I’m a digital nomad, travelling full-time while house-sitting and building my freelance travel writing business. If you’ve ever been self-employed, you’ll understand that it’s important to try and save money wherever possible. Throw travel into the mix (and a massive appetite for eating out) and even tiny savings can add up fast.
This is my list of all the best referral codes from products and services I personally use. You’ll find promo codes for travel, banking, courses and freelance tools I rely on every day. Check back often as I will keep it updated with anything else I find.
Happy saving!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I may receive a commission if you visit a link and buy something from one of these recommendations. Purchasing via an affiliate link doesn’t cost you any extra, and I only recommend products and services I have used and trust. All opinions are my own. Please check T&Cs of each offer. For more details see my privacy policy.
Promotional codes for travel
I’m a budget traveller at heart. I’m more than happy to splurge on festival tickets, street food feasts or fancy cocktails, but there’s no way I’m paying £120 for a train when the coach is £25.
House-sitting has got to be my ultimate budget-friendly travel hack. I’ve lived rent-free since 2023 by living in strangers homes full time and looking after their pets. For the price of one night in an average hotel, you can get one year of access to house sits around the world, and be part of a community that offers far more than just free accommodation.
Here are a few promo codes for travel, and scroll down to the banking section for my second favourite travel hack…
| What? | Why? | Reward | Referral code or link |
| TrustedHousesitters -House and pet-sitting platform | Free accommodation and opportunities to look after cute pets around the world. | Get 25% off your first year. In return, I accumulate points for rewards. | https://tailblazers.trustedhousesitters.com/s/wheresems |
| National Express – cheap UK coach travel | I almost always get the coach when travelling around the UK because the trains are too expensive. | We both get 20% off. | Use this code at checkout on National Express website: REFMNXCM |
| How to Become a House Sitter eBook | Everything you need to know about house-sitting from my own experience. | Get £2 off. | Purchase here and use the code HOUSESITTING at checkout. |
Banking referral codes
Is it normal to have three bank accounts?! Actually, I think I have a Monzo somewhere too. Anyway, I’ve had virtual banks for years. Starling is my main business account and comes with £0 fees. I also use it as my main personal account.
I set up a Wise account when I worked on superyachts, so I could receive my salary in other currencies without paying expensive fees or exchange rates. Turns out, it’s come in handy for my travel writing career too as publications pay in various currencies.
And finally, my second favourite travel hack is the Revolut Metal account, which I pay for because it’s (at the time of writing) £14.99 per month and comes with incredible perks such as travel insurance, a free monthly WeWork pass, NordVPN (perfect for streaming shows in other countries), ClassPass credits, AI tools, Uber One, free ATM withdrawals and loads more. I think the perks are perfect for digital nomads, and as long as you use them, it’s incredibly good value.
Here are the banking referral codes you need to get set up:
| What? | Why? | Reward | Referral code or link |
| Revolut (Metal Plan) | So many perks such as travel insurance, monthly WeWork pass, NordVPN, ClassPass credits and more. | I get a commission if you use my affiliate link. Thank you! | https://revolut.com/referral/?referral-code=emmah5rtf!AUG1-26-AR-H3&geo-redirect |
| Wise | The account I use if I’m accepting payments in other currencies. | Free Wise card or fee-free transfer up to £500. I get £15 and we both get cheap rates. | https://wise.com/invite/ilpc/emmat470 |
| Starling (UK only) | This is my main personal and business account. | We both get £25. | Download their app and use my referral code: 1NPMZ34 |
Discount codes for various freelance tools
My freelance business expenses are less than £100, which I think is pretty darn good.
One platform I’d like to point out here is Lyrical Host. Not necessarily because it has the biggest saving, but because how brilliant they are at supporting my WordPress website – an essential part of my freelance business. Rather than using a big corporation where’s it’s impossible to speak to a human or get bespoke advice, Lyrical Host are a small, human-owned business offering a premium service at an affordable price. I will use them forever.
I don’t have a clue how to code a website (is that even the right term?!), so alongside WordPress, I use Elementor to design it. I’ve dabbled with a few similar drag-and-drop platforms, but I’ve found Elementor to be the easiest to use and customise.
For accounting, I used to always use FreeAgent and still recommend them, the only reason I switched to Xero is because they have a super basic account for non-VAT-paying businesses, which was much cheaper.
I’m obsessed with trying out CRMs (Customer Relationship Managers) and other techy, organisational things like Notion. But I’ve always come back to Dubsado. They have really nice features which allow you to create professional forms and client proposals. I also use it to manage the interviews in my Substack series, “Aren’t you afraid?”
Finally, as a travel writer, I struggled for a long time to work out how to transcribe my interview recordings. I kept signing up to free trials here and there, but I’ve finally settled on OtterAI, which very intelligently transcribes conversations as you’re having them.
Here’s a nice selection of discounts and referral codes for all the freelancing tools I use:
| What? | Why? | Reward | Referral code or link |
| Policy Bee – small business insurance | Simple and affordable insurance for my freelance business. | We both get £20. | www.policybee.co.uk/refer/bdbs-330 |
| Lyrical Host – website hosting | The best WordPress website hosting platform I’ve ever used. | Get 10% off your first hosting plan payment. I get a cash reward. | Use code WHERESEMS10 at checkout on Lyrical Host website. |
| Elementor – website design | I’ve been using Elementor for years to design my WordPress website. | I get a commission if you use my affiliate link. Thank you! | https://be.elementor.com/visit/?bta=232404&brand=elementor |
| Dubsado – CRM | I use it daily to manage my freelance clients and Substack collaborations. | You get 20% off your first year. I get $35 dollars credit. | https://dubsado.com/?c=wheresems |
| Xero – accounting | Super cheap and simple accountancy software for small business and freelancers. | They almost always have an intro offer. I get 30% commission. | https://referrals.xero.com/sngnzoyrlfk6 |
| Google Workspace – emails and cloud drive | I use the Standard plan to create booking pages, record meetings etc. | Get 10% off your first year. I earn a cash reward. | Sign up here: https://referworkspace.app.goo.gl/3sBM then use this code for Starter plan: X46Y4G63NAVEFFT or this code for Standard: H7TMNTCDNJP4J39 |
| Otter AI – transcription software | Great for travel assignments – I use it to transcribe interviews in the field. | We both get 1-month free of their Pro plan. | https://otter.ai/referrals/XFQJEQZA |
Promo codes for courses
I love to learn and have done many courses over the years. For now, the only referral code I have is for Lana Kearney’s The Content Club. Take a peek at her content on TikTok or Instagram and you’ll probably see why I signed up. She is no doubt an expert in growing social media, and her main offering, The Content Club, is perhaps the most valuable course I’ve ever taken.
For less than £60, you get lifetime access to a full (and often updated) step-by-step social media growth course in video format, access to a community of creators, monthly live masterclasses and custom content tools. Did I mention this is lifetime access for less than £60?
Whether you love it or hate it, social media is still one of the best ways to grow your freelance business.
| What? | Why? | Reward | Referral code or link |
| Lana Kearney | The best value course I’ve ever purchased. Sign up to learn how to grow and monetise TikTok and Instagram. | Get lifetime access. I get a commission if you use my affiliate link. Thank you! | https://stan.store/affiliates/5295d25c-b394-4984-a662-46692fe737a5 |
Frequently asked questions
Why should I trust you?
I’m a full‑time digital nomad, travelling mostly by house‑sitting while running a freelance travel writing business – so every tool or service I use has to earn its place in my day‑to‑day life. I only include referral codes and promo offers for things I’ve personally used and would recommend… even if there were no commission involved. Where there’s a referral or affiliate relationship, I’ve clearly labelled it and explained what we each get so you can decide if it’s right for you.
What should I do if a code doesn’t work?
If a code doesn’t work:
- Double‑check you’ve followed the instructions as I’ve written.
- Check the latest terms on the brand’s own site – sometimes there’s a minimum spend, new‑customer requirement or expiry date.
- If it still refuses to play nicely, either contact the brand’s support team or drop me a note – I’ll review and update this page as soon as I can.
Do I pay more if I use your referral codes and links?
No. In most cases, you either pay the normal price or get a discount, bonus or free month, while I receive a commission, credit or other reward at no extra cost to you. It’s a nice and easy way to support independent creators without spending anything extra.
Are there any risks or hidden catches I should know about?
Every product or service here has its own terms and conditions, which you should read carefully before signing up – especially for anything involving banking, insurance or business contracts. But again, these are all tools I personally use and recommend.
