After living out of a suitcase for 4 years, I have picked up many methods to make money on the road.

There has been a long-standing belief that travel is for the rich, but this article challenges that. There are opportunities to travel no matter how small your budget is.

After living out of a suitcase for 4 years, I have picked up many methods to make money on the road. There has been a long-standing belief that travel is for the rich, but this article challenges that. There are opportunities to travel no matter how small your budget is.

I have no affiliate connection to any of the links mentioned throughout this article. 

I have no affiliate connection to any of the links mentioned throughout this article. Each link was studied and selected because I believe them to be the most useful to bring your dreams of travel closer to reality.

1. Work Holiday Visa

There are several visas easily obtainable for youth between the ages of 18-30, which give the opportunity to work and/or travel for up to a year in certain countries.

Your options for youth visas depend on what country you belong to. For example, US Citizens have the privilege to apply for a Working Holiday Visa in New Zealand or Australia for 12 months. Also, US Citizens currently enrolled in post-secondary education or who graduated university within the past year may obtain a youth visa in Singapore, Ireland, or South Korea. Canada has a similar option, but with more hoops to jump through.

Keep in mind that job hunting may be difficult since employers are less likely to hire someone who can only work a maximum of 12 months. Prepare yourself by looking through job sites in your host country ahead of time and research alternative ways to make money on your journey.

2. Become a Digital Nomad

What is a Digital Nomad? Digital Nomads choose to have no permanent home and instead travel from place to place, using the internet to generate income.

There are different avenues to become location independent, you can become a freelancer or look for a position within a company.

The possibilities feel endless: you could become a web designer, photographer, virtual assistant, app tester, digital designer, online tutor, salesperson, journalist, translator, programmer, author, consultant, blogger, an online business owner, etc.

Most of these aren’t job you’d just fall into, they take long-term dedication to learn the skills and trade. Finding a job where you can essentially be anywhere doesn’t only take knowledge, but luck, too.

Many of the freelance opportunities are less financially stable and can be more time consuming than the standard job at home.

For example, to get to this early stage of blogging I spent years studying photography, writing styles, website design, marketing, and traveling while losing more money than I ever brought in.

So, if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to make money and travel for the short-term, the other points in this article will suit you better.  If your dream is to be a digital nomad these websites may prove useful:

Upwork: A top Freelance Marketplace where Clients hire Freelancers to do any type of remote work, for all skill levels. Both Clients and Freelancers are charged a percentage.

WorkingNomads.co: Jobs are color coded by type to help you quickly scan listings and find what you’re looking for. Free for Freelancers to use, but costs to post a job.

FreelanceWritingGigs: A community for Freelance Writers that offers resources, discussions, and tips, but also has a Job Board.

Shopify, Etsy, or BigCommerce: Create a product and sell your creations through any of these ecommerce sites.

FlexJobs: For a monthly subscription, Flexjobs scours the internet for legitimate jobs to help Freelancers avoid all the scams.

Kdp.amazon.com: Make and sell ebooks through your Amazon account.

Outsourcely: For finding long-term remote employment. Free for Freelancers.

Some other websites that may be worth looking into are Freelancer, Toptal (for the elite Freelancer), Guru (for collaboration tools).

3. Get Free Accommodation

There are three main routes to free accommodation and that’s couch surfing, work exchange (which I’ll explain in the next section), and house/pet sitting.

Finding a free place to stay has become much easier with the expansion of sites like CouchSurfing, BeWelcome, and GlobalFreeloaders. It’s amazing how many people are willing to welcome you into their home out of the kindness of their heart.

But is couch surfing safe? I would argue that it is safe if you make sure to read full profiles and reviews of the people you are staying with and follow your instincts.

House sitting and/or pet sitting has paid for most of my expenses so far in 2018. Pet sitting is a great way to make extra cash in the United States.

In most other countries around the world, you are paid for pet sitting services with an exchange of free utilities and free rent within the owner’s home.

Keep in mind, when dogs are involved you are often required to spend a certain amount of time with them per day. Some owners even want you to leave for no more than a few hours at a time.

If you do decide house sitting is right for you, look into house sitting sites that are specific to the country you plan to visit or global sitting sites like TrustedHousesitters.

4. Work Exchange

Working in exchange for free accommodation and food has opened up doors for so many to travel. With work exchanges you have the potential to travel anywhere no how matter how small your budget is. Though they can be tough to find, some exchange programs will even pay for your flights to and from their location.

Here are some of the best sites out there for work exchange jobs and programs:

Workaway.info: Travelers are matched to hosts based on their reported skills, for all types of work. Workawayers are charged an annual fee.

WWOOF.net: A network connecting volunteers to small scale organic farms in need of labor. Volunteers work several hours a day in exchange for accommodation and food. WWOOF fees are different in every country.

Helpx.net: Volunteers browse worldwide host listings for free or pay a small fee to access all hosts’ information and contact ones they’d like to stay with. Hosts post listings for free for any type of work.

Worldpackers.com: This website has a companion app, but for now this organization has one of the smaller work exchange networks. It’s free to browse through listings, but it costs to finalize a volunteer opportunity.

WorkingTraveller.com: Post your skills on your profile, as hosts are looking for people with experience in IT, art, agriculture, etc., enabling you to gain job references while traveling. Signing up is free and only costs travelers a small annual fee to correspond with hosts.

Grassrootsvolunteering.org: For people who’d like to help impoverished communities, this is a free database of international work exchange opportunities, curated by people who vet the organizations to make sure they’re legit.

Please be thoughtful about volunteering. Voluntourism can have a negative impact on the communities you’re trying to help. When people show up without skills or cultural awareness and do jobs that a local should be paid to do, they can be a burden.

5. Get a Job as an English Teacher

English is the unofficial language of tourism, business, and entertainment around the world. There are about 400 million people who speak it natively, but over 1 billion can communicate in English globally, so the demand for English teachers is huge.

We are extremely privileged as native English speakers to have an automatic ‘skill’ you can profit off of. Developing countries have a high demand for English teachers and it is one of the most common ways to work abroad, with many countries offering extended stay working visa opportunities for these positions.

Some of our good friends have worked as full-time teachers for the past few years in Chiang Mai, Thailand and love it. They said that teaching jobs have become more sought-after in recent years and have become extremely competitive. If you don’t have teaching experience or a college degree, I think you will find more luck working in more rural, less desired areas.

Also, you can tutor online. You don’t always need certification or experience to tutor English learners through video chat. Often times you can get paid just to have a conversation, point out their mistakes, answer questions, and help them practice their English. The more experience and certification you have, the more you can charge.

Our favorite sites to browse teaching jobs: TEFL.com, GoAbroad.com, ESLcafe.com, TeachAway.com

Our favorite sites to get paid as an online tutor: VerbalPlanet.com, Cambly.com, italki.com, SameSpeak.com

6. Deliver Packages

I’ve met travelers that help fund their lifestyle by delivering products every time they fly internationally.

This system allows people to buy whatever they want from any part of the world, the goal being that the buyer will get their desired item from you for less than what it would have cost to have it shipped. It’s the most profitable to you when the item isn’t available for shipping to the buyer’s home country, because they’ll pay significantly more.

It is vital that you confirm that anything you decide to transport will be allowed through customs at your destination country. For example, it is against the law to bring in any food or plant matter into New Zealand. I saw someone mistakenly bring in an orange and get a $400 ticket.

All peer-to-peer courier services are comparable: Grabr.io, Ouibring.com, Roadie.com

7. Get a Job on a Yacht or Cruise Ship

If you enjoy travel by sea, working on a yacht or cruise ship is a fun and profitable way to travel.

On our honeymoon cruise we bonded with 30+ young staff members that had been cruising around the world between 6 months and 2 years.

These staff members were all from different countries and said the application process was not complicated. They were provided with unlimited food, a small room shared with one other person, a private staff bar and lounge, a small paycheck, and the ability to see the world.

It seemed like a blast and if my blog never earns an income I wouldn’t mind taking a position as a blackjack dealer on a cruise someday.

Check out: AllCruiseJobs.com, Crewbay.com, FindACrew.net, CrewNetwork.com

8. Use Cards Wisely

Getting the right travel credit cards and studying how to use them is key to receiving free flights and hotel rooms.

I have written several in-depth guides on credit cards that I will be posting soon: The Best Travel Credit Cards for 2018, How I Got an Excellent Credit Score by the Time I Turned 21, and How We Gain Over $4,000 Per Year from Credit Cards Without Spending Our Own Money.

I would highly recommend opening a Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking Account for free that refunds all ATM fees worldwide, and always travel with a card with 0% foreign transaction fees.

Tip: When making a purchase during your international travels, you will often be asked if you would like to charge your card in their local currency or your home currency. Typically, they offer you this option hoping you will charge your card in their local currency, so they can charge you a steep conversion fee. In most cases, it is cheaper to select your home currency.

9. Work as a Flight Attendant

The quintessential career that pays you to travel. The travel benefits alone tempt me to apply for the job. Can you imagine flying anywhere you want in the world for a small fee, or even the occasional free flight?

I’ve heard of a Flight Attendant getting a $24 trip from San Francisco to Japan and a $35 trip from San Francisco to Paris! There are many other perks to the job, sometimes including a daily food allowance and your accommodation covered.

The only pre-requisite to enter the field is a high school diploma and be able to reach 208cm or 6 feet 10 inches on your tip toes. Sign me up!

10. Work at a Hostel

Working from hostel to hostel is a great way to travel the world while making lasting relationships along the way.

Hostels often pay their employees with free food, accommodation, and perks OR weekly paychecks. Which payment scheme is better for you depends on how much rent and food costs in that area.

Typical hostel work includes housekeeping, managing the front desk, answering questions about the area, and leading activities and tours.

Check out HostelJobs.net and HostelTravelJobs.com to find the right position for you.

11. Busk for Tips

Busking is Not for everyone! I spent years as a magician and character performer for children and you need to have talent along with thick skin to succeed.

You are not allowed to charge a fee, so the money you make is based on tips alone. If you can do a performance like singing, dancing, or magic, you have nothing to lose but your time.

I’d recommend starting out with a talent where you don’t have to give anything to anyone. For years I’ve watched artists draw portraits or paint landscapes on canvas only to be handed $5, knowing that the cost of the supplies it took to make was close to the amount they earned.

If you don’t have a specific talent, get creative! I once saw a guy rake in at least a hundred dollars with a cardboard sign that said “Advice $, Jokes $$$.”

Keep in mind, many areas only allow busking with a license and insurance, while some countries do not allow busking at all. Make sure you do your research before you set up, or a $300 ticket or worse may be a part of your near future.

12. Find A Seasonal Job

Holiday and seasonal positions are likely to be the easiest short-term jobs to obtain as a traveler. These work periods are typically between 6 weeks to 3 months. Common seasonal positions include summer camp counselor, fruit picker, hotel/resort/restaurant staff, holiday jobs, construction, and working at ski resorts.

Coolworks.com: Aimed at the adventurous, outdoorsy job seekers. This job board has seasonal positions around the USA, and it’s free for job seekers to browse employer profiles and contact them directly.

Jobmonkey.com: Offering “the coolest jobs on Earth,” there’s information on how to get unique and exciting jobs around the world. It’s free for job seekers and has many links to outside resources.

Pickingjobs.com: Links travelers to farmers in 18 countries who need extra hands in the busy harvest seasons.

Anyworkanywhere.com: Not only is it a free international job search engine, but it also has many resources to answer any questions about working abroad, from visas to insurance.

Keep in mind, before you pursue any job internationally check out what options you have for a work visa.

13. Get the Best Deals on Booking Travel

Aside from getting free flights, rental cars, and hotel rooms with points acquired from our credit cards, the next best way to find deals on travel is by knowing where to look and how to book.

I will finish writing a complete guide soon on How to Find the Best Deals for Flights, Accommodation, & Transportation that should help cut your travel expenses down. I will also add the link to this article.

14. Rent Out What You Don’t Bring with You

When you leave the country, why not rent out what you leave behind?

You can rent your car on Turo or GetAround, your home on Airbnb, and your belongings on Zilok, PeerRenters  or Craigslist.

I’ll admit it can be pretty daunting to hand your valuables over to a stranger, but Turo, Get Around, and Airbnb each have policies in place to protect you.

Zilok and Craigslist can be a little trickier to protect your belongings, but they can still be worth looking into. Think about posting your rental ads on social media, that way you can establish more trust by renting to an acquaintance or friend.

Also, go through your belongings before a big trip and see if there is anything worth selling.

15. Travel the World as a Nanny

Do you love being around children? Do you love travel? Why not combine two things you love?

You could explore a new part of the world and bring in a decent paycheck by looking after children. Plus, you are often given extra perks, too, like use of the family’s vehicles, private accommodation, free food, and all-expense paid trips with the family.

Get great references and start applying: AuPairWorld, Aupair, GreatAuPair, and NewAuPair.

16. Recycle

Can you really make money recycling? In most countries, yes.

Back when I was struggling financially, I used to carry two giant garbage bags full of plastic into a recycling center every week, usually bringing in $13 each time. It doesn’t seem like much, but that totaled almost $700 of extra income a year. Plus, you’re helping the environment if you collect them from the street.

Developing countries don’t always have recycling centers, but if you buy a drink in glass or plastic and return it to where you bought it they may give you some money back. Best to make a quick google search to check the local recycling policies beforehand.

17. Take Surveys Online

Don’t quit your day job to take surveys! I’ve never heard of anyone making enough on surveys to live off of. From what I’ve seen, people make lower than the minimum wage in the US, so if you have the ability to get a decent paycheck go for that instead.

If you are really in need of extra pocket money, this could help. Before you sign up, do get a new email address designated for surveys and the junk emails that often come with it. Do not agree to pay a fee to do surveys, most of those sites are scams.

Do your research on which free survey sites work best for you. I prefer Swagbucks.com, Cashcrate.com, Inboxdollars.com, and Toluna.com.

Some surveys are only accessible abroad by using a VPN.

18. Sell Your Photos

The most money I have made abroad has been from selling my travel photos. You are probably not going to be able to make a fortune, but if you have a decent camera and photography skills, it can be worth it.

The amount you make depends on what websites you use and the quality of your work.

Keep in mind, there is no guarantee your photos will sell at all. Even after four years of improving my photography in the most beautiful locations in the world, I am only capable of making up to a few hundred dollars per month.

Look into istockphoto, Shutterstock, 500px, Adobe Stock, Foap, and Snapwire to see which work best for you.

Before you start considering this as a path to more income, submit your work to some of the thousands of online photo contests to see how your work looks next to your competition. You can win prizes like a free trip or camera equipment.