The Reality of Full-Time?

kcmoedoe wrote:
Everyone is missing the biggest cost which is the impact a decision like this will make on their ability to earn in the future and their ability to save for retirement. Most people have a career track. The idea is you start at a low level and eventually you climb the career ladder and earn more as your skills grow. Take a 5 or 10 year hiatus from that career track and all your future earnings will likely be reduced. Also, if you take a 5 or 10 year break from contributing from IRAs and 401Ks the impact is enormous. Traveling while also continuing your career could be a wonderful decision. Dropping out of the 'ratrace", working odd jobs and generally just drifting along is going to have lifetime implications that most likely cannot be reversed should you later decide you made a bad decision.

I agree with these statements and would add that Social Security benefits are based on the long term average of earnings. Also, if one does not have 40 credits(10 yrs) of payments or meet the special requirements for younger workers, there is no eligibility for Social Security Disability payments should they be needed. Hosting for just a site will not add to the work record. (Yes, I know there are concerns about how long Social Security will be around).

The number of hours required for a free site has been mentioned, but there is often also a minimum time period of a month, months or a whole season. The combination of the two may limit the ability to earn more substantial income.

The possibility of having to pay state and local income taxes in all the locations worked has been mentioned. For the self-employed there may be business licenses or other requirements that need to be considered.

For those in the construction and other trades, there are opportunities to travel from project to project in the oil fields, road construction, plant shutdowns, etc. Some unions like the IBEW have a website to help workers find jobs around the country.

Good Luck with whatever you decide to do.