The secret to saving money as a working nomad is simple.
You don’t need to scrimp and save at the cost of your current comfort. You can live the good life (whatever good means to you) and save money at the same time.
How? Just reduce expenses–drastically.
Jeffe Aronson, Grand Canyon river guide, says:
I usually have more in the bank than people making 6 figures. I have zero expenses while on the river for 100 days a year, for 35 years.
Jeffe (pronounced “heffay”) is a Chicago native who describes his career rowing dories as:
…my life, my love, and who I am. If you’ve been down the Colorado in Grand Canyon, you’ll understand.
His job description?
Hike, cook, row, lift boxes, and work 14 hours a day while playing guitar and drinking single malt.
Now 56, Jeffe has lived through one adventure after another, including surviving cancer. He’s even found time to write a book, River God. I highly recommend checking out the sample chapters and stunning photos on his website, www.river-god.com.
What appeals to me about Jeffe’s lifestyle, apart from the sheer thrill of it, is that it shows you don’t need to be poor to have an adventure lifestyle. Jeffe easily feeds his savings account, not by earning a ridiculous amount but by cutting out expenses for nearly a third of the year. But he doesn’t even have to think about not spending–he’s just out there doing what he loves.
I love my wife, and I love my boat. The challenge is to keep rowing as long as possible.
What do you love to do? Can you do it while eliminating expenses and making money at the same time? Tell us in the comments.
All photographs on this page are used with the kind permission of Jeffe Aronson.
I want to help you find your calm center and experience travel with courage, curiosity and compassion.