Lots of things can get in the way of peoples’ travel plans.
Fear, Anxiety, Practicalities, Family emergencies, Career plans, Changing circumstances…The list goes on. However, I’m guessing there’s one thing that, for most people, trumps the lot:
Money
Money woes will forever thwart the dreams of aspiring travelers. A limited bank balance makes even the best-laid travel plans seem unfeasible. Thankfully, from fundraising and selling your stuff, to good old-fashioned work, people can, and do, earn enough to make them come true.
Wouldn’t it be amazing to actually earn money on the move, instead of worrying about the travel costs though?
Imagine traveling without the constant pressure of an ever-dwindling bank balance! With finite finances, the end of your adventure always looms ominously in the distance. It’s like a dark, brooding cloud on the horizon. Everything you buy brings it one step closer.
Earning money on the go is a game-changer. Suddenly, there’s no end in sight.
The road opens into an endless array of opportunities; the world becomes your oyster, to explore until your heart’s content!
Sounds great, right? And, even better, it’s totally possible. Thanks to the internet, there is now all manner of ways to make money while traveling through travel jobs and other opportunities. Are you wondering about the best ways to do it?
I’ve been earning money on the road for the last 12 months or so, and wanted to share the best digital nomad money-making strategies I’ve come across so far.
Table of Contents
Digital Nomad 101: How to Make Money Travelling
Keep reading to discover exactly how to make money traveling.
Become a Freelance Writer
This is the route I’ve taken for my venture into digital nomadry.
If you can string a sentence together, then freelance writing is a great option. You get to combine a passion, and potential talent, with an income on the road.
Of course, any type of freelancing packs a bit of uncertainty. It’s up to you to find clients. Don’t, and there’s no way you’ll ever pay your way.
I got lucky and found a job at an agency, which I can totally recommend. The pay is very average, but they provide the clients, meaning work is nice and regular. It takes the pressure off. There are definite pros and cons to this approach. For now, though, it works well for me.
Fancy giving freelance writing a try? Start by doing a bit more research into the topic and putting together a portfolio of your pieces to begin applying for jobs.
Job sorted? Time to enjoy that income. These minimalist boots will make the perfect addition to your digital nomad lifestyle!
Start Programming Software
Go traveling and it’s only a matter of time before you see someone programming.
They’ll be over there in the corner, nose buried in their laptop, up to their eyes in bizarre and indecipherable computer language!
This is one of the most popular digital nomad jobs out there. It’s also one of the most lucrative! If you know how to code software programs/apps, then you can definitely earn money on the road. Chances are, you’ll be earning a decent sum of money as well.
These days, there are always people and companies who need a good programmer.
After all, computers power the world! As a result, good programmers are in high demand and can almost guarantee work on the move.
Create/Design Websites
Know how to design/make websites?
The hours on the computer may not be fun (no-where near as fun as these fun RV accessories anyway), but, a bit like computer programmers, you’ll almost certainly be able to earn a good living while traveling.
After all, this is another commonly outsourced job. Companies need a website but lack the technical know-how to make it happen.
That’s where you step in. You might already be doing this for a company at home. As you probably already know, there’s nothing stopping you upping sticks and hitting the road, laptop in hand.
You could even try and take a few clients with you when you leave. That way your first jobs will be lined up in advance.
The first clients are generally always hardest to get when you set up as a freelancer. However, with these already in the bag, you’re well on your way to getting the ball rolling.
Marketing
I’ve met a fair few marketing pros while traveling too.
The story is generally always the same. They worked hard for a few years in a corporate marketing role, where they learned the ropes and honed their craft.
After a while, they got tired of the rat race and wanted to do something different. Realizing they had acquired a highly sought after set of skills, they set out solo, working for themselves. Maybe they took a few clients with them; maybe they didn’t.
Heck, some people simply negotiate a ‘work from home’ deal with their employer. Rather than leaving, they just perform their role remotely.
Either way, they acquire newfound location independence. Thanks to the ease of online communication and worldwide reliance on skilled marketers, they make a go of it from afar!
Whether you work for yourself, or remotely for a company, marketing is another lucrative means of money-making on the road.
Become a Graphic Designer
Graphic design is a classic freelance job!
There must be millions of graphic designers working around the world. Some are in fixed positions, many more are simply doing it for themselves.
All you need is a computer with a graphics program and a level of design savviness! You don’t even need a formal design background. You can be self-taught and still be an awesome designer. It’s ideal for anyone hoping to make money while traveling.
Just be prepared for a fair amount of competition from the other people doing the same thing!
Websites like Fiverr and Upwork are great places to advertise your work and service. You can also apply for jobs and receive projects direct from the platforms.
Become a Virtual Assistant
Got a knack for admin, time-keeping, and organization?
Becoming a virtual assistant may be the remote role for you. Think about the job of a personal assistant. People with more money than time tend to outsource the mundane tasks they don’t have time/inclination to do themselves, right?
Well, a virtual assistant does exactly the same thing. This time, however, they perform everything from afar, via the internet.
The array of tasks you could be doing will vary dramatically.
A blogger might have you uploading new posts, posting to social media and creating pins for Pinterest. A businessman might have you setting meetings, triaging emails and updating spreadsheets. It’s all a matter of who you’re the assistant for.
This is another role where ease of entry is a big bonus. You don’t necessarily need any experience. Let it be known online and social media that you’re setting up as a VA. One happy client will lead to two, and before you know it you’ll be fully booked!
Teach Languages
Facetime and Skype are great when you’re traveling.
They provide the easiest way I know to keep in touch with family and friends back home!
They also allow you a platform for teaching! Fluent in a second language? Heck, just want to teach English? Then you can do so thanks to video calls.
I think it’d help to have some sort of TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) qualification (or something similar) beforehand. However, that isn’t necessarily essential. You will also find this World TEFL Factbook useful. Got a knack for teaching? Done it before? Then start advertising your services. There are all sorts of sites on which you can promote yourself and find willing students.
Start a Blog
Speaking from experience, blogging isn’t necessarily a quick and easy way to earn money while you’re traveling! You must surely have wondered how to make money as a travel blogger.
Once you start a blog, expect it to take up to a year to really bring in any cash from the blog. Time frames vary, though. You might be able to make money much quicker! Alas, it might take far longer…
Don’t be put off. Blogging has a lot going for it. With enough traffic to your website and a loyal following, you can leverage affiliate marketing and advertising (among other things) to earn money on the road.
Even better, you get to write about your travels (or anything you’re passionate about), in the process. Oh, and did I mention that (once it’s up and running), the income is all passive? That means it’s being generated without your putting in the work. So there many ways to ways to make money on the road.
Again, that doesn’t happen overnight. You have to put the hours in to get to that point. But it’s definitely possible! making money on the road is doable!
Many people, myself included, combine blogging with freelance writing. The freelancing brings in the money while the blog gets established online. Over time, you can phase out the freelancing as the blog starts driving revenue.
Final Thoughts on How to Make Money Travelling
Travelling and money concerns tend to go hand in hand.
Unfortunately, a dwindling bank balance can spell trouble for travel plans. Of course, you absolutely save up enough in advance to make it happen.
The dream solution, though? Earning as you go. Countless people aspire to make a living on the road. However, it can be hard to know how to do it. Hopefully, this post has highlighted exactly how to make money traveling!
As we’ve seen, there are all sorts of jobs at your disposal if you truly want to become a digital nomad. These are jobs you can do while traveling. Any of the aforementioned roles can be an effective way of making money on the road. Now all you have to do is decide which one is right for you.
Now we’d love to hear from you. Which way of making money while traveling sounds most appealing, and why? Let us know in the comments!
We hope that our guest writer Danny has set some thoughts in motion and answered a lot of questions that you may have had about being a digital nomad and earning money. We hope you have found answers to questions like how to make a living while traveling, how can I travel and make money, How to make money while travelling, how to make money on the road, what are jobs you can do while traveling, can one travel and make money, what are the ways to earn while travelling, is working online while travelling feasible, and many more.
Hope you are all set to travel and earn money. Happy travels.
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