How to Make Money While Traveling Around the World

I’ve read hundreds of stories about people who have made money while seeing all that the world has to offer while still making enough money to pay their bills. These people do not have to rely on a steady diet of ramen noodles, and they are able to take advantage of all that the world has to offer. As an avid traveler, I’ve often dreamt of quitting my day job and setting sail on an epic journey around the world.

But how does one pay for such an adventure? How can you travel the world and still remain financially stable? Of course there will inevitably be trade-offs (no more McMansions to live in or fancy shopping sprees for new clothes/gadgets are a few), but there are ways you can throw caution to the wind in lieu of fulfilling your travel dreams in a fiscally responsible manner. Here are just a few ways to do so:

1. Travel writing. Perhaps the Holy Grail of all travel-related jobs, travel writing is exactly what it sounds like: you get paid to document your travel experiences and share them with the world. While it can be difficult to distinguish yourself enough to become the next National Geographic or Conde Nast phenomenon, you can start small by joining sites such as Matador. In particular, Matador is a gigantic network of like-minded, traveling writers who strive to produce excellent content. The resources on the site include hundreds of online magazines, networks, and even blogs that all want to pay people to write about their personal travel experiences.

2. Write reviews. If you’re not interested in travel writing but want to share your opinions, consider signing up for a hotel, hostel, or guest house review service. Not only will you get paid to write about your experience staying in various places, but you could feasibly turn your review experience into future sponsorship opportunities from the hotels and hostels themselves!

3. Farm work. Yes, it’s going to be hard work. But considering the benefits (that you can’t put a price tag on) of meeting new people, helping the environment and being able to curate truly unique experiences, this is one of the best ways to earn money around the world if you don’t mind getting your hands a bit dirty.

4. Teach English. There are thousands of jobs for people who are interested in teaching English abroad. The best part of this type of work is that it doesn’t require a teaching license. However, if you do manage to pick up your TEFL certification along the way, you’ll nearly be guaranteed your pick of positions that pay more for longer periods of time. And while there are many international schools that hire English teachers, another option is to become a private tutor. You can earn anywhere from $20-$40/hour in the private market and your expenses are relatively low. Try to find college textbooks for cheap online and use those as your instruction manuals.

5. Utilize your skills. Construction, photography, even cutting hair. Everyone has skills that can help others, so consider putting yours to work for you. Not only will you enjoy what you’re doing because it will be based on a talent, interest, and/or hobby of yours, but you’ll be helping others and earning money at the same time!

**Photo by Kevin Dooley/Flickr**