The freedom to travel when you want to is the ultimate dream for many of us. However, apart from the time, the main obstacle for most is the money. As Milton Berle said ‘Money can’t buy you happiness, but it helps you look for it in a lot more places.’
So we are going to look at a number of ways to make money which will give us, not only the time but the financial freedom to travel whenever the mood takes us. It may not enable us to fly first class everywhere and stay in the Four Seasons in every city but don’t worry, it won’t be backpacking and hostels either, we like our bit of comfort.
One of the main aspects of making money is not to rely on one single source, especially if you do not have control over that source such as ad revenue from YouTube and Facebook. What would happen if they suddenly change their terms and conditions or even remove you from their platform? So remember, diversity is the key to a sustained income.
There is some crossover in income streams such as blogging, influencer marketing and destination marketing and how these work is forever changing, so as well as diversity make sure you are willing to adapt.
Rent Out Your Home Or Driveway
If you intend to travel long term and are fortunate to be a homeowner then renting out your property may be an option. It is one way to receive a regular monthly income and unlike selling, you still have a valuable asset and somewhere to return to. Obviously, make sure you go through a good agent who can deal with any issues and maintenance of the property when you are travelling.
This is something we have considered but although we travel frequently, we do not really travel long term and like somewhere as a base.
If you live in a busy town or city and have a garage or driveway, another possible option is to rent out the parking space. There are a number of sites online which manage these and it could bring in a steady monthly income with very little effort.
Blogging And Vlogging
You can make money from blogging and this is where how first started. Typically bloggers make money from advertising, sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, and social media marketing. We’ll look at these in more detail later on.
Obviously, it helps if you are an established blogger but it’s never too late to start. It doesn’t have to be a blog, if YouTube or Instagram is your preferred option it is still a good idea to also have a website or blog as you’ll actually own it. Remember, with all the other platforms you are under their control, if they decide to change or even shut down, there goes your hard work.
If you want to blog, you do need to put in the time and effort, writing on a regular basis, promoting and building a following. It’s not as easy as some people think but it can be done. You also have the added bonus of documenting your travels along the way. Blogging doesn’t have to cost a lot either, there are various free and cheap clipart and photo sites out there for example so whether you want Hawaii clipart, or hot air balloon clipart or anything else for your travel blog you can find it online.
If writing isn’t your thing vlogging or video is an option. Again this is not an easy option and to create a video can be even more time consuming than writing, there are not many creators who become successful overnight, most have been working on their blogs and vlogs for years.
The easiest way to begin monetising your blog and vlog is via Google Adsense although your site or channel does have to meet specific requirements before you can start.
Photography And Videography
As you blog or vlog, you’ll start to build a large library of images and video. If they are good quality you can earn money by licensing them for photo websites, magazines, tourism boards or marketing campaigns. We have recently licensed a video to a hotel and have sold an image to a tourism board (and it was actually taken on an iPhone).
Again, it doesn’t bring in a lot of money but it is another stream of income which all adds up over the year.
Influencer Marketing
It doesn’t have to be a blog or vlog, it could be Facebook or the current marketers favourite, Instagram and if you’re ‘down with the kids, TikTok. It not all about high numbers either, any good marketer would understand the difference between just high views and genuinely engaged followers who are part of their campaign’s target audience.
Payment could come from traditional adverts, Instagram posts and stories to brand ambassador programs. We would recommend only working with companies you trust or would use personally, getting paid to promote something ‘second-rate‘ may be profitable in the short term but you will soon lose your credibility and the hard-earned trust of your audience.
Affiliate Marketing
This is another way you can utilise existing content to help boost your income. Whenever you mention the products you use from the website hosting and camera equipment to book recommendations and booking sites, there’s always an opportunity to add an affiliate link.
So, when someone buys something through your link you receive a small commission, it may not be a lot but as your traffic grows it can all add up. Personally, we have received quite a few payments from our Route 66 blog posts and videos where we’ve reviewed books and other items we found helpful on the road trip.
Destination Marketing And Press Trips
As you start to build a following you may be invited to visit by a region or country’s tourism board. Initially, these trips will probably be unpaid although transport and accommodation are usually covered.
However, as your influence grows you will start to be paid for these trips. If they ask you for a quote, make sure you work out the total time you are away, the number of blog posts and social media posts required and don’t forget to include all those additional expenses that you may incur such as airport parking and fuel.
It may not be a complete surprise that if you do charge more many people value you more. Also, it gives you room to negotiate, you can always come down on price but you can never go up.
Remote Working
There is an ever-increasing number of remote working options available from a virtual assistant, teaching English online and freelancing on Fiverr to web design, app development and graphic design. Many of these can be quite lucrative but make sure you still retain that freedom, although you’re working remotely make sure you don’t get stuck in another routine which can limit your travel.
These are just some of the ways we have used to make money when travelling but they are definitely not the only ways. With ever-changing trends and technology, there is always a new opportunity to earn an income remotely although it does require hard work and it is far from the often quoted term, ‘passive‘.
Good luck and we wish you all the best on your adventure.
