Who are you, and what kind of van do you live in?
We’re David (otherwise known as “Hot Stuff”) and Nadia (otherwise known as “Damnnnn”)
We live in a 1969 VW Bus called Red. She loves hot weather, regular breaks and taking the back-roads through Europe.
How do you earn a remote income on the road?
We both work three days a week, really long hours and really hard to afford vanlife + breakdowns. The “+ breakdowns” mainly!
David works as a User Experience designer for Silicon Valley tech companies. Basically he makes apps a delight to use! Working on mobile and web based applications normally with a focus on location based social networking. Basically, anything with a map!
Nadia works as a writer. She mainly writes about travel, but her long term writing background is in ponies. Those four legged friends that roam the fields in the countryside.
When you first moved into your van, did you know how you were going to make money?
We were already in the jobs we have now.
David has been working remotely for almost 7 years and Nadia has worked remotely for the past 4 years. It’s kinda like Pringles; once you pop, you can’t stop!
I mean, after working on beaches, beside mountains, on your paddle board in the middle of the lake – can you really be expected to work in an office again?!
Do you think it’s possible for anyone to apply a skill set they have or learn a skill that will allow them to make money on the road?
See this is a tricky one. I think anyone can apply their skillset to work on the road. Do we think everything has the right mindset to work remotely? No. A lot of people need the drive from their co-workers, to have people around them or simply find remote working too distracting.
Here are a couple personal book recommendations I have read to help learn about earning a remote income if you also want to learn more!
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone looking into living on the road who isn’t yet sure how they’re going to make money?
Save up those dollars!!! Remote jobs are no longer a trend like they were 5 or so years ago. Everyone wants them, few provide them. Unless you’re going to start your own business on the road, you’ll need to work super hard to prove yourself worthy of a remote employment. Just remember you’re not the only one after it, and you’ve just got to want it more than the rest and show that!
How much on average do you think someone would need to earn monthly to simply get by? Hopefully with the ability to increase this as time goes on. But just a minimum that you think is appropriate for basic living?
If I’m being completely honest, I really have no idea. I don’t look at price labels, never have -I started my tech company (design agency) when I was 19. Nadia really doesn’t like it when I do the food shopping alone! I am one of the fortunate and work in one of the highest paying and fastest growing industries on the planet. I worked my ass off to get here and as a result we do enjoy a budget free vanlife experience.
Do you think it’s imperative to initially leave with money in the bank? Something to fall back on or live off of until the remote income kicks in? Or do you think it’s better to have the remote income being made before hitting the road?
I think it’s always a good idea to have savings to fall back on. I’m pretty sure that’s just a thing anyone in any lifestyle should do. However, we didn’t. We spent our savings on our bus and hit the road. But we did have our remote jobs already. Also being digital nomads, I must say working from the van is much harder than working remotely from AirBnB’s or Hostels. There you have unlimited power, unlimited fast WiFi and it’s a more comfortable work environment with less distractions.
I would recommend remote working before remote working in a van!
Hi! I have been working remote since the covid pandemic and I am thinking of hitting the road. I have to be online for 8 hours M-F. How do you make sure you always have service/an internet connection. Thanks! 🙂
Decided to see what’s new on your blog and saw this post. Thanks for the feature and thanks for editing my answers so they made sense!