GirlGI | Girl Gone International Issue 9 | Page 88

Money Matters: Trust Fund Not Required
Trust funds,

lottery proceeds, and a highly-performing
stock portfolio are, thankfully, not necessary for life on the move.
As with other aspects of family life, creativity and flexibility are
important for a nomadic family’s financial independence. Perhaps
the biggest, and certainly the first step, is to reduce consumption and downscale possessions. As Bender writes on her family’s
website, ‘We enjoy living more simply now.’ On her blog, Mary adds,
‘Here’s a big secret to nomadic lifestyles: you only need to own like
five outfits and two pairs of shoes. Seriously. . .You’ll be surprised
at how affordable it can bewhen your lifestyle doesn’t require a lot
of stuff.’ Although buying less is certainly one aspect of financing a
travel lifestyle, at some point, most nomadic families also need to
earn money.
Technology is an important asset for making a living while travelling. Many nomadic families are made up of avid travel bloggers
who have monetized their blogs, or writers who exchange product
reviews for travel perks, such as tickets to events or attractions.
Others, like McNair, operate an online shop, using their world travels
to bring unique products to customers back home. And still others
have careers, for example, as web designers or programmers, that
allow them to telecommute from any part of the world. Moving
constantly is not easy, but creative budgeting and flexible planning
can make it an adventure-filled lifestyle for curious and creative
families.