At first, I was going to research my topics in the order I listed them:
-toilet/black water
-running water/grey water
-heating/cooling (winterizing)
-cooking
-refrigeration
-laundry
-power/lighting
-security
-internet
-cell phone service
-income
So, I began diving into water research...however, a more pressing matter came up; income. It required immediate attention, and temporarily pulled me away from Steemit once again.
I was notified by my client that if I couldn’t bring my stats up, I’d lose my contract. I work from home using a virtual call center platform, Arise Virtual Solutions, taking calls for clients to book appointments and retain customers who wish to cancel their contract (hence needing to learn contract law and structure, each customer contract is unique). Since I had been working very little lately, my stats were suffering. There’s been a lot of small changes since I last worked full time, and I haven’t been practicing them on a regular basis. I needed to buckle down and re-train myself in every aspect of my job. I also needed to boost my hours significantly, in order to bring my stats to a satisfactory level and begin to save for our trailer. So between the added hours and work related research, home educating and family time, I haven’t had the extra time in the past few weeks to work on my writing or researching for this project.
I dreaded having to pause my research and re-train myself, because in about a year’s time I’d need to resign; I was told we needed a landline telephone and hard wired internet connection in order to pass the security check to access the platform. With the sudden pressure to dedicate my time to my job instead of my research, I started thinking that there must be a way to continue my job on the road, so I spoke to my contractor. I asked her if there’s any jobs where I won’t have to be on the phone so I can work on the road...and she told me that I should be able to work with wireless devices! It just needs to be secure and stable, so I’d need to have commercial or business plans for my internet and phone. It would be quite a bit more expensive to maintain, but definitely worth it if I can keep my job! YESSS! Such a relief!
Before all this, I was keeping an eye out for alternative nomadic income streams, just casually jotting down notes as ideas came up, so that I could get right down to business when I wrote up my income research at the end. Since I’m doing it now, I thought I’d let you all know about this gem of a website that I found, workamper.com. It really seems promising...It connects travellers with employers who actually want nomads! Employers who are members want people for temporary work, they don’t mind if you bring the kids, and don’t care that you don’t have a permanent address in their area. They will often provide a place for you to park and set up camp as well. Mind you, I haven’t actually tested this site out, but that is what I’ve read about it, so it’s definitely worth saving for later!
Now, I know there’s a lot of folks who run their own home business. Heck, it’s something I want to do, eventually....but for now, I really don’t need, or want all that extra work on my plate. But while I was researching the best way to take my job on the road, I found stuff that would help anyone running a home business to be able to run it where ever they want! So I’ll lay out my plan here. (Ok, so this is actually turning into a combination “income, internet and phone service” article, but I guess they all need to fall under the same category for a nomad....)
Mobile Internet
The first issue that came up, was the fact that this job uses a lot of data. I checked my usage, and it averages about 4-6 GB a day! Mobile data plans seem to only offer up to 10 GB, maybe 20 GB, per month! Bell seems to have a plan that might work, but it’s crazy expensive, not to mention the fact that it’s Bell....a large corporation that I have no interest whatsoever in supporting. So what do I do?
Well, I actually found something!
(By the way, I am definitely not using any affiliate links in this article, just referencing for your convenience. Feel free to look them up yourselves!)
Tbaytel offers a mobile internet hub that you can take anywhere in Canada. With the base plan “10 GB Data Flex Plan”, I can easily work when and how often I need to, no matter where I am, with peace of mind about my bills. It starts at $60/month for 10 GB, and it has an “Auto Flex” feature, which raises your cap and price only as you need it:
Auto Flex up to 20GB @ $75.00
Auto Flex up to 50GB @ $100.00
Auto Flex up to 75GB @ $120.00
Auto Flex up to 100GB @ $140.00
Auto Flex up to 150GB @ $160.00
Auto Flex up to 200GB @ $180.00
5¢/MB if over 200GB
Currently, we stream documentaries, movies and shows, download seasons, download games, and sometimes stream music or educational videos all day as a background subconscious learning tool. We never even hit 180 GB on our worst months, and that’s over 5 years of usage! So the biggest bill to expect wouldn’t be more than $180...working just 3.5 hours a week pays for that. Definitely worth it! As an added bonus, the company is independently owned and operated. Score for the moral conscience!
What about the hub? Tbaytel offers their Rocket Hub for mobile internet. They give you 2 options:
Option 1:
$0 with a 2 year term.
Option 2:
$239.99 to buy outright.
I don’t like having termed contracts, so I need to plan and save to purchase this. However, I won’t leave the term off the table, because we do plan to be on the road for a couple of years, so it wouldn’t be so bad if we can’t afford it.
Phone Service
This is a big one. My phone needs to work, no matter what! It’s not just my job, either, but personal life, too. We’ll have children on the road in foreign places to us...plus we don’t want to lose contact with family and friends.
Currently I use Freedom Mobile for cellular service. In ways, it sucks...but in other ways, it’s good. They have some nice data plans in which I don’t need to worry at all about data usage when I’m not on wifi. I can do what I want and always be under the cap. Plus it has unlimited anytime calling to anywhere in Canada and the U.S for $50/month pay as you go. Unfortunately, Service is down quite often “for maintenance” forcing it into roaming. They also don’t have a wide coverage area. Just outside my town, for example, I have no service. It’s quite frustrating. It’s just not reliable enough to take on the road...but good for now while I’m stationary.
On the other hand, though, I did find something I’m planning on switching to very soon; Public Mobile. It seems to have the best coverage, and for a cheap price. I’ll let you all know how it goes once I’ve had it for a few months, it looks promising!
Oh, and for those occasions when coverage just doesn't work perfectly, there are 4G cell phone boosters that boost cellular signal when you need it, supposedly giving you signal when you have none. There's a few different types of boosters, but I'll delve into that detail when I'm closer to needing it. For now, it's good just knowing about the potential problem and possible solution.
Grasshopper is another goodie I stumbled across. It’s VOIP phone service that you can forward to any existing phone line. It gives you a vanity toll-free (1-800) number, with unlimited minutes for $29 a month. With this, anyone can call me and accept my calls at no cost....making it much easier to communicate with everyone!
There....
Now I can be confidant about my income and communication needs being met. Of course, I'd much rather not have a constant wireless signal, but necessity is definitely there for now.
One day, I will do away with wireless signals for good.
**This article is part of a series of our research and thought processes on switching to a mobile tiny home and traveling the country on a tight budget. If you'd like to see the rest, check the tag "mooretravellers", otherwise, here are the links to my previous articles:
•Hello Again Steemit, I'm Back! May 28, 2018
•Why Choose a Mobile Tiny Home? May 29, 2018
•What Type of Tiny Home May 31, 2018
•Starting a Research Plan June 1, 2018
•Toilet and Waste Management June 3, 2018