Edited and updated 7 September, 2021

We are often asked how we are earning while we travel the world. We've been on the road a little while now and I haven't yet shared our story about this. We set off with a bit of savings, and a plan to build an online business and travel blog before our savings ran out.

Selling Everything We Owned (Not A Lot)

Back in February 2020, we sold everything we owned. This consisted of: one 9 year old small SUV (which didn't sell until three months after we left) and a PURPLE 1995 Hyundai Lantra (honestly, it was the best car I've ever owned and people on Facebook Marketplace were fighting for it) ?

We sold our 2011 iMac and then it broke the day after the guy paid me, so I had to refund him. Our 2011 50" TV was awesome, but it died two months before we left. That was all our 'expensive stuff'.

We didn't own a house, or have shares or investments to sell up. It was literally our household items we put on Facebook marketplace. 

So what did we sell? Everything but the kitchen sink. Beds, mattresses, some stuff we had to giveaway, other stuff we had to throw out. We sold my husbands shoes, desks, tables. You name it, we sold it. We made a few thousand from selling everything inside our home. which was awesome ?

All our savings plus everything we sold, was a total of about $20,000 AUD. Which was less than our goal of $25,000.

It was freaky as getting on a plane knowing we were going to New Zealand where yes, we spent a fair bit of our savings in only a month.

We were so lucky our first stop was the wonderful Vietnam because it is affordable here. And we were blessed to be stuck there during Covid.

We were also grateful to be able to access some extra cash when my car sold (just under $9,000) and a bit more from our Super (mine didn't have that much to begin with, so we took all of it) ✨

Now we've been abroad seven months and we still have a fair amount left. However, it's time to get serious. Travel blogging isn't cutting it (even the most successful blogs aren't making their money, so it's unreasonable for me to think I can make $5,000 a month blogging in the next 18 months)... So we needed SOMETHING, ANYTHING. FAST. And something that wasn't going to take too much time from me ⏳ 

I've been dabbling in Crypto and Shares for ages, but I'm just not an active trader.

A Passive Opportunity Saved Us (But I'm NOT 100% Certain it Will Last)

Edited August 2022: Please read all the way to the end of this section as this is updated content in 2021 to share what I've learned and my concerns about this particular passive opportunity.

In October, 2020, an opportunity crossed my path, and my heart exploded. An opportunity to invest a small amount (only $300 USD), and allow some pro traders to trade in the Foreign exchange market which allows me to potentially double our return over a period of months.

I was joyful to discover this because I didn't have to stare at screens all day. Instead, I was able to watch my balance grow, then cash out and / or deposit my earnings to grow some more.

For our family, this seemed perfect. As time went on, it drastically changed.

Edited in September 2021 and August 2022 to add:

As of September 2021, this is still running. We've more than made back our initial deposit. I'm extremely grateful to this system as it fully funded us between January and May of 2021. It's also given away countless crypto to help people get started free of charge. 

However there are some things I'd like to outline here because as I've become deeply involved in crypto, I realise this has a huge possibility of being a ponzi with a great front line.

Here's my update: 

1. I learned that 'promise to pay' programs frequently do go bust. This is probably one of the very few that has lasted beyond two years.
2. I learned the longer they operate, the more people they burn. 
3. I've learned there are other, more transparent ways to trade and retain full control of your finances.
4. There have been a few promises that I am still waiting to see eventuate. Namely:
   1. An audit was promised earlier this year and it still hasn't been delivered.
   2. Copy trading has been in testing since December 2020 and still hasn't rolled out (which was a main drawcard for me initially getting started).
   3. Payout have stopped completely (last payment received was back in March 2022). Everyone is continually reassured everything is ok. But six months on, I don't think this is the truth. People have outstanding withdrawals pending since December 2021/January 2022.
   4. Internal upgrades became available (and this was something we had been warned is a red flag for ponzi schemes because it is asking you to leave your money on the platform). This last part made me feel this could be the platform buying itself a bit of time before the final collapse. I could be wrong. 
5. I've also had concern about the transparency of the funds. 

Amongst announcements and changes, I realised I didn't feel comfortable being 100% dependent on our Forex trading investment and started looking for a job. I began to accept that this could all disappear overnight.

I'm grateful I started looking around as I found another opportunity which funded us through until my remote job started paying me. This opportunity was great for a person like me, but I soon discovered most people don't have the understanding of crypto that I have, and so I stopped sharing that too.

This is why I don't really talk too much about the opportunities I find anymore (most things just are too good to be true). 

I Got a Remote Job Earning BTC Instead of Dollars

During my time of uncertainty, I applied for a remote job working in the crypto sector. It took a while for my application to process, however once I hit my first interview, things went really fast. It was a dream job for me and I accepted in June 2021. 

This job, for me, isn't a prison. Part of our mission is to help half the world exit the traditional financial system by 2030. That mission sets my heart on fire. 

One of my wildest dreams since I was 18 or 19 was to work for Google. I applied once. Didn't get the job. In 2019 I had an opportunity to get a job with Google in Sydney. I spoke with a friend who worked there and asked about what it was like. My friend told me about the hours involved and I decided not to apply because my heart said it would take me away from my family too much. 

My new job feels right. For me, cryptocurrency is doing amazing things for the financial sector. Right now, crypto is comparable to what the internet was like in 1996. This is the start of something much bigger than most people can see right now. So it turns out, I've manifested my big dream. I think my job is better than working for Google!! 

This job also gave me the depth of knowledge and understanding that I want to provide full transparency about ALL that I know and do. This is why I don't refer people to the Forex trading platform anymore. It's also why I haven't taken down my story reel. It's an unfinished story. I want to show you what happens (even if it turns out badly). 

My failures are part of my learning journey. Just as my achievements are. 

There are people out there who will judge me based on MY mistakes, or my inability to spot a scam. That's just part of life in our current times. Hopefully, most of my readers may just want to see the truth. And hopefully most people will appreciate the transparency with which I share these stories.

In conclusion, if you're looking for opportunities to earn while you travel, there are plenty out there. Very few will actually create a long standing income though. Here's a great guide you can refer to from the professionals in scams and online fraud. I highly recommend checking it out if you're considering any online platform. 

If you've got questions, reach out. I'm here for you!