Who says wanderlust and earning cash can’t go hand in hand? With the right mindset and tips, you can fund your travels while having the adventure of a lifetime. Whether you want to turn your passion for photography into profits or just pick up odd jobs as you go, there are endless creative ways to make money while backpacking the world.
Read on for 25 ingenious ideas to get those travel savings growing as you explore new destinations. You might be surprised by just how lucrative globetrotting can be!
1. Become a Brand Ambassador
Companies often hire travel lovers to represent their brand abroad. As a brand ambassador, you promote products on social media and at events in exchange for free gear, hotel stays, tours, and more. Outdoor companies like The North Face frequently hire ambassadors. Flex your influencer skills and score freebies while funding your travels.
2. Teach English
Teaching English abroad is a popular way to earn money and immerse yourself in a new culture. Programs like the English Teaching Assistant Program in France and the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program place Americans in schools overseas. Many countries also hire independent English teachers, especially in Asia. No experience is required.
3. Sell Photos Online
Turn your travel photos into profits by selling them through stock photo sites like ShutterStock and Getty Images. Upload your high-quality, keyword-optimized photos and earn cash when someone buys the rights to use them. Apps like Foap allow you to sell photos right from your phone.
đź’°đź’» Get paid for simple jobs that you can do from the comfort of your own home. Start earning today
4. Become a Tour Guide
Share your newfound local knowledge and insider tips with others by working as a tour guide at your destination. Many companies, like Sandeman’s New Europe Tours, hire independent contractors to lead tours. Create your own touring business or offer specialty tours like food or photo walks. Your creativity brings in the cash.
5. House Sit
Save money on lodging and get paid to stay in beautiful homes around the world by becoming a house sitter. Sites like MindMyHouse connect homeowners needing someone to watch pets, maintain property, and more with house sitters. Sit back in luxury while making money.
6. Work at Hostels
Hostels often hire backpackers for short-term front desk, maintenance, and hospitality jobs in exchange for free accommodation and meals. No prior experience is required. Working at hostels is a fun way to connect with fellow travelers. Leverage sites like HostelJobs and score these sweet gig perks.
7. Work on a Farm
Manual labor on organic farms lets you stay active while learning about regional agriculture. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) links volunteers with hundreds of farms globally for planting, feeding animals, cleaning, harvesting, and adventuring. Don’t knock at farm work until you’ve experienced this rewarding way to sustain yourself.
💰💻 Get paid for simple jobs that you can do from the comfort of your own home. Start earning today
8. Teach Yoga or Fitness Classes
Share your passion for yoga, spin, barre, or other specialty fitness with locals and travelers abroad. Contact nearby studios about freelance work or offer outdoor classes in popular public spaces. Pass out flyers at hostels to backpackers seeking to stay fit while traveling. Get paid to stay active and healthy.
9. Become a Travel Blogger
Turn your adventures into advertising income by launching a travel blog and website. Share your experiences through engaging writing, dynamic photos, and fun videos. Build an audience and make money through advertising, sponsorships, and affiliate programs. Successful travel bloggers can make a steady living.
10. Rent Your Vehicle
Apps like Turo allow you to safely rent out your car, RV, or campervan when you are not using it. Set your own pricing, availability, and requirements. Generate income while saving space and gas during flights or trail excursions abroad. Your idle vehicle can make you money.
11. Take Surveys
Participate in online surveys, studies, focus groups, interviews, and more while in your hotel or at a cafe abroad through sites like Survey Junkie. Share your preferences, opinions, and experiences and get paid with cash, gift cards, or points. Surveys are an easy way to raise funds while traveling.
12. Proofread Content
Leverage your English grammar and writing skills remotely by working as a freelance proofreader and editor online. Sites like Scribbr connect editors with students needing paper edits. Other clients include academics, authors, corporations, and others needing copyediting. This location-independent work is perfect for wanderlust wordsmiths.
13. Enter Writing Competitions
Some travel essay and article writing competitions offer cash prizes for winners. For example, the annual GoAbroad.com scholarship awards $500–$1000 to students studying or volunteering abroad. The Matador travel writing contest awards $1000. Hone your writing chops, earn bragging rights, and collect cash by entering various contests.
14. Trade Tours and Experiences
Use your own unique knowledge and abilities to barter for tours, classes, and other experiences to offset costs. Offer to cook a traditional meal from your hometown or give tennis lessons in exchange for language tutoring or art classes abroad. Get creative with your skills and trade services.
15. Sell Handmade Crafts
Turn beads, fabrics, leathers, and trinkets found on your travels into handmade crafts and jewelry to sell on sites like Etsy and at local markets. Enroll in classes abroad to learn regional designs and techniques. Package and ship orders as you go to keep cash flowing while on the road.
16. Become a Rideshare Driver
Earn cash as an Uber driver in cities around the globe if you have a valid license and clean record. Set your own flexible schedule. Provide excellent customer service to maximize tips and 5-star reviews. Driving passengers helps offset your own transportation costs while sightseeing.
💰💻 Get paid for simple jobs that you can do from the comfort of your own home. Start earning today
17. Work as a Courier
Companies like Quick Algeria hire travelers as couriers to transport important documents and commercial shipments. Travel with shipments as luggage and deliver to local depots, saving the company international shipping fees. Couriering is an adventurous way to save on your own travel costs while being paid.
18. Perform on the Streets
Showcase your musical talents, dance skills, or other entertaining abilities by busking on busy pedestrian streets and public squares. Many cities allow street performers. Be sure to research locations and regulations. Put out an open guitar case or hat for donations.
19. Lead Local Tours
Create your own unique local tour packages like food tours, bar crawls, hiking excursions, and more. Market to hostels, hotels, Airbnb hosts, and on Viator. Hire other travelers you meet to help operate larger tours while abroad. There are no overhead expenses to worry about.
20. Rent Out Your Stuff
Apps like Fat Llama let you safely rent out your valuable equipment like cameras, camping gear, and laptops when not using it on the road. Set meetup spots through the app’s geo-tracking features. Renting your items out generates cash without hauling everything around.
21. Get Paid to Have Fun
Mystery shopping companies hire travelers to rate experiences like tours, hostels, restaurants, stores, and more around the world anonymously. Provide detailed reports and get compensated along with free experiences. Effectively get paid to have fun and explore abroad!
22. Lead Volunteer Experiences
Organize volunteer initiatives focused on your passions, like teaching kids, rescuing animals, building sustainable solutions, and more. Charge fees to cover your expenses and time. Non-profit and social good work builds your resume and changes lives while earning you cash.
23. Freelance Your Skills
Tutor students in English or other academic subjects online through sites like Chegg Tutors. Design logos, edit audio, code programs, paint portraits, and more using freelance platforms like Fiverr. Leverage your diverse skills remotely while adventuring.
24. Take Odd Jobs
Pick up random side hustles in each locale, like dog walking, yardwork, cleaning houses, admin tasks, data entry, delivering food, and anything else that fits your skills and schedule. Ask other travelers, check apps, and check bulletin boards. Odd jobs add up fast.
25. Work Camping and Hospitality Jobs
Jobs at campgrounds, lodges, marinas, amusement parks, ski resorts, and similar vacation locales commonly hire international travelers seasonally. Enjoy fun benefits like outdoor adventures, cabin stays, and new skills in amazing destinations around the globe.
đź’°đź’» Get paid for simple jobs that you can do from the comfort of your own home. Start earning today
Conclusion
With the spirit of a true wanderlust warrior, your possibilities to earn while you roam are endless. Approach making money abroad with an open mindset, diligent research, and dedication to balancing work with experiencing the riches of world travel. Follow this guide to start building your own lucrative wayfaring strategy. Adventure and profitable globetrotting await!
