11 Ways to Make Money Traveling
so you can travel forever
“Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.”
-Norman Vincent Peale
A common misconception about traveling is that you have to be rich to do it which just isn’t true. But it is true that you have to be rich OR creative to make it happen. I grew up on a gravel road outside Hastings, Nebraska about as far from being ‘rich’ as one can get. My family is as blue collar as they come. After college I decided I wanted to see the world and knew the only way that was possible was to find ways to make money while traveling. Back in 2013, there were far fewer travel bloggers, Instagram was barely a thing, and the knowledge that is everywhere today was much harder to come by.
I know when most people think about traveling they don’t think about working. They want to go from location to location without a care in the world, with no pressure or stress other than ‘will I make my next flight’ or ‘which bar should I go tonight”.
But that isn’t reality for 99% of people who want to travel. Most of us don’t come from well off families. Most of us don’t have a trust fund or tens of thousands of dollars in the bank. Which means that if you seriously want to travel you’re going to wait and save up a good amount of money (something I didn’t have the patience for) or you have to figure out how to make money while traveling – which honestly, if you really want to travel- isn’t as hard as you think.
Knowing you have some type of income while traveling will allow you to travel for a longer time and fund your trip by using your skills, time, or volunteering somewhere during your travels. Have you ever heard of money traveling before? Most people love to travel, but not everyone is fortunate to travel for months on end and make money unless you are an influencer or a killer travel blog writer.
But even we had to start somewhere…
If you want to not only stretch your dollars while traveling but also make money while abroad there are ways to money traveling that will help you do things you want to do or extend your trip longer than you had initially planned.
Below I have put together a list of 11 ways to make money while traveling and explore the world without worrying about your budget.
Ways To Make Money Traveling
Before we get started, it’s important to understand that HOWEVER you decide to make money while traveling will cost you something- whether it be your time, flexibility in your schedule, or missing an activity you really wanted to do . No different than being at home, when you’re abroad, no one will just give you money to sit around and do nothing. The first thing I tell everyone who wants to start a travel blog is how much work it is,
Regardless of which option below you think fits your style and skills best, there will be days you’d rather be at the beach or sleeping in, but instead you’ll have to do the thing that is paying for you to have the life you want in a destination you previously only dreamed of.
That said, over the past 10 years, I’ve had some weird jobs- I’ve worked on a cruise ship in the South Pacific, Au Paired two children, taught English in Europe, and bartended in Australia, While they were all a lot of work, each job was totally worth it because it gave me an income (or free flights) to see the world. I would not have been to 40 countries by my 26th birthday if I hadn’t worked while I traveled.
Without further ado, here are these 11 ways to make money traveling.
Teach English abroad (TESL)
Are you fluent in English? If yes, then teaching English is one of the most demanding jobs all across the globe. Teaching a foreign language is a great way to earn good money, and if you are a native speaker, there are great opportunities for you at school to be hired.
Moreover, you can increase your work chances by taking a TEFL course and getting certified and becoming an English expert.
But it’s there aren’t jobs just for English speakers out there. If you speak languages like Spanish or German you may have to ask the locals about any Spanish or German institute and ask them about any job opportunities there.
Freelancing Online
Why not become a digital nomad? Freelancing is the easiest online method to choose from this list of 11 ways of money traveling. From around the world, a lot of clients are needing different kinds of jobs online. You have to apply in the desired area and demonstrate your skill in that particular area.
In the beginning, you might find it quite difficult as you don’t have much experience, or a proven track record. But as time goes by and you do work at a high level, your profile gains positive feedback, you will be able to find consistent work and the better the feedback the more you can charge!
From around the world, a lot of clients are needing different kinds of jobs online.
If you have skills in writing, editing, social media, video, translating, data entry, animation, research, or really anything you can get set up on Fiverr and start freelancing right away.
Publish an Ebook
How about putting in a lot of effort up front and getting paid every month? Yes, writing an ebook is the simplest way to make that happen.
But how do you write an Ebook? You can write anything you know well or even fictional. To increase your sales, I’d recommend researching and then writing an ebook on a rare niche topic that is less competitive. Once you finish the ebook, you’ll want to spend time each month publishing and promoting it.
If you are successful, it will add up to a decent amount without doing much additional work. After getting some positive reviews, you’ll be able to sit back and relax using the money being made by the Ebook to travel around the world a. Publishing an Ebook is the most productive method among all 11 ways to make money traveling.
Make Money On The Road
But what if someone is not good at English (not great at teaching others) and also doesn’t have any other talent then? Well, you may have to get a bit more creative! You can still make money on the road. You can start delivering packages and become a delivery person. If you’re driving to your next destination, why not make some money traveling by bringing packages along with your and delivering them along the way?
A lot of people want to send stuff to their loved ones but don’t trust cargo services. Plus, you can charge depending on the size of the package or the distance you cover.
On the other hand, if you don’t want to be burden with delivering packages, you can always join Uber Eats or DoorDash and deliver food door to door. Doing something is better than doing nothing and trust me, every dollar earned helps.
Do Seasonal Work
Another great travel job is to pick a location and seasonal work. If you plan to stay longer for a month, try to find some seasonal work. There is a lot of work in the field, and farmers are always looking for someone to help out. I have a lot of friends who in order to extend their working holiday visa in Australia went to work at an organic farm for two months.
You can pick fruit or vegetables in the field or sell them at the market. Similarly, you can become a dive instructor in summers and a ski instructor in winters. It all depends on the location and which activities it offers throughout the year.
The best thing about seasonal jobs is they will provide you with accommodation and at least one meal each day. So you can save even more money allowing you to often times only work part of the year and travel the rest of it. You can set your rates through negotiation but be ready for more physical work if you plan to earn more than decent pay.
How can you find seasonal work? Pick where you are going and do what I do- Google ” Seasonal jobs in ______” and you will end up finding few local websites offering seasonal work.
Work on a Cruise Ship
I may be a bit biased, but out of the 11 ways to make money traveling in this blog, working on a cruise ship may be my favorite. This was my first travel job and to this day is my favorite. Getting a job on a cruise ship isn’t super difficult (at least pre-COVID-19), and it’s a GREAT way to see the world.
Not only does it give you a way to see a variety of different places while on board, but it gives you the opportunity to make great life long friends. Working with people on a cruise ship will be different than any other job you’ve ever had. You’re with the other crew members 24/7. You’re not just coworkers and friends, you become family. Past that, your food is provided, as is your airfare and other transportation expenses to get you to/from the ship.
One down side, is there isn’t a lot of flexibility in this role. You go where the ship goes and work when they tell you to work (which will be some long days). That said, I was able to explore the South Pacific (Fiji, New Caledonia, Australia, Isle of the Pines, etc) and save up over $7,000 in 6 months which I used to backpack Europe.
Make Things To Sell
If you know how to make jewelry pieces with shells, stones, or other crafts, consider taking some of your creations with you when you travel and selling them.
You can sell your hand crafted items at a local market, to an independent store, or even to your fellow travelers which will allow you to make money traveling and extend your trip!
Offer Your Services at a Hostel
Hostels are a great place not only to stay but also to make extra money. Fellow travelers staying at hostels are open to new ideas. You can sell things like clothes, cook food for them or offer your services like showing them around the city, ironing their clothes, helping them clean for a week or so.
Again it depends on which talent you have and how well you communicate with others. It’s an excellent chance to meet new people and enhance your traveling experience.
If offering services to other travelers isn’t your thing, you can also reach out to the hostel to work for them. A lot of hostels will trade a free place to stay if you’re willing to pick up a few shifts a week. Typical responsibilities include: checking people in when they arrive, cleaning the common areas, and answering questions or giving location tips to any of the guests.
Sell Things Online
Another option to make money traveling, is to sell things you discover while traveling online. It could be anything you have found on your trip or your handmade products (which are always in demand).
If you’re traveling to cheap places, buy cool things from the local market and sell them online (for a nice profit). You can sell through your own website or register yourself at an already popular shopping platform and start selling your goods there.
Rent Your Home
You can also earn money while you travel by putting things you already own to best use. If you are lucky enough to own a home you can leverage the space to make money while you are traveling since you won’t be using it. Depending on how long you’ll be gone, you can list your house on different platforms such as Airbnb, Vrbo, (short term rental) or Craigslist (long term rental) in order to make extra money while you are traveling.
Rent Your Car
Again if you have a car and you are not going to use it. Then why not give your car keys to someone who is looking for a vehicle. Renting your car is better than leaving it in the garage or parking at the airport.
Rent your car on sites like Turo or GetaRound® and enjoy traveling around the world and make money both at the same time. Using things you already have or own is one of the smartest ways you can make money from while traveling.
House Sitting
Another way to make money while traveling is to house sit. House sitting will save your accommodation charges. by trading a free place to stay in exchange for taking care of someone else’s property and/or pets. House sitting is pretty simple to get into.
If this seems like your thing- check out sites like Nomado, House Sitters America, or MindMyHouse. All you have to do is to watch their property and sign a part-time contract. In exchange for house sitting, you live in a fully furnished home that will give you a homely regardless of location.
Final tip for ways to make money traveling
There are just 11 of hundreds of ways to make money while traveling. Other ways not mentioned in this post: Au Pairing, bartending, waiting tables, being a flight attendant, surf instructor, chef, yoga instructor, DJ, or become a traveling nurse. The important thing to remember is if you really want to travel there are ways to make it happen. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.
With these 11 ways to make money traveling you’ll be able to travel like a pro. Remember, when you travel, cash flows from multiple streams at once is best and ideally you wouldn’t rely on any single source of income. Combine any 2 or 3 of these 11 ways to make money while traveling and diversify your revenue source, to explore the world for as long as you want.
Stay Gold.
Todd
Great article.
[…] Related: 11 ways to make money traveling […]