The state thing is not a big deal if you move to another state and wrap up your relationship with the high tax state first. If you go abroad directly, then like you said it might be more difficult for you to prove that you moved to the low tax state.

I’m doing something similar and I have family in a zero income tax state which I lived in briefly before going abroad.

No, I have a US address (in a zero income tax state) that is my address for tax purposes. None of my income is foreign so it doesn’t make sense for me to take FEIE. I would get audited so hard lol

I know more than a few people who DN and work nights. It can be worth it

My day job is a fully remote middle management finance role at an American insurance co and my total comp is over $250K (10-15 YoE). I also own a portfolio of websites in the travel/lifestyle niche with EBITDA approaching 5 figures/month. Def not ready to quit my day job but hopefully there soon!

I’m not sure what the usual DN makes but many who I’ve talked to about finances have multiple sources of income or some level of self-employment income, so I’ve always felt like DNs do pretty well on average.

Oh and I’m also paying a stupid amount of taxes to the US gov’t even though I’m hardly in the states at all. However, DN is a must for me… I’m in my mid-30s and want to settle down, but I don’t like American women so I’m traveling around Asia trying to find a wife lol