craig.mila•1mo agoProlific Poster

Just heard a guy at a coworking space say he's been nomading for 8 years with zero savings and it messed with my head

I was grabbing coffee at this spot in Medellin last week and overheard a guy telling someone he's been a digital nomad since 2017 but has never saved a single dollar. He said he just works enough to cover his rent and food and that's it. It made me wonder if I'm doing this whole thing wrong by stressing about putting away $500 a month for retirement. I mean part of me envies how free he seemed but another part thinks he's gonna hit a wall hard in 10 years. Has anyone else run into this kind of mindset and figured out a balance between enjoying the now and planning ahead?

3 comments

3 Comments

josephmartin1mo ago

I saw a post on Reddit where someone called this "digital nomad debt" because you're just borrowing from your future self. It's cool he's having fun but that mindset usually cracks when health insurance or a family emergency pops up.

brian_smith61mo ago

Yeah the "borrowing from your future self" thing hits hard when real life shows up.

michael_coleman101mo ago

Man I felt this in my gut. I met a guy in Chiang Mai who bragged about never looking at his bank account and it actually stressed me out for a few days. There is something cool about that level of freedom but I also know a friend who got sick in Mexico with no insurance and it wiped out everything he had. I think having a small safety net lets you actually enjoy the nomad life more without that panic feeling.