We’ve had an influx of questions about working remotely – from is it possible to work remotely and travel full time to where do I start looking for a remote job? This blog gives you all the resources we have for landing that digital nomad job that allows you to travel full time.
The first step to gaining the freedom and flexibility you’re looking for is usually growing an income source that you can earn from anywhere. Most of the time, taking this first step before starting a digital nomad life is the best way to ensure financial stability, which makes your travel a lot more stress free.
In our case, our sources of income have changed throughout our time as full time travelers, and that’s ok too! What might be a good fit now may not be a good fit 6 months from now. In today’s job market, that’s the new norm and you have to be willing to give yourself the ability to adapt to your new nomadic lifestyle in whatever ways make the most sense for you (more on our timeline later).
Here are our top resources to learn how to get a remote job and the kinds of jobs that are out there:
- Job Search Resource Guide: this is list of trusted sources for finding every kind of job that’s conducive for travel from work kamping to gig work to full time remote jobs
- Nomad Jobs YouTube: this video dives into the pros and cons of each type of income opportunity that works well for full time travelers
- Gig Work YouTube: this video takes one step deeper into gig work and the top 3 sources we use to find income opportunities with no experience needed
- Renting out your house as a short term rental YouTube: this video shares our favorite 3 platforms we use rent out our house full time while maximizing our profits
- Content Creator Tools: this blog highlights the tools we use to launch and keep Roam Away From Home running smoothly. These tools help us get brand deals and affiliate opportunities even with a relatively small following.
- Best Paying Remote Jobs: this blog touches on 5 of the top paying remote jobs out there with some insights into what it’s really like to do them remotely.
- Spotting Red Flags in Remote Job Postings YouTube: this video goes into detail about postings that sound remote, but usually aren’t and different type of remote-like structures.
If you’re looking to start life on the road, here are some other resources to help keep your cost of living low:
- Best RV Memberships YouTube: this video shares the RV memberships that saved us the most while traveling around the country to help keep our cost of living low
- Best boondocking RV apps: this blog shares our favorite apps for finding free or low-cost camping
- Cost of full time RV living: this blog shares what we would consider a lower cost of living while still enjoying the flexibility of travel in an RV and includes an example of a budget sheet that you can use!
Here is our personal remote income journey so you can see how it all comes together:
May 2020: both of us are newly self-employed
Income sources: selling tie dyes online and through Facebook Marketplace, freelance writing for multiple clients, savings from previous employment and Lyft driving pre-pandemic
October 2020: finished updates on Cream Puff (purchased the RV in September)
Income sources: selling tie dyes online, through Facebook Marketplace, and at pop up shops, freelance writing for multiple clients, affiliate marketing on our blog, Airbnb income (main income source at this point)
April 2021: start & finish remodel on Cream Puff and head towards our PNW loop
Income sources: selling thrifted items on Facebook Marketplace, selling tie dye masks only (left clothing inventory behind), freelance writing is slower – no longer seeking new clients, brand deals with content creation for Roam Away From Home, Roam Away From Home stickers, 8-week RV jumpstart course, longer-term rental income (9-month lease of our house)
August 2021: land in Colorado for the next month to attend several concerts
Income sources: in-person gig work and contract work (primarily Mike), increased brand deals and affiliate marketing for Roam Away From Home, online shop with multiple items, longer-term rental income
October 2021: finish our loop back in Arizona to help build my aunt’s haunted house (we stayed on her property, so expenses were lower than normal this month)
Income sources: brand deals and affiliate marketing across all channels (still minimal, but it is becoming more steady), online shop with digital downloads, longer-term rental income, long-term freelance writing contract with my #1 client (which turned into my only client because I committed more time to them)
November 2021: income is looking up!
Income sources: income from social media, online shop, Roam Away From Home content creation, freelance writing, longer-term rental income, Mike’s full time remote job (now our top income source)
January 2022-present: preparing for our Mexico departure
Income sources: income from social media, affiliate marketing, Airbnb income (increase of $500+/month compared to longer-term rental income), freelance writing, Mike’s full time job
When we started this lifestyle, we cut our cost of living tremendously and during times of increased expenses, we worked more gig work and contract work to make up for the expenses. This experience helped us keep cost of living expenses low even after Mike went back to working full time.
Tips for keeping your cost of living low during RV life:
- Drive less – gas is expensive, and our most expensive months coincided with months where we drove a lot
- Boondock – this is a cost effective way to RV throughout the country (usually free), plan your route with places that are easier to boondock
- Be honest with your loved ones – when you visit others around the country, the inclination is to go out and celebrate, get drinks, eat out, and attend events. Be honest with the people you’re visiting and tell them you’d prefer to do a low-cost or free activity. If this makes you uncomfortable, suggest an activity for you all to do that you know is within your budget. This was a big lesson for us since we went from dual income in relatively high-paying professions to self-employed with fluctuating income.
- Teach yourself new skills – this not only can be an income source, but it can also help keep your costs low. Teach yourself how to repair your rigs, groom your own dogs, or even cut hair! This saves you both time and money when you start traveling full time.
One goal for us during life on the road as a newly self-employed couple was to never dip into our retirement funds. We wanted to make sure those stayed safe the entire time, which helped us budget. We also knew we could go back to remote jobs if we ever felt our dual self-employed income was not meeting the standard of life we wanted anymore.
It just so happened that at the time we wanted to increase our income, I got more steady freelance income and Mike got an amazing job opportunity. So, between our current income sources, we’re making close to what we made before traveling full time with expenses that are thousands of dollars less than when we lived in our house. The timing could not have been better, and we are so glad it all worked out, but it wouldn’t have been possible if we weren’t willing to adapt to our changing situations and change our income sources as our lifestyle evolved.
Check out our YouTube channel for the most up-to-date content with more tips on how to get a remote job, and subscribe for direct remote income tips!