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Step 7Working on the Road
Being able to generate money on the road will let you extend your trip, or even keep traveling forever!
Tim:
In Tangier there were too many young men hassling us like swarms of flies, so my friend Renee and I finally broke down and chose the youngest most harmless looking one to be our guide.
He wanted to take us to various businesses in hopes he would get paid a commission by the proprietors. Instead we had him sell things we were carrying but didn't need. He was equally happy to do that. He took us around and facilitated the sale of a pair of binoculars, a walkman, etc. to various shopmen. That's the only money I've ever made on a trip. My method has always been to spend less money than I had. That meant stealth camping, gleaning fields after harvest, dumpster diving, etc.
Friends of mine have made road money in various ways.
One acquaintance is a street performer who went all over europe and Japan performing at festivals and street fairs. After a few years of this and talking to other buskers, he knew all the best times and places for that trade.
Other American friends have worked on U.S. military bases abroad, waiting tables, teaching part-time, etc. They're legally part of the U.S., so you don't need any special permit. If you get to shop at the PX or meet people who will do it for you, the prices can be much better than the local market. I was offered a substitute teaching job on a base in Germany, but didn't stick around long enough to take it. The U.S. has 700 non-secret overseas bases, so there's likely to be one near any place you find yourself. One friend worked at a restaurant at a ski area in Austria. The restaurant is U.S. territory, just like Guantanamo.
In Japan and some other places it's very easy to get work as a conversational English teacher. That means you get paid to talk to nice people.
Star:
Marty Demaine told me that travelers can sometimes make money as extras in movies.
With a whetstone you can sharpen knives, or find bits of scrap metal and wood and fashion them into pocketknives you can sell later.
A small weight or hammer and a nail, and you can turn scrap pieces of aluminum or tin from cans into ornamental hammered metal jewelry.
Other travelers I've met like to sell little found or carved trinkets. I met an Australian in Brazil who got by selling hand-drawn images of kangaroos. Another was really good at telling stories, and viewed his job as selling stories with little objects attached, so people could take home the objects and retell the stories themselves when they got home.
If you have a computer you can work online as a programmer or as a translator.
If you know a two languages and want to get started in translation, try the website ProZ.
Cleaning jobs are also popular. If you're truly strapped for cash and in a city, you can probably find work doing some cleaning in a hostel.
If you are interested in eating dumpster food, see the TrashWiki for local dumpster/skip information
Orian:
Make cool things to sell. I've done well with these stoves traveling through Canada. Lots of people make jewelry or whatever else they're pretty good at putting together.
Advertise! People always have wood to cut, cars and bikes to fix, crops to harvest ... You'll already stand out traveling, so people are extra likely to see a sign on your bike or backpack. I put a "Will work for food" sign on my bike in Canada and had a job every other day. Some times people would give food, for which I was grateful, but often they would just pay in cash.
Tim:
In Tangier there were too many young men hassling us like swarms of flies, so my friend Renee and I finally broke down and chose the youngest most harmless looking one to be our guide.
He wanted to take us to various businesses in hopes he would get paid a commission by the proprietors. Instead we had him sell things we were carrying but didn't need. He was equally happy to do that. He took us around and facilitated the sale of a pair of binoculars, a walkman, etc. to various shopmen. That's the only money I've ever made on a trip. My method has always been to spend less money than I had. That meant stealth camping, gleaning fields after harvest, dumpster diving, etc.
Friends of mine have made road money in various ways.
One acquaintance is a street performer who went all over europe and Japan performing at festivals and street fairs. After a few years of this and talking to other buskers, he knew all the best times and places for that trade.
Other American friends have worked on U.S. military bases abroad, waiting tables, teaching part-time, etc. They're legally part of the U.S., so you don't need any special permit. If you get to shop at the PX or meet people who will do it for you, the prices can be much better than the local market. I was offered a substitute teaching job on a base in Germany, but didn't stick around long enough to take it. The U.S. has 700 non-secret overseas bases, so there's likely to be one near any place you find yourself. One friend worked at a restaurant at a ski area in Austria. The restaurant is U.S. territory, just like Guantanamo.
In Japan and some other places it's very easy to get work as a conversational English teacher. That means you get paid to talk to nice people.
Star:
Marty Demaine told me that travelers can sometimes make money as extras in movies.
With a whetstone you can sharpen knives, or find bits of scrap metal and wood and fashion them into pocketknives you can sell later.
A small weight or hammer and a nail, and you can turn scrap pieces of aluminum or tin from cans into ornamental hammered metal jewelry.
Other travelers I've met like to sell little found or carved trinkets. I met an Australian in Brazil who got by selling hand-drawn images of kangaroos. Another was really good at telling stories, and viewed his job as selling stories with little objects attached, so people could take home the objects and retell the stories themselves when they got home.
If you have a computer you can work online as a programmer or as a translator.
If you know a two languages and want to get started in translation, try the website ProZ.
Cleaning jobs are also popular. If you're truly strapped for cash and in a city, you can probably find work doing some cleaning in a hostel.
If you are interested in eating dumpster food, see the TrashWiki for local dumpster/skip information
Orian:
Make cool things to sell. I've done well with these stoves traveling through Canada. Lots of people make jewelry or whatever else they're pretty good at putting together.
Advertise! People always have wood to cut, cars and bikes to fix, crops to harvest ... You'll already stand out traveling, so people are extra likely to see a sign on your bike or backpack. I put a "Will work for food" sign on my bike in Canada and had a job every other day. Some times people would give food, for which I was grateful, but often they would just pay in cash.
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Dec 13, 2010. 4:35 PMstarplayer
says:
Awesome article
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May 25, 2010. 8:23 PMDaniL_15
says:
I really like the idea of earning money as a street performer. Do you know if storytelling would work?
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