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Freelance Skills for UI/UX Designer: How to Choose the Right Projects, and Selecting Clients Carefully?
Hi everyone! I'm Simon, currently working as a designer in Tokyo. It took me quite some time to start writing this article. Since May 2016, I began engaging in UI/UX design related work. In over a year, I was fortunate to have continuously received quite a number of projects, including web design, App UI design, and even dynamic imaging related work. During this period, due to some gaps between job transitions, I became a full-time freelancer for about half a year. Although life without colleagues was somewhat dull, I indeed learned a lot through the process of being a freelancer, including task management, time management, communication skills, and so on. Being a freelancer might be "indescribable" for some people, including how to find cases, how to quote reasonably, and the actual working conditions, etc. There seems to be less discussion about this on the internet. And perhaps many people might envy the seemingly beautiful life of freelancers, who can sleep in every day and freely choose their work location, but in fact, there are also many unknown hardships behind it. After making quite a few mistakes and facing many challenges, I can finally talk and share my experiences and insights into the life of a freelancer over the past year. This article will share with everyone: 1. What you should know before being a freelancer 1. The cost of taking on a project 3. How to quote properly 4. When it comes to contracts, what should you be aware of 5. How to successfully close a case Bonus 1: Where to find case sources Bonus 2: The way of self-management for freelancers Since this article might be a bit lengthy, I will divide it into two episodes, to share with everyone. Let’s get started! Mental Preparation Before Being a Freelancer Most people became a freelancer primarily for two reasons: "earning income" or "gaining experience". Of course, it would be great to achieve both, but often, in the early stages of working as a freelancer, things don’t always go as smoothly as expected. If your initial experience is not very good, you might start blaming others and feel that there are no good clients out there, believing that all clients are difficult to deal with. However, the reality might be due to the lack of mental preparation and insufficient freelance experience, making the collaboration not as expected. I also understood this later on and gradually began to establish the correct mindset for being a freelancer . Unless you are a partner in a studio, an individual freelancer usually requires one person to do the work of multiple people. So, how do you determine whether you are "suitable for being a freelancer"? You should first ask yourself a few questions: Do you have a thorough understanding of your professional capabilities? Do you have the ability to work independently and deliver the complete results required by the client? Are you confident in managing your time well and delivering results as scheduled? Do you have enough confidence to persuade clients to adopt your designs? Can you still produce quality work under time pressure? Do you have the ability to work with the client and the team members of the client's company and communicate effectively? There are actually many more questions like these. Freelance is not like completing tasks assigned by supervisors in a company and then receiving a salary every month. Most of the time, you have to communicate, understand requirements, execute designs, calculate costs, etc., on your own. Freelance is a very flexible work method, but it also requires a high level of self-discipline. Therefore, asking yourself these questions before taking a project can help clarify whether you are suitable for it. Of course, if you have the opportunity to be a freelancer, I still encourage everyone to be brave and try it. It will definitely make you advance by leaps and bounds! Should I Accept This Project or Not? Is It Worth Accepting? I believe that if you are just starting to be a freelancer, you will want to seize the opportunity of every project. But please be cautious before accepting a project; once you have accepted it, you have the responsibility to do it well (at least in accordance with the conditions agreed upon by both parties). I’ve experienced taking on projects and then realizing that the communication with the client was poor and cooperation couldn’t continue, or my time management was not good and communication took longer than expected, seriously delaying progress, ending up in a lose-lose situation. After several experiences, I began to realize: getting ''right'' projects is much more important than getting numerous projects. Therefore, choosing the right client is crucial. A good client not only makes cooperation much more effective but also has a high chance of bringing you other clients of similar quality. Generally speaking, common clients may fall into several types: 1. Acquaintances but Not Very Familiar Clients 2. Completely Unfamiliar Clients 3. Close Friends Firstly, we need to understand the mindset of both the client and the designer, and what each party is thinking. Different from items with clear pricing, where you pay money for direct consumption, taking on a project often resembles a back-and-forth process of each party probing each other’s bottom line, with both sides hoping to maximize their own benefits. Whether it's the client or the designer, both want to benefit from the process. This is a supply and demand relationship, cooperating to meet each other's needs. Clients want to solve their problems in the most cost-effective way, while the designer's mentality is to exchange time and professional skills for reasonable (or even higher than regular employment) compensation. Taking on cases is actually like working in a company. The client entrusts the projects to you because they have enough trust in you. I believe that no businessman would hire someone unprofessional to produce subpar results. However, there is currently a phenomenon in Taiwan : there are more and more people becoming freelancers, including experienced professionals and those who switched careers, leading to mixed quality and price-cutting competition. Coupled with some clients not having enough judgment or sense, they often choose the cheapest person to do the job, resulting in outcomes that do not meet expectations, or paying a lot for completely unsatisfactory results, leading to related disputes. Returning to the main topic, let’s discuss these common types of clients: 1. Acquaintances but Not Very Familiar Clients Such clients are usually introduced by other friends or previous collaborators, hence they might have a basic understanding of your information or abilities. Communication can be mostly rational with a touch of personal understanding. However, proper contracts and confirmation of requirements are still essential. Since there’s a level of familiarity, there usually is a flexibility in cooperation modes, but be mindful. ‘Trust’ and ‘commitment’ are still crucial in collaboration. Don’t act hastily just because of familiarity. 2. Completely Unfamiliar Clients These clients usually find you through freelance platforms or personal channels. They might be aware of your work, but there is almost always a need for re-adjustment in terms of working styles and workflows. I’d suggest meeting for coffee and having a chat 1-2 times before understanding the requirements better, observing the client’s way of speaking, thoughts on their products/services, and respect towards designers. The most crucial part is whether they know what results they want and what a designer can accomplish for them. The ‘feeling’ is essential. If casual conversations don’t leave a good impression, working together might be even more challenging. 3. Close Friends Since they are close friends, communication should ideally be smooth and without barriers, right? However, I must say that such collaborations often face the most problems. You might have Talking about Money hurt feelings. Unless you’re close enough to settle budgets and objectives from the start, and since close friends often avoid signing contracts, there usually isn’t a basis for negotiation when disputes arise. I’ve heard many instances where original friends ended up in broken relationships due to collaboration, so it’s better to be cautious. Be careful, the free stuff is often the most expensive. I believe many designers might have heard the following dialogues: "Just do something simple for me~ It shouldn’t take much of your time, right?" "This doesn’t seem hard, right? Can it be done in the simplest way possible?" "Why do you charge me for something so simple?" "Can you try making a few more styles for me?" If my eyes weren’t too small, I’d roll them 360 degrees (just kidding). I believe that everything comes with a price, even what is considered the ‘simplest’ task. It still has its time cost. Time isn’t free. If a friend doesn’t intend to pay you money, then friendship is the cost, but even friendship can be overdrawn. Here’s a common example, would you ask a doctor friend to treat you for free? Would you ask a lawyer friend to fight a lawsuit for free? I guess not. Often, the ‘design’ profession is undervalued. They might not realize the time and effort it takes to become a designer. If you encounter friends who want free services next time, consider it an opportunity to educate them! The Client Says This Project Is Very Urgent, Should I Accept It? My suggestion: Please think carefully and judge before accepting, but if it's really urgent, it's best to charge extra fees. Based on my own experience , usually more than 5 out of 10 clients will say that the project is somewhat urgent, and whether it is really urgent or not, one really needs to inquire indirectly. Generally speaking, ideal clients should plan the schedule well during project planning, and even reserve some buffer time for communication, execution, and delivery. Projects becoming very urgent, causing the pressure of project timing to be pushed onto outsourced designers, are likely due to poor time management of the client's team or some internal collaboration problems unless there really was a significant unexpected issue in the project. So, it is recommended to clarify the status of the other party's project and consider seriously whether to undertake it. Don’t force yourself. If you really accept it, it’s also recommended to inform the client that due to urgency, it will compress more time, and to maintain a certain quality, the price will reflect your time cost. The Client Has Paid, Should I Do Everything They Say? Of course not. Often I hear that some clients will point fingers at the designer’s design, thinking that since they have paid, they can instruct the designer "how to design". But I believe that the value of being a designer is "to meet the needs of clients within a reasonable range", and understanding needs and communication is an inevitable part. Design is definitely a profession, and professionalism itself is built on mutual trust, to make clients believe that your design can solve their problems. Many times, clients actually don’t know what they want, and they will subconsciously say some very "abstract" needs, and then expect the designer to try several versions/styles to see which one happens to hit their preference. This is actually like buying a lottery ticket, very much reliant on luck. To avoid this problem, my method is to continuously ask the client why, to guide the clients to express their real needs. Or use mature products on the market as the basis for discussion, ask clients to find the ideal design in their minds, and not be blinded by abstract needs, and then start spending time "trying", and finally spend far more time than the project cost. For example, when encountering: Can this page feel a bit more lively? This font seems a bit too small, I think users don’t want to click this button, etc... You can ask back: "May I ask what the lively feeling in your mind is like, are there actual case references?" "May I ask, how important is this text on the entire page?" "May I ask, what part makes you feel that users don’t want to click this button? Is it color, shape, or other reasons? Or can you provide some data on the past user website click buttons?" Asking why more and finding the real reasons behind the client's needs can help you communicate and solve problems more effectively. But if you encounter clients who are unwilling to communicate and have a "paying money is the boss" mentality, my suggestion is not to continue to take it because this will definitely be a painful and long process, mutual respect and trust are definitely the best solutions to maintain a long-term cooperative relationship. Phew~ I accidentally typed a lot, so let’s talk about it in the first episode. In the next episode, I will share with you various details about taking projects, such as costs, how to quote, and how to write contracts, etc., see you next time! The next episode: Freelance Skills for UI/UX Designer: Calculating Costs, Quotations, and Contracts -- This article is reprinted from：Simon Lin (article) (This article is translated by the Digital Nomad editor group.)
December 6, 2023
Remote Work Socializing: 7 Ways to Never Be an Outsider Again
When I started working remotely, I was alone most of the time, whether working from home or traveling. Except for phone calls or video conferences, I hardly ever spoke to real people throughout the day. As a result, socializing in remote work became something I had to pay close attention to, otherwise, I easily got lonely. As remote work becomes more prevalent, I've also started noticing that more and more people are facing this issue. So, in this article, I will share with you some methods and platforms for remote workers to socialize. This way, even if you don't have colleagues around, you can still make new friends and expand your social network. What Are the Methods for Socializing in Remote Work? 1. Working at a Co-working Space A co-working space is usually a large building rented by a company or group and converted into a workspace suitable for various needs. It includes private offices for different numbers of people and open public spaces. Most of these spaces require a fee, but some offer trial work days for free. For me, a Co-working space has always been an easy place to meet people. You can bring your business cards, and you might just have the chance to meet some impressive individuals and find unexpected collaboration opportunities. To find out if there are any co-working space in your area, you can Google "Co-working Space + your location", or check out the following platforms: WeWork : Suitable for people in the USA or small startups of four or five people. The monthly rent isn't cheap, starting at around $300, but the facilities are luxurious and fully equipped, almost like a second home! Workfrom : One of my favorite websites, where you can select features like "open late" or "quiet". It also allows you to detect the nearest coffee shops or workspaces based on your location. Nomads list : In addition to searching for cafes and workspaces, this platform offers great online networking and chat features, as well as new arrival guidelines for settling in a new country. Meetup : Here, you can find a variety of free and paid events based on personal interests. However, it's not widely used in Taiwan yet. Eventbrite : Similar to Meetup, but with more paid events. It also sells tickets for theater shows and concerts. This platform is more about finding workshops, talks, and courses than social gatherings. 2. Arrange to Work Together in a Café You can find many groups on Facebook like "Taiwanese in the USA", "Taiwanese in Singapore", "Taiwanese Working in France". These groups are a great way to find friends when you are traveling and working and want someone to chat with. Just post in the group stating where you are and how long you'll be there. You might get a response, and then the two of you can quickly arrange to meet at a café to chat and work together. This is a method I really like. Since both parties have already initiated contact online, it's less awkward when meeting in person, and the pressure of making friends is somewhat reduced. 3. Initiate Casual Conversations with People Working in Cafés You can also think of it as a kind of approach. In the United States, people are accustomed to talking to strangers. Just by making small talk, you can quickly learn about each other's work, interests, where they live, etc., greatly increasing the chance of forming a deeper connection. It's even possible to arrange to hang out or work together later. For the shy Taiwanese, this might require a bit of boldness, but it's definitely a method worth trying. If you're unsure how to start, you can discreetly observe what the other person is doing on their computer, what they're holding, or simply take in the surrounding environment. These are all great starting points for quickly engaging in a conversation. 4. Make Friends in Your Field Through Online Groups If you're more interested in making work-related friends, it's best to connect with people in the same field. You can visit specialized professional groups like LinkedIn", "Women Who Code Taipei", "Graphic Designers of LA", "Photographers in Berlin" to find peers in your profession. These groups have already done a first level of filtering, leaving only those related to your work nature and professional field. They are great for finding potential collaborators or clients. Communication tends to be easier and more targeted with these people due to the similarity in field and work nature. 5. CouchSurfing CouchSurfing, literally meaning sleeping on someone's couch while traveling, is a concept often described more elegantly as "staying for a night". There are increasingly more platforms facilitating connections between hosts and travelers. By setting your preferences online, you can find local residents willing to let you stay with them. Most people registered on these platforms are also keen on meeting new friends. Unless your host is very busy and often out for work, you usually have plenty of opportunities to chat with them, share meals, or even visit nearby tourist spots together. This often leads to strong connections, and it's common to stay in touch after a CouchSurfing experience, as both parties have invested meaningful time in each other. 6. Stay in Hostels or Backpackers' Inns When you travel, if you choose not to do CouchSurfing, you will inevitably need to find a place to stay. In this case, affordable youth hostels or backpackers' inns are good choices. You won't be the only traveler there; you might meet many people from Taiwan or from around the world. Just like point three, take the initiative to strike up conversations with others, using the surroundings or what they're doing as conversation starters. This can easily open up connections between people. Even if you're not staying at such places, their lobbies, lounges, dining areas, or workspaces can also be great spots to facilitate chats. If you want to make friends, don't keep yourself locked up in your room. 7. Attend Offline Seminars or Workshops If you're looking to meet friends who enjoy learning, attending offline seminars is definitely the quickest way. Remember, many people stop learning after leaving school, so those who make time in their busy work and daily life to attend offline seminars or workshops likely have a strong desire for self-improvement. If it's a workshop, there might even be group activities, which automatically give you something to talk about with strangers. Working together to complete a task can also quickly warm up your relationship!" Remote Work Socializing Activities in Taiwan We have discussed 6 ways you can try remote socializing, but most are suitable for the USA or places outside Taiwan. If you're a remote worker who only stays in Taiwan, I have compiled 3 especially active methods in Taiwan where you can find many events for socializing. 1. ACCUPASS Accupass is a very famous event ticketing website in Taiwan, as far as I know. The events listed there are both free and paid, with prices varying depending on the scale of the event. From my own experience, there are many free or low-cost events that are rich in content. There's a wide variety of events available all over Taiwan. Accupass has a lot of offline seminars and online courses. If you love learning, prioritizing events here usually won't disappoint. The updates are quick, covering both networking and learning opportunities. (Click here to visit) 2. Facebook event The number of events on Facebook is also noteworthy. You can find all sorts of events there by setting filters for category, location, and time. This allows you to immediately list all the events you might be able to attend. However, a downside of Facebook events is that the information provided is often sparse. You might need to visit the official website or follow the links provided by the organizers for more detailed information and registration methods. From my observation, there are more volunteer activities on Facebook events, which could be a priority if you prefer volunteering. (Click here to visit) 3. Remote Taiwan This is the best remote workers' community in Taiwan that I've seen so far. The group frequently hosts related seminars, shares experiences of remote workers, and discusses the latest trends in remote work. You can interact a lot with everyone there and take the initiative to get to know others. As mentioned in point 4 above, this platform has already filtered through its members for you. It shouldn't be hard to find like-minded individuals who resonate with remote work for networking. The rest is up to how you engage in conversation. (Click here to visit ) Your Part in Remote Work Socializing Currently, my main method is still working in coffee shops. I've met many people in cafes, some of whom I had great conversations with but never saw again; and others with whom I only spoke for a few minutes, but we exchanged phone numbers and later found we clicked well through messaging. I believe whether or not someone becomes a friend requires the right timing, location, and people. While we can't control timing and location, I think we can at least take responsibility for half of the people aspect. This means we need to take the initiative to connect with others. The other half is out of our control, dependent on whether the other person reciprocates. The key in socializing is to relax and not be too purpose-driven, focusing mainly on "getting to know the other person." I believe there's a direct correlation between human happiness and healthy social interactions. Moderately interacting with others can contribute to your mental and physical well-being. Meeting people from all over the world, and having connections wherever you go, is one of the best aspects of working while traveling. I hope today's sharing has been helpful to you. -- This article is reprinted from：理想生活設計 (article) (This article is translated by the Digital Nomad editor group.)
December 5, 2023
Stable Job vs. High-Paying Freelance: Which Is a Better Career Choice？
This time, I’m going to answer a question from a reader, Xiao Jing (pseudonym). Her letter is as follows: -- Dear Joe and Bryan, Hello! Whenever I am lost and doubtful, I always habitually search for articles from "Darencademy" . I am also a loyal listener of "JB’s Small Talk", thank you for sharing beneficial things; I have genuinely gained a lot. I have a doubt in my heart that I have been hesitating for a long time.I am an office worker and also a mother of two children. Because I have no professional skills, I have been engaged in administrative jobs for many years, receiving a fixed salary. My monthly salary is about NT$ 30,000 and overtime pay is calculated separately. Last year, by chance, I started a freelance job. This job is very similar to tutoring, where customers are introduced through a platform, and I negotiate hours with customers and go to their homes to provide teaching and guidance. Since the pay is quite good, where I can actually receive NT$ 400 to 500 per hour, I have taken cases part-time on holidays. At present, I find it very interesting and fulfilling, and customer satisfaction is also high, with many customers booking the next teaching service. However, I can only take cases on holidays, so the actual hours are not many. And usually, because I have a full-time job, I can only use the time outside of work to read books and improve the knowledge and abilities needed for freelance work. Therefore, I started to think about whether to quit my full-time job and devote myself to freelance work. I have made a preliminary evaluation myself: I like the simplicity, regularity, and content of my full-time job, and I get along well with my colleagues, but the salary will not grow, and I cannot have enough time to accumulate freelance experience. In terms of freelance work, I like its flexibility and high hourly pay, and I also have time to take care of my family. But if I devote myself to freelancing, I am very worried whether the income is stable enough to support family expenses, and whether my body can handle running around and teaching for a long time. Moreover, for such a job change, I also have to face the unpredictable risks after stepping out of my comfort zone. I like both jobs very much, but each has its pros and cons, and I don’t know how to choose. Facing such a problem, how should I set evaluation criteria? Can both teachers give me some advice? Xiao Jing -- In response to Xiao Jing’s question, that is, "Should I give up a stable, low-paying job and engage in unstable but high hourly paid freelance work?" As usual, I will not give a standard answer directly because my knowledge of some details in her life is limited. It’s difficult to directly suggest choosing A or B. However, through this article, I want to provide some of my thought processes to give everyone facing similar issues some references. First, before choosing between two jobs, the most fundamental thing is to consider the following two questions. Question One: Do You Like This Job? No matter which job is chosen, whether you like the job is a crucial prerequisite. Because if you don't like a job, even if it pays well, it will be hard for you to be fully invested and enjoy doing it well. You might ask: "Can’t I do a job that I don’t like?" Yes, you can, but there are only two situations where I think the job can still be done even if you don’t like it. First, you might not like the job, but you are very good at it and can easily complete it. This way, at least you can get economic returns and a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, the economic returns of the job are incredibly high, for example, the job allows you to feel super worthwhile and forget the parts you don’t like. Encountering these two situations, I think you should just go for it! After all, there can be significant returns in accomplishments and salary. However, for most people, there are actually few opportunities to encounter such situations. Therefore, I still recommend everyone to choose a job they like. Question Two: What Exactly Are You Pursuing in Your Work? Everyone has their own goals when going out to work. For instance, some people might not be after the salary but rather look to make friends, while some hope to achieve a balance between work and life. I think there is no right or wrong in these pursuits. However, you need to delve deep into your heart. During the work process, what is the most important thing that you gain from investing a month or a day of your time? This can help clarify what goals you want to pursue in your work. Whether you choose a stable, low-paying job or unstable, high hourly paid freelance work, or even when choosing any job, the above two questions are fundamental things we should consider to help understand what we want. When you know what you are seeking, you can move on to the next stage of consideration, evaluating whether to give up a stable job to choose freelancing. In particular, although freelancing seems to offer a high hourly wage and flexible hours, I believe two things still need to be assessed: First, the Long-Term Nature of the Work Compared to regular full-time jobs, freelancing is generally more unstable. For example, you might initially think that due to inconsistent client sources, it cannot maintain stability for a long time. But I suggest you should think further ahead what is the long-term demand for this freelance job? For instance, if you are tutoring, helping students with physics or math, and if there are no significant changes in the education system or curriculum, perhaps you can do this job for a long time. However, if the knowledge you are teaching now is a short-term trend, like many people doing Podcasts in recent years, you might think you can teach people how to record programs, purchase equipment, etc. This year, there might be people wanting to learn, but next year or the year after, Podcasts might go out of fashion, and then nobody will want to take your class. So, you still have to evaluate whether the content of this freelance job has long-term demand. Second, Financial Considerations Let's do a simple calculation. If your current full-time job pays NT$ 30,000, plus freelancing on holidays, you can earn NT$ 40,000 a month. However, suppose you fully commit to freelancing and earn an hourly wage of NT$ 500. Working 80 hours will give you NT$ 40,000. Eighty hours are equivalent to 10 working days. If your freelancing is stable and legitimate, then in about 20 working days a month, you could earn NT$ 80,000. However, many freelancing jobs, despite seeming to offer a high hourly wage, might still involve many hidden costs. For example, commuting costs might be incurred when you travel to different tutoring students' homes. Moreover, some tutoring platforms might also take a commission from your earnings, among other considerations. These are all crucial factors because they imply that even if you work full-time, there will be an upper limit to the hours you can freelance. Next, the stability of your clientele is, of course, a critical consideration in deciding whether or not to switch to full-time freelancing. So, if financial factors are crucial in your consideration, I would suggest you test it gradually. Wait until the freelancing work is stable, and the financial aspect is comparable to your full-time job or at a level you can accept before considering committing full-time to freelancing. Lastly, I would like to discuss a concern mentioned at the end of Xiao Jing's letter, which is "stepping out of the comfort zone might encounter unpredictable risks." Let’s reconsider the concept of the "comfort zone." Many people might feel that working in a company for 20 years, with familiar supervisors, colleagues, and mastering the job, is their comfort zone. But I don't think so. I believe the "comfort zone" refers to an environment that you can fully grasp and control. However, there is actually no permanent comfort zone in life; instead, you should continually strive to expand the boundaries of your comfort zone. What does this mean? Think about it. You are currently engaged in an administrative position, which seems stable, but suppose one day your boss wants to replace you with someone younger and lower-salaried, you are forced to leave the position, and it's no longer your comfort zone. Especially, the replaceability in administrative jobs is high; you can’t fully assure everlasting security in this position. If you suddenly consider freelancing when forced out without preparation, it implies instability in your situation. But if you start preparing now, embracing it with a part-time mentality, building a reputation, optimizing processes, and considering how to gain a more stable clientele, then over one or two years, as you gain more control over the freelancing work, it becomes your next comfort zone. When the comfort zone of your full-time job crumbles, you’ll still have another comfort zone to turn to. Moreover, sometimes what you consider a comfort zone is not genuinely "comfortable." For instance, in your original family home, you may be accustomed to your room, bed, etc., and unwilling to leave. However, without autonomy, where parents might storm into your room in anger, it’s not truly comfortable; it's just that you are used to it. I've always believed that "autonomy" is crucial within a comfort zone. Imagine moving out and living independently as you grow older. Although initially, there are adjustments and numerous matters to handle yourself, once you step out, the new home becomes your new comfort zone where no one can disturb you. You can play video games until midnight or do whatever you want, extending your autonomy and controlling the situation. That’s true comfort. When you continuously expand your comfort zone while maintaining autonomy, that’s when you can genuinely thrive for the long term! You can also accompany this article with our Podcast show "JB's Small Talk". -- Narrator／Joe Chang ；Editor／Amanda Chiu (This article is translated by the Digital Nomad editor group.)
December 5, 2023
English Speaking Coach Mei Exclusive Interview | How to Travel the World on a "Limited Budget" ?
Many people aspire to be digital nomads, longing to work while exploring various places, but most hesitate to take the first step due to budget concerns. Mei, 37, manages to travel the world by being a digital nomad and practicing minimalist travel. Her experience might offer some reference for those with limited budgets who also wish to try digital nomadism and travel extensively! Mei , who has traveled to 42 countries and countless cities, was an office worker five years ago, teaching English and handling digital marketing in an English school in the United States. With a passion for backpacking and a dream to travel the world, she persuaded her boss to allow her to work remotely, embarking on the journey of digital nomadism. Initially, with a monthly salary of about NT$ 30,000 , Mei started her journey. She might work four to six hours a day and spend the rest slowly exploring a city. She might get to know local wildlife in Australia or attend a friend's wedding in India, spending a month deeply immersed in Indian life. Since last year, Mei has visited places like Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, India, Chiang Mai in Thailand, and Los Angeles in the United States. More than two years ago, Mei even established her own English teaching brand, teaching English online. With a computer and internet connection, anywhere in the world could be her office. Many people yearn to be digital nomads, like Mei, working and exploring the world simultaneously, but various worries hold them back. A common concern is, 'Without a substantial budget and a stable income, how can one afford to travel?' However, Mei, an experienced traveler, said, 'People always talk about work and income, but few discuss the travel aspect. Actually, if you are already accustomed to traveling, the pressure regarding income is quite minimal.' 'Being good at traveling' doesn’t mean you have to be good at enjoying yourself, but under limited budget circumstances, it means knowing how to travel smartly and economically in terms of food, clothing, housing, transportation, entertainment, and so on. Before Starting, Set Aside Time and Budget for Travel Before embarking on digital nomadism and even discussing how to work to support one's living and travel expenses, Mei emphasized that one should clearly understand what they want to achieve by choosing digital nomadism. Everyone has different objectives for choosing digital nomadism. Some choose it to have a steady income while sustaining long-term travel, while others might be pursuing their desired work style, among other reasons. However, Mei mentioned that she met many people during her digital nomad journey. Some want to travel the world while also aiming to earn a lot of money or find it hard to let go of work, constantly postponing travel or sacrificing travel time. But when invested in work, they are always distracted, ending up with dissatisfaction in both, resulting in a not-so-good overall journey quality. 'If you want to travel the world, please be sure to allocate time for travel,' Mei emphasized. If travel is one of your goals in digital nomadism, manage it as an important aspect, incorporating it into your schedule. Regardless of how much time you give to travel, the most crucial part is to balance the weight of work and travel according to the purpose of your digital nomadism. By planning a certain proportion of time and budget for travel, you can enjoy the journey more comfortably. Break Free from Monetary Limitations, and Travel Smartly on a Budget Once you've clarified your initial intentions and budget for starting as a digital nomad, and if your purpose is to travel to various countries, you can start thinking about how to travel on a limited budget. In the beginning, Mei relied on remote work, with a monthly income of about NT$ 30,000. Even when she later started taking projects or began entrepreneurship by establishing an online English teaching brand, and her income increased, she knew that if she wanted to travel for a longer time and visit more places, she must travel in a more smart way. 'Many people think that they have to be rich to travel, but I knew early on that this was wrong because many experiences don’t cost money,' Mei said. Despite a limited budget, Mei has many money-saving tips. Typically, the most significant travel expenses might be on transportation and accommodation, but Mei has always kept these expenses to a minimum or even completely free of charge. For accommodation, Mei chooses couch surfing, staying in cheap youth hostels, and even proactively proposes to hostels to work in exchange for accommodation or meals, saving on accommodation and meal expenses. In terms of transportation, Mei also saves on fares by hitchhiking to various places. Since digital nomads are not restricted by time or work location, they can choose inexpensive long-distance buses or trains for commuting and work during the journey. When flying to different countries, she also compares flight prices on websites like Skyscanner or Google Flights, choosing to fly during off-peak times. Even concerning food, Mei has participated in 'food sharing' movements, obtaining 'soon-to-expire' or 'expired' items that are still edible from many supermarkets and bakeries. Just search online for the city name along with the keyword 'food sharing,' and you can get information about 'food sharing' in that city. Mei has many money-saving methods, and she said, 'If you dare to try new things, sometimes money really is not a problem!' If you are just starting with a limited budget, you can begin from cheaper regions, such as cities in Southeast Asia. For instance, Chiang Mai in Thailand is a top choice for many. Reducing Material Desires, Valuing Priceless Life Experiences Mei sets out on each journey carrying only a backpack, keeping material desires to a minimum and not spending money on unnecessary souvenirs and the like. Instead, she chooses to be close to nature and values interactions with people, experiences that are free yet priceless. Upon arriving in a new city, the first thing Mei does is search on Facebook for local communities involving hiking, writing, language exchange, etc., based on her interests. She meets locals or foreigners who have lived there for a long time, exploring the city’s people and things with them. Fortunately, she might also find like-minded friends in these people. Meanwhile, to break free from monetary constraints, Mei bravely tries hitchhiking and couch surfing, among others. These experiences have given Mei precious life experiences that she cherishes deeply. She said, 'If you pay money to buy a travel itinerary, it seems to create a barrier between people.' Even when we go to foreign places, it’s still quite challenging to establish deeper connections with the locals. For instance, in the United States, Mei and a traveling companion hitchhiked to their next destination, meeting a very friendly driver. Before Mei found a place to stay, the driver generously offered his camper van for Mei and her friend to stay temporarily. However, after getting to know him better, they discovered that he was a former drug addict who had become a debt collector after quitting drugs. Although it sounds a bit scary, for the driver, this wasn’t something he couldn’t share openly. His generosity and friendliness remain one of Mei’s most impressive memories from her travels. Many people worry about the dangers of hitchhiking, staying in a stranger's house, or going out with strangers in foreign places. Mei said that there are always risks in traveling, but the risks of hitchhiking, couch surfing, etc., are not as high as people imagine. 'After traveling for a long time, you actually become quite good at judging people,' Mei mentions. She would assess a person’s safety through their words and deeds, and she wouldn’t go to particularly dangerous places or do dangerous things. Often, she would also have companions with her. By staying alert and avoiding people or things that seem dangerous, the risks are actually quite low! Excitedly, Mei listed places she still wants to visit in the future. Next year, she plans to explore Central and South America, and when summer comes, she wants to visit Scotland to learn about the whiskey culture that she has always admired. Having traveled to 42 out of nearly 190 countries worldwide, Mei continues to marvel at the vastness of the world. Free from material and monetary constraints, Mei’s digital nomadic journey around the world continues. You can find more stories about Mei's digital nomad lifestyle on Super Mei Travel! -- (This article is translated by the Digital Nomad editor group.)
December 5, 2023