How To Work From Anywhere Without Blowing Your Budget
written by Nick Cernis on January 29th, 2008
The Dream Of A Beautiful Life
This is a boy meets girl story.
Boy and girl leave their dull day jobs to become freelance writers and designers; they travel the world living a worry-free life, working remotely, visiting different cultures, trying amazing food, taking photographs and writing a diary; they draw inspiration from all that they see and experience.
Boy and girl retire to a beautiful home, where they teach their children how to live a fulfilling existence by travelling and working for themselves. The cycle repeats.
It’s a pretty story, but just how realistic is it? It can’t be that easy, can it? What’s the real truth about working from anywhere, or “location independent living,” as it’s come to be known?
The Truth About Location Independent Living
The Truth is simple. It comes in two parts:
Truth 1: There’s never been a better time to work from anywhere.
Truth 2: It’s easier than you think.
Not convinced? Sit back, relax, and let me sell you the dream. At the end, if you’re still listening, I’ll tell you how to make it a reality.
Truth 1: There’s Never Been a Better Time
1. Travel Is Cheap: There are now more budget airlines, train operators, special offers and last-minute deals than ever. The internet is driving prices down still further. If you once thought you couldn’t afford to travel, look into it again – you’ll be surprised at how little it now costs. Unless you have an unhealthy taste for first class flights, caviar, fine cigars and private yachts, the chances are you can afford to travel.
2. Email Rules The Business World: It really is possible to run a successful business by email. This is the first generation where you can work on the move and do everything by email (just ask any crackberry addict). With connectivity getting even better, there’s really no excuse to be stuck in an office.
3. Hardware Is Inexpensive: You don’t need a laptop to work from anywhere, but it might help. They’re cheaper and faster now than they’ve ever been – I recommend buying a second hand one a year or so behind modern tech. (Before you splurge, read my Buy a Bigger Envelope article to see if you really need one!)
4. Your Office Is Online: Software is moving online. If you’re not already using online apps like Google Docs, then you should be. Being free of one machine and being able to work from anywhere with a ‘net connection is revolutionising the way people work. Get involved before you’re left behind!
5. Wifi Is Everywhere: If you haven’t noticed the signs in every town and city near you, wireless internet is really taking off. I went skiing in Finland last week – there were more reindeer than people where I stayed (no joke!), but I still had a free wireless connection almost everywhere I went. Instead of coming back to almost 2000 unanswered emails, I archived them or wrote brief replies on my wifi-enabled mobile once a day.
6. Online Meetings Work: If you’ve been reading PTO for a while, you’ll know what I think about meetings – they’re normally a waste of time! But sometimes you still need to have them on the move. Meeting via instant messenger using sites like Meebo is becoming more acceptable in business circles. With business chat services like Campfire taking off too, there’s no excuse to avoid meetings while you travel.
7. Your Clients Are Doing It Too: Your clients are probably now working from home (or ‘networking’ on the golf course) more than ever. Working away from the office is becoming progressively more acceptable. What’s stopping you?
8. You Really Can Make A Living Online: Ask your parents or grandparents what they would give to have been able to make a living online when they were your age. If you don’t understand how to make money using the internet yet, you need to look into it. Skellie has 30 ideas to help you start working through the web on Anywired that you should definitely check out.
9. The Language Barrier Is Lowering: If you want to go somewhere where your first language isn’t spoken, you’ll benefit from learning another language. The good news is, it’s now easier than ever! I’m busy learning two extra languages via the Rosetta Stone site, and there are loads of other free or cheap resources online. I’ll be covering these in a future post.
10. Online Payment Really Works: It really is possible to take all your payments online. If you don’t have a PayPal account, join over 155 million people who have by signing up today – it’s already become the standard way for freelancers and small businesses to pay and be paid.
11. There’s More Help Out There Than Ever: Since more people are now doing it, working from anywhere is a hot topic! There’s loads of help and inspiration out there. If you even have the tiniest tingle of a desire to travel, you would be absolutely crazy to miss out on Anywired and Location Independent. Check them out and don’t forget to subscribe.
Truth 2: It’s Easier Than You Think
To understand why it’s easier than you think, we’ll look at some of the excuses people use to avoid working from anywhere. I’ll bet you’re even using some of these right now!
12 Excuses People Use For Staying Put (and the solutions)
1. I can’t afford to travel: If you go back about 30 years, this was probably a real concern. These days, as we’ve discussed, travelling is cheaper than ever. Trust me – even if you’re on the absolute minimum wage, there’s a good deal out there that will tickle your sense of adventure and fit your budget. At the end of this post, there’s a step-by-step guide that should help.
2. I don’t travel very well: If you get travel sick, or you’re scared of flying/sailing, or your mobility is limited and it’s physically and mentally draining to travel, I understand. There are people who I care about in all of these categories. All I can say is that there are others out there just like you who’ve overcome similar problems to travel the world. Head over to the Lonely Planet Forums – post in the health or disability sections. They’re full of helpful people who can answer your concerns for free and help you realise your travel dreams.
3. My children/partner need stability: If you’re thinking like this, you’re almost certainly a wonderful person who cares about the people around them. That’s great! Now imagine how those people would feel if you took them on the trip of a lifetime.
Between the ages of 1 and 16, my parents moved house 17 times. I lived in Belgium, South Africa and several counties in the UK. Despite this apparent lack of geographical stability, I’ve retained lifelong friends, have a good education, and I still talk about the adventures I had as a kid even today. I am so grateful to my parents for having the guts to work where they chose to. Guess what? The chances are, your kids or partner will be too.
Just ask a retired friend or relative who’s stayed in the same town they were born in if they wish they’d spent more time travelling when they were younger. (Then remind them it’s not too late!)
4. I’ve already set my roots somewhere: Excellent! It means you’ll have somewhere to come back to in between trips. There’s no problem being attached to one place and setting roots – that sort of maturity will come in handy as you travel about. It’s a really positive thing, and it shouldn’t prevent you from leaving for a while to go and explore.
5. I don’t want to travel alone: If you’re single and you don’t like the security implications of travelling alone, don’t panic. You can always find a like-minded friend or family member to travel with you. If that doesn’t appeal, just do everything you can to make yourself feel more secure. Read up thoroughly on the places you visit. Hire a guide for the day. Learn a martial art. Be confident and be prepared when you travel, and you’ll be OK.
6. I look after pets/people who depend on me: It’s tough being responsible, isn’t it? I’d wager that there’s a good chance you know someone else who can help cover for a while. It’s important to stand up to your responsibilities, but don’t let them get in the way of living your life. If you do, you’ll find that you grow to resent your dependants, which isn’t good news for anyone. If you can’t take pets or sick relatives with you, find someone who can help out and do the same for them later.
7. I have financial commitments I can’t get out of: This normally relates very closely to point 1 above. If you’ve got financial commitments like a mortgage or a loan on a car, they can seem very prohibitive to travelling at first. The trick is in forgetting that they’re tied to a geographical location. Instead, just treat them as outgoings. As long as you can afford to pay those outgoings and still have money left over, you’re good to travel. If you can’t, the choice is simple: reduce your outgoings or increase your income.
8. I’m stuck in a job I can’t get out of: This is a toughy, isn’t it? It comes down to this: just how badly do you want to become independent both financially and geographically? If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way. This site and the others I’ve mentioned can help you.
If you’re using this excuse, the chances are high that your dreams aren’t as strong as you thought they were. You probably want a stable job more than you want to chase those dreams (otherwise you’d have left already). This is fine – there’s nothing wrong with stability, and you can rest assured that lots of the folks who leave to travel or start their own gigs will be jealous of you. The grass always seems greener on the other side!
You can always change your mind later, but if a leap of faith is all that’s stopping you, sometimes it’s better to jump. In 10, 20, 50 or 100 years, the things you regret will be the things you didn’t do.
9. Travelling just isn’t for me: A friend of mine taught me the following powerful way of looking at things whenever I’m putting off doing something like travelling. The simple fact is this: there are millions of people who don’t have that luxury. They would jump at the chance to work whilst travelling and living an amazing life. You owe it to them to give it some serious thought. If that doesn’t make you think, check out the travel photography group on Flickr for just 10 minutes and see what you’re missing.
10. I’m too old or young to travel: I’m afraid I need to be frank about this one. You’re just plain wrong about this. Location independent living doesn’t discriminate by age – that’s the best thing about it. If you’re using this excuse, you’ll probably find the real reason is amongst the other 11 here.
11. I’m concerned about the environmental impact of travelling: So you should be! We’re doing a great job screwing up the planet so far, aren’t we? Let’s all crack open another jet engine and whoosh off to Tibet! Why would you want to make a bad problem worse? It’s a hard question to answer.
I have found that travelling around and seeing the glorious sights our little blue globe has to offer makes me even more passionate about protecting it. You can take small steps by offsetting your carbon emissions, or bigger ones by travelling in greener ways. It will take you longer to get around, but it’s a personal choice you need to weigh up. Check out the Leave It Better Initiative on Location Independent to get into the right spirit.
12. I’ll miss my friends and family: Email them! Send photos! Make them jealous any way you can. After all, it’s easy to stay in touch. If not, you could always take them with you (they’d probably prefer that, after all).
The Put Things Off Guide to Working Anywhere
If you want to save up and take a year out to travel without working, that’s fine – get saving and then go for it. If instead you’d rather keep your income coming in whilst travelling, read on. This guide is for you!
Step 1: Escape your day job
If you’re going to be truly independent, you probably need to escape your day job and start your own gig. Read the Put Things Off guide to escaping your job the safe way.Step 2: Build your income to a steady level
Next, you’ll need to build your income and reduce your outgoings as much as you can. Concentrate on building multiple location-independent income streams that you can work through the web. Blogs, membership sites and online consultancy work are all good bets, but there are more.Step 3: Dip Your Toe In
Now you have a bit of spare cash, just plan a short break somewhere. Anywhere that takes your fancy. The difference between a traditional short break and a work anywhere short break is that you’ll be taking your work with you. Stop thinking of this as a bad thing! Given the choice of slogging away at a desk for most of the year and then taking a 2 week break abroad in one place, or doing work you love all year around the globe, which would you prefer?Step 4: Plan a Longer Trip
Now that you’ve got a taste for travelling – perhaps by taking a one or two week working break in step 3 – it’s time to stretch the time you spend away. It will take more planning, but your goal might be to spend a month in a foreign country whilst managing those income streams you’ve built up and sampling local life. Sounds great, doesn’t it?Step 5: Rinse and Repeat
Congratulations! You’ve now achieved your dream of location independent living. Once you’ve got this far, you can start building a list of places you’d like to visit next, research them carefully and find the deals. Have fun! Send me photographs! (It’s OK to make me jealous too.)
What To Do Now
This article should have given you a real thirst for travelling, and made you realise that with some careful planning you’ve already got what it takes to succeed! Do share your thoughts and comments below.
If Put Things Off has helped you realise your dreams, contact me – I’d love to hear from you.
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16 comments so far:
Lovely people who linked here:
- How To Work From Anywhere Without Blowing Your Budget
- Kaylow | Work from anywhere
- Bizlift Blog » 5 Cage-Fighting Tips For The Self-Employed
- Link Medley - Forty Plus Two
29 Jan 08
17:01
Lea from Location Independent Living
Hi Nick - fantastic article and I particularly agree with many of your 12 excuses and your suggested solutions.
I’ve found that it’s often fear that prevents & limits people from doing what they want - either irrational fear or logical/rational fear. That certainly seems to be the case for many readers of our blog.
We’ve been called brave and courageous for doing what we do and travelling permanently - but I don’t see it that way at all. It just wasn’t an option not to when we looked at the alternative…the way I figure, is that if you want it badly enough, you will find a way.
29 Jan 08
18:01
Sean Hodge
Nick - nice article and good advice.
I quit the corporate grind a year ago. I left Connecticut and moved down to Venezuela where my wife is from. It was tough to give away our three dogs, but we found good homes for them. I don’t miss the cold winters. Its 80 degrees here all the time and I’m close to the beach.
Rosetta Stone looks like a great link. I remember seeing them set up in the Mall in Connecticut. The online edition looks right for me. I need to learn Spanish. Thanks.
30 Jan 08
09:01
Elizabeth Able
Wow. Wow wow. When I was in high school I *knew* this was what I wanted to do when I grew up. Now that I’m pushing 50 it looks like a great way to spend a second childhood. Thank you for the encouragement.
31 Jan 08
13:01
Iceman
So great to see this, this is just what I am trying to do right now. Quit my job in Nov. last year and am no in the progress of setting my things up, should go live next week. Then hopefully in a years time (or less) I can too be living the dream ;)
31 Jan 08
22:01
Maddison
Thanks for such a great post. It really hit home with me. I made a plan January 1, 2008 to travel and gain new business in different cities across the globe. I’m embarking on my first city February 08, 2008. Hopefully all works out, then it’s on to the next city.
3 Feb 08
00:02
Antonio Pratas
Awesome article, totally related to it and you’re completely right. I’m thinking about spending a week or so away just to get to know some places, and in the future I’d like to jump from country to country and work to work.
Thank you so much for this article, it’s really great
4 Feb 08
12:02
Sterling Okura @ bizlift
Great in-depth article Nick. I’ve been self-employed for 7 years and have spent a lot of time working while traveling in New York, Brazil, and Hawaii.
I love how you tackle all of those different excuses. One’s personal psychology and the excuses it generates can be the biggest obstacle in achieving what you want.
While international travel is fantastic, there are also a lot of diverse places worth visiting here in the USA. My Sprint broadband card & MacBook Pro let me work from almost anywhere in the country without having to search for hot-spots.
7 Feb 08
08:02
Nick Cernis
@Lea: “If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way” Absolutely! This is a theme that runs through a lot of my writing.
@Sean: Good luck with your Spanish. I’ll be running an article on how to learn languages in the future (once I’ve learnt some myself!).
@Elizabeth: Thanks ever so much for your comment — a “second childhood” sounds like a lovely idea (personally I’ll always be in my first!).
@Iceman: Good luck and happy travelling!
@Maddison: Congrats! Having a plan is half of the battle. Keep it pinned on your desk and don’t lose sight of it, and you’ll do great.
@Antonio: Many thanks. Spending a week away here and there is a great plan, and one that I’m following too.
@Sterling: Yes! I should have mentioned that travelling your own country first is a great way to test the waters (without flying over any) and save cash at the same time. Thanks for stopping by to comment.
14 Feb 08
03:02
amelia
nice nice nice :)
15 Feb 08
17:02
Hal
You left out the most important reasons not to do this:
1.) Requires a herculean degree of self-discipline to work remote/independently
2.) You have difficulty socializing/meeting new people.
Having said that, it’s a fine goal if you are realistic about your personal limitations.
17 Feb 08
10:02
Nick Cernis
Thanks Amelia.
@Hal — yep, you’re right — it’s not for everyone!
12 Jul 08
17:07
Toblerone @ Simple Mom
We are Americans who live abroad by working on the internet. My husband and I have two small children, ages 3 and 6 months, and they’re with us, too! In fact, my youngest was born in Turkey, where we’re currently residing.
It CAN be done, even with children. And it’s worth it! I don’t know how long we’ll be doing this, but if we’ll be here a while, I’m already envious of my children’s childhood!