Thought I would kick my Friday round up’s off!
With a quick summary of a few things I have experienced during the journey of preparing and becoming whats now termed “location independent”
My journey started about 5 years ago after reading a guys blog from the Start September 2005 through to the then present moment August 2006 and deciding that I could do likewise, 5 years later I’m just finishing up my first year traveling and earning a living from my sites!
- You have probably heard it before the most important thing still is to simply
Never ever give up!
Over the last few years I have met in this online world many people who can now be described as location independents, most myself included worked for a few years part time with out much success, the stubbornest of them all has to be Lis over at Passive Income Online her story not only includes earning next to nothing the first few years, she also worked harder at it than most with no reward in the beginning. - One of my own personal favorites has to be when you have a small regular monthly income “after a couple of years of working on your sites part time” and you yourself can see on the internet that you can go live in whatever country you have seen and chosen online with your small income go for it! Dont spend another few years saving money for the just in case! The reasons for stating this are two fold if you can find accommodation online within your budget I can assure you their will be many more choices at half the price and living costs locally will be way cheaper than you find online. The second part is more personal and may not apply to everyone, for myself I found it very difficult to get motivated to work while I did not need too! Arriving in a foreign country “particularly one with a significantly cheaper costs of living” offers up endless opportunities to see and do things that are a lot more attractive than working.
- To travel or not! “this does not refer to getting up and going! its about how often you travel once you take the plunge” Some of us seem to be able to work in the most insane conditions Kirsty over at Work Spaces So Far for instance! Some of us do not fair so well Chris over at 10 things I dislike about long term travel if your setup now includes a couple of screens, air con, fast internet, a large desk, a decent chair etc. All of which I had! I have found like many others, continuous travel makes it very difficult to work, if your used to a pretty decent set up, and its also expensive. Basing out of one place for a month or so makes it easier and allows you to find more comfortable environments to work in. If your not sure what you need and like me who was sure “he could work any where” take a road trip in your home country staying in youth hostels or the likes this should help you see what you can do in poor conditions.
Hopefully you wont ignore the results “like I did” “oh it will be easier in Asia I told my self” - Here is a simple one! Try not to ever pay for more than the first night! Negotiate all you can “whats the weekly rate, monthly rate” but then state you will take a single night at the full rate and if you like it, tomorrow you will take a week or longer. I have found if you do pay upfront for more than a night more often than not you will regret it. Here are a few experiences I have had. Checked in to a beautifully quiet BB the Phang Nga Inn for the holiday period payed for 10 days 1 day later the biggest party you can imagine with the loudest speakers set up next door, literally rocked the house till 2am each day. Another time I found the sweetest deal I had ever seen large room plenty of light and a balcony, brand new hot water heater, Cable TV, & Wifi at the unbelievable price of just $6 a night “by the week” sure enough the water heater had never been wired, had Wifi just no internet, and to crown it the bed was harder than concrete. I still laugh about this one as it still was one of the best I stayed in re value for money, and the other one let me out after two nights
I’m going to save a few a few of the others for another Friday next up some interesting stuff re search and eBay.
Thanks for the shout out Neale – yeah we started at the same website you know – the site has pretty much died – but at least it was written by someone who had actually done it. I’ve never managed to be really location independent. The timing was wrong for me, sadly if the Internet had taken off about 10 years earlier I’d probably be hanging out in Thailand too. As it it with a partner and real estate is a bit harder – but I’m working on it – we are off to Phuket for 3 weeks in August – never actually been there – couldn’t afford it as a backpacker!
I’m not a big believer in the location or amount of locations you visit each year defines if your “Location Independent” its more about the freedom to choose!
Phuket ouch Its a great place for an older male expat with lots of money. It has a few highlights and natural beauties, none of which could not be trumped!
depending on what you are looking for I can point you too a few other Islands.. the west coast “phuket and the likes in August is renowned for dangerous seas”
You have plenty of isles on the east side Surat Thani and also all of the eastern Malaysian coast.. let me know where you land I expect to be taking a few weeks in the south in August gotta renew bike registration..
Oh that was just short hand to say that Phuket was the cheapest place to fly in and out of! We travelled from Langkawi to Krabi via Lipe and Lanta last November. Liked them all but wouldn’t want to be stuck on Lipe in bad weather (I’m not a good sailor). Phuket town looks kinda cool – I imagine the package tourists can’t get themselves off Patong without an organised tour so should be safe from them there!
I was thinking of heading over to the islands to the east of Phuket and maybe Phi Phi? and if the weather is shite going across to Samui and possible some beaches south of Surat Thani whose name escapes me at the moment and the guidebook is outta reach
Ok you had me scared for a moment 🙂 sounds like you will be just fine…