I've Been There:

I was living in Vietnam, 2012-2017. I've visited Cambodia twice during visa runs. I was teaching English. I had my own apartment a few times in Saigon. Other times, stayed at hotels and hostels.

Drunk Disaster

One time, my students got me drunk. I was throwing up in a hostel and some European guys didn't like it and got me kicked out. That was around November of 2015. After that, I was unable to extend my visa in December.

Sleeping at Coffee Shops

Then, would sleep at coffee shops over night for two years until I was able to make a visa extension. After that, went back to America. So, I say that to say that I know it can be tough.

Time is Money

I spend a lot of time writing too. Yeah, so, I agree, a bit of compensation helps. I joined Steemit in 2017 and started making some money then. A few bucks here and there. I used some of my Bitcoin to buy a plane ticket for my trip back to the United States in 2017.