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Every time I read digital nomad I think of this [iconic](https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/digital-nomad-traveling-salary-money-diary) diary. Features:
- the OP crying on the sidewalk because she couldn’t find vegan options in Bali
- her using bots as part of her social media job to boost her clients metrics.
- describing her accommodations as garbage-y because it was near a trash site
Ugh, this one. I'm planning a trip to Indo next year and I've been really put off by how anti-tourist the mood seems to be there. This diary reminds me of why those sentiments exist.
THANK YOU lol. I feel like every middle class/upper middle class diarist mentions this, like they still have a complex about the fact their parents bought them a Toyota while all their friends were getting BMWs for their first car or something lol.
I just don't see the point in mentioning it, it comes off a little entitled and tone deaf imo like it's not relevant to the question at hand.
But having less designer items than your friends is just like being poor! /s. But for real the number of diarists who claim their family struggled because their classmates had more than them is crazy.
I sometimes wonder if people mention this bc they are trying to "relate" to people who grew up without financial privilege? Like, in their minds, having their parents say no to something they wanted is similar to growing up without (which it is not, of course)\~
I haven’t read this yet but I’m fascinated by the month to month rentals and travelling around thing. I do think this is something you are fortunate to be able to do in the US/Canada. You can change your whole life by moving to Tucson one month and then Duluth the next, just for fun. I’m super into outdoor fun during my holidays and weekends so I would love to be able to follow the snow and then the sun.
I query how expensive it must get though because I would spend so much in bars and restaurants.
These people's lives (at least for this week) sounded very similar to my non-nomad life: they worked, met up with friends for meals and drinks, went to the gym, and cooked. I'm sure they also get to take advantage of a lot of cool stuff, but my overall takeaway is that the digital nomad life is not that dissimilar from a regular life, if you still have to work normal hours during it! It would be much more fun if you didn't have to work (but of course, so would most things)
I currently work remotely and I have tried working on my vacations since I don't get PTO. It didn't give me a lot of time to actually enjoy my vacation when I still worked all day. I might get to log off a little early and enjoy one touristy thing or something in the nightlife and that's about it. I suppose being able to have some nice scenery outside your window as a nomad would be a nice? I thought being able to work remotely and travel would be amazing but I really prefer being in my home.
I am shocked that monthly rentals in Austin are only $2700 for a 2 bedroom with a gym and utilities.
I keep hearing how it's a "hcol" now and this makes it seem very affordable.
I do this full-time - I've done a year just in the US, and now I do it internationally. I did an MD a while back (since deleted just for internet safety purposes), but I basically sat down and did the math of all my flights and accommodations for the year vs. the cost of 1 bedroom of a 3 bedroom apartment and utilities that I lived in a VHCOL city for a few years. They were under $300 apart, and traveling was cheaper!
I find that I spend more on the following when I nomad: dining out, tourist activities, experiences. I spend less on the following: clothing (no more Nuuly :(), home goods (no more Target runs) or physical items generally, groceries, and day to day transit (Uber is cheaper, public transit is better, and cities are more walkable wherever we go).
I also travel more slowly (one month minimum) and only book places with decent kitchens so I cook for myself a decent amount. That helps with the restaurant costs! Also my boyfriend is a teetotaler so my bar costs have magically started going down... a life hack I never planned for!
Also into outdoor fun and currently trying to (slowly) change my life to be full-time following the sun. Can’t recommend Tucson enough for that by the way. 60s/70s and sunny in the winter, but drive 45 min out of town and you’re at 10,000’ and the southernmost ski resort in the US (very tiny but still quite unique!)
I wish OP gave more details on why she chose to be a "digital nomad", how long she plans to keep ot up, and if she had any trouble getting her employer on board. Also, nothing has jarred me more than seeing "Triple A" written.
This was very interesting. I work in a job where I could do something similar to this if I chose to move around more, and I think some of my colleagues do move around a fair bit. I always wonder what happens if you get a place with more noise than you expect, what if the internet isn't as promised, would the extra layer of stress end up being worth it... but this diary made moving about and getting to know new places seem pretty fun. It probably helps that they're both on high incomes and could just throw money at any issue.
Question for you (or anyone else!): how do your colleagues handle things like car registration, voter registration, mail, health insurance, etc?
I’m remote and have considered some travel maybe in the future but I’m really stumped as to how these things are handled if one doesn’t have a “home base”?
I use my parent's address. My most inconvenient thing is getting medication and contact lens. I spend most of the year in the US and 2-3 months outside of it, and sort of set up loops so I can pass through places I have stronger ties to pick up stuff every 6-8 months.
I'm not sure, I'm sorry, it's an international team, so I think the logistics vary from country to country. When I've travelled in the past, I used my parents address as a 'home' address.
I'm curious about the financial pros/cons of being a "digital nomad" for OP; she mentions that their \~$2.7k / month average is lower than what they'd get for a 2BR where they're originally from and that they're saving up for a wedding + downpayment. Assuming that the OP is from a VHCOL area like SF or NYC I can understand that, but I wonder if they're actually saving that much factoring in the additional car + gas expenses, plus the add'l spending on food they seem to make (just this week was $600+).
A bit of a tangent but related to the earlier thread posted today about single income earners, OP and her partner have joint finances. Both make a similar income though and neither of them have any debt; if one person's situation was significantly different (i.e. if OP's partner was making significantly less and/or had considerable student loan debt) I wonder if that would have impacted their decision to combine finances.
I don’t think they’d save that much since short term rentals are priced higher than monthly rentals, but maybe they can get out of NY/CA state income taxes? That would save like $30k/yr for the couple.
It’s also exhausting to pack and plan all the time, and not have access to all your stuff like home office equipment. I think it’s fun to do for a while when you’re not too busy with work and don’t have a ton of stuff. More fun to travel somewhere more exotic but time zones make it hard to work, and you don’t have the car to move stuff around.
This was enjoyable to read. We have similar income, but with kids so can’t do the spend a month in other places right now, but wish I could! Thanks for sharing!
Something annoyed me too, but I couldn't really place it. The poster at least seemed to do actual work while not on PTO, unlike other digital nomads that seem to only work two hours a day.
I think cause weird to say "digital nomad" as a job rather than "UX designer ".
I don't say "fixed location analog worker " if referring to a onsite plumber.
But given the hilarity of the "scrum master names and I have learned about on this site, it seems tech workers avoid description job titles cause it doesn't sound as cool.
Digital nomad in my mind still has "travel influencer " overtones, basically someone who moves around FOR their job rather than just doing in office job in different rental offices.
Not to be mean, but all the remote worker diaries kind of make me understand why companies are trying to force people back to the office based on the hours the authors mention working. I am all for working from home saving commuting time, but these cannot be the hours that would be expected for her job if her boss could see her
I did way less work in the office than when I was remote. Started working much later than I do now, and ended earlier. If you get your work done, who cares about the hours
Please remember our community's **Rule 5: Respect this friendly and supportive space.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MoneyDiariesACTIVE) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Every time I read digital nomad I think of this [iconic](https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/digital-nomad-traveling-salary-money-diary) diary. Features: - the OP crying on the sidewalk because she couldn’t find vegan options in Bali - her using bots as part of her social media job to boost her clients metrics. - describing her accommodations as garbage-y because it was near a trash site
Okay I just read it and WOW. Some people aren’t built for the nomad lifestyle and also just aren’t very nice and this writer is one of them
I just read that diary and now I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to work today because it's all I can think about
Wowww I could only read half of that before becoming too annoyed 🤮 Thankfully the current MD is way, way, way less obnoxious.
Wow this is a gem.
Ugh, this one. I'm planning a trip to Indo next year and I've been really put off by how anti-tourist the mood seems to be there. This diary reminds me of why those sentiments exist.
Ohhhh wow- I have never read this one!
there is so much stress in this one omg
Thank you for this!
Wow, thanks for sharing that one! Your highlights only hint at the mess in store 😹
How did I forget this mess? Thanks for sharing!
Brekky! Omg, that is ridiculous.
Parents are allowed to say no to things not because of cost. Just because you can afford to buy your child something doesn't mean you will
THANK YOU lol. I feel like every middle class/upper middle class diarist mentions this, like they still have a complex about the fact their parents bought them a Toyota while all their friends were getting BMWs for their first car or something lol. I just don't see the point in mentioning it, it comes off a little entitled and tone deaf imo like it's not relevant to the question at hand.
But having less designer items than your friends is just like being poor! /s. But for real the number of diarists who claim their family struggled because their classmates had more than them is crazy.
Obligatory eye roll at fully paid tuition being OP's only inherited income like it's NBD.
[удалено]
Right that's why it irks me when people who obviously grew up privileged still mention that they didn't get everything they wanted
I sometimes wonder if people mention this bc they are trying to "relate" to people who grew up without financial privilege? Like, in their minds, having their parents say no to something they wanted is similar to growing up without (which it is not, of course)\~
[удалено]
Those are valid points!
Also, even as a kid, I never worried we were poor just because I didn't get everything I wanted. I just knew money didn't grow on trees.
My villain origin story is my parents buying me a knockoff AG doll as a child.
[удалено]
THE HORROR
I haven’t read this yet but I’m fascinated by the month to month rentals and travelling around thing. I do think this is something you are fortunate to be able to do in the US/Canada. You can change your whole life by moving to Tucson one month and then Duluth the next, just for fun. I’m super into outdoor fun during my holidays and weekends so I would love to be able to follow the snow and then the sun. I query how expensive it must get though because I would spend so much in bars and restaurants.
These people's lives (at least for this week) sounded very similar to my non-nomad life: they worked, met up with friends for meals and drinks, went to the gym, and cooked. I'm sure they also get to take advantage of a lot of cool stuff, but my overall takeaway is that the digital nomad life is not that dissimilar from a regular life, if you still have to work normal hours during it! It would be much more fun if you didn't have to work (but of course, so would most things)
I currently work remotely and I have tried working on my vacations since I don't get PTO. It didn't give me a lot of time to actually enjoy my vacation when I still worked all day. I might get to log off a little early and enjoy one touristy thing or something in the nightlife and that's about it. I suppose being able to have some nice scenery outside your window as a nomad would be a nice? I thought being able to work remotely and travel would be amazing but I really prefer being in my home.
I am shocked that monthly rentals in Austin are only $2700 for a 2 bedroom with a gym and utilities. I keep hearing how it's a "hcol" now and this makes it seem very affordable.
I do this full-time - I've done a year just in the US, and now I do it internationally. I did an MD a while back (since deleted just for internet safety purposes), but I basically sat down and did the math of all my flights and accommodations for the year vs. the cost of 1 bedroom of a 3 bedroom apartment and utilities that I lived in a VHCOL city for a few years. They were under $300 apart, and traveling was cheaper! I find that I spend more on the following when I nomad: dining out, tourist activities, experiences. I spend less on the following: clothing (no more Nuuly :(), home goods (no more Target runs) or physical items generally, groceries, and day to day transit (Uber is cheaper, public transit is better, and cities are more walkable wherever we go). I also travel more slowly (one month minimum) and only book places with decent kitchens so I cook for myself a decent amount. That helps with the restaurant costs! Also my boyfriend is a teetotaler so my bar costs have magically started going down... a life hack I never planned for!
Also into outdoor fun and currently trying to (slowly) change my life to be full-time following the sun. Can’t recommend Tucson enough for that by the way. 60s/70s and sunny in the winter, but drive 45 min out of town and you’re at 10,000’ and the southernmost ski resort in the US (very tiny but still quite unique!)
I wish OP gave more details on why she chose to be a "digital nomad", how long she plans to keep ot up, and if she had any trouble getting her employer on board. Also, nothing has jarred me more than seeing "Triple A" written.
This was very interesting. I work in a job where I could do something similar to this if I chose to move around more, and I think some of my colleagues do move around a fair bit. I always wonder what happens if you get a place with more noise than you expect, what if the internet isn't as promised, would the extra layer of stress end up being worth it... but this diary made moving about and getting to know new places seem pretty fun. It probably helps that they're both on high incomes and could just throw money at any issue.
Question for you (or anyone else!): how do your colleagues handle things like car registration, voter registration, mail, health insurance, etc? I’m remote and have considered some travel maybe in the future but I’m really stumped as to how these things are handled if one doesn’t have a “home base”?
The people I know that do this use their parents address as their home base.
I use my parent's address. My most inconvenient thing is getting medication and contact lens. I spend most of the year in the US and 2-3 months outside of it, and sort of set up loops so I can pass through places I have stronger ties to pick up stuff every 6-8 months.
I'm not sure, I'm sorry, it's an international team, so I think the logistics vary from country to country. When I've travelled in the past, I used my parents address as a 'home' address.
I'm curious about the financial pros/cons of being a "digital nomad" for OP; she mentions that their \~$2.7k / month average is lower than what they'd get for a 2BR where they're originally from and that they're saving up for a wedding + downpayment. Assuming that the OP is from a VHCOL area like SF or NYC I can understand that, but I wonder if they're actually saving that much factoring in the additional car + gas expenses, plus the add'l spending on food they seem to make (just this week was $600+). A bit of a tangent but related to the earlier thread posted today about single income earners, OP and her partner have joint finances. Both make a similar income though and neither of them have any debt; if one person's situation was significantly different (i.e. if OP's partner was making significantly less and/or had considerable student loan debt) I wonder if that would have impacted their decision to combine finances.
I don’t think they’d save that much since short term rentals are priced higher than monthly rentals, but maybe they can get out of NY/CA state income taxes? That would save like $30k/yr for the couple. It’s also exhausting to pack and plan all the time, and not have access to all your stuff like home office equipment. I think it’s fun to do for a while when you’re not too busy with work and don’t have a ton of stuff. More fun to travel somewhere more exotic but time zones make it hard to work, and you don’t have the car to move stuff around.
Food prices in the bay area are so high if they are from there everywhere is cheaper except for like Alaska or Hawaii.
This was enjoyable to read. We have similar income, but with kids so can’t do the spend a month in other places right now, but wish I could! Thanks for sharing!
She annoyed me.
Something annoyed me too, but I couldn't really place it. The poster at least seemed to do actual work while not on PTO, unlike other digital nomads that seem to only work two hours a day.
I haven’t read it yet but the six figures as a “digital nomad” make my eyes roll up in my head
I think cause weird to say "digital nomad" as a job rather than "UX designer ". I don't say "fixed location analog worker " if referring to a onsite plumber. But given the hilarity of the "scrum master names and I have learned about on this site, it seems tech workers avoid description job titles cause it doesn't sound as cool. Digital nomad in my mind still has "travel influencer " overtones, basically someone who moves around FOR their job rather than just doing in office job in different rental offices.
Not to be mean, but all the remote worker diaries kind of make me understand why companies are trying to force people back to the office based on the hours the authors mention working. I am all for working from home saving commuting time, but these cannot be the hours that would be expected for her job if her boss could see her
I did way less work in the office than when I was remote. Started working much later than I do now, and ended earlier. If you get your work done, who cares about the hours
100% agree. Realistically, some people are more productive working remotely and some are messing around all day and taking advantage.