Comments on: Digital Nomads, Passive Income Online – the Reality

By: Marisa Wright @ Belly Dance Oz

Marisa Wright @ Belly Dance Oz — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:50:32 +0000

You must live a lot more frugally than me! Apart from in the UK, I’ve never been lucky enough to find decent furnished accommodation when I move – so set-up costs have to include furniture, pots, pans, crockery, cutlery etc etc. $1k doesn’t go far for that lot! I guess if I was only moving to NZ I might put the small stuff in a few tea chests and bring it with me – but moving to the other side of the world, it cost more to ship it than buy new.

By: Lis

Lis — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:05:48 +0000

Well I did do 35,000km and over 6 months in a tent – Ayers Rock ,Tassie, Cape York, Gibb River Road, every capital – done them all – I just did all before I started any blogs or online presence than anyone ever found! I disagree re the costs – we set ourselves up initially for $10k – but that included $7k for the 4WD – if we had just been moving here to a city it would have cost about $1k for stuff and $2k for a car. You need more cash up front for bonds etc – but you do get those back – plus hopefully something for the vehicle (anyone want to buy a 95 Commodore in Perth?)

By: marisa wright@Belly Dance Oz

marisa wright@Belly Dance Oz — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:59:19 +0000

Some nomad you turned out to be! It doesn’t sound like you ever got to do much travelling around Oz in that van

The trouble with moving country is it’s so damned expensive – if you’re only staying for a few weeks, serviced apartments are costly. If you’re staying longer, you can save on accommodation but you have to set yourself up all over again, and it’s surprising how much all the little things cost. I reckon each time I’ve moved countries, it’s cost me around $10,000 when you add it all up.

By: Lis

Lis — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:00:37 +0000

There are no tax havens for New Zealanders – you have to pay tax on your world wide income unless you sever all ties – that means killing off the relatives (or moving them overseas too) and selling all property. I though US tax payers didn’t have to pay if resident overseas unless you earned quite a lot …

The escape thing is the same with regular travel – though I escaped several boy friends by just getting on a plane – I suspect that works less well these days with email and facebook! But yes if what you are actually running from is yourself – you are out of luck LOL! Sent

By: Dave Starr

Dave Starr — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:25:50 +0000

Don’t know if you noticed, Liz, but I linked to this article and posted some of the important things you mentioned that take the edge off some parts of the nomad life for some. One thing most don’t realize is that after you move and the newness of the place wears off a bit, _you_ are still there, and everywhere in the world has some of the same mundane things to do … you still have to have an electric bill, still have to register your car, so on and so forth. After working with Americans wanting to live overseas for ten years now, there is a common thread .. escape. It can’t really be done. There are many advantages to travel, but you really can’t ‘escape’.

That being said, a couple issues I see here in the comments:

US citizenship works the same … children born of at least one US-born parent overseas inherit most of the rights of any other US citizen except for two important ones that come to mind … can’t run for president and can’t pass on citizenship to their children .. must return to the US for a span of at least 5 years to ‘inherit’ that right.

Retirement visas .. permanent residency. Philippines has one that equals or actually betters Malaysia … starts at age 50, very easy requirements and in what I thought was really kewl .. you lease a home, that is then your required investment. Likewise, no tax at all on foreign income, earned ot un-erned … a prime reason I live here. Banking secrecy laws that better Switzerland also … the US is constantly at odds with the Philippine government about the things my Philippine banks are constitutionally forbidden to report … nice.

Of course as a good US citizen I always, always, always pay my just and due US taxes (Hello Mr. NSA eavesdropper)… but the opportunities exist

By: Lis

Lis — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 06:03:09 +0000

@Robyn – seriously re the kids citizenship – cannot you just register them before they hit 18/21 – that’s how it works for New Zealanders born in Ireland. You better find a warm bit of Australia to move back to. Longer term I am seriously impressed with Malaysia’s “retirement” visas (kick in at 50) – no tax on overseas income whcih is great (unless you are a NZ tax resident) – no hassel getting the visas though if you can show a bit of overseas income.

By: Lis

Lis — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:13:05 +0000

Terry – it bloody snowed on me in Spain – was not super impressed (somewhere between Portugal and Madrid I forget where!) But the food, the wine, the beer, the music – yes i am definitly coming to visit you at some stage! Sydney is not so far – Air Asia X does some cheap flights – you will have to swing by NZ as well now! The time thing – I think its an age thing I was talking to someone the other day about Bali – and then realised it might have changed a bit in the 20 years since I’d been there.

I had a family friend who was touring OUter Mongolia at 80 so I think I have a bit of travelling left in me too!

By: Lis

Lis — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:07:11 +0000

Hi Agrande, yeah its pretty sad its not magic money LOL! I figure there are 2 sides of every coin – I can’t live the lifestyle I want for the income I make at the moment, in Australia or NZ, but I could in Malaysia or Bali.

By: Agrande @ online business

Agrande @ online business — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:03:21 +0000

Hi Lis,
I think the idea of being a digital nomad with and online business is what gets a lot of people into this business. Unfortunately, we don’t realize that it is not really about travelling around and checking how much money is in out paypal account today. The business actually does take work but the nice part you can do it from anywhere as long as you will put in the effort. I think most people lose interest and quit before they really see results because they think it is magic money instead of money from hard work.

By: Terry

Terry — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:34:05 +0000

I dunno, there’s something about having a day off in the week to NOT go bloody shopping that I like. Most shops are closed in Sundays here in Spain except the important ones that sell cold beer. Oh yeah, they’re not shops they’re bars… silly me…

There is actually an advantage to being a Europen Citizen in that you can move freely amongst member states and bring your car, pension, insurance and most other things along with you. The disadvantage is that once you hit Spain, you can’t go any closer to the equator… Yeah, most of the rest of Europe is too bloody cold for me!

So here I stay and I’m shocked to see that I’ve been here 7 years already. It seemed like only yesterday when me and my dog drove my old van down from freezing cold England to my new home on the side of a remote mountain… I drove, the dog whined…

I always wanted to return to Oz someday. I’ve heard the Sydney suburb where I spent my childhood is unrecognizable now, but I’d still like to see it one day. Preferably before I get too bloody old.

Are my travelling days over? I have a sneaky suspicion they’re not…