10 Best Cities for Freelancers

Hate going into the office day in and day out and always wished for a freelancer's life? Freelancers have some coveted perks surrounding flexibility and need willpower and a go-getter attitude to keep at it in order to maintain their careers, but sometimes their location makes it difficult to get their jobs done effectively. Then there are those places throughout the world which seem to be tailor-made to suit a freelancer's lifestyle perfectly.

That's where Hoofdkraan, a Dutch freelance platform's study of over 90 countries comes in handy. If you're wondering where in the world to work as a freelancer with the best set-up for success, be it good weather, speedy internet speed, varied and plentiful workspace availability, etc., their findings using 23 ranking factors will be useful for anyone willing and able to take their work virtually anywhere. Heck, isn't that what the freelance life is all about?

Imagine consulting from a charming café in Marseille or writing essays and books beachfront in Miami. Sounds like a dream compared to trying to drown out the endless noise at your local Starbucks or staring at a bare brick wall inside a shared (and outrageously expensive) workspace cubicle.

The study's top 10 findings all seem like wonderful places to visit, and if you can maintain and grow a freelance career there too, it's a bonus beyond one's wildest imagination.

The top ten best cities as per Hoofdkraan for freelancers are as follows, with some of their biggest perks as to why they were chosen:

1.Lisbon, Portugal. Lisbon is an inexpensive place to live, the internet is fast, and it's beach-adjacent. Sounds like a freelancer's dream locale!

2.Miami, Florida, USA. Miami weather is perfect, the internet speed is like lightning, and the quality of life can't be beat. Will Smith knew what he was rapping about!

3.Seville, Spain. Warm weather, totally affordable, and fast internet speeds make Seville a freelancer's home a great place to work from. Hola amigos!

4.Las Palmas, Spain. Another Spanish location with ideal weather, beachfront workspaces, and natural beauty. If you're not distracted by the dreamy surroundings, this seems like a blissful place to work from.

5.New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. There's so much to do in New Orleans; after work, the nightlife is second to none. Plus the internet is fast and the quality of life is extraordinary.

6.Bristol, United Kingdom. The high quality of life, safe surroundings, and a variety of places for freelancers to work from make Bristol a terrific choice for those seeking to head "across the pond."

7.Marseille, France. This small city feels homey, yet the nightlife is pumping. There are lots of places for freelancers to work from, and calling France "home" is something many people have only dreamt of.

8.Bratislava, Slovakia. While not too many people have even considered Bratislava as a place to freelance from, the area's low taxes, inexpensive cost of living, and fast internet make it something to think about.

9.Vancouver, Canada. Peaceful, natural, and close to the beach. Seems like a retreat, but as long as you can get your work done, Vancouver is an ideal place for a freelancer to make a living from. Plus, "freedom of speech" was ranked as a plus by the creators of the study.

10.Porto, Portugal. Safety is important, and Porto is considered a very safe place to live. Add the area's great weather and sandy beaches, and a freelancer can do their job well while enjoying the breathtaking surroundings.

For the full list which ranked 117 cities in all, see the full report.

Are you a freelancer? Here are some tips about obtaining health insurance you may benefit from. You may also be seeking a place to work from aside from your dining room table. Consider a co-working space for a little variety and human interaction.

Have you become inspired to move to one of these top 10 best cities for freelancers? The temptation is understandable. Working freely and in a desirable location make for a dream job scenario!

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Truebill Is The App Everyone Needs, I Use It Everyday To Track All My Finances

I thought I had a pretty good handle on my finances out of school. I worked several jobs while attending university and had little to no problem managing my income. However, once I graduated, I realized how much more complicated personal accounting could really be.

There were so many variables I needed to keep track of. Biweekly bills, monthly charges, and general necessities amounted to a heap of confusing numbers that were often impossible to decipher. The funniest part was that I was actually trying to do this by hand (I don't know what I was trying to prove to myself, either).

After messing up for the 17th time, I decided to give Microsoft Excel a shot. I used Excel a bit in school and I knew all the big-wig finance people used it, so what could I possibly have to lose? The answer is about six hours of my precious time. Excel isn't much of an improvement over handwriting and it's still dependent on the user to manually input all of the information. It's like doing everything by hand with the slightest help, meaning that it still required a tremendous amount of time and concentration. Well that was all for nothing, I guess.

It's sort of funny. I was certain that I could manage my personal finances with ease, when it's practically a full-time job. I was already stressed out enough with my first job and I knew I didn't have enough time to give my finances the attention it deserved.

That's why I decided to try out a budgeting app. My best friend told me that he uses an app called Truebill to manage his finances. "What does it even mean to manage your finances?" I asked him. He told me that Truebill was the personal financial assistant I wished I could have. It could aggregate all of my account information into one place and give me specific insights and actions.

I loved the idea of having full control over my finances, especially during a time of financial uncertainty, and I realized that Truebill would be the easiest way to accomplish this. The user interface is incredibly simple and intuitive, so it doesn't even feel like a finance app! Truebill offers a multitude of features, with their most popular being the ability to cancel subscriptions with the press of a button.

Okay, I had no idea how many subscriptions I was still subscribed to. In fact, I wasn't even using a quarter of the subscription services I was signed up for. Subscription boxes, streaming services, my old gym, and even an old subscription to my favorite magazine--it was all there and I was livid. How could I let myself waste all of this money and how did I never catch this? Thank goodness for Truebill.

Truebill also offers bill negotiations. There is a 40% fee based on how much you save and Truebill even claims that there is an 85% chance that they'll be able to lower your bill once a negotiation is requested. Why wouldn't I take them up on this? There was zero risk and I would only have to pay once my bill was lowered (which means that I would be saving money regardless).

More standard features of Truebill include the ability to generate a credit report on-demand and even request a pay advance. I only used the pay advance feature once when I wanted to buy a gift for my mom, but didn't have enough cash in hand and Truebill automatically reimbursed itself when I got my next paycheck.

The credit report is another fantastic feature and practically taught me what good credit meant. Truebill's credit report basically shows you which financial decisions have the most significant impact on your credit score and ways that you can improve your credit month-over-month. I've never had such control over my credit and it feels good.

I'll be the first to admit that I was extremely naive coming out of school. I figured that as long as I was attentive, I could manage my finances with ease. We manage money to some extent throughout our entire lives, but once you're thrown out on your own, it's a completely different story. With Truebill, I've finally been able to take control over my finances and stay on top of all of my responsibilities.

Update: Our friends at Truebill are extending a special offer to our readers! Follow this link to sign-up for Truebill.

5 Reasons You Need FanDuel TVG If You Want To Get In On All The Horse Racing Action

My buddies and I always try to make it out to a game, but we never really care which one we end up at. Obviously we have our favorite sports and teams, but it was rarely about what game we went to or who we saw playing. It was about watching the game live.

In the early months of lockdown, all we had was Korean baseball, and trust me, we loved it. The only issue was, none of us had any idea what the commentators were saying. Even then, a few of my friends weren't huge fans of baseball. They were into sports like football and basketball, ones that moved at a quicker pace with less down-time in between plays.

We decided to see if there were any other events going down and came across horse racing. Yes, horse racing. It was perfect--short, fast-paced, and most importantly, an opportunity for betting.

I had never really considered watching a horse race any time other than the Belmont Stakes, but the prospects of the sport seemed exhilarating. Even better, with horse racing we knew we could still recreate the atmosphere of a race track. Salty snacks? Check. Stale beer? Check. A simple and easy way to bet? Check.

One quick Google search later, we came across TVG, powered by FanDuel. It's an online betting platform that takes you right to the heart of the action. We were a little apprehensive about using a mobile app to place our bets, but TVG's ability to bet on live horse races from all over the world was too good to pass up.

Here are 5 reasons why we are obsessed with horse racing thanks to TVG:

1. Betting has never been easier

Use your phone or computer to watch and bet on live horse races in real-time. TVG offers a bunch of features to make betting even simpler--live odds and handicapping tips leverage recent learnings to help you make your best bet. Not to mention, TVG's exclusive race content and wagering guide offers an under-the-hood look into the strategy behind horse race betting.

2. The biggest selection of horse races out there

If you're looking to drop a little dough on a horse race, chances are your best option is your local race track. But watching the same few horses races over and over again isn't the most exciting thing. With TVG you have access to over 150 tracks worldwide with races happening consistently throughout the day.

3. Get a generous sign-up offer when you place your first bet

Once you register your account, you will be eligible for a $200 risk-free bet. All you have to do is place your first bet and you're covered. If you happen to lose, TVG will insure you for up to $200 as a sort of wagering credit. I may have been a little trigger happy when placing my first bet, so having this insurance was a great perk. There are also a bunch of promotional offers available year-round.

4. Making deposits and cashing out at the touch of button

With a ton of payment options such as PayPal, BetCash, debit/credit, wire transfers, and other third-party services, making a deposit is a breeze. But what about the payout? Depending on your deposit method, your withdrawal will be available in a few days. No more waiting in-line to collect your winnings!

5. Watching live races with your friends while betting is exhilarating

Even when we were watching Korean baseball, Zoom calls with my friends were a little dull.

With TVG, we haven't had this sort of fun in months! Every weekend we'll turn on a race and throw our bets in. After a few races, and quite a few drinks, we'll tally up our winnings to see who won the most! Sometimes it's not even about making money, but just having a good time.

TVG is the perfect way to add a little excitement to an otherwise mundane afternoon. It introduced me to the world of horse racing, a sport I never would have considered otherwise.

The races just keep ramping up and thanks to TVG, I can always get in on the fun.

UPDATE: The biggest derby in horse racing is THIS WEEKEND. Get in on the action with your $200 risk-free bet!

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