If you want to travel several times per year, or perhaps even be on the road at all times, there will be some costs. And since we can’t occupy a traditional job while traveling, the alternative is to earn money while we travel.
But how is that possible, and what are the best ways to make money while traveling? We are sharing our top tips here.
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Online freelancing
The internet has been a true blessing in many ways.
We can not only book trips easily and find information at the snap of the fingers – but we can also work online, and an increasing amount of people are doing it.
There are many ways to freelance online. If you’re not already doing it, just think about the skills you have and find something nice to offer. For example, if you are a talented writer, you can offer copywriting services online – this is something many business owners are interested in. Or maybe you’re good with graphics, photo editing, marketing, or something else that can easily be done online. There are many opportunities out there!
How much can you earn from freelancing? The sky is the limit. In the beginning, you need to build up your reputation and get some references. Most people can get a part-time income from online freelancing within months, while experienced freelancers with special skills can easily earn a full-time income and perhaps even more from working online.
Of course, it means you’ll have to travel with a laptop. But most are doing that anyway. And you need to make sure you’ll have internet wherever you go. That’s easy nowadays, but generally, freelancers choose holiday apartments over hotels because of faster and more private internet connections.
Start a travel blog
You can also start your own travel blog.
If you travel a lot anyway, you probably have a lot of photos and a lot of experiences to share. Maybe you can share important tips so others get to experience the same. There’s a lot of potential in blogs these days. If you’re a good writer and you travel frequently, this is such an obvious opportunity!
It doesn’t cost much to run a blog. You’ll need a domain name, a web hosting service, and then you’ll have to set up your site. This can be done quickly and easily with WordPress. After that, start working and share your content. The money will come through advertising, sponsored posts, affiliate sales, and such.
For more information on how to start a travel blog, read this in-depth guide where we show you exactly what to do!
Work at the hostel
This is something people have done for decades.
Many hostels need a bit of extra work done. This gives travelers the opportunity to do a few days of work in exchange for free accommodation, and sometimes a small salary as well.
When you travel, you can plan ahead by looking up hostels that seek workers. Upon arriving, stay for a while and work. They might need someone to man the front desk, to clean the rooms, to arrange activities, or simply to do some technical stuff. This might allow you to stay for free, which will significantly lower the cost of traveling, and perhaps a few bucks on the side.
Sell things along the way
Is there any better way of earning money than… selling?
Maybe you bring something valuable from your home country and sell it for a higher price while you travel. This could be special merchandise or anything of value, really. Or maybe you can create stuff as you travel. If you’re a painter, you sell paintings or portraits. If you’re a photographer, you can sell high-quality photos. Or if you’re a great cook, you can cook in a hostel and sell some meals. The options are almost unlimited! But of course, it requires some talent and a willingness to get out there and actually sell.
Perform in the streets
Do you know magic tricks?
Are you a musician?
Good at making jokes?
Talented at dancing?
If you have any talent that people consider to be entertaining, you can perform in the streets. In some locations, this can be a great way to earn money. Just take a walk through London or Madrid on any given day and you will see a lot of street performers. The good ones earn a decent amount of money. It will mostly be small coins, but it doesn’t take more than a few generous 5 dollars/euros donations a day before you are making a solid side income that you wouldn’t have otherwise.
Find short term jobs
A more legitimate way of earning money would be to find short-term jobs along the way. This won’t work if you’re going to a new place every week. But if you’re staying at a place for a few months, you can absolutely find short-term work somewhere. For example, it’s not uncommon to teach English for a month or two abroad and then moving on to a new place. If you have a specific skill that there is a need for, your options are wide open.
Seasonal work abroad
If you don’t mind committing yourself for +3 months, you can find seasonal work in many countries.
Often it will be physical jobs where you work outdoors. And it is typically more for the experience than for the income. But it depends where you’re coming from and where you’re going. In any case, it’s a great way to earn money while traveling – it’s just traveling at a slower pace. Sometimes you don’t get paid, but you do get accommodation and food in exchange for your work. And as many people say, a dollar saved is a dollar earned. A popular option is WWOOF – you can find work on an organic farm in almost any part of the world.
Stake cryptocurrency
Are you into finance? If so, you can earn money from cryptocurrency.
And no, it doesn’t have to be super risky. There is always some risk of course. But we are not talking about swing trading here or anything that requires special skills.
You can simply stake various digital currencies as you travel. Popular crypto coins such as Cosmos (ATOM) and Tezos give high-interest rates from staking. You simply buy your coins and put them to stake – then you will earn an interest rate. Additionally, you can provide liquidity on decentralized crypto exchanges which also brings in more cash. There is no area with as many opportunities as crypto right now. Take advantage, but learn a little about it first.
How do you get the cryptocurrencies exchanged into normal money after earning them? Well, you can sell to private buyers, you can use crypto ATMs (common in big cities) or you can simply buy stuff with your crypto currencies. Read our article about how to book a trip with cryptocurrency.
