How to be self-sufficient when travelling around the world?

Travelling can be an expensive hobby to have and you’re required to stick to a specific budget so you don’t go broke. Being self-sufficient is necessary if you plan on travelling a lot or on a long term basis.

traveller looking at mountain view

Travelling can be an expensive hobby to have and you’re required to stick to a specific budget so you don’t go broke. Being self-sufficient is necessary if you plan on travelling a lot or on a long term basis. The most difficult part is managing the limited resources when you’re out travelling the world. However, you’ll be shocked to know that there are ways to earn money while travelling. The best part is that you can still have fun despite doing some light work to earn some quick money.

There are many people who prefer to live as a full-time traveller. When they can manage to stay self-sufficient while travelling, then it’s possible for everyone else as well. The first thing you need to do is to try to save money. Start by booking cheap airline tickets and planning an efficient budget after that.

Why is this so unheard of?

Well, the simple answer is that travelling is something people do for fun so just the idea of doing work is not all that attractive. That and because you don’t quite have that many options for work and not everyone comes equipped with a specific set of skills. Generally, people see travelling as an expensive hobby so they don’t even question the budget hence the lack of tips to earn money while on vacation.

Top ways to be self-sufficient while travelling

Make a budget

This way, you can at least manage your money and any other supplies you take along. This way you won’t have to fret about much and enjoy your trip. While this will limit the number of activities you can do there but at least you’ll be able to enjoy all the free activities there. The biggest problem anyone faces when travelling somewhere far is money. Sometimes, our credit or debit cards don’t work in that specific country and sometimes the exchange rate is just nasty. Either way, making the budget by doing some research will relieve of those worries.

Take along reusable items

Money is wasted on water bottles and such things the most. Hence, you can take along one of those bottles with a built-in water filter. You can also try to wash your own laundry because buying some detergent is much cheaper as compared to using a laundry service. There are tons of things that can be reused easily, saving you money and supplies when you travel around.

Saving and clearing debts

One of the best ways to travel around the world while being self-sufficient is to use money from your savings account. And before you even think about opening up such an account, make sure you get rid of all the debts. Not only will this make you stress-free but it’ll also help you save more easily.

Earn money while travelling

This may be surprising but there are many ways to earn money while you’re travelling. Although most of these are suitable if you travel around as a full-time occupation or if you’re visiting someplace for a longer time.

Blogging

Travel blogging can be treated as a full-time job and it’s one of those rare jobs that you can do from anywhere. So if you already have a travel blog, simply do what you do best and share your experiences and tips with the world.

Similarly, video blogging is also becoming quite a trend these days. There are many websites that you can upload your edited video blog or even live stream it as you go. One of the most popular videos hosting website is of course YouTube. Talk about what you’re experiencing and share interesting tidbits of your journey all the while showing your views the awesome views you’re looking at. If you keep your vlog family-friendly, you can easily get ads and have your video monetized. Or if you manage to get a sponsor then you’ll get a commission.

Photography

If you happen to have a thing for snapping awesome pictures and like to make a memorable album then I have good news for you. There are many sites that buy photos. Such photos can then be used in a number of ways and it depends if you allow any further editing to be done to them. Or if you have your own online portfolio website then you can put up your best photos for sale, given that your website has good enough traffic. Of course, it all depends if you manage to sell your photos but as an option, it’s quite wonderful. Another way you can make money off of them is to make fine prints of them and perhaps coordinate with a local shop to sell them as souvenirs.

Some events also hire photographers to take those corny tourist pictures. I remember when I went to Dubai and went for a Dhow Cruise dinner. There was a photographer going around offering to take pictures that you can later buy by the end of the dinner. Out of curiosity, I asked if he was working freelance but he proudly announced that he was a fellow tourist. Quite inspiring.

Tour guide

This option is only for the people who have been to one place many times yet they still go there for a visit. If you know enough about the area and its history then you can talk with a travel and tours company they may hire you on a short-term basis and make some extra cash. Since the most commonly spoken language is English, you should try giving the tour in that. Make it fun so the tourist can later recommend to other fellow tourists they may meet.

Freelance work

Make accounts on websites like Fiverr or Upwork to get freelance jobs that you can do from anywhere. I personally like content writing, which is simply writing relevant content with good readability, or translating different documents. Thanks to travelling, I’ve managed to learn a few languages and can easily do some translation work. There are many other similar jobs available too. Just make sure you can do them easily and they’re short-term. These jobs only require a laptop and a good internet connection.

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