Making the decision and taking the leap towards a completely new lifestyle.
Yesterday the dream of becoming a digital nomad took on a new level of reality when I clicked the purchase button on my one-way ticket to Bali. Having purchased the ticket I now have an official time line to work off of, and it has actually made the planning process easier. Before I was dealing with ball-park dates, but when you get into the details of planning it is easier when you have a hard date.
For example I now know my timeline for the following:
When to put my car up for sale
When to move the items I am keeping into my mom's spare bedroom
When to give my current employer my two weeks notice
How far in advance should you buy your first digital nomad plane ticket?
For financial reasons, we purchased our ticket about six months before leaving. Last year we flew to Bali and it cost $1,300 per person round trip, this time one way, and buying this far in advance we are on an identical flight with Eva Air, and it was only $420 per person.
Purchasing other digital nomad flights in advance:
We have been thinking about purchasing our second flights as digital nomads in advance as well to save money. But the life style of a nomad also means that unpredictable things might change, so we have decided against purchasing any more flights far in advance. Our second stop after Bali is going to be Europe. Our plan is purchase our Europe ticket once we get to Bali (so 3 months out from leaving for Europe).
Airline Milage Points:
Having traveled a bit already, I have come to realize that I don't fly on one airline enough to rack up any substantial points. And if I did make it priority to fly on a particular airline most of the time, it would end up costing me more money than saving. So instead of focusing on gaining milage points to help with travel costs, I have decided to find a credit card when you don't have to pay foreign transactions fees, and don't have an annual fee. The only one I have found that fits that criteria is the amazon credit card, and it just so happens I use amazon all the time. We will see if I continue to use amazon as frequently around the world, but either way the no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee make it a win for me.