9 Ways to Make Money While Traveling

Today I have a guest post from Alexis. Alexis is a personal finance and travel blogger who enjoys writing about traveling and living a healthy lifestyle on a budget. She’s lived in both South America and Europe and has plans on RVing full-time in the future. Outside of blogging, she enjoys volunteering at her local animal shelter and pig sanctuary, as well as traveling to new countries with her mom. Be sure to check out her blog FITnancials after reading this post!

Traveling and living abroad has never been easier.

Living in a foreign country can teach you valuable lessons that will help you out in various situations in life. You’ll experience different cultures, people, food, and way of living that you wouldn’t have experienced if you were simply passing through on a backpacking trip.

Working in another country is not only a great way to make travel affordable, but it also looks fantastic on a resume. You’ll especially appeal to employers if you know a second language, but even if you don’t, living in another country shows employers that you are flexible and independent.

Although living in a foreign country might seem intimidating and even a little scary in the beginning, you’ll soon develop skills and experiences that will make you fall in love with your new city. For me, I discovered new characteristics and strengths about myself that I wouldn’t have realized if I didn’t live in Italy or Peru.

Qualifications for the jobs listed below are minimal, with most of them only needing a high school diploma and being fluent in the English language. Having a bachelor’s degree

Below are 9 ways you can make living abroad a reality.

1. Au Pair

Au pair life is for anyone who wants to gain an authentic experience abroad. Little to no qualifications are needed, making it one of the easiest ways to travel abroad. An au pair is a female or male who speaks English with the children of the house and sometimes helps out with chores. Living as an au pair was one of the most exciting experiences I’ve ever had.

I lived in an Italian household with 2 parents and 1 child (who spoke 5 languages!). In return, I got my own room, cell phone, groceries, a weekly stipend, and 3 day weekends. I wrote a detailed post on how to become an au pair which you can check out here.

2. Travel Nurse

Travel nurses are in need in areas where a new hospital is starting up or when there is a nurse shortage. Cities all around the world are hiring, and you generally have a say in where you want to go and how long you want to stay there.

Pay tends to be higher as you have to be flexible and independent living this lifestyle. Visa and housing are also usually provided, making this one of the best paying jobs listed.

3. Teaching English

Teaching English (or any language) is one of the most popular ways people fund their trips abroad. Not only that, if you have certain qualifications (bachelor’s degree, teaching experience) you are going to get more offers, higher pay, and better benefits.

It’s not uncommon for teachers to save thousands each year, as their accommodations and other bills get paid for them. College students often teach English right after college to pay off their loans immediately. South Korea, China, and other Asian countries tend to pay the most. Here is a list of a few companies currently hiring.

4. Freelance

Freelancing your work, whether it be writing, creating graphics, or assisting with digital marketing, can become a great side hustle. Upwork and Fiverr are both popular user-friendly websites to help you find a freelancing job.

Related: How to Become a Freelance Writer

How to Become a Virtual Assistant

5. Work On a Cruise

Do you love the water and want to visit different countries frequently? Working on a cruise could be the perfect job for you. Though the hours are long and the work is difficult, there are many perks involved. You get to travel for free, make friends from all over the world, get free food, and more. There are plenty of jobs to choose from on the ship, such as a server, bartender, masseuse, cashier, chef, and much more.

6. Flight Attendant

Are you flexible, independent, and love to travel to a new place every day? Becoming a flight attendant has many perks that include traveling the world. You get free hotels, discounts on food and your family and friends get free or discounted flights as well. Airlines are often hiring and with traveling becoming so popular, more and more flight attendants will be needed to fill the job.

Training for to become a flight attendant is one of the most difficult parts of the job, so make sure to devote all of your time to training and passing the flight attendant exam. There are many YouTube videos on what an interview will be like, as well as how rigorous the training will be.

7. Rent Out Your Room

If you’re ready to travel now, but don’t want to wait until your lease is up, listing your room or entire apartment online is a great way to make income. You can use sites like AirBnb to list your room. (If you’re looking to use Airbnb when you travel, to save money on lodging, my link will give you a $40 discount on your stay.) Depending on the city you live in you can make a good amount of money and live off of it while you’re abroad while still paying your rent.

Paying for a maid to clean out your room or apartment can be relatively cheap, and you can also pay someone to be in charge of check in and check out.

8. Workaway

Although Workaway is an online website for hosts and volunteers to exchange contacts, usually without any pay, you still receive the benefits you would at a job abroad. You’ll get free accommodations, food, wifi, and generally a few extra things that pertain to the place you’re volunteering at.

Volunteer spots are located all over the world and can range from working at a hostel, animal sanctuary, yoga retreat, or simply living in a house and speaking English to the family members.

9. Tour Guide

Tour guides are needed in popular cities, such as Rome and Paris, and are most sought out for in the summer months. You can apply to work at a tour agency, or simply list yourself online as your own independent service. Tour guides that are not native to the country are very common in Europe, which I found so surprising.

Traveling and living in another country has an endless list of benefits. You can learn a second language, discover a new favorite cuisine, and develop relationships with people from all around the world.

If you want to travel more, please take my free 5-day email course on how to travel the world on a budget. Over the next 5 days, you’ll learn everything from how to get free flights and accommodation, travel essentials, how to make friends abroad, and other valuable information!

For more extra income ideas, check out 80+ Legitimate Ways to Earn Extra Money

Have you ever thought about earning money while traveling? Could you ever see yourself traveling long-term or trying out any of these options?