Traveling around the world while working and earning money is something everyone wants to do. In the digital age we live in, this is becoming more common and easier. Remote working is gaining ground. More and more people are discovering the different ways you can travel and make money in the meantime. In this blog, I have listed the 10 best ways. Here’s to a remote lifestyle (like me).
1. Go freelance and determine your own workplace
Easier said than done perhaps to start freelancing, for this you need to start researching what (online) work suits you and what skills you need for this. This gives you a lot of freedom to explore the world and combine travel and work. Remote working is possible in all kinds of sectors, from finance to marketing and from tech to healthcare.
More and more people are becoming freelancers and choosing to determine their own workplace. They want to set their own terms and enjoy the freedom they have as a result. For a workation, in principle, no one has to agree. If you are working for a regular client or large project, it is nice to mention that you are going to work remotely, that avoids possible surprises for both parties.
2. Choose a flexible employer
Even if you are salaried, travel and work can be combined. Many people see obstacles in this, but that is really not necessary. I myself worked for a boss for many years and often went on a work trip. My employer was very flexible in this, sometimes I went away for 2 weeks, other times for 3 months. Is your supervisor less enthusiastic about remote work? Discuss this with them and find out exactly what their objections are. In this blog you will find more tips on how to talk to your employer.
Before I started Working Remotely, I worked as an event manager, a job that required me to be on location regularly and I was ultimately responsible for an event. Even then, I was still able to work regularly from abroad. Between events I had all the freedom to go away and do my work online and manage the team. Just goes to show that more is possible than you might think.
If your desire is to work remotely, but your boss won’t let you, you can choose to leave there. If it really is your dream to work remotely, above all you should not give it up. There are now plenty of companies embracing remote working. There are more and more Dutch companies that allow you to work temporarily or long-term from abroad. Here you will find a
3. Start a sidehustle and develop online revenue models
You often see it passed by online: create a passive income. The perfect way to become sleepy rich and travel the world. Leaning back completely is not this though, you do have to put energy into your online sidehustle first, but in time you will reap the benefits. Then money will come in while you’re lying on the beach. Popular sidehustles include: blogging, affiliate marketing, crypto, a web shop and investing. Part of Working Remotely’s income also comes in this way.
Want to start a sidehustle? Then I can recommend the Toolkit from I am Jan Modaal (Sandra). I did this one myself and got a lot of valuable information from it. It explains everything step by step. You can find more information about starting lucrative sidehustles here. You will learn to develop all kinds of different revenue models.
4. Start teaching online from abroad
With the rise of online education, you can increasingly teach no matter where you are. More and more, you can get started as an online teacher. Whether you want to teach English, Spanish or any other subject, all you need is a good Internet connection and good language skills. Whereas you would think that as a teacher you really need to be in a physical location, that is now no longer true for all teaching. Since covid, we know that being taught online works just fine. For example, to teach others a new language zols English or Spanish. Or to tutor someone. This way you can easily share your expertise with others while you are abroad. I have come across many people traveling who earn their money this way. It is a perfect way to combine travel and work.
5. Become a digital nomad and work remotely
I consider myself a part-time digital nomad. In fact, I just live in the Netherlands, but I do travel regularly. I like having a home base, but don’t want to be there too often either haha. There are also plenty of nomads who pack up all their stuff and start working completely remote. Or people who go away for a year. You can be a digital nomad in many ways. In this, choose the form that best suits your life needs.
Living and working from a minivan is also becoming increasingly popular. This gives you all the freedom to go wherever you want without the need for a plan in advance. You have your home on wheels, which means ultimate freedom. Curious about experiences of other vanlifers? Then read the story of Michel, who has been traveling across Europe in his van for 9 years.
6. Do a home exchange
With a home exchange, you can save money on accommodation, one of the biggest expenses of a trip. You won’t earn money on this, but you will have free accommodation, saving you a lot of money. After all, the cost of accommodation is often the biggest expense of a trip. You swap homes with someone you choose online, many platforms can be found for this by now, including Dutch ones. You can decide where you go and what kind of property you want. This way you can find a nice place without paying for a hotel or Airbnb. All you need is a house to offer yourself. Then you can then choose who and where you want to exchange with.
7. Rent out your property and make money
If you own your own home then it is ideal to rent it out during your trip. This can be a nice way to generate some extra income, especially if you live in a popular region or during vacation seasons. Just be sure to check if it is allowed, both for rental and for sale properties. If you break the rules, you can get into big trouble. A popular platform for this is Airbnb. Especially if your home is in a popular location or during vacation seasons, you can earn a nice income from this.
8. Babysitting children
Of course, you must have a love for children if you are going to become an au pair and babysit children, but it can be a nice way to live somewhere else temporarily and earn money. You will stay in a fixed place though and won’t travel much, unless you find a travel-loving family or get a lot of freedom in this. I have no experience with it myself, but can imagine that it would be nice to be in another place for an extended period of time and really get to know it well. You can see a lot of the world this way and combine travel and work.
9. Become a cat sitter
From cats to dogs to chickens, babysitting animals often takes you all over the world. A cat is less work than a dog; you have to walk it at least 3 times a day and feed it more often. I also know someone who went to a small farm to babysit goats in Spain. This can be a relaxing way to earn money, especially if you are an animal lover like me. I myself babysat a cat in downtown Kuala Lumpur during my trip through Asia. That was an amazing experience, where I stayed in a luxury apartment with insane views and rooftop pool. Something I could never normally afford.
10. Working while traveling: get to work locally
Go on a trip and work in the accommodation where you are staying, you often get to stay and eat for free in exchange for working there. Or on a farm or campsite, where you work on the land, in the garden or in the service, for example. While you usually don’t make any (or little) money, you don’t have any expenses either. There are providers of these types of volunteers and employers all over the world.
Ready to start working remotely?
Have you determined the way you want to travel and work? How you are going to discover the world and earn money at the same time, but are not sure how to proceed with the preparation of your remote work adventure? I get that, there is a lot involved. In the
More inspiration on remote working, digital nomads and workations:
