WritingLadyBug...Writing A Little Bit About Almost Everything

Remote workers have a beneficial impact on the environment. Working from home saves energy and supposedly minimizes carbon footprints.   However, I'm not in full agreement with every scheme presented that claims to cause environmental destruction. Many are not a pollutant at all and quite necessary for human, animal, and plant survival. For example let's take carbon: Carbon is fundamental for all life, acting as the crucial mainstay for intricate organic molecules such as DNA, sugars and proteins, that construct and fuel living organisms on the planet. Its unique ability to form four stable bonds allows it to create the diverse and stable structures necessary for life, making it the central element in the carbon cycle, which cycles carbon atoms between the atmosphere, oceans, land, and living things.  Therefore, decreasing our carbon-footprint is more akin to destroying the planet. So w hy the big fuss about carbon footprints?  Plants use carbon dioxide (CO2) from the sun...

This post is primarily about finances and how freelancers and perhaps gig workers can manage their earnings on an international scale.  NOTE: Payment services like Twint, Cashapp, Apple Pay, etc are not included in this article. Freelancer's Digest On Currencies and Getting Paid I've linked to four articles that provide invaluable information on steps freelancers can take to receive and secure payments and how to go about managing currencies in order to receive the best rate for your work.  1.   How to Receive International Payments as a Freelancer provides valuable tips about receiving payments while working-from-home. Various headlines within the article focus on accepting international payments and its challenges, choosing a payment provider, international payment solutions, and more. 2.  Cross-Currency Billing When Freelancing For International Clients is another piece focusing on freelancers and how to take the stress out of multi-currency invoicing. The arti...

I decided to keep some of the original content of this post from 2022 in order to make a comparison of the changes that have taken place in the last few years. That being said, the beginning of this article identifies more with 2022 with relative info dedicated to 2025 and beyond later in this write-up. If you want to skip 2022 go directly to 2025  HERE.

  It's no secret that many freelancers struggle with budgeting due to the variability of their income. Not only that, prices are consistently changing in all facets of life such as food, rent, gas, utilities, etc. It doesn't matter how much you earn because in most instances, as a freelancer, your money usually comes in waves. One month you're making a certain amount, the next month or week it's another. Sometimes your income is substantial for a few months suddenly followed by a huge dip in revenue.  Having a fluctuating income comes with a freelancer's territory. However, many of us like the idea of  controlling how much money we earn even if it varies, as long as it remains at a certain amount. There are advantages to earning a flexible income while freelancing.   Freelancing allows you to  charge the amount that you deem fit for your work. Instead of the company or individual offering to pay only a certain amount. Of course you can negotiate, but the ball is...

Being a traveling remote worker i.e. digital nomad certainly has its perks. It's a dream gig that many would love to have. Setting your own hours, deciding when and how much you want to work, along with traveling the world is truly living your best life. Still, there are challenges you should be aware of. Especially during these times when there world appears chaotic.  For example, time zones. Usually when you're working on an assignment there's a deadline. Think about it . If you're in Bali and your client is in California, that's a 15-hour time difference. Yikes! That's almost equivalent to an entire days' difference. The scenario would go something like this: "Yes, I apologize, I know the completed assignment was due on Wednesday, I thought today was Tuesday, but it's Thursday. I'll send everything to you ASAP." Not a good look! Therefore, you must be extremely proficient in time management as a traveling remote worker in order to be ...

Lately, there's been a drastic increase in the number of people freelancing and taking advantage of the gig-economy. Because of this huge shift and inability to find stable employment, many college grads are jumping on board like never before. According to a recent study roughly 70% of college grads do gig work. With many using this new way of working as their primary or supplementary means of making money.  So the important question is : Are College Degrees Still Relevant? A College Degree Is An Old Idea All things considered the answer is yes and no. Especially with the new generation of youngsters who are drowning in student loan debt and finding that their degrees are...well...useless. In fact, the unemployment rate for new college grads is more than the overall population in some places like in the U.S. where many are underemployed. In other words, recent grads are working in jobs that require no college degree of any kind. The article The Future of Work Won't Be About Co...

  Initially, I was weary about setting up a VPN (Virtual Private Network) on my computer. Then a situation arose that made me promptly decide that VPN software is a must...and I was right!  First I accepted a free trial period and realized that VPNs are not simply glorified widgets. This technology is just as important as computer antivirus software and malware detectors. Funnily enough, the trial included all the perks of the most expensive plan. I chose a cheaper plan and it's sufficient for what I need at the moment. So far, so good.  Why You Should Use A VPN Configuring a VPN service on your computer in no way means that you are a criminal or up to something nefarious; however, due to consistent oversight - like tracking your every online move - our civil liberties have literally vanished. Therefore, you need to protect yourself. Not only that, maybe you want to watch a certain podcast that is restricted in your region. A virtual-private-network will take care of tha...