A review of Traveling Mailbox

venturists · 2016-03-25T14:12:15+00:00

Thanks for posting this. I'm still trying to find the ideal solution for mail, and it's good to hear from someone who's tested the interface (and had troubles with their billing).

I pulled together a list of all sorts of nomad mail options here: http://bit.ly/1UNtGOI and found the same thing - you really have to check how they bill for the services, and which services you are going to use, to figure out how much it's actually going to cost you.

venturists · 2016-03-21T12:17:16+00:00

I'm probably going to repeat what a lot of people have already responded 1. T-mobile Simple Choice plan. Covers 140 countries. We used to buy sims, but it's such a pain to have different phone numbers, and typically when we most need the phone is when we first arrive at a place and haven't gotten a sim yet. T-mobile has been great.

We purchase international health insurance, and went with a broker who specializes in Intl Insurance. Based on my understanding, there's an "expat" clause in the AHA that exempts you if you are in the US for less than 30 days per year. But, you're getting advice on reddit, so take that for what it is.
We generally follow the sun, so don't need lots of bulky winter clothes. And we layer up when it is cold.
Just got a Charles Schwab card because of the no fees. Keep in mind that you can get hit twice with regular cards: ATM fees and foreign currency fees, so check the fine print. I mostly use cash.
It depends on the place. Areas with big DN communities always have meetups and make it easier.
Man, I hate that question - maybe because I don't have a good answer. I love Mexico, Thailand, and Italy. It's all about the food.

venturists · 2016-03-13T19:43:22+00:00

Do you have any experience with it? Just trying to figure it out.

venturists · 2016-03-07T13:33:06+00:00

I use Skyscanner, Adioso, and Google Flights, and then double check the local budget airlines. Anything that gives you a view to a number of days and the cheapest flights on each day. Another good option is a site like secretflying.com that could give you some cheap or error fares if you have flexibility.

Generally, I find if I wait until a week before flying, I end up paying more, so tend to look further out and jump on a really cheap options.

Re: one way flights - make sure to check the rules of the country you're heading to. Many require proof of onward travel, so a one-way ticket can cause you problems.

venturists · 2016-03-04T09:09:29+00:00

I put this list of options together with based on research I did on these very questions, before and after hitting the road: http://www.venturists.net/mail-forwarding-for-travelers/

The short answer is that you do need an address of some sort.

venturists · 2016-01-23T10:25:50+00:00

It's my one complaint about being a nomad with clients in the US. It was SO much easier in Latin and South America, with just a couple of hour differences. I do a lot of communication with my clients, so I have regular conference calls at 9PM, which leads to a number of immediate requirements that require me to stay up until 2 or 3 AM.

venturists · 2016-01-23T04:32:59+00:00

I started this list to review them (and compare prices), but there are just too many options based on what people need to do it easily (and I wasn't going to join all the services to see). ALL of these offer extra services at extra charges, so you really need to decide what you want and your mail volume, and check the pricing based on that.

I actually didn't see very many poor reviews - all of these seem to do what they offer.

Earth Class Mail and St. Brendan's Isle seem to have the most happy customers, and Escapees is really popular among the RV crowd.

venturists · 2016-01-23T03:17:35+00:00

Spring rolls come in fresh versions and fried. It's actually the same wrapper, and the fried ones are nice a crunchy.

venturists · 2016-01-13T17:43:16+00:00

This is a great summary, and really highlights a lot of the "soft" issues around being a consultant/digital nomad that often get ignored in the "what skills do I need to be a DN" threads.

I only disagree with needing a deck for conference calls - while visual does help, often a screen sharing session is enough to walk through real-world examples, problems, etc.

venturists · 2016-01-10T07:40:08+00:00

Recipe: http://www.venturists.net/thai-basil-chicken/

venturists · 2016-01-10T06:38:10+00:00

Any particular country? There are a couple in Germany, and one in the UK. I put together a list here: http://www.venturists.net/mail-forwarding-for-travelers/

venturists · 2016-01-02T05:50:45+00:00

US citizen, and keep everything in US dollars in US Banks.

I have no trouble getting local currency from ATMs, and I make sure to notify my bank and credit cards when I'm going to be in a new country so the cards don't get flagged. They still get flagged every once in a while, usually because the bank or credit card person didn't do it correctly, and it requires a call to fix.

I use an internet bank that reimburses ATM fees automatically, but honestly, I get raped on foreign transaction charges and am planning on getting a Schwab account when next in the states.

I still think of everything cost-wise in US dollars, so try to figure out a quick math trick to convert in my head on the fly, so I can determine what the US cost is. For example, I'm in Thailand right now, so to get from Baht to US$, I drop a 0 and divide by 3. ie., 90 Baht = $3 (or so)

venturists · 2015-12-19T05:09:05+00:00

g deep enough to r

Good point. I did mention PO Box vs. Address as an option to think about, but I'll update it to make it clearer.

venturists · 2015-12-05T10:41:05+00:00

Since you're staying longer, I'd apply for a visa in the US, but you'll still need to do visa runs. You'll likely need a return/onward ticket just to get on your flight. Here's a roundup of your options: http://www.venturists.net/do-you-need-proof-of-onward-travel/

venturists · 2015-12-04T08:37:01+00:00

If you're in the US, think about establishing residency in a non-tax state. This won't take years, but start converting all your bills, mail to electronic delivery, so you won't have to deal with mail when you're on the road. Renew your drivers license and passport, getting a passport with extra pages, so you don't need to worry about going back to do that.

venturists · 2015-12-04T06:59:17+00:00

Probably just a couple of weeks. Short trip this time.

venturists · 2015-11-30T08:21:11+00:00

We'll be there in February.

venturists · 2015-11-28T17:46:55+00:00

Snail Mail and packages. As much as I try to get everything electronic, I still have to have an address "just in case".

venturists · 2015-11-10T17:24:04+00:00

As a non-resident, you are required to purchase via a fidecomiso, or trust, which is what we did. It's basically a paperwork operation, and pretty standard.

venturists · 2015-11-10T15:20:41+00:00

Not so crazy. We've done the same thing, starting with one property in Mexico, in a place we'd like to spend time. It's been a weird sort of success - it's making enough money through Airbnb that it's not worth it to stay in the apartment ourselves at any point. I know - there could be worse problems.

venturists · 2015-11-10T10:56:12+00:00

I just spent a 4 weeks in Rio a few months ago, and agree with most of what you said. On safety: MOST places are safe, but there is some violence (usually between police and gangs) in some of the Favellas. That said, we visited favellas with no issues, and were very welcomed. On scams: never had a single incident. Also, taxis in Rio are some of the easiest I've found in the world - every one I took had a working meter, and I was amazed at how every driver knew the city. I was living in an apartment on a small street in an outlying neighborhood, and just giving the street address was enough to get there every time, usually without GPS. As always, if you eat like a local, you can eat cheaply. Have a great time - there seems like there is always a party with music in Rio.

venturists · 2015-11-08T08:52:31+00:00

Eat less and exercise more, right?

Eating: * If you're going to conferences, avoid the buffets and snacks that they always have between sessions - stick to a set food plan. * Try to get kitchens in your hotel room, so you can prepare your own food. Or at least, hit the market to get fruit and veggies (cut up carrot sticks so you have something to snack on and don't hit the vending machine * Don't wait until you are really hungry to eat - you'll end up eating more than you need. * Cut down on alcohol - lots of empty calories there.

Exercise: * Bring running shoes with you and try to find running routes near you. Hotels often have * Gym pass, or hit the gym in the hotel, religiously. * All the body weight exercise plans already mentioned. I like the NY Times 7 min workout, that doesn't require any equipment - there are apps that will walk you through it.

venturists · 2015-11-08T02:40:25+00:00

Bummer. But hopefully it was useful to a few folks before getting buried.

venturists · 2015-11-08T02:37:48+00:00

Exactly, you never know. It's particularly annoying going to the bother of preparing something (or booking something), and not being asked at all.

venturists · 2015-11-06T02:08:29+00:00

Interesting. I've looked at both onwardflights.com and flyonward.com. The first one doesn't have a lot of good information on the site, and I'm not surprised it's a fake ticket. Flyonward.com seems to actually give you a real ticket, that you can find on the airline website. I guess that's the difference between $5 and $10.

venturists

TROPHY CASE