I need to vent.
Everyone all the time asks me how can I afford traveling all the time. I work remotely and have a corporate 10 years long career, I don’t have kids and don’t have a car or an apartment. I speak 2 languages and used to be the most hardworking person ever to make my career. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still from a poor country and I don’t make big money, I travel on budget, but in my country I would be consider above average in terms of money. I’m great in managing money, I provide for myself and am independent for 10 years and I used to live for only $275 a month.
Also as a digital nomad I travel to live in a country, I’m not a tourist that spends much money every day.
How do you deal with it? People tell me all the time that I’ll get broke or that I should work more or that I have a sugar daddy. They ask me if this lifestyle isn’t expensive. Obviously it is, but having kids also is super expensive.
The most funny thing is that I meet people that makes literally 10 TIMES MORE than me and they are jealous and ask me of I could advise them to make more and how much they should make to afford being a digital nomad.
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How do you find deals to travel budget? I use cryptmi card for some extra cashback and for the ease of use abroad but would like to hear your tips. Because it’s not that easy as I experienced
This question never ever comes up. Not from my friend’s at home, or the ones i make in the country im in. Even the locals never ask. Who is asking you these questions?
I don’t get asked this. But I also don’t brag about traveling all the time. So maybe just cut down on the bragging. Usually I just say I’m a nomad and what my job is and that’s about the end of discussion.
And if I weren’t a nomad people would probably ask me what my job is so it feels the same
Idk be more discerning about who you spend time with and open up to.
I literally never have this problem.
The money part is actually fairly easy to explain, at least in my case. I can simply tell them that I’ve spent most of the past couple of years in ex-Soviet countries where even temporary accommodation will be cheaper or barely more expensive than what I’d pay back home for long term rent. It’s even more convincing considering many of them are mortgaged up to the eyeballs for stupidly expensive homes because NZ is a horrifically dysfunctional and regressive shithole when it comes to anything housing related. There’s nothing stopping some of them from cashing up on their capital gains and moving to SE Asia and living a little more minimally on their savings or even on passive rental income or something, but they’re still not going to do it.
As for the envy part, I don’t think there’s much point in trying to combat it. People tend not to understand anything about such a lifestyle and even if you try to explain it to them, they often aren’t truly interested in listening, so I generally don’t bother. Suits me just fine because I don’t tend to bring it up unless absolutely necessary. Since I don’t seek out nomad types and don’t know any IRL, I only really have one friend/acquaintance who properly grasps some of the less obvious realities, difficulties and sacrifices of such a lifestyle and can empathise - it really helps that she had a stint working on a cruise ship as that presents some similar challenges. Almost everyone else assumes everything is amazing all of the time and it’s not unusual for them to react with blind envy or even hostility.
This doesn’t answer your question but I’m curious what you do for work? I’m having trouble finding remote corporate jobs and being a digital nomad is something that really interests me!
Is it possible to work remotely in your proffesion or not at all?
The sugar daddy especially and these assumptions are just straight up misogynistic, you have a lot of value people have trouble accepting
Just choose not to be offended at people’s curiosity.
There, I fixed your life for you.
Can I ask you one thing? How do you find places to live in? I assume you’re not living in hostels?
Would love a remote job that allows me to do that! any leads?
What us your career and education?
Most people think that travel involves spending a large amount of money in a short period of time. They work all year to spend a large sume in a week. Hence, they can’t imagine how someone can afford two weeks, or three, let alone 52 weeks traveling.
I spend a month what many people spend in a weekend getaway. And in 6 months in Europe what they spend on a 10 day Europe vacation.
That’s why they can’t understand someone traveling a nomad way. Spending the same or less or maybe just a tiny bit more than loving in the same place.
With an equivalent salary, my observation is that people tend to spend less in some things so they can spend more in others. From no mortgage/no car to less physical possessions.
Even the big spender nomads, making the same in a single place, would have a larger house or a more expensive car or more clothes, etc.
If you are tired take a break. Have a rest.
How do you afford the nicer airbnb’s? And like all the flights too…
When people ask me how I can afford to travel:
I don’t drink alcohol
I don’t buy lots of clothes
I don’t buy video games
I save money
I would not divulge I was a DN. It just works against you in some way sometime in the future especially when it comes to a profession and others you work with. Be honest, but be economical with the truth. It’s not doing anything for you. I made this mistake. I lived in the US aboard a 50ft yacht. It was fun to talk about, but people talk to other people and soon they are forming private impressions that affect unforeseen future situations when you’re not present. There’s no upside.