Here are the Best Ways to Make Money Traveling the World
Ever wondered how those people you follow on Instagram do it? You can do it too, and here’s how.
My name is Andrew McDermott. My wife, Adrienne, and I have been traveling the world full time since July 2014 under the moniker A and A Take the World. We have built a bit of a presence on Instagram and have fielded hundreds of questions from friends and strangers around the world in the last few years.
Everyone wants to know how we can afford to travel full time.
We aren’t “backpackers”. We don’t scrape by, taking advantage of every free offer, laborious 28-hour bus ride, or couch to crash on. I’m not going to recommend something like working at a hostel, WWOOFing, Workaway, or swabbing the decks on a yacht; I’m talking about real jobs with material salaries. You can see the world, experience diverse cultures, taste incredible foods, have dozens of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and do it while living with dignity and without burning through your savings. In fact, we save more money working jobs while traveling the world full time than we ever did living in San Francisco or New York.
Understanding the path that I took might help clarify how you can start paving that future you’ve been dreaming of.
It isn’t easy, but nothing worth having is. I’m going to share a list of jobs that can provide the income to make the world traveler lifestyle possible for you.
First, allow me to set the stage.
Gary Vaynerchuk and ultra-motivators of the like who advise you to ‘stop being lazy and grab life by the balls,’ ‘work 16 hours a day, nights & weekends,’ ‘conquer,’ ‘win, win, win,’ tend to put me off, and I don’t think I’m alone. A brisk reprimand doesn’t motivate most people unless they can see a path of possibility. I’m a Type A person and while Tim Ferriss’ book, The 4-Hour Workweek helped me build confidence to take leap to full-time travel, it only worked for me because I already had a seven-year long career, was an expert in my industry, and had a network that I could draw from.
Understanding the entire path that I took might help clarify how you can start paving that future you’ve been dreaming of. Often times, these motivational personalities encourage people to take leaps, to go all in, and to give up “living your life” in the moment to get where you want to be long-term. However, the most important element needed to reach success in this whole financial freedom game tends to be glossed-over or neglected completely.
What a lot of those motivators don’t talk about is…TIME.
I cannot stress enough, that while I am currently living this life I always dreamt of, the only reason I have it (apart from a few strokes of luck) is because I spent years moving chess pieces to build toward it. YEARS. In 2008, I began with a plan of taking the steps I’ll share with you below. It wasn’t until 2014 that I was ready to take the leap.
Executing a multi-year plan is why we’re not simply traveling for a year or taking a sabbatical. We are living — permanently — wherever we want, whenever we want. It takes work, but many can do it. Along the way you can continue to live your life. There is no need to give up all indulgences to save money. Still, you get to watch yourself become closer and closer to achieving your freedom. If you’re ready to do the work, here is the breakdown:
1. Choose a profession that cannot be achieved through computer automation, can be done completely remotely, and plays into your personality and skill set. I will give you a list of specific jobs to consider at the end of this article. Choosing the right profession to spend the next few years getting into is critical to this mission.
2. Get an entry or mid-level full time job in this role.
3. Learn everything you can about how this role plays a part in the company and greater industries. Learn exactly what your time is worth to companies — this is a never-ending process.
4. Acquire mentors. I had a very successful “in-office” career because other people were willing to invest in me, train me, and guide me. You will never succeed at this, or anything in life, unless you can get other people to believe in you and invest in you. You need to give them a reason — this exchange cannot be a one-way street.
5. Build a network. This is the most important step in the process that can only be achieved if you take the previous steps. A network must include many people who hire/pay for the skill set that you have. Peers are great people with whom to have and maintain relationships, but you must form connections with decision makers at companies and organizations outside of your own. These people will end up being those who you sell your service to once you go it alone and begin traveling.
6. Become someone who helps other people, with no strings attached. This is the best way to build relationships. Find out what others’ struggles are and do whatever you can to help solve their problems. Provide your expertise for free, give your time free, ask for nothing in return (bonus side effect: our world becomes a better place).
7. Ascend in your field & become an industry expert.
8. Build confidence to take the leap. Read books written by experienced travelers. I compiled a list of books a few months ago. Check out my list of inspirational books about how to travel the world full time.)
If you have chosen your field or discipline correctly and focused on taking these steps over three to four years, you can be on a path to financial independence, forever…or at least until Elon Musk comes up with a way to automate your profession. Most industries will not meet the criteria that the step one depends on.
Furthermore, there are factors you need to consider regarding how each of these jobs fits your personality.
Income: One person needs about $3,000 per month after taxes to very comfortably travel the world full time (while staying connected to work 9–5) — about $5,000 per month for a couple. Backpackers, I know this can be done for far less, but hostels and couch surfing aren’t always an option for someone who needs quiet time and has to be on business calls. Additionally, fast, reliable internet connection is a necessity (see my list of places you can travel to and work as a digital nomad).
Sales: Based on the expected salary and approximate value that companies will pay for a particular skill set, how many sales do you need to make per year, month, or week? Imagine a photographer. Some professionals can sell images for $150, which means they would need to sell at least 30 images per month. That’s a lot of sales and outreach work, never mind the time spent taking photos. Photography is a terrible choice, as the economics will never make sense unless you’re a famous photographer.
If in another discipline, you can get one company to pay your full $4k-$6k per month, you’ll have to sell just a few times a year. This will really take the pressure off and let you enjoy your travels. If you hate sales or are nervous about the pressure, focus on designing your services and contracts for long-term engagements.
Time Zones: Adrienne and I are in front of our computers from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm Eastern Standard Time Monday through Friday, no matter where we are in the world. In Zanzibar, that’s 4:00 pm to 12:00 am (depending on the time of year) and 7:00 pm to 3:00 am in India. I’ve chosen work that requires me to keep client hours, and it’s a sacrifice that needs to be considered when taking on this lifestyle change. As a graphic designer, the majority of the work can be done on a flexible schedule. Some may want to work 9 to 5 no matter the location, and if so, whoever is paying the salary needs to be okay with that.
Consider these factors before choosing a career path, not after.
Here are some great jobs to make money while traveling the world:
Graphic Designer (commercial/advertising)
Video Animator / Editor (commercial/advertising) — Note that internet cost and speed will become a deciding factor in where you can travel. See my frequently updated list of cities with great internet connection around the world.
Digital Media Buyer: Facebook Ads
Digital Media Buyer: Search Ads
SEO Specialist
UX Designer
Website Developer
Software Engineer
Mobile App Developer
Copywriter (commercial/advertising)
Brand Owner — Drop shipping with Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) — This is tough, but I have friends who’ve been extremely successful in this area.
Here are some jobs that sound great, but are extremely hard to be successful in making money while traveling the world:
Photographer — Sales is difficult.
Journalist — Sales is difficult.
Travel Writer — Sales is difficult.
Sales Professional — This can be done (I did it for a while), but it is difficult to never have face time with prospects and clients, or attending industry events.
Affiliate Marketing — You risk your own capital.
Teach English — A good option, but you’re bound to one location to build a network, or teach at a school. You can travel, but your life isn’t fully your own.
Advertising on a Travel Blog — You’ll need about 2,000,000 page views per month to make enough money…and that’s a TON of visitors (nearly impossible).
Saving Money in Advance — Of course this must be done to build a cushion, and you should already consider “spending money on experiences instead of things”, but you can’t travel forever on savings.
Brand Ambassador / Brand Promotions — They don’t pay much, you need to be famous to make this a reality.
Social Media Manager — You need to be able to respond in a crisis, this can be a point of failure for if you’re on a 14 hour flight, for example.
So, what do you think? Do any careers on the first list interest you? Do they mesh well with your current skill set and personality traits? There are hundreds of resources available online to help you learn the basics of the jobs on that list, even some that you could go to school for (if you have that much time). You can use Quora.com to learn more by asking questions directly to experts in the field and then start paving your path to step two: landing an entry to mid level job.
Are you ready to start designing your lifestyle and creating you own future? Pick three professions from that list and begin researching right now. I hope to see you on the road soon!
By Andrew McDermott
http://www.AandATakeTheWorld.com
Our Journey, since July 2014 on Instagram here
Adrienne McDermott: @byebyeAdrienne
Andrew McDermott: @heyheyandrew
