When people think of traveling, one of the most common responses is to see it as an expense. But traveling doesn’t always mean you have to spend myriad ways to save and earn money along the way.
If the only factor stopping you from traveling is its costs, why not flip things around by making traveling an excuse to earn more? Here’s how:
Yes, it’s entirely possible to get paid for your knowledge! I got this one from my uncle. A case in point is when he befriended a traveler who shared his expertise on brake pad repair. My uncle was so enamored with what he could do that he offered to pay him if he could show him how to do it himself.
Perform on the Street
I know this isn’t for the faint-hearted, but you don’t necessarily have to do backbreaking somersaults or tricks to perform on the street. A simple singing or dance performance would do. Playing an instrument would also be great too!
If you’re not the performer type and like something more low-key, why not try drawing in public? I guarantee you that once you prop up your tools and get down to drawing or painting, a pool of curious people who want to know what your final artwork will look like will undoubtedly gather.
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How do I know? Because I did it myself. You could then sell the artwork to any interested person from the crowd.
Make the Most Out of Your Videos and Photos
In this age of technology, you can virtually make money off everything, such as filming yourself while traveling. No, I’m not talking about YouTube or being Instagram-famous enough to be sponsored because, let’s admit it, it takes a while to get to that point. What I’m getting at is monetizing your videos and films by submitting them to contests.
A good example would be GoPro, where winning videos filmed with GoPro can win as low as $1000 to $10,000. Annually, they give out $5 million worth of cash prizes. Prizes are higher for edited clips than raw ones, so do some editing here and there if you plan on joining.
The best thing about this is that you can submit multiple entries- some have actually won twice in a month! If you want to submit a video to the GoPro Awards, you can do so on their submission page.
Many award-giving bodies out there provide monetary compensation for their winners when it comes to photos. A friend of mine could do this by submitting an underwater photo he took to a contest for underwater images.
Guess what? He lucked out and was one of the finalists. Not only did his photo get exhibited, but he also got a cash prize. It’s not too shabby for someone who’s a mere photography hobbyist. If you want to take a chance, you can check out an extensive list of running photography contests with their accompanying cash prizes here.
Work at a Resort
Resorts usually enjoy seasonal business. Whenever the holidays are nearing or vacation season comes, they typically hire a few more people to deal with the expected additional demand.
You can utilize this by tendering your application before the forthcoming holidays. Although work is involved, you can always enjoy the place on your days off and breaks and get some juicy discounts.
Provide Tours or Itineraries
If you have a favorite place you’ve visited a few times before and want to see again, you can earn cash by being a tour guide! A few agencies often hire tour guides during the peak season to accommodate more clients.
Alternatively, you can also draw out custom itineraries for well-known places. Just post an ad online and charge a reasonable fee for it.
Tutor Someone
If you’re going to a non-English speaking country with a massive demand for learning English, capitalize on this and earn a few bucks your way. For this, you don’t necessarily have to be certified, and most people only require you to be a native speaker. ESL sites such as this often post this kind of opportunity. Some countries in the Asia Pacific where the demand for the English language is high include Japan, China, and South Korea. Not only will you be earning on the side, but you’ll also make a few potential friends along the way.
Work For an Airline
One of the best ways to get paid while traveling is to work for an airline. The most popular job people automatically consider is to become a flight attendant, but the only problem is that it’s super competitive. It was even claimed that getting hired for Delta is harder than getting in at Harvard. Who would’ve thought that competition was that fierce, right?
Instead of becoming a flight attendant, why not settle for other airline jobs? You can get as many travel perks and benefits as possible without the constant jet lag and unusually long work hours.
For instance, you might want to consider becoming a ticket agent. All you have to do is process ticket orders or reschedule while working the typical 9 to 5. For your days off and vacation leaves, you can use the travel benefits of the job.
The good thing here is that the requirements aren’t that stringent. Someone I know got in with a degree in Philosophy. She traveled to her heart’s content and often went out of the country monthly (sometimes weekly) with her colleagues. Her immediate family got some great discounts, too.
Summing Up
The opportunities are endless, and as the timeworn saying goes, “The world is your oyster.” (Apologies in advance if you wanted to barf. Lol.)
I hope that this list has been helpful to you. Traveling doesn’t have to cost a lot, but if you did, you could at least employ some of the tactics above to make it easier on the pocket. There are many other ways to travel and earn simultaneously, so if you have anything in mind, please leave a comment below!