The most successful digital nomads have a job that allows them to work remotely. Working on-the-go can be an incredible experience, but only if you have the tools you need to be successful. Those who are considering remote work while traveling shouldn’t leave their homes without taking some helpful tools with them on the road. These applications can help with everything from accommodations to relaxation to currency exchange.
The following 7 tools will be useful whether you’re beginning your digital nomad journey or have been doing remote work for some time.
1. Budget-Friendly Accommodations
Airbnb is a platform that allows people to rent out apartments, rooms or couches in their home to travelers. It works on an honor system with guests and hosts leaving reviews to ensure that everyone has a great experience.
It’s compared to bed and breakfast locations where you rent a lovely room for a weekend. There are some hosts who rent out rooms in their home on a monthly or weekly basis, which could mean a discount on long-term rentals for those who work remotely.
2. Mail Forwarding
Without a permanent location, it can be quite difficult to get mail unless you have a mail forwarding service. Digital nomads should have a permanent address where they can receive packages and important mail regularly without changing their address every few months.
With Forward Nevada, digital nomads get even more advantages like having a tax-free location for their business… and a mail forwarding service that can be used for personal or business. This is a street address, not just a P.O. Box. It’s inexpensive, and there is a discount for paying in advance.
3. Mini-Storage Space
If you’re traveling for months or years at a time, there’s no sense paying rent for a space you’re not occupying. Some people sub-lease an apartment while others cancel their lease altogether.
You can’t travel with all your belongings, so it makes sense to have a storage space where you can hold most of your furniture and personal items. Many digital nomads will sell their furniture and minimize the number of things they have, but you’ll still need storage for items that have sentimental value.
4. Traveling Office Space
Most digital nomads keep their entire business on their laptops. It’s pretty cool that we can do this nowadays! Still, you’ll need to find a place where you can work with a reliable Internet connection as well as a place to plug in your laptop for hours of work (sometimes the neighborhood coffee shop just isn’t enough).
A website like Nomad List can help with that. Before you start your adventure or plan your next trip, you can see how fast and reliable the internet speeds are at your destination. While some cities in the United States have reliable connections, places like Oxford in the UK don’t. This website will also give nomads like you an idea of the cost of living in each location.
5. Productivity Tools
When you’re working with clients or colleagues on a team, you need to track and manage projects closely. This is especially true when you’re not able to be in contact with others due to conflicting time zones. With simple, free productivity tools like Asana or Basecamp or Teamwork, you can manage projects easily.
These applications allow all members of the team to see tasks, progress, and due dates. Many also offer users the ability to send messages within specific projects.
6. Mindful Relaxation
It can be an incredible adventure to travel wherever you want as a nomad, but it can also be a bit stressful. Nomads often travel by themselves, which can be a bit scary. A site like Headspace can help teach anyone how to be mindful and learn to meditate. The skills learned with Headspace can be applied to any stressful situation.
7. XE Currency Converter
When traveling overseas, you’ll start out with a currency that is familiar, then end up trying to reliably figure out exchange rates. You can make this a LOT easier if you download an app like XE Currency. It’ll help you make instant calculations as well as figure out how to stretch your money when traveling as a digital nomad.
Many of our customers live a life of freedom and travel… so we want to hear from you! What are your top tools for leading a successful life as a digital nomad? Leave your tips in the comments below.