It’s arduous to consider, however it’s been 15 years (nearly to the day on the time of scripting this) since Nick and I offered our possessions, stop our jobs, and set off touring the world. However, how have we been in a position to afford a lifetime of full-time journey and residing overseas? Discover out precisely how we do it on this article.
On this publish, I’m not going to listing methods we’ve managed to save cash, downsize, or tackle additional work. That is strictly about how we earn an earnings on-line, and on the street, and the way we receives a commission to journey.
10 Methods We’ve Paid For Our Lifetime of Journey
Hopefully, this listing under provides you some inspiration and concepts for a way you can also begin to earn cash on-line, whereas touring and residing overseas.
Lately, we generate profits solely by way of our web sites and digital merchandise, however the money-making concepts on the listing under have been glorious stepping stones for us, and I extremely suggest them!
1. Creating Advertising Movies
Nick’s nice at video enhancing and over time, he’s turn into expert at working a drone. Due to this, we’ve acquired presents to movie and edit advertising movies for firms, and in trade, they’ve paid us for the finished video.
In all probability the best one was for Dive Grenada, a scuba firm in Grenada, or the one we did for a lodge whereas touring in Raja Ampat (pictured above).
We’ve had a drone since 2014, again after they have been cumbersome, heavy, and glitchy. Our first drone was the DJI Phantom 2 and it was so huge that it had its personal backpack! Fortunately, we’ve upgraded drones since then.
When you’re all in favour of filming and enhancing, begin honing your abilities and attain out to native companies in your area of interest or space of curiosity. Lately, the brand new iPhones take glorious cinematic-style movies, GoPro is nice for underwater or motion footage, and naturally, having a drone will get some wonderful aerial photographs.
2. Instructing English in China
This was the primary 12 months that we made an earnings whereas on the street. It was 2012 and at this level, we had achieved some volunteer educating in Laos and Myanmar, however knew of some individuals who have been making good cash educating in locations like South Korea, China and Japan.
We have been planning on touring to China anyway so whereas we have been there we determined to contact some colleges. We searched on-line, and in addition went to many cafes and hostels and located job boards with “Academics Wished” adverts. We then referred to as and emailed our resumes.
We didn’t anticipate to listen to from many (any?) of the colleges as we had no official prior expertise (solely volunteer work), however we have been fallacious. Many faculties have been ! So, we took our time siphoning by way of the choices and located an organization that we resonated with and ended up signing a one-year contract.
Inside a month, we have been residing and dealing at Shane English Faculty in Yangzhou China, educating college students in numerous courses from the ages of 4 to 16. We labored 20 hours per week and earned round $1,400 monthly every. Ultimately, we reached our aim of saving $20,000 which was put in the direction of our epic 5-month journey round Central Asia.
So far, a few of our greatest reminiscences are from that 12 months in China. Lately, nonetheless, you don’t have to maneuver overseas to show, you are able to do it on-line from the consolation of dwelling for those who select. You possibly can learn extra about educating English overseas in our full information right here, or within the articles under.
Learn Extra About Instructing English:
8 Finest On-line TEFL Programs This 12 months
How To Select a TEFL Course (10 Tricks to Assist You Determine)
10 Finest Locations to Train English Overseas
12 Finest On-line English Instructing Corporations
3. Home Sitting and Pet Sitting
In 2013, we heard of one thing referred to as home sitting and pet sitting and though the idea of receiving free lodging in trade for caring for a furry buddy appeared too good to be true, we signed up for the Trusted Housesitters platform.
After being a member for round a month, we acquired a proposal!
Not solely did the home-owner attain out to us (reasonably than us pitching them), however it was to deal with a candy canine within the Caribbean on the island of Grenada. We had no concept the place that was on the time, however for those who’ve been following us for some time, you’ll know that Grenada turned our dwelling for a few years, and though we don’t reside there anymore, it nonetheless seems like dwelling.
Over time, we pet-sat at 5 totally different properties in locations like Grenada, Barbados, and Costa Rica. Whereas simply one of many owners additionally paid us a wage, others supplied to help with flight prices. With all of them, we acquired a automobile for our use.
Home and pet sitting was a tremendous strategy to complement our earnings. By not paying for lodging, we have been in a position to afford to reside and work in lovely locations and meet a few of the finest canines on this planet.
Be certain that to learn our full information to accommodate sitting and pet sitting, and check out the articles under for extra info on tips on how to get began.
Learn Extra About Home Sitting and Pet Sitting:
10 Finest Home Sitting Web sites to Discover a Job
Put together for Your Home Sitting Interview (and Nail It!)
Inquiries to Ask Earlier than Accepting a Home Sitting/Pet Sitting Job
Develop into a Home Sitter and Pet Sitter (Full Information)
4. Freelance Writing Work
At one level, this was an enormous earnings earner for us. It was one of many prime methods we initially made cash on-line, whereas on the street. Once we have been home sitting and our weblog was nonetheless rising, we reached out to a bunch of publications and pitched our article concepts.
Some stated no, however many others stated sure!
We had full-time columns with two on-line publications and acquired a couple of one-offs once in a while as effectively. At one level, between the 2 of us, we have been persistently writing 30 articles monthly!
Freelance writing was and is an effective way to generate profits. There’s cash to be made if in case you have the dedication and motivation to put in writing high quality articles. The extra articles you’ll be able to produce, the more cash you can also make.
Lately, we pay a big group {of professional} freelance writers to create content material for our web sites. Lots of them write 3 articles per week, for a complete of 12 articles a month every. Those self same writers additionally produce other writing gigs…that means they’re making an important month-to-month wage for certain. Excessive-quality, human-written content material continues to be very a lot in demand.
To get began freelance writing, you’ll be able to attain out to colleagues in your area of interest to see if they’re on the lookout for writers. Different choices are to join platforms like Strong Gigs (which sends you the most effective writing gigs to your inbox every week), or FlexJobs and Upwork.
Learn Extra About Freelance Writing:
10 Finest Freelance Writing Programs
10 Freelance Writing Expertise You Must Succeed
15 Professionals and Cons of Being a Freelance Author
Get Freelance Writing Jobs for Rookies
5. Promoting Video Clips
Whereas we have been filming movies from world wide for our YouTube channel, we by no means thought-about the truth that somebody may need to purchase a few of the clips.
At some point, whereas we have been touring, Nick’s brother in Canada messaged: “This man from Korea retains calling and leaving messages about wanting a video of yours from Mongolia. I’ve hung up on him a couple of occasions and I’ve ignored him, because it’s in all probability spam, however he’s referred to as rather a lot so now I’m letting you understand”
We thought it was bizarre as effectively. However, we referred to as the man.
Because it seems, it wasn’t spam. A Korean advertising firm needed a 10-second clip that we had comprised of our travels round Mongolia…at a fee of $100 per second. That’s probably the most cash we’ve ever made in 10 seconds!
When you take nice video clips together with your digicam, cellphone, or drone, you’ll be able to promote them to platforms like Artgrid, Shutterstock, and Adobe Inventory. Or, possibly a international media firm will contact you too!
6. Social Media and Content material Administration
For a few years, again in 2014 and 2015, we had a couple of purchasers who paid us a month-to-month price to handle their social media accounts and to create content material for his or her weblog.
We’d study their model and objectives, and in flip write content material that was a match for them (on this case, it was monetary and life-style which was proper up our alley).
We might publish partaking content material on their Fb, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, and at one level, we have been even operating Pinterest accounts. This was an important gig because it assured us a constant earnings each month.
When you’re all in favour of turning into a social media supervisor, attain out to companies in your area of interest on locations like Fb, Instagram, or LinkedIn and see in the event that they want any assist.
Learn Extra About Social Media Administration:
Make Cash as a Freelance Social Media Supervisor
15 Finest Instruments for Social Media Managers
7. Journey Running a blog
That is the principle method we’ve earned cash as digital nomads and is our present (and most favourite) money-making technique. Listed below are a couple of of the highest methods journey bloggers make an earnings.
Paid Press Journeys
As our weblog grew and we acquired extra guests to our web site, YouTube channel, and social media accounts, we began to obtain presents for paid press journeys from varied manufacturers.
As journey bloggers, we’ve acquired quite a few emails from tourism boards, inns, and tour firms providing us free journeys overseas, plus a wage. This is among the coolest elements about being within the journey house. We’ve met some wonderful folks, skilled some epic issues, and earned an important earnings alongside the best way.
Getting paid to soak in a Japanese tub in Tokyo, plot new trekking routes in Jyrgalan, Kyrgyzstan, and go swimming with pigs within the Bahamas are a few of our most memorable press journeys.
As your engagement in your social accounts grows, or because the visitors to your web site will increase, you’ll begin to see presents coming in as effectively. You is perhaps tempted to say “sure” to every part, however don’t. Solely comply with work with firms that you just resonate with, and which you can truthfully suggest.
In-Content material Adverts
One other main earnings earner by way of our web site is from in-content promoting. We’ve all seen them, all of us don’t like them, however there are adverts all over the place as of late.
There are totally different ranges of adverts that web site house owners can select from and we’ve ours turned method down. We could possibly be incomes extra, however we don’t need to annoy our readers too a lot!
As soon as our web site visitors reached 50,000 customers monthly, we have been in a position to be a part of Mediavine which is among the finest advert firms round.
Adverts could be obtrusive, however they assist to help our web site and we’re in a position to earn cash from our in any other case free content material that we create. When you attain 50,000 customers monthly, I like to recommend becoming a member of Mediavine (they’ve an important group). You merely press a button and adverts might be turned on on your web site. You’ll be being profitable very quickly.
Affiliate Advertising
The ultimate main method we earn cash by way of our web site is thru online marketing partnerships. We suggest merchandise that we use, like, and know are respected. While you buy one thing utilizing our hyperlink, we obtain a small fee — and we thanks on your variety help!
A number of the prime associates that we promote and love are journey firms like Get Your Information, Viator, Uncover Vehicles, and Reserving.com. We additionally share the most effective digital nomad firms for TEFL, freelance writing, proofreading, and running a blog.
Learn Extra About Journey Running a blog:
Make Cash With a Journey Weblog
5 Methods Journey Bloggers Are Making Extra Cash Than Ever
Select a Journey Weblog Title
10 Causes to Begin a Weblog
8. Constructing Authority Area of interest Web sites
Goats On The Highway is our child, and we’ve been operating it since 2012. However, lots of you in all probability don’t know that we’ve 3 different web sites!
One is within the out of doors sports activities area of interest, one is in music, and one other one is destination-specific. We’ve groups serving to to run these websites, and whereas Nick works fairly a bit on the sports activities web site, we’ve consultants writing on the opposite subjects. These smaller web sites aren’t our principal earners, however a good sum of money trickles in every month from them.
Gone are the times of making spammy, get-rich-quick, web sites the place the writers and house owners are nameless (fortunately!). But it surely’s nonetheless doable to start out small authority websites round a subject that you just’re educated and captivated with and create a helpful useful resource on your readers.
Learn extra About Creating Area of interest Web sites:
101 Area of interest Web site Concepts to Get You Began
10 Causes to Begin a Second Weblog
Our New Web site: An In-Depth Progress Report After 2 Months
How To Construct a 6-Determine Weblog in One 12 months
9. Talking Gigs
Over time, our model grew and we began to turn into generally known as consultants in our area of interest. We’ve been invited to talk on varied running a blog, digital nomad, and journey subjects. A few of them have been in-person talking gigs in locations like Turkey and the USA, whereas others have been paid on-line summits.
We at all times love sharing our information and are nonetheless engaged on being assured talking in entrance of individuals! Making a prerecorded product for a web-based convention, or becoming a member of a reside summit on-line is one factor, however standing on stage in entrance of tons of of individuals is sort of nervewracking.
When you begin to turn into acknowledged as an knowledgeable in your area, you’ll in all probability be requested to share your knowledge with others. Say sure! You by no means know who you’ll meet, or the place that path will lead you.
10. Creating and Promoting Digital Programs
The ultimate principal method that we’ve supported our travels and life-style over the previous 15 years is by creating and promoting digital merchandise and programs on the Teachable platform.
With our Journey Weblog Kickstarter Course, we’ve helped greater than 1,000 folks begin and develop web sites in quite a lot of niches! That is one thing we’re pleased with as we consider that proudly owning your individual enterprise by way of running a blog is the most effective factor ever.
Certain, there are professionals and cons of running a blog (as with every part), however there’s no different job we’d reasonably do.
On prime of serving to our college students create web sites from scratch, we even have a sophisticated blogger course referred to as website positioning Made Easy with round 300 enrolled college students. Quickly, we’re planning on popping out with a brand new, extra private teaching expertise as effectively. If there’s one factor we love, it’s partaking with our wonderful group and we’re stoked for the brand new enterprise.
If there’s a subject that you just’re educated about and one thing that you just consider you’ll be able to educate others to do, why not create a course? With platforms like Skillshare, Teachable, YouTube, or creating your individual web site, there are a lot of methods you’ll be able to share your recommendation with the world.
Learn Extra About Digital Programs:
Free Journey Weblog Kickstarter Course (once you begin a weblog by way of us!)
Free 1-Hour website positioning Coaching Video
website positioning Made Easy: Superior Blogger Course
7 Finest Platforms to Promote On-line Programs
That’s it!
Up to now, we’ve been to greater than 75 nations on 5 continents and have been in a position to help our touring behavior over time utilizing the ten methods I shared above. The principle factor we’ve discovered is the significance of diversifying our earnings streams and that it’s okay to attempt (and fail) at new issues.
I hope you discovered this listing helpful and inspirational! In that case, please share it with your folks on social media, WhatsApp, or electronic mail 🙂
