Like many people, my wife and I have been digital nomads since last February. So far, we've lived and worked remotely in Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Charleston, South Carolina; Denver; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; Hot Springs, Arkansas; and Israel.
Along the way, we realized there are some great tricks that can save digital nomads money or make their journeys more efficient.
Do you have clients who are living the digital nomad life? If so, here are some things you could talk to them about:
1. Leverage Interests to Pick Where to Stay
In many of the cities that we wanted to visit, we didn't know anyone and were reluctant to book a place to stay without understanding more about each neighborhood. How walkable was it, and how far was it from key parts of town?
To answer those questions, I sometimes called local rabbis and got their input. That enabled us to avoid booking a nice-looking Airbnb in one city that was in a sketchy part of downtown.
Looking for an affinity community makes a huge difference. You can leverage any of your pastimes. If you enjoy running, boating, yoga, birding — whatever — connect with a local group to get guidance on neighborhoods and how to access the group's activities.
Once you arrive, you can use your interests to meet new people and get the inside scoop on things to do and places to visit well beyond your shared interests. We met some fantastic people this way and hope to stay in touch.
2. Save Money by Embracing the Off-Season
We visited Charleston in July, when it's hot and sticky — and way buggier than we expected. It didn't bother us; we biked regularly to a local pool and to the beach.
Similarly, we booked Phoenix for late December and January, when the weather is cooler and sometimes rainy. We still got in lots of hiking and enjoyed museums on rainy days. And we enjoyed saving money, too!
3. Look For Local Rentals
In some cities, we found local competitors to Airbnb. Their décor was more modern and they often had onsite, more accessible management. Airbnb can be hit or miss, especially when it comes to mattresses.
There's no standardization. My back still hurts when I think about our bed in Austin.
4. Use the Right Credit Cards
American Express's Platinum Card and the Chase Sapphire card, for example, allow holders to acquire points at accelerated rates if they spend money on airfare or certain hotels.
Holders can also get admission to airport lounges. These can be pricey up front, but if you take advantage of all their benefits they can more than pay for themselves.
It's a pain to compare the benefits. But it's worth figuring out your lifestyle to match your spending against the benefits of each card, which are often tied to specific spending categories.
5. Focus on the Essentials
My wife and I each have one bag that we check in, another that we store overhead in the plane, and a backpack that we stow under our seats. That's it.
When we buy something, we toss something else. And we are constantly looking for opportunities to shrink the number of our possessions.
