We only endorse products and services we personally use, have used, or have thoroughly reviewed and find helpful. We’ve turned down more requests for shoddy endorsements and sponsorships than we can count! If it’s listed on our resources page then we truly use (or have used), like, and recommend the product or service, affiliate link or not!
Disclosure: We may receive a commission for links on our blog. You don’t have to use our links, but we’re very appreciative when you do. Thanks again for your support, we hope you find our posts and information helpful!
Permanent Address, Mail, and Package Forwarding
Traveling Mailbox - Traveling Mailbox allows you to check your mail anywhere in the world via the internet! They scan the outside of every envelope, provide a physical address (not a PO Box), and integrate with services like Evernote and Drobpox. They even offer additional services like paper check depositing, parcel forwarding, scanning the individual pages of your envelopes, and more!
Lodging
Trusted Housesitters - The platform where homeowners meet house sitters, for a win-win exchange of services!
Airbnb - From luxury homes to budget rooms, find a place to stay on your next trip.
Hotels.com - A one-stop shop for finding a hotel within your budget at your next destination.
CouchSurfing - More than a free place to crash, Couch Surfing is a community!
Blueground - A service for beautifully furnished apartments that can be rented for a month, a year, or even longer. A great resource for digital nomads!
Hotel Tips and Hacks for the Digital Nomad and Long-Term Traveler - See how to make the most of your hotel stay when your traveling full time and working remotely!
HostelWorld - Hostels are a great way to save money on lodging, but also a wonderful way to meet other travelers.
Travel Documents and Visas
iVisa - When you’re looking for the no-hassle, simple, fast way to travel to a country that requires visas and/or travel documents? iVisa is your answer. They over an online solution that is clear and simple to understand, they have great customer service, and they help you get approved with a team of immigration experts.
First Hand Experience - We needed to apply for visas in both Turkey and Egypt.
What's Schengen and Why It May Cut Your European Vacation Short - If you’re traveling to Europe for a total of more than 90 days within a six month period, you should know about Schengen and how it will affect your travel plans.
Work Exchanges
WWOOF - “WorldWide Opportunities on Organic Farms, (WWOOF) is part of a worldwide movement linking visitors with organic farmers and growers to promote cultural and educational experiences based on trust and non-monetary exchange thereby helping to build a sustainable global community.”
Help Exchange - “HelpX is an online listing of organic farms, non-organic farms, farmstays, homestays, ranches, lodges, B&Bs, backpackers hostels and even sailing boats who invite volunteer helpers to stay with them short-term in exchange for food and accommodation.”
WorkAway.info - “Workaway.info is a site set up to promote fair exchange and friendship as well as volunteering and work opportunities. Connecting culture seekers, budget travellers and language learners with families, individuals or organisations that are looking for help with a range of varied and interesting activities.”
Airport Lounges
Priority Pass - Access to 1,300+ airport lounges may mean you’ll start to look forward to layovers!
Lounge Buddy - Make the best of your airport lounge access and layover with Lounge Buddy’s user reviews and images!
Transportation
Google Flights - Our favorite thing on Google Flights is the “Explore Destinations” feature which shows you the costs of flights from your departure location. So you can see all the destinations that are in your budget!
Skyscanner - Type your destination as “Everywhere” and Skyscanner will give give you all your options, which you can sort from cheapest to most expensive!
Lyft - Gig economy ride sharing and taxi 2.0, sign up through our link and get a credit for your next ride!
Uber - Gig economy ride sharing and taxi 2.0, sign up through our link and get a credit for your next ride!
Terravision - Italian coach service that offers city to city and city to airport transfers at a fraction of the price. Sit back and enjoy the scenery!
Omio UK and Omio US - Generally speaking we go directly to the service provider to purchase transportation tickets. However, we found on several occasions that Omio (formerly GoEuro) had cheaper tickets (like in Faversham and in Glasgow)!
Megabus - Sometimes the best way to get from point A to B is by bus, and Megabus fits your budget without giving up comfort.
Rome2Rio - Rome2Rio breaks down every method of travel from point A to B and even estimates the costs!
Travel Insurance and International Medical Insurance
SafetyWing - Insurance for Nomads, by Nomads. A great option for location independent and long term travelers and at a reasonable price.
Cigna Global - Expatriate health insurance plans are an excellent combination of price, service, and flexible coverage. Clients can select from different modules to add or exclude certain types of coverage and certain regions to save money and get a plan designed specifically for your needs.
Allianz Travel Insurance - Offers travel insurance plans for every kind of trip, from quick getaways to dream international vacations
IMGlobal - IMG offers a full line of international medical insurance, trip cancellation and stop loss programs, as well as 24/7 emergency medical and travel assistance to meet the needs of anyone traveling or residing away from home.
MedJet - Medjet is the premiere global air medical transport and travel security membership program for individuals, families, groups and corporations. People enroll in Medjet for greater control over where they receive medical care, and to make sure that it is their choice, not an insurance company’s decision. Covers transportation for Covid-19.
Cellular/Data SIM
Google Fi - Stop paying outrageous roaming or carrier data fees. Google Fi has expansive coverage and a great price, whether you’re at home or across the world!
Our Gear
Packing Lists (His and Hers) - His and Her pack lists of what we actually carry in our 36 L backpacks (2.5 years and counting!).
What We Don't Pack - Ever seen a gear list with items that make you wonder if they’re really necessary? We explain why we don’t carry some of the commonly recommended gear items.
Detailed and Perfected Gear List - Looking for more than just a list of items. We detail the items in our packs and why we love them!
Packing and Gear Tips - Once you have your gear there’s a bit more to it than just stuffing your bag full. We share our packing tips!
Carry-On Only (Onebag) Travel Tips for Women - First hand tips and tricks for women who do or aspire to travel with a carry-on only bag (‘onebag’). Our three part series covers Makeup, Feminine Hygiene and Toiletries, and Clothing, Accessories, and Packing!
Our Backpack
Osprey Manta AG 36L - No travel backpack is perfect (trust us, we tried to find it!), but this one comes pretty close (for our needs).
YouTube Review - Our video review and unboxing of our Osprey Manata AG 36L bacpack!
Finding The Travel Backpack We Call Home - We breakdown all of the options in looking for a travel backpack and explain what features we needed, which ones we wanted, and what were our deal-breakers.
Purchasing Gear
REI - Known for a great return policy, high quality products, and great deals at their outlet stores and during their Garage Sale!
Eddie Bauer - A bit pricey but totally worth it as their products are known for great quality and an unbelievable warranty!
Amazon - With Amazon Prime we get the items we need shipped to us in a couple of days, no matter where we are (within the US).
DIY (Do It Yourself) Gear
DIY | How to Hack $30+ Packing Cubes - See how we DIY our packing cubes!
DIY Lockable Zippers for Travel Backpacks | Secure Your Bag! - Learn how to make your travel backpack more secure with our video walk-through.
Velcro and Hidden Pockets DIY | Stop Pick-pocketing and Item Loss! - DIY your hidden pockets and add Velcro to keep your belongings safer!
DIY Travel Liquid Container Hack for Minimalists - Save weight and space with our lightweight and collapsible travel liquid container hack!
IHG Rewards Club Premier (MasterCard) - 140,000 IHG Rewards points when you spend $3,000 in the first three months. For an $99 annual fee you also receive many great benefits, including: fourth reward night free, $100 reimbursement towards Global Entry, a free night each every (anniversary night), and Platinum Elite status. Tip: The landing page shows multiple IHG credit card offers and you can select the Premier card at the top center of the page.
Hilton Surpass (American Express) - 135,000 Hilton points when you spend $3,000 in the first three months. Easily worth the $95 annual fee.
British Airways Visa Signature - 100,000 Avios when you spend $5,000 in the first three months. The $95 annual fee is more than made up for with the sign up bonus!
Capital One Venture X - This recently became our new favorite travel credit card!
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant (American Express) - 75,000 Bonus Bonvoy points when you spend $3,000 in the first three months.
Marriott Bonvoy Business (American Express) - 75,000 Bonus Bonvoy points when you spend $3,000 in the first three months. The $125 annual fee is worth it when you factor in the $150 in statement credits you can earn.
World of Hyatt (Chase Visa) - 60,000 Hyatt bonus points (30,000 points with $3,000 spend in the first three months and an additional 30,000 points when you spend $15,000, 2x per $1, in the first six months), five World of Hyatt tier-qualifying night credits, and two additional World of Hyatt tier-qualifying night credits for every $5,000 spent. Also earn one free night each year. The perks on this card are well worth the $95 annual fee.
Blue Cash Everyday (American Express) - $200 Statement Credit when you spend $1,000 in the first three months.
Amex EveryDay (American Express) - 15,000 Membership Rewards Points when you spend $1,000 in the first three months. Plus, no annual fee!
Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus/Premier/Priority/Premier Business Visa (Chase) - 40,000-60,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards when you spend $1,000-$3,000 in the first three months. Well worth the $99 -$149 annual fee, especially since you’ll receive between 3,000-7,500 bonus points every year on your anniversary date!
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card - The highest reward ever at 100,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points! Simply spend $4,000 in the first three months, plus a $95 annual fee. Plus, earn extra points on Lyft, free DoorDash delivery, $60 towards your Peloton subscription, and our favorite - a 25% higher Chase ultimate Reward point redemption.
Chase Ink Business Preferred - 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards when you spend $5,000 in the first three months. Well worth the $95 annual fee, with its 3X bonus points in travel, shipping purchases, internet/cable/phone services, and advertising purchases with social media and search engines!
Discover Card (Discover Bank) - $100 statement credit after your first purchase within 3 months and unlimited cashback.
Point and Mile Tracking
Award Wallet - Tracks frequent flyer miles and hotel points. You’ve earned them, so be sure not to loose them!
Point and Mile Earning
CardPointers -When we found CardPointers our administrative life was simplified dramatically. Between a desktop browser extension and an app on our phone, we can quickly see what card works best for a category of spend. Plus, we can track what benefits we’ve used and what we have left.
Plastiq - Plastiq let’s you pay a large number of bills or service with a credit card (and send wires for paying clients)! So now you can earn miles, points, and cash back even on services that don’t traditionally accept credit cards (like rent, mortgage, student loans, etc.!).
Using Reward Points
The Ultimate Mattress Run | Hacking Hotel Rewards for Free Rooms with Hilton! - See how we stayed at Hilton properties for 41 nights earning more points than we paid and extending our Diamond Elite status for another year for virtually free!
Award Travel | Category 1, 2, & 3 Hotel Maps: Hilton, Radisson, Marriott/SPG, Hyatt - Learn how to make your hotel reward points go further by using our free worldwide hotel maps!
Tips, Tricks, and Hacks to Make the Most of Your Elite Hotel Status! - Once you have elite status with a hotel chain, making the most of it isn’t as straight forward as one might think.
Business Solution Apps
Project Management
Asana - Whether personal or professional, Asana has everything you need to keep each of your projects organized and running smoothly.
Active Collab - A project management tool that has everything you need to keep you projects on time, within scope, and on budget.
Slack - Working remotely means communication is vital for project success. Communicate with your team seamlessly with Slack!
Time Tracking and Billing
TimeSolv - Time tracking and billing software that may be marketed towards attorneys but is the perfect solution for any successful consultant. Sign up for the free 30-day trial and see how simple time tracking and invoicing can be!
Freshbooks - It’s not just an invoice and expense tracking software. You can also track time, projects, and more. If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur and digital nomad, then this is the software you want to checkout. You can’t go wrong with the free trial and low cost monthly plans!
Remote Work
Whereby - Our go-to video chat solution because all you need is the link. That’s right, nothing to download and install, just create a room and give your room link to whoever you want to chat with!
Splashtop - For remote IT work or simply helping family members with their computer or cell phone, Splashtop is our go to solution!
Cashback Shopping
Mr. Rebates - One-stop online shopping destination where members can earn cash back from over 3000 stores. Offers thousands of money-saving coupons, sales, and deals to save you big money!
BeFrugal - Save with online, restaurant and in-store printable coupons, and earn cash back when you shop online. Featuring coupons for 40,000+ online stores and restaurants.
Rakuten (formerly eBates) - Find coupons and earn cash back at over 2,500 stores! Save with online rebates, deals, promo codes and discounts.
TopCashBack - The cashback rebates website that passes back higher rates to its members than anyone else, at over 4,400 merchant stores.
Bank Accounts
Simple - A bank account that’s truly simple and has no fees which is especially useful when on the go. Who needs four walls when you can bank straight from your phone?!
Schwab High Yield Investor Checking Account - The best account for international and digital nomad travel. Worldwide and unlimited reimbursed ATM fees, no minimum balance or monthly service fees, free online bill pay and paper checks, and FDIC insured!
Budget, Finance, Accounting
CountAbout - Never lose track of your finances, or the big picture, with CountAbout. Sign up for a free 15-day trial today. It’s an easy-to-use web based (no software to install!) personal finance application that imports data from Quicken and Mint and automatically downloads data from banking, credit card, and retirement accounts.
PocketSmith - See the full picture of your finances with insights into your spending habits, see all of your accounts in one place with automatic feeds, and projecting your finances into the future based on what-if scenarios. PocketSmith is a great tool for anyone wanting to be more productive with their money and get insights to help them in their pursuit of financial independence, retire early (FI/RE).
Use coupon code 50OFFPREMIUM-F4RG for 50% off the first two months of the Premium plan!
Financially Independent, Retire Early (FI/RE)
Financially Independent, Retire Early (FI/RE) for the Rest of Us - See how just about anyone can pursue FI/RE. You don’t need to be an engineer and make $100K+to reach FI/RE (although of course it helps)!
Our Budget for 1 Year of Continual Travel Abroad | 3 Continents, 23 Countries, and 60 Cities… and You Spent How Much?! - Full-time and continuous travel isn’t as costly as you might think!
Hosting
Squarespace - If you’re looking to start a blog, eCommerce, or other type of website, we recommend Squarespace for hosting. It’s easy to use ‘drag and drop’ elements and large variety of template types that can be customized make creating a polished, professional website easy! So, rather than spending your time installing, configuring, and learning technologies like WordPress, MySQL, PHP, CSS, etc., you can spend it on creating great content!
Bluehost - If you’re looking to do your website on WordPress or a similar platform, then Blue host is the way to go. As one of the largest hosting companies, they’re reliable, cost effective and have everything from basic hosting to services that will create your site for you, and everything in between!
Domain Registration
NameSilo - No hidden fees and no renewal up charges, just inexpensive domains with free lifetime WHOIS privacy! We’ve used them from the beginning and have never hard any complaints.
Design
Creative Market - Every design asset you could possibly need for your online presence. Plus, check back weekly for six new and free downloads!
Envato.Elements - Access photos, graphics, video, music, fonts, templates and more for a low monthly fee. If you’ve spent time searching for ‘free’ graphics and photos, you’ll quickly see the value in this service and be blown away by the low cost!
Fotor - A free online picture editor and designer with an easy to use interface and great templates. Our favorite thing about Fotor are the creative and fun photo collages! Unlocking Fotor Pro gives you access to even more templates and easy to use editing features.
Canva - If you’re looking to create physical or digital graphic designs, Canva should be your go to site. Their free accounts allow you to save your work, uploaded graphics, and offer tons of free templates!
BeFunky - An online picture editor, designer, and collage maker. If you’re looking for the simplest and fastest way to make a photo collage, BeFunky is the way to go. Their Collage Wizard tool will automatically generate the perfect collages with some or all of your pictures!
Secure Web Browsing
Private Internet Access (VPN) or Express VPN - Both VPN providers are consistently rated as two of the best year after year. They both allow multiple connections (PIA= five, Express= three), offer a global presence of over 3,000 servers each, have gateways in dozens of countries (PIA=30+, Express= 90+), and have a strict ‘zero log’ policy.
DuckDuckGo - Block advertising trackers and keep your search history private all while still using Google search!
Secure Messaging
Signal - Free and truly secure messaging (text, video, images, voice and HD calls!). We use Signal for all of our communications including sensitive documents and conversations.
Secure Payments
Privacy - Keep your credit card number private with Privacy. Create virtual credit card numbers for a specific merchant or dollar amount!
fuboTV - Get access to the TV you want, including your favorite local sports teams (use a VPN (like PIA or Express VPN) to bypass Geo blocking)!
Parsec - Play, watch, and share video games (even consoles with a bit more setup) across the internet with your friends!
AudioBooks - No time to sit and read a book? Start listening to books while you travel, get ready for the day, exercise, or whenever you have a few extra minutes. Plus, use our link and get your first three books free with one premium credit and two VIP titles!
Groupon - Save up to 70% on the things you need every day. With Groupon, discover and save on 1000s of great deals at nearby restaurants, spas, things to do, shopping, travel and more.
Here’s the entire list of books we’ve enjoyed (updated regularly)!
The full list includes a large list of genres and topics, from Sci-Fi to self improvement and finance to health (and more).
Below is a sneak peek!
How to Win Friends and Influence People