How To Make Money While Traveling The World

What do you do? How can you afford to travel? Who is paying for these vacations? These are some of the most-asked questions I get whenever I come back from a trip. The truth is, I never quite know how to answer them. There are SO many ways to make money while traveling the world, whether it’s online or with short-term gigs. However, if you want to make money, it really should be by doing something you enjoy.

Whether you want to become a digital nomad or you’re just looking for some extra income, here is how to start making money while traveling the world today.

How To Make Money While Traveling: Remote Jobs

Virtual Assistant

You can become a virtual assistant for a number of different tasks and for a number of different people. Some tasks may be running social media, copywriting, book-keeping or website updating. It totally depends on the client. If you are working for a single person, you can decide which services you’d like to offer and at what rates–it’s your business. If you are working for a company, you may still be able to decide these aspects, but it will take a little more negotiating.

How do you find clients to be a virtual assistant for? Again, there are SO many ways. You can go the original route and check out LinkedIn or Indeed for remote jobs. Otherwise, you can head off the beaten path and join Virtual Assistant Facebook groups or find someone in the Craigslist gig section. I tend to enjoy the beaten path better because it’s usually a more creative and less corporate-cut world to work in. On top of this, once you land your first client, many more roll in from word-of-mouth if you’ve done a good job.

Shutterstock

Are you into photography? Shutterstock is a great website where you can upload your photos and videos to a portfolio and get paid whenever someone downloads your content. Don’t worry, you still keep 100% of the copyright ownership. Though it may take a bit of work to start up, this is a way for you to make passive income without clocking in for work. I’d say a good rule of thumb is to upload at least 500 pictures before you can start seeing results in your bank account, however, there’s an exception to every rule!

Adobe Stock

Adobe Stock is another site like Shutterstock where you can get paid for people downloading your photos and videos. The good thing about these two websites is the content doesn’t have to be exclusive, meaning you can upload the same pictures to both Adobe Stock and Shutterstock to increase your earning potential.

Blogging

If you like writing and are interested in starting your own blog, there are a number of different ways to monetize it. Keep in mind, this is NOT a get-rich-quick profession. Starting a profitable blog requires LOTS and LOTS of time, patience and research before it can get off the ground. Once you’re at this point, you can make money from ads, affiliate marketing, paid promotions/sponsorships, selling merchandise or even requiring a fee for unlocking exclusive content. The best part is, the website is completely YOURS, unlike many different social media sites.

Dropshipping

I’m sure you’ve heard this word before, but not many know just how easy it is. Basically, you can design and sell a product online without ever having to physically touch, hold or ship this product out. It’s all done manually. My favorite way of doing this is to use Printify to design the product and Etsy to list the product. Once an item is sold, the profits go directly to your bank account.

Fiverr

If you haven’t heard of Fiverr, it’s essentially a marketplace online where you can list all of your passions and skills in order to monetize them by freelancing. It’s a good place to go if you’d rather stick to what you know than fumble around learning new online options. However, you’re less likely to be able to stop trading your time for money, like some of these other passive income options.

Affiliate Links

With affiliate links, you can make money off of recommending your favorite products to others. There are TONS of website that you can use for this, but to name a few that work in the travel space, there’s Amazon, Booking.com, Hostelworld and GetYourGuide. Simply sign up for their program with your name and the main location you’ll be sharing the links and then get started on making your lists! This is a very popular option for bloggers looking to make passive income.

Thatch

If you are a traveler like me, Thatch is a great place to hang out on. This is a startup completely dedicated to getting travelers paid for their recommendations. Simply sign up and begin to create content for any destination in the world on their app. You can then either keep the guide free and have Tips turned on, or add a paywall that someone will need to use in order to view your content.

Zabing

Zabing is another startup that has to do with the travel space. Essentially it’s a giant bucket list. You post your dreams (maybe backpacking Europe) along with how much they will cost to achieve and friends or strangers can send you money that transfers directly to your bank account to fund your bucket list. Though this is obviously not a reliable source of steady income, it never hurts to try! I think I’ve made about $100USD so far on the app.

How To Make Money While Traveling: In-Person Gigs

So, maybe you’re not quite ready for the whole digital nomad thing. Here are some easy ways to go about making money in your community. Many of these apps can also be used while traveling, depending on which country you end up in–just change your address whenever you need to and the world is yours.

Rover

If you like dogs, this app is for you! I started using Rover while I was in college for extra income on the side. However, I can’t seem to put this app away. Basically, you can set your own rates and pet owners will reach out to you, asking if you can walk, drop-in, board or housesit their animal(s) while they’re away. You can accept/reject any request and make your own schedule. It’s a great way to stay in ownership of your worth and make money while having time to invest in other passions (like blogging).

Wag

Wag is another dog app, like Rover, however you are instead reaching out to the owners for gigs. The homepage will list all of the walks/housesittings available and once you request to do a service, the owner can accept/reject you. If you aren’t getting much traction on Rover, Wag is a great place to pick up extra gigs. However, it’s not my number one choice because you don’t set your own rates, meaning I can’t make as much money on here for completing the same services that I would on Rover.

Instacart

If you’re not one for furry friends, maybe Instacart is more your jam. It’s a bit like UberEats or other food delivery apps, but you don’t need to wait for the busy restaurant to finish cooking your clients meal. Simply run to the grocery store, grab their items and deliver them to your clients home! Though I haven’t personally used this platform, I have friends that have made over $1,000 a week using Instacart.

I hope this guide on how to make money while traveling the world gave you some inspiring ways to start your entrepreneurial journey online! If you have any questions about the apps above, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram or Twitter. Good luck!