A lot of people ask me what my job is or how I have money to travel so much, and when I tell them, they then wonder how bloggers/influencers make money. Some think we don’t and just have rich parents/partners, and then some automatically assume that we’re “lucky”, and magically acquired hundreds of thousands of followers overnight and then POOF, started getting paid to post photos and blogs. But usually neither are the case.
For me personally, I didn’t start getting paid to make posts until two years into doing this, and now at year four I’m making a full time income just from sponsored posts. I also have worked every day of all four of those past years, attempting every possible way to monetize my content, brand, and audience!
That being said…there’s A LOT of hard work and moving parts that go into having the unicorn title of a “full time influencer/blogger”, and I’d have to admit that it isn’t for everyone. On the contrary though…what I was doing those first two years in order to make money just to travel and start my blog, is!
It’s definitely not as “glamorous” as getting paid to post photos (spoiler alert, in real life, being a blogger/influencer is only about 30% glamorous), but it really can get you extra money! I know this for a fact because I’ve used all of these, plus have held several Wanderlust Workers courses where 90% of the students had a success rate!
So without further ado, here are my 5 Ways to Make Extra Money to Travel!
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1. Freelance Online Jobs
I used to work between 10-15 freelance online jobs in order to pay rent and save money to travel. I’d work from 9-5 like a regular job, take an hour or so break, then I’d go back and spend the rest of my nights working on my blog. I’d typically find these jobs on Craigslist, Freelancer, or even Fiverr, and would apply to any and all that I considered myself somewhat capable of doing.
To be honest I wasn’t technically qualified for many of them (my degree is in Biology), but I researched how to do them, and delivered what they were asking for.
If you’re not looking to be a blogger/influencer, or if you are and are just starting out like I was, you may want to consider taking on one or more freelance jobs to supplement your current income! I always looked for writing, social media, or PR jobs, but I’ve had Wanderlust Worker students tell me they struck gold by doing things like web and graphic design!
2. Affiliate Sales
Affiliate sales are another untapped goldmine, but typically only work if you already have somewhat of an audience, or at least a bunch of people that trust your advice. That’s because you’re likely going to be selling a product or service, and your payment is going to be dependent on the sales. As in, you get a commission that’s a percentage of the price of the item or service, so it’s up to you if and how much you get paid.
One of the best affiliates I’ve found has been a company called TripValet, because they offer a 40% commission on their $297 VIP Memberships. That means for every sale you get, you make over $100! So if you think about it, if you can sell 10 a month, that’s over $1,000 of additional income for you, which you could be earning passively through your website, or in your spare time on social media or through word of mouth!
If your goal is to get paid to make travel-posts, this is definitely something you may want to consider! Click here to learn who should and how to join: “How to Make Money to Travel Using TripValet”
3. Side Hustle Jobs
If the internet isn’t your thing, that’s not a problem, since these days there’s a plethora of side hustle jobs that pretty much anyone can do! Uber and Lyft are some obvious ones, but I always like to suggest considering AirBnB-ing your place out, or taking advantage of AirBnB’s new “Experiences” option!
Here’s another fun fact: When I was first building my brand, blog, and travel funds, I once went camping for two weeks so that I could AirBnB my then-apartment out, just so I’d be able to afford rent that month. It literally forced me to travel more since it paid me to not be there!
Other side hustle jobs I’ve thought are good ideas but haven’t tried are: dog walking/sitting services like Rover and Wag (because who WOULDN’T want to get paid to play with dogs?!!) and Uber Eats/any of the many new delivery services.
4. Word of Mouth Side Jobs
Another way I used to make money when I was a starving blogger, was by offering to manage small companies’ social media accounts through word of mouth. I started by mentioning that I knew how to bump negative publicity down on Google ranks, and branched out to planning full social media schedules and schemes for businesses.
If you happen to know someone who has a small business but isn’t social media savvy, it may be worth a shot to see if they’d be willing to invest a few hundred dollars in you to step up their social marketing!
5. Sell Things!
Ok so technically this isn’t a job (but it could be!), but it definitely is a major way that I used to get money for my trips when I was first starting out! I sold pretty much everything of value I owned that didn’t have sentimental value on eBay, and cashed in my already-worn outfits at places like Crossroads. Though now of course there’s apps that do the same thing!
So there you have it! 5 totally do-able ways to make extra money to travel without having to have a massive Instagram or blog following! Trust me when I say that ALL of these are easier to do than the amount of work it takes to grow and maintain an IG and blog, so it’s definitely worth trying out!
Do you have any tips for making extra money to travel? Please share them with us all below!
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