The ability to travel without worrying about money or vacation time is something that most people only dream of. For those intrepid souls out there, that have quit their jobs to travel full-time — asking for time off work is a thing of the past.
Lack of funds, however, is the number one thing stopping most people from traveling and crossing destinations off their bucket lists. So, in order to keep living the dream, check out these top 5 ways to make money while traveling.
1. Freelancing Online
If you’ve ever thought about becoming a digital nomad, freelancing is a great place to start. Check out sites like Upwork, Fiverr, Guru, VirtualVocations, and others to get inspired.
The most sought-after remote workers are usually in the following categories: web design, computer programming/development, and graphic illustration. If you already have experience in one of these sectors, then you’re halfway there! If not, you can also use sites like SkillShare and CodeAcademy to get started learning these serviceable skills.
2. Start Blogging
Once you’ve gotten a bit of travel under your belt, you can start telling the world about your experiences by starting a travel blog. Travel blogs can be a great way to fund your travels once you’re able to gain a decent amount of traffic and begin to monetize your site.
You don’t have to blog about your travels, though. Maybe you’re passionate about another field, area, or sphere of influence. No matter what you decide to write about, there are affiliate programs or ad programs out there to fit the bill. If you have a laptop and an internet connection, blogging is a great option to start a side hustle while traveling.
Keep in mind, however, that blogs take a long time to build up a strong foundation, gain traffic, and start ranking on search engines. Blogging is a great long-term project to fund future travel but not one that you will see revenue from right away.
3. Sell Your Photographs
Everyone takes pictures when they travel, but if you happen to have some impressive photography skills, your photos might just be worth some serious cash. One way to make some money while traveling is to become a freelance photographer and sell any photos you take on stock photo websites. Or if you are a videographer you can also sell your videos on stock footage websites.
Regular, run-of-the-mill travel pics are not going to fly here, however. You’ve got to have a creative eye, a high-def camera, and a lot of patience to get cash-worthy shots. The competition is fierce, and you’ll need to sell a lot of images to make a decent amount. But hey, if you love photography and are already documenting your travels, every little bit helps!
4. House Sitting / Home Swapping
A whole host of housesitting and home swapping websites have sprung up in recent years to facilitate travel exchange between traveling individuals or families. All you have to do is log onto one of these sites like HomeExchange.com or Homebase-Hols.com to post an ad renting out your home and offering your services. It’s a great way to travel cheaply and make some money from renting out your own home while traveling.
Oftentimes housesitting gigs can also come with pet sitting and dog walking duties too. If you love pets and have experience caring for animals, you can make some extra money taking care of furry friends while you travel!
5. Work Abroad
Starting your own business, freelancing, or working remotely can be intimidating for lots of people. Initially, these types of careers may be way outside of a lot of travelers’ comfort zones. So, for those that crave the security of a “real” job but still want to see the world, you can always try working abroad in your chosen destination.
You could work in hospitality, hostel, or hotel, perform seasonal or agricultural work, teach scuba diving, work as a nanny, or even become a tour guide. Oftentimes these full-time jobs involve paid accommodation or other benefits like visas and paid flights too.
The opportunities here are endless. Once you’ve made up your mind to travel, the sky is the limit when it comes to creative ways to make money as you see the world.