Hello! Today I have a guest post from Dave at The Dollar Blogger. Dave lost his job, and two weeks later his wife was laid off. This is their story of how they coped, the sacrifices they made, the strategies they used, and what they learned.

I’ll be candid — I’m not someone who practices extreme frugality. I wouldn’t call myself frivolous, at least not anymore, but in 2012 my wife Mary and I were hit with a harsh dose of reality when we lost all of our income within two weeks. One wrong decision followed by a layoff turned our combined income of roughly $100,000 a year into zero.

In this article I’ll share that frightening financial episode, how we navigated it successfully, and how we rebuilt our financial footing.

We also learned lasting lessons about money that can help anyone facing a sudden and total loss of income.

Ultimately, we lived on $2,000 a month for just over three years.

Related content:

• How We Paid Off $100,000 of Debt on a Single Income
• How We Paid off $266,329.01 in 33 Months
• How Amanda Paid Off $133,763 In Debt in 43 Months

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“Your life sounds like so much fun. You’re so lucky that you get to live an extraordinary life.”

That’s a phrase I often hear as I travel full-time and work as a digital nomad.

But it’s not only luck.

A few years ago I never imagined I would be living this way. I didn’t expect to be my own boss or to spend months at a time exploring new places. It’s surprising how much can change in a short period of time.

This life feels extraordinary to me, but everyone has their own definition of what an extraordinary life looks like.

No matter how you define it—whether you want to travel, retire early, launch a business, build a homestead, volunteer, or pursue something else—you can make it happen.

An extraordinary life can take any shape you choose.

All you need to do is aim for it and take the first steps toward it.

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Are you searching for the best freelance jobs?

Freelancers run their own businesses and contract their services to companies or individual clients. For tax purposes they are typically independent contractors.

Freelancing has become a major part of the workforce — for example, Upwork’s Freelance Forward study reports more than 60 million freelancers in the United States, roughly 39% of the workforce.

Freelance work can be either one-off gigs or long-term contracts. Many of today’s best freelance jobs allow remote work, so you can work from home, while traveling, or anywhere with a reliable internet connection. Occasionally, clients may require on-site work.

The freedom to work from any location is one of freelancing’s biggest advantages. It gives you flexibility to travel, balance family time, or design a schedule that fits your life. Many freelancers travel the world and work entirely from a laptop.

Another major perk is the ability to set your own hours. While you must meet client deadlines and maintain quality, freelancing often allows flexible schedules that make it an excellent side job for people balancing full-time work, school, or parenting.

If you want location and time freedom, here are some of the best freelance jobs to consider.

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