There are two kinds of travel: the kind you do while on vacation, and the kind you do while working. The first is fun (and relaxing!), but it’s also fleeting.
You’ll only get to enjoy those sunny beaches or snowy mountains for a week or two before heading back home to your everyday life.
The second kind of travel is just as amazing, but it’s also incredibly rewarding in different ways.
It allows you to immerse yourself more completely in foreign cultures, traditions, and cuisine; learn valuable skills.
And build meaningful relationships with locals who will become lifelong friends when you’re done traveling together!
If you’ve ever dreamed of working remotely from an exotic destination (or even just down the street).
Then today may be your lucky day! In this blog post, I’ll share my top tips for freelancing abroad so that one day soon you too can be living out this dream.
Let’s start by answering some common questions…
I’m a freelance marketer and get to travel the world while working. Here are my tried and tested tips on how you can too.
You might be a freelancer, or you may want to become one. Or maybe you are just curious about working as an independent contractor. Either way, this article is for you!
There are many benefits of freelancing:
- You’ll get to travel the world while working!
- You can make your own schedule and work remotely from anywhere in the world.
- You can save money by not having to pay for office space, equipment costs and other overhead expenses.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Freelancing while traveling allows for flexibility and freedom |
| It is possible to earn a living while exploring the world |
| Balancing work and travel requires effective time management |
| Networking and building a client base are crucial for success |
| Embracing new cultures and experiences can enrich your freelancing journey |
Go Somewhere With A Cheap Cost Of Living
You can travel the world while you freelance by going somewhere with a cheap cost of living.
The cost of living is the amount of money you need to live in a certain place. The cost of living varies widely depending on where you are, but it’s usually lower in developing countries and higher in developed countries.
The cost of living is not the same as how much it costs to live there that depends on other factors such as your housing situation and whether or not you eat out at restaurants often.
For example, if I lived alone in New York City with no rent and ate lots of food from my kitchen, then my daily expenses would be very low compared to what most people pay for their rent or mortgage payments plus groceries every month (and this isn’t even including regular bills like electricity).
However, if I wanted a nicer apartment and started spending more money eating out all the time instead of cooking at home…well then those things would increase my overall budget substantially!
Building a successful freelancing career requires dedication and hard work, but it can also provide you with the freedom to travel the world. Learn how I freelance while traveling the world and discover the possibilities that await you on your own journey.
Don’t Spend Money On Things You Don’t Need But Don’t Be Afraid To Spend Money On Things That Will Benefit You Long-Term
After topping out at $10/hour in my previous job, I was thrilled to make $30/hour as a freelance writer. But I soon found that this wasn’t enough to pay for everything I needed to live on.
Luckily, there are other ways of making money while traveling the world besides freelance writing.
For example, you can use your talents and skills to teach English online through platforms like TEFL or it (teachers of English as a Foreign Language).
Several online companies will help you find housesitting jobs where you can earn money by caring for pets or houses while their owners travel abroad.
You could even get paid by playing video games using Inbox Dollars or Swagbucks especially if you’re good at trivia!
If all else fails and you need some additional cash flow before finding an income source like these, consider starting an Etsy shop with your handmade goods:
Crafts and artwork are surprisingly easy ways of making extra cash when traveling the world because they require little-to-no startup costs and they don’t take up much space either!
Be Clear About Your Client Expectations
When you’re starting, it can be helpful to work with clients who are also new to the freelance world. Being clear about your expectations is crucial.
Be clear with your clients about what they can expect from you. What kind of turnaround time are you aiming for? Which projects interest you most, and why?
Are there any subject matters or topics that would be off-limits?
Make sure they know what kind of work environment this will create for everyone involved by being candid about your strengths and weaknesses at the outset (and if necessary, revisit those standards as the project progresses).
Establish a timeframe for communication between yourself and your client say within 24 hours and make sure both parties agree on it before beginning the project.
This way everyone knows how often they need to check in during each phase of production so as not to leave anyone hanging;
Also, consider setting up a separate email address just for freelancing so that all communications related solely thereto will automatically go into one place rather than getting lost among everything else in your inbox!
Freelancing has not only given me the opportunity to travel, but it has also granted me the gift of time and freedom. Find out how freelancing can give you the gift of time and travel and start living life on your own terms.
Don’t Let Your Network Go Cold
One of the most important aspects of freelancing is that you never let your network go cold.
I’m always meeting new people, learning new skills, and reading about the latest technologies. That way I am always staying at the top of my game.
If you want to be successful in freelancing (or anything else) don’t let yourself get out of practice or lose touch with your peers!
Say Yes Often, Not Just When It’s Convenient For You
You’re going to have to get comfortable saying yes. You’ll be offered jobs that are beyond your skill level, and you’ll have to say yes anyway.
If you do a good job, the client will ask for more work from you in the future. If you do a bad job, they might not ask for anything else again but even if they don’t, who cares?
The experience will teach you something valuable and help build your reputation as someone who can handle more than others can.
In addition to all of this new business, which will allow you more time to travel (see above), these new clients will likely pay higher rates than previous ones did!
Live Like A Local
If you want to become a traveling freelancer, one of the best things you can do is make friends with local people. There are many ways to do this.
First, try learning the language! Whether it’s Spanish or French or Chinese, knowing some basic words will let you communicate better with locals and even get into interesting conversations with other tourists.
Next, explore the city on foot (or public transportation). You’ll discover places not listed in your guidebooks that give insight into the culture of your destination.
You might be able to find unique restaurants serving secret dishes only locals know about and if not there will be plenty of other amazing food experiences waiting for you!
Plus walking from place to place gives exercise so it’s not all work either 🙂
Have A Walk-Away Point In Mind
You may have heard the expression “Don’t leave your job until you have a new one.” This is good advice, but it’s not enough to give you a walk-away point.
You need to know what you’re going to do if things don’t work out as planned.
Here are some examples of what could go wrong:
You lose your current job or get fired. What would happen if this happened? Would a start-up company take over the lease on your apartment and pay your bills? Would they help with relocation expenses?
Could you find another job quickly in that case? Do you know anyone who might hire someone like yourself (even if it’s not directly related to what you do)?
Your clients don’t pay their invoices on time so that all of their money is due at once instead of being spread out over several months or years.
What happens then? Is there some way for them to put down payment deposits upfront so that this doesn’t happen again in future projects with other freelancers?
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Get Good At Keeping Track Of All The Various Currencies You’ll Be Dealing With
It’s important to keep track of all the currencies you’ll be dealing with, whether you’re traveling internationally or just in your own country. There are many ways you can do this, and I’ll share a few:
A currency converter app (like XE Currency) helps figure out the exchange rate between two currencies quickly and easily.
This is what I used when I went on my first long-term trip abroad I kept it on my phone so that if any prices came up that were unfamiliar, I could find out how much they were worth in dollars right away.
It also has other features like charts that show historical trends of different currencies over time, which is fun to look through!
A currency card (like Travel Card) allows you access to ATMs worldwide wherever there are Cirrus or Plus machines including at nearly every major airport around the world and provides any necessary conversions so that no matter where your travels take you.
It won’t matter what language people speak or how strange their currency looks: Your card will automatically convert everything for your convenience!
With these cards there’s no need for cash anywhere; just bring along one of these bad boys instead!
Keep An Eye Out For Flights Home And Other Opportunities That You Could Use Miles On
It can be tempting to book a flight home or another ticket that uses miles, but be aware that you need to be clear on what you need to do to use your miles and have enough of them.
For example, if you’re planning on booking an international flight that costs $1,000 roundtrip and needs 10,000 miles for each person in the group, but only have 8,000 miles total between the two of you then you won’t qualify for this promotion.
You would need 12k total at a minimum (20k total) before even thinking about booking a flight home or somewhere else with points!
It’s important to remember this because while it might seem like a great idea at first glance and it is!
You don’t want something like this getting in the way of other opportunities later down the road.
Know What Your Skills And Strengths Are, Then Find People Who Need Them
If you’re going to travel the world and make money, you need a plan. It’s best if you plan on having multiple plans.
The first step of your plan is to determine what you’re good at not just okay at or not bad at, but good!
You should also think about what kind of work would be most enjoyable for you and where this type of work might be available.
Then take an honest look at your skills and strengths what kinds of projects do they lend themselves best to? What kind of creative freedom do they allow? How much money could they potentially earn?
If we’re being honest with ourselves here, some jobs are just plain easier than others; that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with them (just ask anyone who works remotely from home).
Make Sure Clients Know You Are Still Working For Them Even Though You’re Traveling
Another thing to keep in mind when traveling is making sure your clients know that you are still working for them, even though you are away.
If they don’t get any sort of updates on the work they’ve hired you for, they might start wondering where it is and if it’s been done at all.
I always make sure my clients know exactly how much time I will be spending on each project and what the expected delivery date is before I take off.
Both parties must agree on these things so they can stick to them while one person isn’t there physically doing the work anymore.
Clients shouldn’t feel like their freelancer has disappeared off the face of the earth.
One way I do this is by setting up an auto-responder email letting people know where I am or what days/times I’ll be available via Skype chat or phone calls (if possible).
This keeps me honest about my travel plans, but also reassures clients that there’s no reason to worry!
Are you interested in starting your freelancing journey right from your phone? Learn the ins and outs of mobile freelancing in my comprehensive guide on how to start freelancing from your phone.
Take Advantage Of The Time Difference To Speed Up Your Workflow And Give Clients A Better Experience As Well!
When you’re working for clients in other parts of the world, it’s easy to get distracted by the fact that it’s daytime where they are, or how nice their weather is.
But that doesn’t help your workflow! You need to make sure you have a good internet connection and a good time zone for your clients not just so that they can be on call with you when needed.
It also means being able to communicate clearly about what’s going on with your project, so that both parties remain informed about progress.
And this is where things get interesting: because of our increasingly globalized marketplace.
There’s no reason why freelancers cannot take advantage of time zones as well as their location!
If anything, this should be a huge advantage over those who work in an office setting (they probably don’t have access to all-nighters).
In addition to giving clients more convenient access hours and faster response times than ever before possible thanks to video calls/chat apps like Skype or Facetime/Skype), there are several other advantages including:
Clients can check up on progress whenever they like without needing permission from anyone else here at work;
We don’t have any additional emails clogging up everyone else’s inboxes within our department either during normal business hours or late night requests after hours;
Let Clients Know If You’re Going To Be Offline For Any Reason And Make Sure They Are Okay With It!
If you don’t want to be offline and have clients who expect your availability, it could be a good idea to let them know ahead of time that you are going offline for an extended period.
Consider:
- Letting them know in advance so they can make other plans for the project
- Having a backup plan in place (you could hire someone else)
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Conclusion
I hope these tips help you to get started with your freelance journey while traveling. I’ve found freelancing around the world comes with a lot of challenges.
But it’s probably one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done! I hope this inspires you to get out there and explore the world or at least your local city park.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources for further reading on freelancing and making money while traveling the world:
How to Make Money While Traveling the World: Learn practical tips and strategies for earning income while exploring the globe.
Freelancing While Traveling the World: Discover personal experiences and insights from freelancers who have successfully combined work and travel.
Freelancing and Travel: Making it Work: Gain valuable advice and guidance on how to effectively manage freelancing and travel to create a fulfilling lifestyle.
FAQs
How can I make money while traveling?
There are several ways to make money while traveling, including freelancing, starting an online business, teaching English abroad, working remotely for a company, or finding temporary jobs in different locations.
What are the benefits of freelancing while traveling?
Freelancing while traveling allows you to have a flexible schedule, work from anywhere, explore new cultures, and maintain a better work-life balance.
How do I find freelance opportunities while traveling?
To find freelance opportunities while traveling, you can utilize online platforms like Upwork or Freelancer, network with other professionals in your industry, promote your services through a personal website or social media, or reach out to potential clients directly.
How can I manage my work and travel schedule effectively?
To manage your work and travel schedule effectively, it’s essential to establish a routine, set realistic goals and deadlines, prioritize tasks, use productivity tools and apps, and maintain open communication with clients or employers.
What are some challenges of freelancing while traveling?
Some challenges of freelancing while traveling include managing time zone differences, maintaining a stable internet connection, dealing with potential language barriers, and finding a suitable work environment in unfamiliar locations.
How Do I Get Started Freelancing?
It’s easier than you think. Just start small with one client, and keep growing from there!
How Much Money Do I Make?
It depends on what you’re doing and how many clients you have. But don’t worry about getting rich just focus on getting paid well for the work that you love doing.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.