Find out how to sponsor your travels...
Long-term traveling without a job can be a difficult plan. Or you just have to be a millionaire. We, unfortunately, aren't, so we find the perfect balance by combining work and travel.
The easiest path to take is if you can work online with a good internet connection and a laptop. But, as we all know, it is not so easy to find a job like that. So in this article, we will share with you our secret and how we manage to be full-time travelers without being rich.
Our story
Both my boyfriend and I enjoy working in hospitality. The first and most crucial ingredient for being on a permanent holiday is enjoying your days.
Money is needed, so having a job is an important daily activity (from time to time) . Our daily priority is the good vibe, so it is of great importance to have a workplace and position that we actually enjoy. Working in the hospitality sector doesn’t feel like work for us.
Moreover, there are always vacancies in this area and a need for more employees. Not only this but what better place to grow your contacts and meet new, exciting people?
This idea might sound weird to you at first, but that’s indeed how we found our job in Norway.
Personal relations
In the summer/autumn of 2021, we lived in the sunny Gran Canaria, working in the biggest beach club on the island. Every day working, we spoke to customers, and people were curious about our story and how a boy from Belgium and a girl from Bulgaria ended up there. From one topic to another, we found ourselves buried in offers for work all over Europe and not only. Norway wasn’t a plan for us at first, but after hearing about a job opportunity in the area with the deepest snow in Europe, we thought, “Hell yeah, winter season and skiing, why not.” Not to miss the point, talking to people and expanding your personal relations can lead you very far. If the person cannot help you, the chance that he knows someone that can is very high. You will be surprised how helpful it can be just to ask around, have more contacts and expand your network.
Hospitality jobs & Facebook
Apart from searching on the recruitment platforms, another easy way to find seasonal (and permanent) jobs in hospitality (and not only) is the advantage that the 20th century gives us - The Internet and, more specifically, Facebook.
There are hundreds and hundreds of Facebook groups with job offers. You can find jobs worldwide in Europe, Australia, the USA, everywhere. Festival jobs, beach bars, restaurants, literally everything.
Blogs
The hospitality sector is our way of making our living and supporting our travelers. Additionally, now (2022), we are starting a big project- launching a blog and an Instagram page.
Blogging can be a good profit but don’t expect to get any money from it in the first year. Or at least that’s what everybody says. We have big hopes for it, but we are also being realistic, Rome wasn’t built in a day. A blog can have a very profitable outcome, especially if you combine it with trendy social media (Instagram, TikTok). However, no matter how much time and effort you put into blogging, it won’t be overnight that your posts start earning enough to sponsor your trips.
🌍Here are a few more ideas on how to make money while traveling 🌍
Hostels
Hostel jobs can be a great way of earning some extra while traveling. Even though not all the hostels will offer money, most will provide you with free accommodation and food in exchange for help from your side. After all, if you aren’t paying for your sleeping place or the food, your expenses will be way lower.
I spent a few months in Las Palmas working in a hostel for free accommodation. The experience was terrific. Every day I meet new and interesting people, traveling from all over the globe.
Virtual assistant
If hospitality isn’t your thing, maybe you should consider Virtual Assistant positions. As an online assistant, your duties will be tasks like bookkeeping, online research, email management, travel planning, scheduling etc. Even if you don’t have the experience, you will need only a solid motivation to start and learn. Again Facebook groups are a wonderful place to connect employers to assistants. The best part of those jobs is that you often don’t even need to be in the same part of the globe. As long as the job is done on time and the communication is on point, you can work from wherever you want.
Social media manager
Social media manager could be the dream job for any traveler. I mean, we spend time on social media anyway, right? So why not make some profit from it? If you are good at what you are doing and have good references, you can earn up to €40 per hour.
Education
Many websites offer online teaching platforms. Are you fluent in any language, and do you have the motivation to teach others? Then this can be the perfect job for you! Most of the platforms will require a certificate if the language you will be teaching is not your native one. It doesn’t have to be specifically language, any skill that can be taught can bring you good income.
Transcription & data entry & surveys
Many websites can help with some additional pocket money. I am saying pocket money because I am not sure you can make millions from it, but some extra cash is always helpful. For example, the platforms offer payment in exchange for filling surveys, transcriptions, data entry etc. In my experience, those websites are useful for some extra money, but you cannot rely on them as a general income.
Customer service
Online customer service could be a good option. Take your laptop, secure a good internet connection and help customers while enjoying any beach, mountain or whatever place your heart desires. Find some vacancies here - Sykes.com, a virtual call center hiring remote workers.