Think you need to be chained to a desk to make money? Think again! There are plenty of people who work and make money while they’re traveling the world. Talk about the life! I’m certainly not there yet, but I’m working my tail off to get City Girl Savings ready to be run from anywhere. However, an online-based business isn’t the only way to make money while traveling the globe.
If travel is high on your priority list, then you need money to make it happen. I’m sharing 7 ways to make money while traveling the globe. You can travel and keep the funds coming in! Make sure you have your plan in place first, then…seize the day!
7 Ways to Make Money While Traveling the Globe
#1 Blogging
The beauty of blogging is that you can do it from anywhere. You can get even more specific and start a travel blog—you’re already traveling the globe! Another benefit of blogging is that you can have multiple streams of income directly from your blog, from advertising to creating sponsored content for companies.
If you want to go the blogging route, start now! Blogging success doesn’t come overnight, but doing the right things from the beginning can make it a lot easier to grow your blog traffic and make money from your blog. I break down everything you need to know to get started with blogging in the article How to Start a Money-Making Blog.
#2 Partner with a travel-specific company
The age of digital influence is upon us. Brands are collaborating (and paying) influencers to talk about them, share their favorites, and more. If you want to make money while traveling the globe, start pitching yourself and your story to brands.
I’d suggest getting specific and reaching out to travel-related companies. Think about airlines, hotels, restaurants, etc. You can let these brands know you’re headed to their location and would love to share what they have to offer. The more followers you have, the more money you can request.
#3 Seek freelance work wherever you go
Becoming a virtual freelancer will allow you to work from where you’re traveling to. If you like graphic design, copywriting, website creation, or any other service, consider becoming a freelancer! You can offer your services for sale on a case-by-case basis with Fiverr or Upwork. You decide which projects to take and you call the shots on how many you do and what you charge.
You can also seek out freelance work in whatever city or country you’re traveling too. This may take more work, as you’ll want to do research before and during your stay, to make sure you can dive right into working.
#4 Take and sell photos
Stock photography websites like Shutterstock, iStock Photo, Getty Images, and Twenty20 sell stock photos to the general public. How does this work for you? These companies don’t take all of the stock photos themselves! They purchase the rights to the photos from photographers. Once the photos sell, the photographer receives an instant royalty.
Since you’ll be traveling, I have no doubt you’ll be able to take some good pictures! If you’re skilled with your phone or camera, submit them to stock photography websites. If your images are approved, the second they are downloaded from the stock photography site, you receive a payment.
#5 Become a virtual coach
The coaching industry has surged in the past few years. You can hire a coach to help you do just about anything nowadays. This can be great for you, because you can coach your clients virtually. Maybe you offer coaching services on planning and booking lavish vacations! That’s just one idea that could emerge from your globe-trotting lifestyle, but the good thing about coaching is the options are endless.
My point is that if you are skilled in a particular area, and you wouldn’t mind making money from your skills, going into the coaching industry can be a great virtual career. If you have knowledge or experience in a certain area and can get results for yourself or others, you can become a coach.
#6 Sell a digital product
A digital product is an item that is created for consumption digitally. Things like online courses, online videos, virtual workshops, and eBooks are all examples of digital products.
If you are passionate or knowledgeable about a certain topic and don’t want to become a coach, package it up into an eBook, online course, or online worksheet, and sell it. People are willing to pay for things they don’t know how to do—especially if they know it works for you.
#7 Invest in the market
Proceed with caution with this one! There are two different ways to make money in the stock market: day trading and long-term investing. If you need the money quickly, then day trading could be an option. It takes skill, understanding, and a lot of luck to succeed at day-trading. You’ll want to do extensive research before you begin.
When long-term investing is more appropriate, you can take a lump sum of money, invest it something like a low-fee index fund, and let it grow over time. You may not make the money right away, but eventually the gains should be there.
Please note that with either option, there is the possibility that you can lose money. Long-term investing is usually a better strategy for seeing gains, but nothing is guaranteed. If you would be in a bad position losing money, this may not be the option for you.
Related: 10 Ways Travelers Earn Money
You don’t need a full-time, corporate job to pay for traveling. You can put yourself in a position to have money come in while you travel! If travel is important to you, start thinking about how you can make that life your reality. Plant the seeds now so you can take advantage when you’re ready. Does the thought of traveling full-time sound great to you? What income streams do you plan to add so you can travel? Share by posting a comment below!
