For just about anyone who considers a life on the road, the first question they ask themselves is: “How can I make money while traveling?” It is probably in trying to answer that very question that the vast majority of people give up on this dream. After all, if money was no concern, who wouldn’t turn to a life of travel and adventure. The fact is that most of us are not independently wealthy. We need to maintain an income to survive. The notion that you can live out on the road far less expensively than you do at home is largely just a myth, and with the cost of campsites and fuel on the rise, it’s getting tougher and tougher.
All that being said, you should NOT let the fear of not making money stop you from pursuing this dream life. In truth, there are just about as many ways to make money on the road as there are people living on the road. Just about anyone can find the means to support themselves if they get creative and think outside the box.
Here Are Some Ways To Make Money While Traveling On The Road
Make Money Performing Your Current Job
The first place to look is at your current job. Do you spend most of your work time chained to your computer? IS it possible that given the chance you could do your job from home? Does your company support telecommuting? If the answer to any or all of these is “Yes” then you may be able to just ask your leadership if it is possible to work remotely. Many, many jobs these days are internet based or could be. There are a hundred good reasons for a company to approve this type of request. Do a little research online, put your positive discussion points in order, and go see your boss- you may be surprised to find out that they would rather have you work remotely than to lose you altogether!
If you do have skills that can be utilized online, but your company will not allow remote work, then possibly you can look for a position with a company that does, or farm yourself out as a virtual professional through a temporary agency. Look closely at your own skills and then do some research into the possibilities.
Make Money Enjoying Your Hobby While Traveling
Do you have a hobby that you could turn into a business? So many people sell beautiful things on Etsy. Is this something you could do? Are you into woodworking, knitting, painting, ceramics etc. You may be able to sell your creations online or travel along the craft fair circuits. Many people do this and make quite a good living. We met a lady in one campground who sold painted fish that she and her husband crafted out of old milk bottles. They were truly unique and she sold a lot to other campers. She hung outside her camper and people would see them and stop by and end up buying some.
Are you on wiz at Pinterest but just for fun. Think about offering that as a service to business owners. When I first started on Pinterest, I was clueless, I didn’t know how what boards to set up or how to use SEO for my boards. If this comes naturally to you and you love doing that, think about growing that into a business you can do online. You may be surprised at the number of people who would love to have an affordable VA in this area.
Are you into an MLM or some type of relationship marketing strategy? Do you know all about herbals, supplements, or essential oils? There are a ton of people who do quite well selling these items on the road.
Are you handy around the house? There are affordable training programs to learn RV repair and maintenance. We have never been to a park where the local repair guy was not constantly busy. Even the RV detail guys keep super busy.
We met a man in the mountains of Western Virginia who is really into snow skiing and white water rafting. So he became certified for winter Search and Rescue and also as a White Water Rafting Guide. He spends his summers in Virginia rafting and getting paid, and his winters in Colorado getting paid to ski. What a great setup! He lives in his renovated Airstream and just goes back and forth, 6 months at a time.
Freelance Writing While Traveling
Are you able to put words together in an interesting way? Freelance writers can make good money farming out their skills to people who are not so talented in this area. Every online site needs someone to write engaging copy that will hold a readers attention. Amazon, eBay, and Shopify sellers all need eye-catching copy in order to help their products sell. Ever thought of being an author? It is pretty easy to write a book and sell it through Amazon Kindle. Good titles can sell thousands of titles every month. If you are knowledgeable about good writing practices, create a course in Beginner Writing and put it out there for others who want to learn to write.
Make Money at Graphic Design
In my opinion, there aren’t enough graphic designers in the world, Business owners need graphic design for so many things. From logos to web pages, to printed material, graphic design is a huge field that can carry you along with a nice income. Many online businesses use Facebook and Pinterest to market their products or services. These marketing efforts require creative meme’s and engaging Pins to catch the readers and entice them to the marketers’ website or sales page. Even the smallest online business will need this service so there is plenty of work for just about anyone who puts their mind to it. Here are some other ideas.
- To create quotes on images like we have on our facebook page. You could create a packet of 25 quotes and sell them for one price tag.
- I have always loved the idea of Done For You Pinterest Templates where you could create a certain number of pins at one price rate. It’s effortless to grab Done For You Templates and go about your business. Kara from Simplifying DIY Design does that as a service, you can see an example of what she offers right here.
- You can sell your service in places like Fiverr, FreeeUp, or UpWork. These sites specialize in bringing together freelance workers and the people who need them. Their services offerings are super wide, so there is a niche for any skill.
Make Money Selling Online While Traveling
There are a lot of opportunities to sell stuff on Amazon, Shopify, Ebay etc. This is what we do through our Amazon Store, Gypsy’s Cart. We have manufacturers that produce our products under our own brand. We then have them shipped directly to Amazon warehouses for distribution. This way we never have to handle the product which is nice when traveling around. Other people do “Retail Arbitrage.” This is where you just buy anything at a low price and re-sell on Amazon at a profit. Some folks are into collectibles and follow the show circuit and hit local stores all over the country buying and selling collectibles. If you are knowledgeable about these things, the opportunities abound. There are so many ways to make money online while traveling.
Save Money Workcamping
Many people travel and work at campgrounds in return for a free site or a paycheck. There is an entire industry built around workcampers. There are online resources to look for available jobs. Most workcampers we have met have gotten known in certain jobs and then return to these campgrounds where they are assured a job. We met a couple who workcamp in the Outer Banks during the summer, then workcamp in Florida during the winter and also run a Christmas Tree lot during the holidays. Great ingenuity!
Traveling Professionals
Many occupations lend themselves to traveling for work. Nursing is a HUGE market for this. Construction and Oil Rig workers are another. Check online for your own skills and see if there is an easy way for a traveling YOU to make money!
- Artists & Jewelers
- Musicians
- Entertainers
- Seasonal Workers
- Festival Workers
- Truck Drivers
- Harvest workers
- Oil fields
- Construction and Craftsmanship
- Contract Medical Staff (nurses, doctors, technicians, etc.)
- Journalism
- Disaster Services
- Cruise Ship Staff
- Fishing or Boat Crewing
- Traveling Sales & Demonstrators
- Therapists & Body Workers
- Hair Stylists & Cosmeticians
- Tattoo Artist
- House & Pet Sitters
- Tour Guides
- Amusement Park Staff
- Concessionaires
- Providing Services (cleaning, organizing, computer setup, handyman, etc.)
- Repair & Technician Work
- Temp Workers (from cashiers, stockers to office work)
- Performance Artists (balloon twisters, dancers, comedians, gymnasts, fire swallowers, etc.)
- Conference Speakers
- Field Researchers
- Inspectors & Secret Shoppers
- Onsite Guarding (gate guards, onsite security, etc.)
- Trainers & Teachers (I use this resource for homeschooling, maybe you are a teacher and could add your lesson ideas and get paid for them)
- Teaching English as a Second Language
- Volunteer Jobs (that cover some living expenses)
- Consultants & Designers
- Specialty products sales (ie. Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, etc.)
Make Money Blogging About Your Travels:
Blogging is another fantastic way to earn an income. You can monetize any blog using ads, sponsored posts and affiliate marketing. We highly recommend that you choose a subject that you are super passionate about. Check out our Blogging Resources to find great tools to help you make money while traveling.
Here are some ideas:
- Parenting
- DIY
- Small Business
- Travel
- Lifestyle
- Finance
- Home
- Family
- Crafts
- Outdoors
- Fitness and health
- Food
- Games
- Music
- Relationships
- School
Blogging doesn’t cost a lot of money to get started, but like anything else, you have to take it seriously and put some time into it.
SO there are a bunch of ways that you can make money in order to get on the road full time and live the dream life! Just take a good hard look at your own skills, hobbies, and interests and then do some research finding out how you can turn your own skill set into cash. It won’t take long until you are kissing your old life goodbye and hitting the road.
Good luck!!
Grainne Foley
Grainne Foley grew up in Ireland and spent summers caravanning around Europe with her family. Now, as a wife and mother of 2, she spent 5 years traveling the USA as a full time RVing family. She is passionate about travel, and helping others who are considering the RV lifestyle. She has created dozens of helpful RVing checklists which are available throughout the website, and has curated hundreds of simple, flavorful meals for families on the go.