Funding Your Travels

No matter how you plan your backpacking adventure up to every last detail, certain mishaps and setbacks will always be there to cut short your otherwise lovely journey. Whether these situations result in lost luggage or missing plane tickets, you must always come up with a backup plan and anticipate every possible occurrence. While the worst case scenario is most likely running out of cash in the middle of a trip, it is not that bad as compared to other situations like missing baggage or passports. Armed with enough skills—like writing, housekeeping, or even poker gaming—you can resume your adventure once you’ve earned enough to get back on the road. Think you can handle these jobs? Here are some tips on how to earn money while you’re on the road.

Money flowers - donations for the Thai people affected by the flood

Play Online Poker

If you have been dreaming of winning a WSOP title, then this is a great chance to prove that your poker skills can match your online competitors even if you’re not ready for the current WSOP bracelet holder, just yet. In fact, many well-recognised personalities like the Team Partypoker.com’s Canadian event host Kara Scott participate often in online poker tournaments. This would not only give you a chance to play against some of the figureheads of the game online, but also serves as a great aid to honing your skills, ready for stiffer opposition, and ultimately trying to win cash prizes.

Become an English instructor

Using your fluency in English is actually a good way to build up your resources on your next trip. If you’re an English speaker and earned a degree related to the language, then this is the perfect chance to put it to great use and earn a few bucks, as well. Aside from teaching small groups with basic grammar lessons, you can also land other teaching jobs like counselling or work related to the education sector.

Online writing

Believe it or not, there is money in writing. Aside from advertisements, you can also use your blog as a great avenue for press conference invites and journalistic outputs, as well. For those who travel frequently and write often about their experiences, this is a decent gig for you.

Work in a hostel

Since you are looking for a place to stay anyway while you’re on the road, you could also consider working in a hostel or a cottage. There are a lot of ads on Craigslist for staff help. Although some inns give little or no monetary compensation at all, others provide basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter for their workers. With those amenities provided, the only things you have to worry about is finding the time to enjoy the outdoors and savouring each moment of your backpacking trip.