If you’ve landed on this article, you’re already ahead of most of your peers—you understand that your thoughts can make or break your dreams. Recognizing this is a crucial first step in learning how to overcome limiting beliefs about money and move confidently toward your dream life as a digital nomad.

This article will guide you in overcoming money limiting beliefs so you can become the best digital nomad version of yourself.

Personally, one of the biggest beliefs I had to overcome was thinking I had to somehow deserve or justify even the smallest amount of money I was to receive. That belief was closely followed by the thought that financial success is for “other people,” not me.

What about you?

Here’s the thing—if we don’t learn how to reframe limiting beliefs about money, we set ourselves up to fall short of our financial goals. This means neglecting our potential to achieve financial freedom: the freedom of choice, time, and location that is the essence of the digital nomad lifestyle.

As a digital nomad, it’s imperative to recognize and shift your perspective on money. This article will explore some of the most common limiting beliefs about money, show you how to overcome them, and provide actionable steps to create wealth in your life.

What are Limiting Beliefs About Money? (and how to break free)

A limiting belief about money is a thought mistaken for a fact, which then shapes your actions and how you perceive reality.

That’s right. 

You shouldn’t believe all your thoughts. Some are factually true, others are just opinions. Some thoughts empower you, while others are disempowering and outright incorrect.

Limiting beliefs about money are not facts—they are opinions, often internalized from our upbringing, societal norms, or the media. Limiting beliefs of entrepreneurs, especially digital nomads, frequently come from cultural conditioning about wealth, success, or deservingness.

Once you accept that not all beliefs are facts, you can begin to remove limiting beliefs and shift your mindset. This is key to achieving a financial freedom mindset and moving past the limitations you may have unconsciously set for yourself.

Defining Financial Freedom for Digital Nomads: More Than Just Money

According to Money Fit, financial freedom means having enough income, savings, and investments to live the life you desire, without depending on a traditional job.

For digital nomads, this concept expands to include the freedom to work from anywhere, choose your own hours (or choose not to work at all), and afford the lifestyle you’ve always envisioned.

When it comes to how to overcome limiting beliefs about money as a digital nomad, we’re not just talking about money itself. We’re also addressing whether you believe you deserve to create the life you want. It’s a conversation about self-worth, fear of rejection from family or mentors, and the worry, “What if it doesn’t work out?”

These fears are all deeply connected to money mindset beliefs. For example, under the belief, “If I create a life where I can travel full-time, my family will reject me,” lies the deeper belief: “I don’t deserve to make more money than I do now.”

Let’s dive deeper into the disempowering beliefs that might be holding you back from becoming the best digital nomad version of yourself.

Read also: Blueprint to Creating a Location-Indepenent Business

How to Overcome Limiting Beliefs about MOney as a Digital Nomad

I have to first save all my money before I can become a digital nomad.

Now, I’m not saying you should quit your job on a whim and pray for the best.

But you’ve got to see that this idea is fact-less. If your plan is to save a certain amount of money before you take the plunge—how much are we talking? And, what are you basing that number on?

Have you researched the cost of living in places like Ubud or Vietnam? (Spoiler: I live comfortably by the beach in Da Nang for about $800 a month.)

Are you saving as a way to procrastinate, or do you have a clear timeline? It’s great to have a rainy-day fund, and I recommend it, but without clarity on what you need and when, saving can just be an excuse that holds you back from diving into your freedom-based lifestyle.

For those looking to become a digital nomad without trading time for money, focus on building the financial habits that support your goals, not delay them.

I need a lot of money to be a digital nomad: I first need to build my business to $XX.

As a six-figure coach living in Da Nang for $800 a month, let me break it to you: You can live well in many digital nomad hotspots for much less than you think.

What does this mean for your entrepreneurial journey? It means you can reinvest your income into accelerating your business growth—whether that’s hiring top-notch coaches, expanding your reach, or building long-term wealth.

Would I be able to do this if I were paying $4,000 for rent in LA? Not so much.

So, no—you don’t need to hit six figures before you start traveling.

It’s all about aligning your lifestyle with your current business income and creating a plan for growth.

I personally recommend building up steady income before you start to travel and than arranging your travel plans around your business for fast and aligned success.

I don’t have the skills to make money online

Here’s what I know about you: Right now, you know how to read, listen to a podcast, and you likely are getting some sort of a paycheck.

If that is true for you, you’ve already got the foundation to learn whatever you need to start making money online.

You can easily find resources to help you build skills—whether that’s designing a website, learning about taxes, or following digital nomads like me for tips on creating a location-independent business. If you’re stuck, I suggest doing these three things:

1. List what you’re good at—what do people ask you for help with regularly?
2. Clarify which skills you believe you need and commit time to learning them.
3. Immerse yourself in what successful digital nomads are doing.

Transform this belief into, ” can easily learn all skills I need to make money online and I likely already have about 90% of what I need.”

I’m not ready, but I’d like to be a digital nomad one day

Honestly, this is one of the most frquent comments I get on my articles. Lovingly, I call BS. “One day” isn’t a date on your calendar. What exactly do you need to be ready? Break it down. Ask yourself:

• What do I need to be ready?
• What do I need to do to get myself ready?
• Do I even want this lifestyle?

Chances are, you’re more ready than you think, and your hesitance is rooted in fear: fear of failure, fear of success, or fear of disapproval.

When you dig into what’s behind this belief, you can start taking small, strategic steps toward becoming a digital nomad right now.

This resource will help you recognize your gifts and create a plan towards your nomad business:

I don’t have money to invest in learning new skills

Here’s another way how to overcome limiting beliefs about money: Ask youself how you can make the belief untrue. Combat it!

If you say, “I don’t have the money,” I challenge you to ask: Is that really true? Are you not setting aside money for things you really want? What’s stopping you from creating the funds you need?

What would it take to create the money you need to learn this new skill? And do you really need money in the first place, or can you, instead, set aside time and learn for free on YouTube?

The truth is, you can create wealth if you’re willing to change how you think about money. Start by considering what you can sacrifice or change in order to invest in yourself.

And remember, not all education requires money. YouTube, blogs, and podcasts are free resources that can teach you almost anything you need to know about starting a freedom lifestyle online business.

Money isn’t the issue. It’s your belief around it that limits you. “The real shift is this: Money is abundant and can always be created. What are you willing to do to expand your financial means?”

Making money online is hard and most I will never succeed at it

Here’s the shift: Making money online is easier than ever before. Those who succeed are the ones who charge based on the results they create, not the hours they put in.

If you view clients the way you viewed your old boss, you’re already setting yourself up for failure. As an entrepreneur, your value lies in helping people create results, whether it takes you an hour or a month.

That’s the mindset shift you need to succeed in the online space.It’s not the online space that makes you fail or succeed, it’s your approach to it.

I Can’t Afford to Become a Digital Nomad

Said with love: What does that even mean?

Review the section about creating financial wealth as a digital nomad, and then tell me: what does it mean to not be able to afford to become a digital nomad?

And is this simply a fact about your life? Or are you going to do something about it?

Once you understand the financial realities of digital nomad hotspots like Chiang Mai or Ubud, you’ll realize that becoming a digital nomad isn’t as expensive as you think.

If you feel like you can’t afford it, I challenge you to do your homework. Figure out what it costs to live in different cities, start saving a little more, and hire a coach to guide you on how to make money from anywhere.

Successful digital nomads are those that figure out how to trade their expertise for money while traveling. If we can do it, so can you!

Remember, don’t believe your thoughts!:)

Once [I saved X, the kids are older,…] I can be a digital nomad

Did you know that “once” is not an actual date on the calendar? Shocking, I know. Here’s the trick to overcoming this limiting belief about money: You need a plan to eliminate “once” altogether.

If you have kids, start creating money online right now. This way, you can begin taking longer trips with the family during summer breaks while still earning.

If you haven’t started yet, it’s time to ask yourself—why not? Start making money online already! The opportunity isn’t going to just happen by itself.

What’s your “one day”? Can you turn it into tomorrow? Ask yourself why you feel the need to wait. Dig into what’s holding you back from creating the freedom-based lifestyle you dream of. It’s time to stop waiting and start planning.

I’m not lucky or born into money

Most of us aren’t. Simple as that.

Here’s how to overcome this limiting belief about money: Start looking for and focusing on the “lucky” things in life. I personally do this through a daily gratitude practice. It forces me to see where I’m being supported, where things align, and how opportunities work out in my favor.

The more you focus on these lucky moments, the more productive you’ll be, and the more opportunities you’ll see and pursue. It’s this intentional focus that helps me (and many others) design a new reality.

Ask yourself—do you believe you can shift your reality?

If you’re waiting for a magic wand to make everything fall into place, you’ll be disappointed. But when you choose to focus on what is working, you’ll take another step closer to living a financially free, location-independent life.

Being rich makes me a bad person

And who decided that? YOU!

This limiting belief often stems from upbringing. If your parents made negative comments about “rich people” growing up, you might believe that if you become wealthy, you’ll turn into someone they don’t like. Or worse—someone they don’t love.

The media doesn’t help either. We constantly see stories about wealthy people tied to scandals or tax evasion, reinforcing the idea that being rich equals being bad.

But here’s the truth: In my years working in fundraising for arts organizations across the U.S., I met some of the most caring, genuine people who also happened to be wealthy. People that would hand me a five or six figure check at the end of a lovely convesation that changed me from the ground up.

Here’s another fact—money amplifies what’s already there.

If you’re a good person, money will help you do more good. If you don’t know how to manage your wealth, more money won’t come with an instruction manual.

So, ask yourself: What values do you live by? How could having more money amplify the positive impact you already make in the world?

I know everything about money already

Letting yourself mistake this thought as fact is quite limiting, actually. Nobody knows everything about anything. Besides, if you’re not in the financial situation you want to be in, clearly there’s more to learn.

Instead of clinging to this thought, ask yourself: What do I need to learn, do, or unlearn to get closer to my desired financial situation?

Likely, you’ll end up seeking a lot of books and podcasts, so here are a few I recommend:

• I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
• Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker
• Overcoming Underearning by Barbara Stanny
• Networth and Chill podcast by Vivian Tu
• Financial Feminist podcast by HerFirst100K

I don’t deserve to be wealthy / happy / follow my dreams

This limiting belief needs to be explored from multiple angles. Start with curiosity—why do you believe this? Who told you that you’re not deserving? How do you know it’s true?

This mindset often affects every area of your life. Do you believe you’re not worthy of love or happiness? Do you constantly stay busy because you think you don’t deserve a break until you’re even more productive?

When I work with clients on this belief, we dig into their past—examining how they were raised—and begin shifting their relationship with money and success. You deserve to live a life of freedom and happiness, and overcoming this belief is key to unlocking that potential.

Your actions: create Financial Freedom through abundant actions as a digital nomad

Now that you’ve unearthed and learnt how to overcome limiting beliefs about money, it’s time for some real-world action steps to create wealth.

Remember, your mindset lays the groundwork, but action is what builds the house. Some people get stuck in money mindset work and never move beyond it—that’s another limiting belief to look out for.

Don’t be that person! You need both: mindset work and action, one step at a time.

Here’s where you can begin:

Start Now, Plan Later

Do you know ho0w to overcome limiting beliefs about money fastest? By doing.

Specifically, one of the best ways to kick “once… then” thinking to the curb is to start right away. Got a goal in mind? Go for it!

Entrepreneurship is messy, and the perfect strategy isn’t born from endless planning—it’s born from letting yourself fail and learn from it.

Take the plunge. Get messy. Fail, learn, and keep going.

Transform your Environment (Hold a BIG vision)

If your dream is to become a digital nomad, chances are it’s bigger than what most people around you are aiming for. Time to surround yourself with like-minded people who match your vision.

You can start by listening to podcasts, reading blogs like this one, and joining online communities (Facebook groups, etc.).

Then, put your money where your mouth is and join a digital nomad community—maybe even mine. Surround yourself with those living your dream or working toward it, and watch how it accelerates your own journey.

Create a Budget

I used to think living on a budget was a poor-man’s thing to do, but here’s the truth: the wealthiest people and businesses? They all have a budget!

(Debunking another limiting belief, right?!)

Creating and living on a budget actually allows you to move towards financial freedom so much faster. This is beause it facilitates a space wherein you’ll automatically track (and thus save) all of your expenses and income.

A budget helps you set aside money for your priorities and save money on things that aren’t a priority.

Create and SAVE Money

Learning how to make money in a scalable way is the first step. But now, you need to reduce your expenses, save more, and invest strategically so your money can multiply.

If you’re just earning and spending, you’ll stay stuck in a paycheck-to-paycheck cycle.

Start by investing 5% of your income and saving 10%, post-taxes. Once you’ve built your “rainy day” fund, channel extra funds into investments. I also recommend getting into the habit of donating at least 5% of your earnings.

Moving to a country with a lower cost of living can help speed up your journey to becoming a digital nomad while growing your business. By cutting your expenses, you can increase both your savings and investments.

Lastly, make sure you have the right financial systems in place to automate your savings and investments as a digital nomad.