Ever dream of traveling but feel like your empty wallet is holding you back? Good news: you don’t need a fat bank account to explore the world! With a little creativity, flexibility, and resourcefulness, you can travel even when you’re broke. If you’re between 18 and 35 and want to see the world without constantly worrying about your bank balance, having a side hustle can be a game-changer.
I need to make one thing clear, I’m not “travel influencer”, I have a normal 9 – 5 job but I’m no baller living large. Despite all this I still travel every year celebrating the new year somewhere new. Sounds expensive? Not in the slightest! Here’s how you can make your dream trip happen without breaking the bank.
Side Hustles You Can Start Doing Today
1) Uber / Lyft driver
If you have a car, this is probably the easiest and fastest way to make some extra side money. I know many people that work a few hours a day doing simply driving people around. The only job I can think of that allows you to work the days and hours you feel like. All you need to do is download the app and your off!
2) Seasonal or Temp Work
Don’t let the idea of seasonal or temp work deter you. Money is money end of discussion! Always go in with a positive mindset so the adjustment is easier. If you live in a state with a national park perhaps, they’re looking for extra help during the summer. Site like Coolworks.com allow you to scope out who hiring, when and where. I’d follow up on that site or directly with that park.
You can also use sites like Indeed.com to help you find those jobs or similar. Maybe during Christmas your town / city sells loads of Christmas trees…see if they can hire an extra hand.
Hot Tip: If you want to work at a national park follow them on social media. They tend to post job openings with full details.
3) Freelancing Online
Freelancing is a go-to option for digital nomads because all you need is a laptop and Wi-Fi. Whether you’re good at writing, designing, coding, or video editing, there’s a market for your skills.
Websites like Upwork, and Fiverr let you connect with clients looking for freelancers. You can start by offering your services at a competitive rate and gradually increasing your prices as you gain experience.
Fiverr is a great option for beginners and small jobs, mainly in the graphics arena, website building and video editing. Upwork is best for more complex jobs like programming, IT or long-term projects. As long as you do good work and receive positive reviews, you can earn a steady stream of income.
Things to consider
These two options may sound easy, but many people using these two options will tell you it can be a grind. In the beginning you’re constantly looking for new clients and it will take time to build a portfolio gaining positive reviews and building that trust. Key is patience and deliver high-quality work.
A hot commodity on Upwork for many professionals and companies are “virtual assistants”. They are involved in digital marketing, bookkeeping, customer experience and technical support. These are the types of services that are in high demand.
4) Teaching English or Tutoring Online
If you’re a native English speaker (or fluent), teaching English online can be a solid income stream. Some platforms require a degree or TEFL certification, but others, like Cambly and iTalki, don’t have strict requirements.
I’m not suggesting you can make a full-time living teaching English but you can make some extra money on the side and save up to pay for your airfare.
How to get started
- Sign up for platforms like Preply, iTalki, or Cambly.
- Set your hourly rate and availability.
- Technically you can teach from anywhere with a good internet connection.
Hot Tip: Teaching English can be done anywhere. If you want to extend your travels during your gap year teaching English is one way to make money one the side allowing you to pay for food and cheap hostel lodgings.
How To Make Extra Cash While Traveling
Now you’ve come to the best part, how to travel and score FREE lodging!
Perhaps you land in a country and you want to stay for a longer period of time. We’ve already covered freelancing work can allow you to travel and work at the same time, however here’s one idea that will allow to extend your stay with free accommodation.
5) Working at a Hostel
Why this is a good choice? Free accommodation is the short answer. Yep, believe it or not you can work at a hostel and score free accommodation. This is what is called ‘work exchange’ you work at a hostel in exchange for free lodging and some other benefits. Furthermore there are MANY hostels that will offer you free lodging if you work at the hostel doing reception, cleaning, cooking or other chores. The only real requirements are high energy, a fun personality, and good communication skills.
Depending where you are and how smart you are about your spending, your savings can last a surprisingly long time when you don’t have to pay for accommodation. You can save money by mainly eating through the hostel. They will usually provide that for you.
Where to find hostels that hire
Pick a destination you want to visit and do a web search on the hostels in the area. Contact them in advance and see if they’re looking for help. Many times on the hostel website, they will have a “volunteer” tab telling you exactly what they are looking for.
A real-life example
The last time I traveled to Asia was to Thailand and met a 20-something Canadian at the Slumber Party Hostel my group was partying in. I asked what brought him to Thailand and he went on saying he was “getting paid to party”. His job at the hostel was to get the revelers going and organize activities and pub crawls for the hostel. I mean seriously, how much fun do you think he’s having? He said it best “I’m still young and I can only do this once”. Well said dude!
Things to consider
Firstly, depending on how long and where you plan to stay you may need a Visa. When working at a hostel you’re getting to stay there for free but you will still need money for any extra food, drinks, transportation or any extra activities. Secondly, you’ll need to come with enough savings to be o.k. for the first few months. However, there can be some extra financial perks by working extra hours, doing the kitchen deep clean shift or see if you can bartend at the hostel.
As you can see finding a side hustle doesn’t have to be that hard, there are plenty of people that use their talents to make some extra side money. The above is just a short list of possibilities.
Final Thoughts: Make Money While Seeing the World
As you can see you don’t need a huge budget to travel—you just need creativity and a willingness to hustle. Try out one (or a mix) of these side hustles to keep your adventures going longer. Start easy with a ride-a-share app applying for remote jobs or set up a profile on a freelancing site.
The world is waiting—why not make some extra money and explore it?
