The digital nomad dream, the one many have envisioned over the years, is officially dead. No more romanticized Instagram photos of a carefree life with a backpack, hopping between hostels, and living on a shoestring budget. Sure, that version of the dream still exists for some, but for many, it's just not sustainable. And honestly, it’s not even that attractive anymore. What’s replacing it is something much better.

For years, aspiring digital nomads dreamed of flying out to places like Bali on a cheap economy ticket, enduring multiple layovers, living in $10 hostels, and scraping by on the cheapest possible food. It might have worked for a while, but times have changed. Prices have gone up across the board, from flights to accommodations to your morning coffee. Even places like Bali, once a haven for budget travelers, have become significantly more expensive.

The real issue isn’t the rising costs, though. The problem lies in the mindset behind this approach. Trying to live as cheaply as possible doesn’t lead to true freedom. Instead, it locks you into a constant state of survival, always chasing the next cheap flight, the next budget meal, and sacrificing comfort and safety along the way. You might be able to post a few pictures that make it look like you’re living the dream, but in reality, you're stuck in a never-ending cycle of scarcity.

​YouTube is full of advice from so-called "digital nomad gurus" who preach budget travel and how to stretch your money for as long as possible without ever increasing your income. It’s all about how little you can spend, rather than how much you can earn. And that’s where the problem lies.

The key to replacing the old digital nomad dream is to shift from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance. Instead of asking, “How can I save as much as possible?” ask yourself, “How can I earn so much that I don’t need to worry about the cost?”

This shift is crucial because, let’s face it, traveling cheaply often means compromising on safety and comfort. Too many digital nomads end up in dodgy accommodations, eating questionable food, and dealing with health issues because they were trying to save a few bucks. I know someone who went on a budget trip to Panama, and his girlfriend ended up with severe food poisoning. There wasn’t even a hospital nearby. All of that suffering to save a few dollars on an Airbnb.

It’s so easy to book that one-way ticket to paradise and think you’ve made it. But what happens when you get there? Maybe the Airbnb you booked has terrible Wi-Fi, or you lose your remote job. What then? Too many digital nomads find themselves stuck in these situations, unable to afford a ticket home.

Even if you’re lucky enough to have a stable job, you’re still at the mercy of your employer. What if they decide they want you back in the office? You could be halfway around the world, loving your new life, only to have it all taken away because your boss decides they need you in person. True freedom – financial, geographical, and time freedom – can’t come from working for someone else. You need to have your own business or side hustle.

The key to avoiding these pitfalls is planning. You need a rock-solid plan that can sustain your lifestyle no matter what happens. Don’t just book a flight and hope for the best. You need to know exactly how much money you’ll need, where it’s going to come from, and how to make sure you’re not just surviving but thriving.

Let’s say you’re a nomadic closer. You know how much commission you make from each sale, and you know how many sales you need to hit your monthly income goal. Write it all down, calculate it, and make sure you’re covered before you even think about buying that plane ticket.

Too many people try to go it alone, thinking they can figure it out as they go. But the truth is, if you’ve never done this before, you’re going to make mistakes. That’s why it’s so important to ask for advice, hire a mentor, and learn from those who have already walked the path. You don’t have to learn from your own mistakes – you can learn from theirs and save yourself a lot of time and frustration.

We’ve had the pleasure of interviewing over 68 digital nomad experts who have made it work. They’ve shared their best-kept secrets and insider tips on how to earn $10,000 a month while traveling the world. These are people who have cracked the code and figured out how to thrive as digital nomads, not just scrape by.

We recorded all of these interviews and compiled them into the biggest digital nomad summit in the world. And because you’re reading this, you can grab a free ticket to the summit and learn from these experts yourself. The link is in the video description below.

So, if the old digital nomad dream is dead, what’s replacing it? The new vision is about becoming a wealthy nomad. It’s not just about being able to travel the world and work from anywhere; it’s about doing it in a sustainable, long-term way. It’s about having the time, location, and financial independence to live your life on your terms.

Being a wealthy nomad means having an abundance mindset and an abundance of opportunities. You’re not scraping by, you’re thriving. You’re not worrying about rising costs or global events – you’re prepared for whatever comes your way. When the world shut down in 2020, we were ready. We had our businesses in place, and we actually made more money than ever before because we were prepared.

The ultimate goal for most people is passive income – the dream of lying in a hammock on a beach, sipping a margarita while the money rolls in. But the truth is, passive income takes time to build. Before you can have passive income, you need to build up your active income.

That means finding a high-value skill that allows you to earn more than a doctor, even if it requires trading your time for money at first. Once you’ve built up your active income, you can start creating passive income streams that supplement it. Over time, you’ll stack these income streams, so you’re not just relying on one source.

The digital nomad dream isn’t dead – it’s evolving. The old version, based on scraping by and living as cheaply as possible, is being replaced by a new, better vision of abundance and freedom. Becoming a wealthy nomad means having the resources to live where you want, work on your own terms, and never have to worry about money again.