Tempted to travel the world with your kids and work remotely but feel tied down by jobs that require your physical presence?
Thanks to the rise of remote work and online business opportunities, digital nomad families are becoming more common, turning what was once a pipe dream into a realistic lifestyle.
The key challenge remains: how do you finance full-time or part-time travel if your current jobs aren’t remote?
This guide will walk you through solutions – from finding remote employment to building passive income – so your family can embrace a life of travel despite traditional work commitments.
Remote Work Opportunities: Jobs You Can Do From Anywhere
These days a vast range of jobs can be done remotely as long as you have a computer and internet connection. In fact, virtually any role that doesn’t require in-person interaction or hands-on work has the potential to become a digital nomad job.
Common examples include tech and office careers like software development, graphic design, writing/editing, digital marketing, customer support, accounting/bookkeeping, and project management – all of which increasingly offer fully remote positions. Post-pandemic, even many employers in traditional fields have warmed to letting people work from home (or anywhere).
Other popular remote-friendly careers span education and creative media. For instance, careers such as online teaching, social media management, SEO consulting, graphic design, virtual assistance and of course IT.
But beyond these, remember that any job that is primarily computer- or phone-based might be negotiable as remote. Even roles like customer support agent, project manager, online English teacher, or translator can be done from anywhere with the right setup.
How Do You Find These Remote Jobs?
Start with dedicated remote job boards and freelancing platforms. Websites like FlexJobs, We Work Remotely, RemoteOK, Working Nomads, and Remotive curate hundreds of location-independent openings across industries.
For example, FlexJobs alone lists over 100,000 vetted remote positions (across fields from tech to marketing to education). We Work Remotely and RemoteOK are free boards popular for tech, design, sales, and support roles.
Many of these platforms let you filter by job type (full-time, part-time, contract) and skill area. Don’t forget mainstream sites too – on Indeed or LinkedIn you can use keywords like “Remote” or location filters to find jobs that explicitly allow working from anywhere.
Before applying, be sure to clarify any time-zone or travel restrictions with the employer. But with persistence, you can land a role that keeps your income steady without tying you to one spot.
Freelancing: Take Your Skills on the Road
If a traditional job isn’t flexible enough, consider the freelance route. As a freelancer or independent contractor, you can offer your skills to clients on a project-by-project basis – choosing when and where you work.
Online freelancing platforms like Upwork, Freelancer.com, Fiverr, and others connect millions of remote workers with paying clients. You’ll find work in writing, editing, graphic design, web development, translation, video editing, virtual assistance, consulting, data entry, and just about every professional service imaginable.
Common freelance roles for digital nomads include content writing and copyediting, designing websites or logos, managing social media accounts, bookkeeping for small businesses, and editing podcasts or videos.
Think outside the box: What skills do you or your spouse have that others might pay for online?
- If you work in TV/film production, for instance, you could offer video editing or animation services remotely to marketing firms or YouTube creators. Video editing is a very in-demand freelance skill on platforms like Upwork.
- Or if you have writing or storytelling expertise, freelance script writing or content writing for media sites is another option.
- As a bookkeeper, you already have a portable business – but you could expand your client list online via freelance marketplaces or by networking in expat entrepreneur groups.
Freelancing does require hustle – you’ll be responsible for finding clients and managing your own taxes/benefits – but it offers unrivaled flexibility. You can ramp your workload up or down as needed and work from anywhere on earth.
Converting “On-Site” Jobs into Remote Careers
What if your expertise is in a field traditionally done face-to-face – like classroom teaching, healthcare, or hands-on trades? With some creativity, many such careers can be transformed into a location-independent version.
Let’s look at a few examples that may be relevant:
Teaching and Education
Classroom teachers are increasingly taking their skills online. You could teach live classes over video to students anywhere in the world, or tutor one-on-one. ESL (English as a Second Language) teaching is a huge online market – platforms like VIPKid, Qkids, and Preply connect native English-speaking teachers with kids globally.
Besides live teaching, experienced educators can create and sell digital educational content on platforms such as TeachersPayTeachers. Consider roles like online curriculum design, education consulting, or virtual administration for online schools – the education sector is moving online in many ways.
Healthcare and Wellness
Some professions (surgeons, for example) can’t be done remotely – but many healthcare providers are finding ways to work online through telehealth and coaching. For instance, a nurse or midwife could offer virtual consulting services worldwide.
Telemedicine platforms hire nurses, midwives, even mental health counselors to provide guidance via video call. Additionally, health professionals can write and sell e-books or courses. Even fitness trainers can coach clients over Zoom; nutritionists do remote consultations; and physical therapists sell video exercise programs.
Creative Arts, Media, and Entertainment
Video editing, post-production, sound design, graphic animation, and screenplay writing can all be done remotely for clients. There are freelancers who edit YouTube videos, produce podcasts, or create motion graphics for companies – all from home or the road.
Market those services on freelance platforms or via a personal website. Turn storytelling skills into a content business. Some nomadic families start a YouTube channel or a travel documentary project, monetizing via ads and sponsorships. Though it's relevant to note that building an income from content creation takes time and dedication.
Teach a craft: e.g. create an online course about filmmaking, or offer virtual workshops for student filmmakers. The key is to identify which parts of the film/TV skillset are digital. Many filmmakers do remote consulting or script coverage (giving feedback on scripts via email).
Additionally, industries like e-learning and marketing need multimedia talent – for instance, an e-learning company might hire a video producer remotely to create training videos. In sum, while working on a physical set isn’t portable, lots of supporting roles in media can be done online.
Other In-Person Jobs
Virtually every profession has some online counterpart. A chef can start a food blog or teach cooking classes on Zoom. A retail manager can become an e-commerce consultant or sell products on Amazon. An office manager can transition to being a virtual assistant or remote project coordinator (helping companies organize documents, calendars, customer service, etc.).
A tradesperson or hands-on professional might create “how-to” video content or an online course around their skill (for example, a master gardener selling an online gardening workshop, or a midwifery expert creating training for doulas).
While not every job will translate 100%, focus on your underlying skills – communication, organization, technical knowledge, creativity – and find a way to offer those skills through the internet.
Passive Income Ideas to Support Your Travels
In addition to (or in place of) working while you travel, it’s wise to develop some passive or semi-passive income streams. Passive income means earning money with minimal daily effort, often by investing time or money up front and reaping ongoing rewards.
Rent Out Your Home (or Other Property)
If you own a house or condo and will be away for an extended period, renting it can generate substantial income and cover expenses like mortgage and insurance. Many full-time traveling families say this is their biggest financial help.
You can choose a long-term renter for stability, or do short-term rentals via Airbnb if the market is strong, though that requires more management and fluctuating occupancy.
Tip: Make sure to arrange a trustworthy property manager to handle issues while you’re gone. But overall, your home can essentially pay you while you travel – turning a former expense into income.
Online Content & Digital Products
Consider creating a blog, YouTube channel, podcast, or e-book around a niche topic you love, such as travel, parenting, education, finance, crafts. Over time, if you attract an audience, you can earn through ads, affiliate marketing, or sponsorships.
You can also sell digital products directly: for instance, an e-book or guide. Some travel families sell PDFs of travel itineraries or kids’ activity guides, or an online course (teaching a skill via platforms like Teachable).
This approach takes time and isn’t a quick win – you might need to build content for months before seeing income. But once established, even a few hundred dollars a month from a blog or YouTube channel can cover flights or fun excursions.
In short, monetizing content is a viable side hustle – just go in with a long-term mindset and choose something you genuinely enjoy creating.
Remote Business Ventures
Some families set up businesses that they can run from anywhere. For instance, e-commerce (selling products online) can be managed on the road if you use drop-shipping or fulfillment services so you don’t handle inventory yourself.
Starting an Etsy shop for digital designs or small crafts, or an Amazon FBA store, are options if you have an entrepreneurial itch.
Making the Leap to a Boundless Life
Financing a travel lifestyle as a family is achievable with careful planning and an open mind. Start by assessing your skills and job flexibility – could you negotiate remote work with your current employer, or do you need to find a new remote job or build freelance clients?
Explore the remote job boards and resources we linked to find opportunities in your field. If you or your spouse’s profession doesn’t traditionally go remote, brainstorm ways to adapt it – you might be surprised at the creative solutions others have found in your industry. At the same time, work on one or two side income ideas that can provide a safety net and extra cash flow.
You don’t have to quit everything overnight; you can start a remote side gig now, or try a one-month “workation” to see how you handle working while traveling with kids. Also, connect with other traveling families for tips – communities online and programs like Boundless Life can offer support and networking advice as you transition.
With determination and the resources we’ve outlined – remote work websites, freelance platforms, passive income ideas – you can design a career that fits around your life instead of dictating it.
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