There are so many ways to make money online these days and the possibilities of where to live while you do it are also endless. Digital nomads were a rarity years ago but now making money as a digital nomad has gotten so easy that the movement has exploded in popularity. There is little reason to stay in one place and work. When you want to see the world you can do so and still make money at the same time.
The problem right now is that so many people are diving into the idea of being a digital nomad without understanding how it works. This means that there are a lot of mistakes being made. In this article, we will go over some of those mistakes so you can do your best to avoid them.
1) Not building resiliency
Many people are so eager to hit the road that they book their flights as soon as they get the go-ahead to go remote. This is a bad idea because things can change very quickly. If you aren’t set up to handle some setbacks then your voyage could come to an end as soon as it begins.
Make sure to get some remote experience under your belt before heading out. Once you have your systems in place then you can be confident that if something were to happen you could ride it out and still continue your digital nomad lifestyle.
For instance, if you are a freelancer and only have one client then you could end up in a bad way if you were to suddenly lose that client. If you do lose the client then you should be able to pivot quickly and get a new one or multiple clients. Have a portfolio ready with some pictures of you that you edited to look professional by using an image converter – create.vista.com.
Always be on the lookout for new clients as well. Even if you love your client and want to keep them around for a long time, be realistic and explore other options. It’s ok to turn down jobs when offered but always be open to discussing things and keep those offers in your back pocket for later on.
2) Not researching a destination
A big part of the appeal of being a digital nomad is how spontaneous you can be. It’s nice to not have much of a plan and go with the flow. There will be times when you meet fellow travelers that will invite you to go with them on their next leg of the journey and you will want to say yes.
The problem with not having a plan is that it can dramatically affect your ability to stay and work in a location. You may need to apply in advance for a visa and be denied entry without one. Or, there could be a lack of coworking spaces and slow internet. This will make it a very negative experience.
It’s a good idea to put some time into researching a location. When you have an understanding of the logistics required to get there then you can move on to researching what other digital nomads are saying about it in terms of workability, travel options, and cost of living.
3) Not budgeting correctly
Many digital nomads focus on low-cost of living areas so they can get the most out of their salaries. This is a smart move since it allows a lot of flexibility when it comes to travel. However, this doesn’t mean that you don’t need a budget.
Having a budget ties into the idea of being resilient since it will keep you in a good financial position in case something happens. It is a common issue that digital nomads overspend without realizing it and end up not being able to travel as they wanted.
Budgeting should be done before you set out on your travels so you have a guideline and something to stick to when you are traveling. This is especially important when you are a freelancer as you can’t go paycheck to paycheck in case you end up without any work coming in for a period of time.
Make sure to understand how much you need for travel such as plane tickets, bus or train travel. Then, you need to account for visas to enter some countries. Lastly, have a limit on what you can spend on accommodations and food. Have whatever is left kept in an emergency fund.
