Because it is what we do to make a buck we can be a bit guilty here at JAB of just equating location independence or digital nomadism with travel blogging. But there are plenty of other ways of making a living online to fund a jaunt around the planet.
Freelance writing
If the three hours I spent lost in The Oatmeal after adding a link to it (see below) have taught me anything, it is I probably do not have the time management skills required to be a freelance writer.
Travel bloggers essentially write for free. We might hope to sell some ads off the back of the writing on our websites but very often a blog is used to both hone and showcase a writer’s skills and quickly build a portfolio to earn a living as a freelance writer.
Bloggers get to choose their own topic to write about but must dance to another’s tune when freelancing. I’m a fairly slow writer and would starve if writing to order from a developed country, but with long stay accommodation costing £100 per month in a cheap destination like Chiang Mai it becomes a viable option.
Both useful advice and gripes can be found in the FreelanceWriters subreddit.
Other ways to freelance
If words aren’t your thing there are other ways to make a living online. Internet marketers, web designers, programmers and graphic designers can just as easily work from the road as from home.
Even if your skills are limited there might be possibilities to at least save money while travelling. I’m redesigning a couple of our sites at the moment to be more mobile friendly and am sure even I could improve some of the out-dated sites the less internet savvy hostels and guest houses make do with.
Take a look now at the website of the hostel you are staying at. If it is a mess of clip art and clashing colours, adapting a template or installing WordPress and a snazzy new theme could earn you free room and board for a week or so.
Take your job with you
While freelancers are self-employed, a lucky few are able to take their paying job with them. This won’t work if you are a bricklayer but if your job involves working on a computer then it might be worth asking your boss to work remotely.
Think outside the box
When Daniel Beaumont travelled 7,500 miles for free by hooking up with women through Tinder, he became a great example of thinking outside the box to utilise a wifi signal and an online service to pay his way from A to B.
Poker is generally accepted as a game of skill that those with talent and dedication can use to make some money. There has long been a subculture of people travelling to tournaments to win or lose on the turn of a hand and a number of websites are now catering to those that wish to get involved remotely. UpTown Aces run dozens of freerolls (promotional tournaments with no entry fee) and five cent tournaments a day for popular games like video poker and blackjack starting hourly.
Another way of working online, that carries an element of risk, is day trading. Marcello Arrambide, who blogs under the name Wandering Trader, is someone we know that does this. With a Twitter following of some 54,000, Arrambide likes to impart his wisdom of day trading while also making us jealous with pictures of his travels.
Of course, while it’s noble of Arrambide to teach us his secrets – you could too, and make a little money whilst on your travels. Consider setting up a vlog on a site like Vimeo on YouTube offering viewers tips on whatever it is you might be good at, from cooking to playing the guitar.
There’s a real sense of reward from imparting wisdom to others, especially when you’re making money from it! Working while travelling is something everybody should attempt at one point or another in their lives, if not to see the world then to escape something routine and mundane. Life is short, so embrace it while you can.