8 Genius Hacks to Make Money While Traveling the World

Have you ever fantasized of traveling around the world, and earning money while you do it? Many budget travelers share this problem of figuring out how to juggle work, exploration, and keep money coming in without burning yourself out, or drain your funds all at the same time. Whether you’re backpacking through Southeast Asia, taking a road trip through Europe, or relaxing and soaking up the sun on a beach in South America, working as you travel around the world is a great way to extend your travels, and keep from spending all your savings at once.

This post will help you learn how to make money while traveling on a budget with solid tips, job options, and tools to help make this lifestyle a reality. From remote work, to temporary jobs that are local to you and many other ways to work that will enable you to travel and explore the world without burning a hole in your bank account! Let’s get started!

1. Understand Your Work Options on the Road

The first step to make money while traveling on a budget is familiarizing yourself with types of work that align best with a travel lifestyle. Here are some practical work possibilities:

Remote jobs

Remote work is one of the most convenient ways to make money while traveling. It gives you the freedom to choose your work hours and location. Freelance writing, graphic design, programming, or even virtual assisting can be done while travelling anywhere you has a good enough WI-FI signal.

Some popular remote freelancing platforms are:

• Upwork and Fiverr for freelancers offering a range of services.
• Remote OK and we work remotely, focused on tech, marketing and design jobs.
• Online teaching platforms such as VIPKid where you can teach English or Italki where you can tutor language students.

Example from real life: Sarah, a freelance writer, found her remote work through Upwork while travelling in Bali. By finding steady gigs while traveling, she was able to cover all of her expenses and have money left over to explore the island.

Local temporary jobs

Additionally, you can search for local short-term gigs at your travel location, in addition to your remote work. Local gigs pay typically lower than the work you were doing back home. However, you will be able to make enough each week to allow you to cover the basics of day-to-day expenses while away, while also perhaps creating a richer experience by connecting with more local people.

Some popular local jobs for travelers include:

• Bartending or waitressing (common in tourist-heavy areas)
• Farm work or fruit picking (especially in Australia or New Zealand)
• Tour guiding (especially if you know the area or speak multiple languages)
• Hostel work exchange (offering free lodging in exchange for a few hours of work each)

2. Choose Destinations That Match Your Budget & Income

When you make money while traveling, the location of your work can be as important as the work itself. Some cities/countries have a low cost of living that makes it easier to stretch your dollars, yet in those same places also put in place a strong infrastructure that encourages and promotes remote workers.

Best Budget Destinations for Digital Nomads

Here are a few economical cities that are cheaper yet maintain a great vibe for some travel and digital nomadism:

• Chiang Mai, Thailand – is a great place to go if you want to be a digital nomad. With a robust digital nomad community, unbelievably cheap rent, tons of co working spaces, and super cheap if you are looking to save some dollars, it is a no-brainer location.
• Medellín, Colombia – Cheap rent ($200/month), speedy and reliable internet, and more co working spaces than you could use in a lifetime are just some of the reasons why it is one of the best spots in Latin America for remote work.
• Da Nang, Vietnam – With its laid-back city life, low cost of living, delicious food and beaches nearby, Da Nang is a great option for the digital worker who wants that laid-back lifestyle while traveling.“1Bed 1Bath Apartments!”
• Lisbon, Portugal – A little more expensive than Southeast Asia, but a great mix of culture, climate, and cost of living. It also has a rapidly growing expat community.

Pro Tip: Check out Nomad List to see how places compare not only in cost of living, but also quality of life, and download speeds, which is a great way to establish where you want to spend your time.

3. Keep Your Daily Travel Costs Low

The most effective method to travel on a budget is to decrease your daily expenses. While earning is important, saving is equally vital. Here are some tips to lower expenses and make your travel budget go further:

Practical Tips for Traveling on a Budget:

• Cook your own meals: Rather than dining out every day, buy local food items and cook in the common hostel kitchen or Airbnb kitchen.
• Use local transport: Rely on public transport or biking, and avoid taxis or ride shares.
• Booking dorm beds in hostels or co-living spaces: A lot of hostels now offer co-living spaces as well, letting you save on accommodation and work at the same time. If you’re looking for advice on finding affordable accommodation, check out our guide on finding affordable accommodation for digital nomads.
• Don’t buy souvenirs or necessities in tourist locations: Buy souvenirs or everyday necessities from local markets where you will pay a minor fraction of what it costs at a tourist trap.

Real-Life Example: Tim is a web developer who traveled through Vietnam for a full six months. He was able to travel for that long because he stayed in co-living spaces, ate local food, and used Grab (the equivalent of Uber in Southeast Asia) to get around cheaply.

Takeaway: The less you spend on a daily operational basis when traveling, the longer you can travel. Try to spend less so that the money you make can last longer.

4. Set up a Productive Travel Workspace

Fueling your productivity on the go looks different when it comes to work locations. You will require more than just your laptop and some WI-FI access! Having a dedicated space (real space) is key to allowing your brain to focus effectively. Distractions abound everywhere when working on the road such as cafes and different hostels.

Travel workspace essentials:

• Portable WI-FI hotspot or a local sim-card data plan! You don’t want to rely on inconsistent Wi-Fi. Especially if your location has multiple guests, not only to prevent slow speeds but also, inclusively odd restrictions to secure their internet service for guests!
• Noise-canceling or sound dampening headphones for distractions.
• Portable charger and battery cables/extra cords for all of your devices. You will want your devices charged when you need them!
• Comfort for work: Choose hostels or areas with comfortable working era or ever co-working spaces. Services like Outsite and Selina offer co-living spaces that also cater to digital nomads.

Real Life Example: Rachel an experienced digital marketer spent a few months in co-working brand hostels across Bali where she was able to utilize a productive work space every day. She found that a great option was using airbnb with a dedicated office space for all of her remote work.

5. Manage Your Time like a Pro

While traveling and working, it is easy to become too relaxed or disengaged. Work and exploration requires a degree of structure and self-discipline.

Effective Time Management Tips:

• Use time-blocking: Plan specific hours of the day for work and leisure. 
• Set achievable goals: Break the larger projects into smaller pieces to achieve daily.
• Establish a routine: Wake up early with a routine to start the day out right. 
• Limit distractions: There are apps available to help you stay focused on the task at hand. Use Forest or Focus@Will to limit distractions during your work hours.

Real Life Example: Jack is a content creator who always time blocks his day. He spends 4 hours to get work done in the morning, and the later half exploring the city.

6. Diversify Your Income Streams

When you’re working and traveling cheap, one income stream isn’t usually enough! Diversifying your income streams will help protect against financial insecurity and offer different ways to earn more money.

Here are some ways you could diversify your income!

• Freelancing + Affiliate marketing: Lots of digital nomads, that do freelance work, also partner affiliate marketing through their blog or YouTube channel.
• Online Teaching: Allow you to teach English on the side through sites like VIPKid or Cambly while you’re freelancing.
• Selling digital products: If you’re creative, you could sell up your work like digital products (e.g., E-books, printables, and stock photography) on sites like Etsy or Gumroad.

Real Life Example: Emma, who is a designer, turned travel into income when she was both freelancing on Upwork and selling design templates on Etsy, which allowed her to travel to South America with no worry of not earning income.

7. Handle Finances & Taxes the Smart Way

When working abroad, finances and your taxes can be complicated. You may have multiple earnings, multiple currencies, and tax obligations that can vary from location to location – being organized is essential, or you could end up with a massive headache.

Here are some helpful financial tips:

• Use a multi-currency account, for example, Wise (formerly Transfer Wise) or Revolut, to save on transfer fees when sending money internationally.
• Always track your spending using an application such as Trail Wallet or Mint.
• You should also research both your home and destination tax obligations. As a remote worker, you may owe taxes to both your home country and the country you work from. If you want to reduce your tax obligation, see if your location has a digital nomad tax exemption, e.g. Estonia, Portugal.

Takeaway: Stay organized with your finances and taxes to avoid unexpected costs or legal issues while abroad.

8. Stay Healthy & Secure While Working Abroad

When you are working and traveling, your health or safety should certainly not be compromised at any time. Taking a few simple precautions and using some strategies to protect your health and safety can make a huge difference during your business or work travel.

Health and Safety Basics:

• Travel Insurance: Make sure you have insurance covering health (medical), accidents and thefts.
• Protection of devices: Use a VPN and encryption to protect yourself online.
• Stay active: Make sure you use long days to balance productivity with exercising or finding outdoor exploratory activities close to where you are staying.
• Rest well: Don’t over extend yourself, many of us challenge our work life balance and may burn out over time, ensure you are making sleep and self-care a priority to feel rested.

Real-Life Example: An example is Clara who traveled throughout Europe with World Nomads insurance to ensure she was covered for medical expenses and lost gear, offering her peace of mind while she travelled.

Conclusion

You can travel while working on a budget — it’s not just a fantasy, it’s a reality with the right approaches. By choosing inexpensive locations, creating a work environment that is productive, how you manage time and finance your travels, you can capitalize on the ability to travel and not break the bank.

So take it step-by-step, be organized and ensure you have the right things at the ready. And, also remember, the world is there for the taking and are not just for those privileged few who have deep pockets. Get out there and take the first step towards changing your lifestyle to that of a digital nomad!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)