It’s exhausting to consider, but it surely’s been 15 years (virtually 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 put up, I’m not going to record methods we’ve managed to save cash, downsize, or tackle additional work. That is strictly about how we earn an revenue on-line, and on the highway, and the way we receives a commission to journey.
10 Methods We’ve Paid For Our Lifetime of Journey
Hopefully, this record under provides you some inspiration and concepts for the way you can also begin to earn cash on-line, whereas touring and residing overseas.
Today, we generate income solely by way of our web sites and digital merchandise, however the money-making concepts on the record under have been wonderful stepping stones for us, and I extremely suggest them!
1. Creating Advertising Movies
Nick’s nice at video enhancing and through the years, he’s develop into expert at working a drone. Due to this, we’ve acquired provides to movie and edit advertising and marketing movies for corporations, and in alternate, they’ve paid us for the finished video.
Most likely 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 once they have been cumbersome, heavy, and glitchy. Our first drone was the DJI Phantom 2 and it was so massive that it had its personal backpack! Fortunately, we’ve upgraded drones since then.
In the event you’re enthusiastic about filming and enhancing, begin honing your expertise and attain out to native companies in your area of interest or space of curiosity. Today, the brand new iPhones take wonderful cinematic-style movies, GoPro is nice for underwater or motion footage, and naturally, having a drone will get some superb aerial pictures.
2. Educating English in China
This was the primary 12 months that we made an revenue whereas on the highway. It was 2012 and at this level, we had accomplished some volunteer instructing in Laos and Myanmar, however knew of some individuals who have been making good cash instructing 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 likewise went to many cafes and hostels and located job boards with “Lecturers Wished” adverts. We then referred to as and emailed our resumes.
We didn’t anticipate to listen to from many (any?) of the faculties as we had no official prior expertise (solely volunteer work), however we have been fallacious. Many colleges 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, instructing college students in numerous lessons 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.
To this point, a few of our greatest reminiscences are from that 12 months in China. Today, nevertheless, you don’t have to maneuver overseas to show, you are able to do it on-line from the consolation of dwelling should you select. You possibly can learn extra about instructing English overseas in our full information right here, or within the articles under.
Learn Extra About Educating English:
8 Greatest On-line TEFL Programs This 12 months
How To Select a TEFL Course (10 Tricks to Assist You Determine)
10 Greatest Locations to Educate English Overseas
12 Greatest On-line English Educating Corporations
3. Home Sitting and Pet Sitting
In 2013, we heard of one thing referred to as home sitting and pet sitting and although the idea of receiving free lodging in alternate for taking good care of 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 (moderately than us pitching them), but it surely was to maintain a candy canine within the Caribbean on the island of Grenada. We had no thought the place that was on the time, however should you’ve been following us for some time, you’ll know that Grenada turned our dwelling for a few years, and although we don’t reside there anymore, it nonetheless appears like dwelling.
Over time, we pet-sat at 5 completely different houses 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 an incredible 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 number of the finest canines on this planet.
Ensure to learn our full information to accommodate sitting and pet sitting, and try the articles under for extra data on find out how to get began.
Learn Extra About Home Sitting and Pet Sitting:
10 Greatest Home Sitting Web sites to Discover a Job
Tips on how to Put together for Your Home Sitting Interview (and Nail It!)
Inquiries to Ask Earlier than Accepting a Home Sitting/Pet Sitting Job
Tips on how to Develop into a Home Sitter and Pet Sitter (Full Information)
4. Freelance Writing Work
At one level, this was an enormous revenue earner for us. It was one of many prime methods we initially made cash on-line, whereas on the highway. After 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 number of one-offs every so often as nicely. At one level, between the 2 of us, we have been constantly writing 30 articles monthly!
Freelance writing was and is a good way to generate income. There’s cash to be made you probably have the dedication and motivation to write down high quality articles. The extra articles you possibly can produce, the more cash you may make.
Today, we pay a big staff of skilled 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 awesome month-to-month wage for positive. Excessive-quality, human-written content material continues to be very a lot in demand.
To get began freelance writing, you possibly can attain out to colleagues in your area of interest to see if they’re in search of writers. Different choices are to enroll in platforms like Strong Gigs (which sends you the very best writing gigs to your inbox every week), or FlexJobs and Upwork.
Learn Extra About Freelance Writing:
10 Greatest Freelance Writing Programs
10 Freelance Writing Abilities You Must Succeed
15 Professionals and Cons of Being a Freelance Author
Tips on how to Get Freelance Writing Jobs for Rookies
5. Promoting Video Clips
Whereas we have been filming movies from around the globe for our YouTube channel, we by no means thought-about the truth that somebody would possibly wish to purchase a number of the clips.
Someday, 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 number of occasions and I’ve ignored him, because it’s most likely spam, however he’s referred to as loads so now I’m letting ”
We thought it was bizarre as nicely. However, we referred to as the man.
Because it seems, it wasn’t spam. A Korean advertising and marketing firm needed a 10-second clip that we had constituted of our travels round Mongolia…at a charge of $100 per second. That’s essentially the most cash we’ve ever made in 10 seconds!
In the event you take nice video clips along with your digicam, telephone, or drone, you possibly can 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 number of purchasers who paid us a month-to-month payment to handle their social media accounts and to create content material for his or her weblog.
We’d find out about their model and targets, and in flip write content material that was a match for them (on this case, it was monetary and way of life which was proper up our alley).
We might put up partaking content material on their Fb, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, and at one level, we have been even working Pinterest accounts. This was an awesome gig because it assured us a constant revenue each month.
In the event you’re enthusiastic about 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:
Tips on how to Make Cash as a Freelance Social Media Supervisor
15 Greatest Instruments for Social Media Managers
7. Journey Running a blog
That is the primary method we’ve earned cash as digital nomads and is our present (and most favourite) money-making methodology. Listed here are a number of of the highest methods journey bloggers make an revenue.
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 provides for paid press journeys from numerous manufacturers.
As journey bloggers, we’ve acquired quite a few emails from tourism boards, resorts, and tour corporations providing us free journeys overseas, plus a wage. This is without doubt one of the coolest elements about being within the journey area. We’ve met some superb folks, skilled some epic issues, and earned an awesome revenue alongside the way in which.
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 provides coming in as nicely. You is perhaps tempted to say “sure” to every little thing, however don’t. Solely comply with work with corporations that you just resonate with, and which you could truthfully suggest.
In-Content material Advertisements
One other main revenue 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 in every single place as of late.
There are completely different ranges of adverts that web site house owners can select from and we now have ours turned method down. We could possibly be incomes extra, however we don’t wish 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 part of Mediavine which is without doubt one of the finest advert corporations round.
Advertisements 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 awesome neighborhood). You merely press a button and adverts can be turned on to your web site. You’ll be making a living very quickly.
Affiliate Advertising
The ultimate main method we earn cash by way of our web site is thru internet online affiliate marketing partnerships. We suggest merchandise that we use, like, and know are respected. Whenever you buy one thing utilizing our hyperlink, we obtain a small fee — and we thanks to your variety help!
A number of the prime associates that we promote and love are journey corporations like Get Your Information, Viator, Uncover Vehicles, and Reserving.com. We additionally share the very best digital nomad corporations for TEFL, freelance writing, proofreading, and running a blog.
Learn Extra About Journey Running a blog:
Tips on how to Make Cash With a Journey Weblog
5 Methods Journey Bloggers Are Making Extra Cash Than Ever
Tips on how to Select a Journey Weblog Identify
10 Causes to Begin a Weblog
8. Constructing Authority Area of interest Web sites
Goats On The Street is our child, and we’ve been working it since 2012. However, lots of you most likely don’t know that we now have 3 different web sites!
One is within the outside sports activities area of interest, one is in music, and one other one is destination-specific. Now we have groups serving to to run these websites, and whereas Nick works fairly a bit on the sports activities web site, we now have specialists writing on the opposite matters. These smaller web sites aren’t our foremost 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!). However it’s nonetheless doable to start out small authority websites round a subject that you just’re educated and keen about and create a helpful useful resource to 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 develop into generally known as specialists in our area of interest. We’ve been invited to talk on numerous running a blog, digital nomad, and journey matters. 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 all the time love sharing our information and are nonetheless engaged on being assured talking in entrance of individuals! Making a prerecorded product for an internet convention, or becoming a member of a reside summit on-line is one factor, however standing on stage in entrance of lots of of individuals is kind of nervewracking.
When you begin to develop into acknowledged as an knowledgeable in your area, you’ll most likely 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 foremost method that we’ve supported our travels and way of life 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 very best factor ever.
Positive, there are professionals and cons of running a blog (as with every little thing), however there’s no different job we’d moderately 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 nicely. If there’s one factor we love, it’s partaking with our superb neighborhood 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 possibly can educate others to do, why not create a course? With platforms like Skillshare, Teachable, YouTube, or creating your individual web site, there are numerous methods you possibly can share your recommendation with the world.
Learn Extra About Digital Programs:
Free Journey Weblog Kickstarter Course (if you begin a weblog by way of us!)
Free 1-Hour website positioning Coaching Video
website positioning Made Easy: Superior Blogger Course
7 Greatest Platforms to Promote On-line Programs
That’s it!
To date, we’ve been to greater than 75 nations on 5 continents and have been in a position to help our touring behavior through the years utilizing the ten methods I shared above. The principle factor we’ve realized is the significance of diversifying our revenue streams and that it’s okay to strive (and fail) at new issues.
I hope you discovered this record helpful and inspirational! If that’s the case, please share it with your mates on social media, WhatsApp, or e-mail 🙂
