digital nomad lifestyle.
The “Good Life,” Also Known As the Digital Nomad Lifestyle
The digital nomad lifestyle is the lifestyle that you see so many pictures of on Facebook and Instagram. You see your friends swimming with dolphins on a random Tuesday when most people are at work and you see them sipping mimosas when most people are sleeping because they’re on the other side of the world… You might even see them post a video about tips for motorcycle road trips in the Philippines!
They’re able to do all those things because the lifestyle allows you the freedom to work wherever you want, whenever you want, and still have time to enjoy the destination you’re visiting as well. To have freedom like that is something that most people only dream of. They feel as though that type of lifestyle is too far-fetched for them but the reality of the lifestyle is that they too can live the same good life as those they envy.
Preparing For the Digital Nomad Lifestyle
If you want to adopt this lifestyle, you must first understand that this is a major lifestyle change, so that means you’re going to want to make sure you have a few things in order before you head off on your travels. First and foremost, you need to be realistic about your decision. In order to prepare for this lifestyle, consider asking yourself these questions first.
Why do you want to become a digital nomad?
Are you wanting to become a digital nomad because you genuinely have a love for travel or are you just trying to escape from something? It’s very important to ask yourself this question because your answer could be the reason why you either should or shouldn’t become a digital nomad… Depending on how you answer this question, that will determine if this lifestyle is even worth it for you.
According to medium.com, lack of preparation and not having a clear understanding of why you want to be a digital nomad is a warning sign to help you avoid failing as a digital nomad.
Realistically, how long should you prepare before embarking on digital nomad journeys?
Realistically speaking, you want to give yourself at least a year to prepare yourself for such a lifestyle change. During the year of preparation, you’re going to want to work and aggressively save at your current job. You can even take on a second job just to have extra income coming in.
By the time you’re actually ready to start your digital nomad adventures, you’ll have a sizeable amount of money saved up to get your travels started until your steady income starts coming in.
Earning As a Digital Nomad: What It’s Like and Ways to Earn
To explain what it’s like to earn as a digital nomad really is dependent on the digital nomad and their work ethic. For the most part, earning as a digital nomad is just like working any other job, only with more freedom. You have the luxury of working wherever and wherever you want, of course. But with all that freedom, comes responsibility and discipline.
Because you won’t have a supervisor telling you when to work or how to do your work, you’re going to have to have a strong work ethic and determine your working style to have a successful career as a digital nomad. Once you’ve found your rhythm and have found a working style that works best for you, you can then start earning.
The best ways to earn as a digital nomad are going to be a combination of earning and saving. Here are some of the best ways to earn an income as a digital nomad.
House Sit
House sitting is a form of earning an income by way of saving. When you take on the job of house sitting, you’re actually earning by saving on accommodations. During your travels, you’ll quickly find out just how expensive hotels and hostels can be, depending on your destination.
Every destination you travel to, it would be in your best interest to look for house sitting opportunities. You might not get paid in cash but being able to stay in a fully furnished home for free in exchange for you taking care of the owner’s plants and pets, that’s payment enough.
Start an Online Business
Starting an online business is one of the best ways to earn a steady income. And the best part about it is that once you build your customer base up, your business will start selling all on its own with minimal work from you. Just build your business website first and let your business take you all over the globe!
Rent Your Home
Renting your home out is a process you’ll get started during that one-year preparation time. You’ll want to make sure you’re renting to long-term renters, first and foremost, but one you find your ideal tenants, you can count on a steady, monthly income to come to you every time they pay rent for the month. You can then take that money and put it towards your next destination.
Freelance Your Skills
Freelance work opens up your earning potential to multiple streams of income. With freelance work, whether you provide freelance writing services or freelance web design services, you’re not restricted to just one client… you can work with as many clients that you can handle… Just make sure that you’re not taking on more than you can handle… The last thing you want is to sacrifice the quality of your work just to get more clients.