15 Ways To Earn Money AND Travel

So you want to travel, but don’t have the money to do it? Here are some great tips on how to find a career or business that you can do from anywhere in the world. Whether you’d like to start earning passive income through your blog, become a freelance writer or start your own Virtual Assitant office from your laptop, there are many ways to combine work and pleasure. 

1. Sell Something Online

Did you know that you can make money by selling “other people’s stuff”? If you have an online platform like a website or a large following online, you can become an affiliate, meaning you promote somebody else’s eBook, course or product and every time somebody buys something because of your recommendation, you get a small percentage. For example, when I write a book review, I add an affiliate link to the book I am reviewing and every time one of my readers (You!) click on the link and buy the book, I usually get around 4-6%. I recently took a course on How to Make Money with Affiliate Marketing and I am finally seeing results. The instructor Michelle made over 50k last month with affiliate marketing and she shares her tricks in this course. While I am nowhere near what Michelle is making, I made over $ 230 in the 2 weeks after I completed the course, so it was already worth it for me! You should go check it out!

Another way to sell things online is to become a reseller on Amazon.  There are people, like Cliff and Jessica Larrew from The Selling Family that make six-figures a year buying things on clearance and reselling them on Amazon.com using the FBA (fulfillment by Amazon) program.  Jessica has a free 7 day course  that you can take to get all the details about how the business works and if it’s right for you.

2. Find a remote job that allows you to work from anywhere

Your second option is to find a job that is already set up to accommodate remote workers. And it is not just programmers and tech geeks that get those jobs. You’d be surprise how many companies offer remote positions. From Claim processors in insurance companies to Marketing managers, Customer Service agents and more. There are companies that don’t even have an office anymore, like Buffer App for example. 

3. Teach English Abroad or Online

If you are an English Native speaker, you can get a TEFL Certification and apply for a teaching position abroad. Most companies require a Bachelors degree though and you have better chances of securing a better teaching position when you get your certification from a reputable organization. So do your research and see what is worth it for you. If you just want to supplement your income, you probably don’t need a certification and just offer your services on blackboards, local newspapers or get an job to teach conversational English online. But if you can see yourself doing this longterm, investing into a high quality qualification will probably open some doors to you. 

4. Become an AuPair

Being and AuPair is a great way to move to another country, discover a new culture and have a reliable paycheck. If you like children and can play by the rules, this could be ideal. You take care of the kids, do some light house work, like grocery shopping or prepping meals for the kids. In return, you get free room and board, a weekly stipend and paid time off to explore on your own. If you’re lucky, your host family might even take you along, when they go on vacation. Another advantage of being an AuPaid is that you can really immerse yourself into the culture and see how the everyday life is.

Traveloutlandish has some great tips how to go about finding an Au Pair Job in Europe, so if that is your goal, check it out 🙂 

5. Do an Internship Abroad

If you are in between Bachelor or Masters or just finished your degree, an internship abroad could be a great way to move abroad, learn a new language and gain international experience. Many internships around the world are paid a little stipend or you can negotiate free accommodation and other benefits. Another benefit of doing an internship abroad over study abroad is that it might give you an advantage over fellow applicants when you apply to jobs. It might also be a step in the door, if you plan on living abroad permanently. If you are lucky, and impress your supervisor, maybe they will hire you after your internship. 

6. Create a Product and Sell it

Many travelers supplement their travel budget by creating something and selling it. This could be a travel guide that you can publish on Amazon or your website. Maybe you are an expert in a niche field and can teach people something. Think outside the box: Do you know how to do Origami? Write a Step by Step instruction with pictures and turn it into an eBook. Maybe you are crafty and like to make something, like jewelry, knitting or painting? You can sell your craft on Etsy.com or through Facebook. If you are traveling long term, I recommend a virtual product (or at least light weight) though, because it can get tiresome to lug all those supplies around the world with you. You also don’t want the shipping costs of the product to eat into your earnings. 

7. Become a Consultant

That is what I do. I work with companies from all around the world and help them with their Online Marketing. It gives me the freedom to work from anywhere, where I have a stable internet connection. I am upfront with my clients about my location independent lifestyle (even though I officially live in San Antonio, TX, I am upfront and tell them about my frequent trips) and we mostly communicate via email and the occasional Skype call. This work gives me the option to go to Germany for a couple of weeks or months to be with my family and still earn some income. It also allows me to take my Dad on a road trip, when he comes to visit me in Texas. Yes, I also work nights and/or weekends to make up for the time. But it gives me the freedom to live and work according to my own rules.

8. Become a Freelancer

There are many ways to earn an income as Freelancer. You can write copy for companies, design logos, write code, do Social Media, translate from/into a foreign language etc. You can put up a website to offer your services, but it is often easier to us sites like UpWork to connect with clients. They take a cut of your pay and you will have to compete with many lowball offers, but if you are worth your salt and get a few jobs under your belt, it will be easier to raise your rates and find repeat clients. Freelancing is a one of the easiest ways to earn money and travel. You get to set your own rules and timetable, work as much or as little as you want and provides you the freedom to make the most of your travel adventure while not going broke.

Here is a pretty cool course that teaches you how to make it as a Freelance Writer in just 30 days and answers all the questions you need to know about making money as a writer, including finding clients and how to set rates. 

9. Work & Travel Exchange Programs

A lot of countries offer Work & Travel Visas for young people (most have a maximum age) to encourage cultural exchange and to promote their country. This is a great opportunity to get a taste of what real life is like in a foreign country and also build up your resume with international experience. Similar to doing an Internship abroad, you might also make your boss fall in love with you(r work) and hire you permanently. Unfortunately, this happens much rarer than one would think and many people have to leave their dream country broken hearted when their visa expires. 

10. Get a job that includes Travel

Well, douh. This one is pretty obvious and one of the most secure ways to earn money and travel, as travel will be part of your job. Flight Attendants and Cruise Ship personnel are the first ones that come to mind, but there are many others. Buyers as well as Sales people often have many opportunities to travel, as do Consultants (whether they work on their own or through large Consulting firms). Also Marketing positions often involve going to Trade Shows or opening events. If you get a job with many subsidiaries abroad, you might also get the opportunity to travel, for example as the assistant to the CEO, who constantly needs to check up on his company’s locations all over the world, go to conferences or industry events. Chances are high, that you will tag along. 

11. Become a Travel Nurse

If you work in the health field, you might want to check into becoming a traveling nurse. Health care jobs are in high demand all over the world and countries have special programs to “steal” the best ones from another. You can sign up with placement agencies that help you find your assignments either domestically or abroad, wherever the need for Nurses is the greatest. 

12. Keep your old job and convince your boss to let you work remotely

Ok, this one obviously does not work for everyone. But if your job only requires you and a computer, you can probably do it from home and therefore, anywhere in the world. “But how do I not get fired?” Well, while there is no guarantee that you won’t be fired, you can minimize the risk.

The best way is to ease your boss into it. It is much easier to convince your supervisor to let you work from home every Tuesday. Why Tuesday? Because your boss won’t think the only reason you want to work from home is because you want to sleep in and have a lazy one on Monday. Then, and this is the most important step: Work your butt off on Tuesdays. Excel. Show your boss that you kick butt when you work from home. This is going to be your golden ticket to convince him (or her) to let you work more days from home. And within a few months, you’ll be working from home full time. Or, your plan fails and you have to look for another job. Ups. But if your plan works out, this is one of the best and most stable ways to earn money and travel at the same time. 

13. Become a Blogger

To make money as a blogger is a long and rocky road. Most people give up before they ever earn a cent. But if you love to write and are keeping a journal anyway, why not try to earn some money from it. Oh, and just because you like to travel, doesn’t mean you have to become a Travel Blogger, but you could (here is a great guide on how to start a travel blog). Maybe you are an expert in horseback riding. Then write about that. You need to have a passion for your topic, or you will fail. Nothing is more painful than having to write 2-3 blog posts about a topic you don’t care about and engaging people about something your heart isn’t into. Most Bloggers that make a full-time income use some of the other ways to earn money while you travel suggestions as well.

If you want to learn how to make money blogging, Google: How to make money blogging. There will be a ton of articles that show you how to get sponsored post opportunities and install ads on your blog.  I’ll show you how 🙂 But keep in mind that blogging is probably one of the harder ways to earn money and travel. 

14. Be a Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants can work from anywhere, where they have access to a computer, internet, and phone. They do tasks like transcribing dictation, doing research, drafting and writing emails and letters, posting on Social Media, etc. If you know your way around a computer and have a professional work ethic, you can probably do what a virtual assistant does. Again, you can try to find jobs on your own or sign up with a placement agency that funnels work your way. The more skills you have, the more chances you have to score jobs and earn higher rates. 

To find the best way how to get your VA career started, check out this course on how to set up shop as a successful VA business. Gina, the lady that created the course, made over 7k last month from her Part Time VA business. Pretty sweet, hm? 

15. Find odd Jobs abroad

Let me say this up front. Most countries have restrictions for foreigners working during their stay and if you are working, you should apply for a work permit/visa first. If you don’t do this, you risk fines, deportation and more. However, I’ve heard (from friends of friends of friends ;-)) that some people find small gigs during their stay, for example work a few hours at their hostel for free room and board, do some babysitting on the side, even working as a waiter or bartender etc. In general, I would say that the more open and public your job is, the more likely you’ll get caught. It doesn’t HAVE to happen, but it could. It is your decision if you want to risk it. 

Do you know any other ways to earn money and travel at the same time or have you tried any of my suggestions during your time abroad? Which ones do you prefer?

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