Nowadays, everyone needs an additional source of income, especially if you catch that travel bug. Working full-time and sticking with a budget travel lifestyle helps pay for most people’s vacations.
But you may want to make extra money to treat yourself or extend a trip. A consistent side job is the best way to do that.
When you set aside time in your week to work a few side hustles and a regular 9 to 5 job, all that extra money can go straight into your travel fund.
And you can do it without allowing it to affect your personal and professional life.
Once you build up a steady income stream, you may even want to transition into only working these side hustles as your main source of income and travel indefinitely.
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Awesome Side Hustles to Fund Your Next Trip
Going on vacation can be expensive, but don’t let that hold you back. Here are five of the best side hustles with decent payouts to make the extra work in your spare time all the more worth it.
Rideshare Driver
Driving for a rideshare app is a perfect way to slowly transition into the gig economy lifestyle. It is easy for anyone to make a little extra income without taking up too much of their time in the day.
It all depends on how far the destination is from your home to your work, any popular areas or attractions that increase the chances of having a ride request, and if you are willing to put in a little time after hours.
You can even accept gigs as a delivery app driver if you want to increase your earnings.
Put that extra money away into your travel fund for later, and by the time you are ready to book your getaway, you will be surprised.
A great way to use this is to set the direction filter on the rideshare app. It allows you to pick up rides only going in that direction to the chosen address, and you won’t need to drive past it.
You will be getting paid to drive in a direction you are already going, so the rideshare can help cover some of your gas expenses, while any additional tips you make can go right into the travel fund.
This is perfect if you have a day job that requires you to go into the office. You can do the same thing after work heading home, but there is less chance you will get a ride request, depending on the distance.
Bartender
Working a side hustle should not be something you force yourself to do. You want to make extra money as well as enjoy what you’re doing.
It should fit your personality or skill set or be something you want to try.
Bartending was my top side hustle to earn money for my travel fund. Half of my trip exploring small villages in Norway was just from this after five months.
It’s not relatively difficult to learn, and as a freelance bartender, you are open to many opportunities to work both domestically and abroad with a very flexible schedule. You don’t even need to work just at a bar, either.
Sign up with a local catering company for weddings and private parties, or corporate events on weekends. This is where you can earn those big tips to help you out. A good event may yield several hundred dollars in tips.
That’s at least one or two nights in a decent hotel room.
Picking Up Gigs on Taskrabbit
You may know Taskrabbit from all the times you needed assistance in assembling your Ikea furniture, but they offer such a wide variety of skills that if you sign up, it’s easy to find daily work, and you can set your schedule and prices.
It can be easy tasks such as picking up and dropping off items to helping people move out of storage units and homes.
It’s a great way to pick up some extra money in your free time.
Any additional skills you’ve picked up may apply here, and they are continuously adding more, which may boost your opportunities for people looking for specific tasks and want someone who can understand the job.
Depending on the combination of different tasks you agree to take on, you can average between $25-35 an hour plus tips.
Thanks to this, I was able to pay for a week’s vacation in Old Quebec City just from those multiple tasks after only working on them for three months.
Become a Tour Guide
If you live in a popular destination city, you can use your firsthand knowledge of your city to show your love to others visiting as a local tour guide.
For every major tour company, there are smaller local walking and food tours you see on sites like Trip Advisor, which are always looking for people to take these groups through popular attractions and neighborhoods.
Not only does this help fulfill your love of traveling and meeting new people from all over the States and the world, but you are gaining experience in a position you can work in while traveling abroad.
Content Writing
With a consistent need for various materials on the internet, being a freelance writer is a great way to make money on the side. Find a niche in something you enjoy writing about, either in travel, cooking, or entertainment.
You can find consistent job postings on websites like Upwork, Fiver, or FlexJobs. Develop your writing abilities; this is one of the side hustles that can become a permanent job while traveling abroad.
As a travel blogger, a good strategy to find opportunities is to network with others.
Not only can you hear about more opportunities with publications you might have missed before, but if you show you have solid writing skills and can meet deadlines, you can find consistent work while traveling.
Virtual Assistant
To become a virtual assistant, all you need is some basic knowledge of answering emails, scheduling appointments, data entry, and any other tasks you may be required to do.
As a freelancer, this is one of the best ways to go about it, as you can work from home or anywhere you choose.
More people are using virtual assistants now more than ever, as you can find high-quality talent outside of your local area.
If you can build a solid network, the hours are pretty consistent, and you can even choose your rates. You may need to start with one or two gigs to build a reputation as a good virtual assistant before expanding, depending on your schedule.
Bottom Line
This list is just the tip of the iceberg. You can use the skills you learned for tutoring, have an online business, take multiple online surveys, or join a focus group.
There are always new kinds of side hustles showing up and different ways to make your travel vacations easier and more affordable while working. It all depends on the commitment you are willing to put in so that you can succeed later on with less hustle.
What’s your favorite way to make money on the side?
About the author: Nick Rosen is the founder of The World Overload, a personal travel blog. From here, he shares his and other world travelers’ personal experiences, popular cultural events, trip itineraries, and suggested destinations for every world-traveling enthusiast. Nick wants to experience the most of what this world has to offer and hopes to bring you into this as well. He has been to over 30 countries and continues to travel 2-3 times a year while working his full-time job and side hustles.
I’m John Schmoll, a former stockbroker, MBA-grad, published finance writer, and founder of Frugal Rules.
As a veteran of the financial services industry, I’ve worked as a mutual fund administrator, banker, and stockbroker and was Series 7 and 63-licensed, but I left all that behind in 2012 to help people learn how to manage their money.
My goal is to help you gain the knowledge you need to become financially independent with personally-tested financial tools and money-saving solutions.
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