Considering portable working or a ‘workation’? There’s nothing so good as traveling and working at the same time. Not only will you make money as you go, but you’ll get an opportunity to experience travel in a way most others won’t. And you won’t have to worry about spending your savings. Never let work be a barrier to travel: if you do it right, you can take your job with you.
Before you go
Before you dive into the list of quick-money fixes, take stock of what your job entails. How much of it is mobile? If you reshuffled tasks, could you make an entire day or week solely a computer job? With Wi-Fi and the right communication tools, working from your laptop is one of the easiest way of taking your job with you.
When it comes to getting paid, a good tip is to make sure you have a PayPal account set up. Quite a few places around the world use this for once-off payments (if it’s not in cold, hard cash).
1. Street performing
Dance, music, art: whatever skills you have on the side — or weird body parts that you don’t mind showing off for money — the right corner on the right street will get you a few dollars. Busking your skills topped off with painting yourself in silver may earn you enough to get a meal and a room in a hostel for the night. Try not to break any local laws regarding public decorum, or you may earn a fine or worse! Research in advance for this one.
2. Freelancing or Tutoring
Depending on your job, something like web developer or engineering consultant is a great way to earn cash as you go. Have access to your portfolio online so you can grab opportunities as they arrive. Or, put your profile up on Elance and go get them! Tutoring can include dance, singing, languages, math and other school subjects. Make connections through Facebook groups and get referred by local ex-pats for a better rate of success with temporary tutoring placements.
3. Fiverr or Odesk
If you’re not too worried about when you will be picked up for a job, set up profiles here to earn pocket money. Try to make your profile niche-specific so that you don’t get lost in the thousands of other similar profiles.
4. Lecturing
This one’s a challenge, but why not try it? If you are in a more remote part of the world and you have a skill or knowledge the local college or university might be lacking, then you might be able to contact them in advance and set up a class. In a few parts of the world qualifications are fuzzy and confidence will pull you through. Or, if you truly are a professor, you have every right to do such a thing and might be able to negotiate a placement in advance.
5. Get a job with an international traveling show
Join a circus, music band, dance show, or theater performance … there are all kinds of jobs going at these types of touring organizations. Sure, it’ll be tough and you’ll have almost no free time, but if your goal is pure travel then it’s worth a shot. The interesting people you are sure to meet along the way will be worth it!
7. Seasonal Work
Picking vegetables, fruit, flowers: if you can handle being outdoors for long stretches and don’t mind getting dirty, you can bounce from the northern to the southern hemispheres in search of farms in need of a helping hand.
8. Resort or summer camp work
Resorts and summer camps are often held in gorgeous regions, be it beach or mountains. These jobs require tons of energy and often the contracts have limiting stipulations such as not being allowed to leave the camp area or Cruise ship, but you can save good cash for free travel time later.
9. Sales
If you’re a real go-getter, unafraid of setting out in new cities, then spotting sales jobs around regions you want to travel in could be a lucrative opportunity. Some travelers cut a deal with a surf equipment rental shop by getting a commission for each tourist they bring by the shop. There are many middlemen jobs you can pick out through your observations. Just take on what many people are too lazy to do on their holidays — think and make decisions.
10. Hostels, Bar, Restaurants
If you stick to very touristy areas, it’s pretty easy to land a bar job or table-waiting job in high season. Competition gets more tough in the low season but being multi-lingual will give you an advantage. Also, having a seasonal work permit/Working holiday visa will encourage the local business owners to choose you over those less organized (and less legal).
11. Beauty and haircut
If you have the chance to carry the basic pieces of equipment with you, it is not unknown for some travelers to offer hostel guests a quick shave or massage for a few bucks. Manicures, pedicures, haircuts, make-up, face-painting for carnivals and parties … if you can build a rapport with a chain of hostels around a region it will be even easier to get clients.
Travel Blogging – It’s not easy to earn a big income with a travel blog. The amount of time/effort required to do so is much more than most people imagine. But if you’re looking for some extra cash to help fund part of your travels, while keeping the world informed of your adventures, starting a travel blog might be your answer. (Have a look at the useful Travel Blog Success course if you’re serious about earning money from your blog and for inspiration, see my List of travel bloggers out there.)
Any Kind of Blogging – You don’t have to start a travel blog just because you’re traveling. Whatever your interest may be, that might be the kind of blog you should start. There are always opportunities to earn some money no matter what you choose to focus on.
Affiliate Marketing – Making money this way is definitely possible even though the competition can be high. But if you’re willing to dedicate yourself to a couple of months worth of research, you’ll find your niche and hopefully a steady paycheck. If you don’t know much about affiliate marketing, have a look at Affilorama.com, which offers an excellent series of free lessons to get you started.
Selling Goods Online – Found some cool product that you think others would be interested in? Have your own handmade product you want to sell? You could set up a website or a shop on eBay or any other type of online sales outlet and start selling. Your success will depend on many factors but again, if you’re willing to learn how to get your goods in front of the right people online, even a few sales each week could potentially keep you on the road.
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