What they don't say you being a digital nomad and freelancer and what you need to do to stay safe during your travels!
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I’m back guys!
WOW! 5 years now I’m doing the digital nomad lifestyle! I’ve had the opportunity to work remotely from some incredible locations around the world, from beachside cafes in Bali to vibrant cities like Buenos Aires or doing Working Holiday in Australia. But like any lifestyle, it has its pros and cons. In this blog post, I’ll break down the main advantages and disadvantages from a more practical perspective of the digital nomad lifestyle.
Let’s start first with the more obvious pros of the digital nomad lifestyle before continuing to the more negative perspective all the travel gurus and “influencers” never talk about. And therefore why being a digital nomad is not for everyone! I also will share with you some valuable tips for working remotely in the upcoming pros and cons.
Regardless your decision starting the digital nomad lifestyle or not, the most important thing is always your health. That’s why always make sure to have an proper health insurance at any time. The one I use is SafetyWing nomad insurance. I will elaborate this in the end. Let’s get started!
Pros
1. Maximum Flexibility
One of the biggest benefits of being a digital nomad is the freedom and flexibility it offers. You can work from anywhere in the world, as long as you have a laptop and an internet connection. This means you can travel as much as you want and work around your schedule. You’re not tied down to a specific location or time zone unless you are a remote worker for a company in your home country, which can be incredibly liberating.
2. Grow up 3x faster than in your home country
Traveling to different countries and immersing yourself in new cultures is one of the most enriching experiences you can have! As a digital nomad, you have the opportunity to live like a local and experience different ways of life. You can learn new languages, try new foods, and make friends from all over the world. Especially the last point is very important, because all the different humen beings you need, either other digital nomads or locals will change your perspective of life forever. This will broaden your horizons and give you a advantage!
3. Get more DONE
Working remotely can actually boost productivity. When you’re not tied to a traditional office environment, you have more control over your work environment. You can eliminate distractions and create a workspace that’s conducive to productivity. Plus, you can work during your most productive hours, whether that’s early in the morning or late at night. Of course the requirement here is that you really independent of the time zone!
4. Geo Arbitrage Effect
Depending on where you choose to live, being a digital nomad can actually be cheaper than living in your home country. Especially if you come from countries like USA, Canada, Germany (myself), France and basically all countries located in North Europa. For instance, if you choose to work from a country with a lower cost of living, you can save money on rent and other expenses. You can also take advantage of travel rewards programs (for example miles) and other perks that come with being a frequent traveler. For me personally it was just slightly cheaper than normal student life in Germany. Check out my cost of living in countries like Brazil and Mexico to have a benchmark for you travels!
Another important point in here is to take advantage of the so called “medicine tourism”. Again depending where you are from, doctor appointments are usually much cheaper in other countries especially in Latin America and all Asia really. I highly recommend do all the check-ups abroad to a much better price than you would have payed in your home country. Classic examples are dentists (routine check or actually making your teeth), any kind of blood work, vaccines, but not limited to it.
Cons
1. Loneliness and isolation
While the freedom to work from anywhere can be a huge advantage, it can also lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation which I suffered a lot as well. When you’re constantly on the move, it can be challenging to make long-term connections and maintain friendships. This is especially the case with the locals you gonna meet. You may also miss out on important family events or milestones, which can be difficult.
My two cents to this is to stay always positive and anticipate that you will see the people you met again in one part or another in this really small world and it will be double exciting! Make plans with them and keep contact in Instagram an WhatsApp!
Another tip is to stay at least 1 month in 1 place. This way you can not only safe a lot of money, because with longer stays you can ask for discount in your apartment/airbnb/hostel, but also get to know better the local community and find other freelancer and digital nomads and expats living in this place.
Last but not least try to be an social animal! Join online communities or forums for digital nomads or freelancers, attend networking events or conferences in your area, or consider coworking spaces where you can work alongside other digital nomads Some apps I use all the time are: Couchsurfing, meet, tinder.
2. Lack of routine and stability
Without a regular routine, it can be easy to fall into unhealthy habits like eating to much fast food, missing on appointments or struggle generally with work-life balance. It takes discipline to establish a routine that works for you and stick to it. Plus, when you’re traveling to new places, it can be tempting to spend all your time exploring and not enough time on work or self-care.
Furthermore the digital nomad lifestyle can be unpredictable and unstable. You may not have a steady income or job security, and you may need to constantly hustle to find new clients or projects. This can be stressful and make it difficult to plan for the future
My tip here is to always stick to your routines and say to yourself that anything else is not an option.
Moreover create a financial plan to account for potential dips in income or periods of unemployment. This may include building up an emergency fund, diversifying your income streams, or seeking out long-term contracts or clients to provide more stability.
3. Unpredictable environment
When you’re working remotely, you’re often at the mercy of the internet and other technical issues. This can be frustrating and can cause stress when you’re trying to meet deadlines. Plus, you may not always have access to the tools or resources you need to do your job effectively.
If this happens make sure to have an plan B. That means go to proven coworking spaces and hotels. You can look it up on google maps and read some reviews about the place. The most common ones you can always go are coffee shops, fast food chains and even coworking hotel chains (like Selina).
Another valuable to and always the first thing I do is to get a local sim card as fast as possible. In emergency you can use data from your mobile phone to keep you freelancer business running in any case!
4. Expenses
While being a digital nomad can be cheap in some countries, it can also be more expensive in others. Travel costs, accommodation, and other expenses can add up quickly. Plus, you may need to invest in high-quality technology or equipment to do your job effectively, which can be a significant upfront cost.
My tip here is to don’t bother about this places and leave them as soon as possible. Money is the make or break for digital nomads, and usually this places are not worth it anyway.
Also get most of your devices already before your trip. Actually all electronic devices with a certain quality are much cheaper in Europa/USA/Canada. Especially mobile phones, cameras and any kind of equipment. The reason is the high import tax for most countries.
5. Legal and logistical challenges
Working as a digital nomad can come with legal and logistical challenges. You may need to obtain visas, work permits, or other documents to work legally in some countries. Plus, you may need to deal with time zone differences, language barriers, and other logistical issues that can make working remotely more challenging.
My tip here is to not do everything last minute once in the country. Always do a little a research before. Usually other travelers you meet will tell you how difficult is to get by in a certain country, so that you can plan ahead. Especially with stricter countries you can get visa problems if you overstay and have to pay punishment.
If time zone is important for you as remote worker remember that the time around the world is moving horizontally East is – West is + from your home country. So just travel to countries where the change is minimal or nonexistent for example: Germany -South Africa, USA – Mexico etc.
When having official appointments for extension of your stay or whatsoever always bring somebody who speaks the local language! That helped me to stay away for misunderstandings.
6. Missing out on traditional work perks and limited social security
Working as a digital nomad can mean missing out on traditional work perks like health insurance, retirement plans, and other benefits. This can make it more difficult to plan for the future and can also impact your overall financial stability. Moreover you may not have access to the same social security benefits as you would in your home country. This can include things like healthcare, retirement savings, and other benefits. You may need to find alternative ways to secure these benefits, which can be challenging.
This is very important to understand guys! All of the above you have to let go for a while and working on your own business. Remember it’s called digital nomad lifestyle, it’s literally a way of life.
Conclusion
In the end, the digital nomad lifestyle offers a lot of freedom, flexibility and adventure, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. Before starting this lifestyle, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons for you personally and consider your own needs and priorities. With careful planning and preparation, you can create a fulfilling and rewarding career as a digital nomad.
The most important point is that working remotely IS NOT FOR EVERYONE, especially if you just starting your business you will have a pretty hard time and have to be disciplined while on the move. For future remote workers though (I refer to people contracted by a company in their home country) it’s much easier as they don’t have to think about a steady income which is a huge advantage. This could be an alternative if you don’t mind to loose some liberty but still be “in the system”.
Stay safe whatever you do: SafetyWing nomad insurance: Emergency Insurance from nomads for nomads
Make sure to have somebody on your site for emergencies, when you decide to start your digital nomad lifestyle! I highly recommend you SafetyWing emergency travel insurance made from nomads for nomads. I work together with them several years now and never had an issue whatsover!
You are already on the road? No problem you can get insured by SafetyWing any time really! Before you ask, yes it’s very cheap ($0,67 per day) and flexible (monthly cancelable) like YOU have to be when jumping into the blue.
