So you did it again!  You’re out on the road with nothing more than you, your dreams, and what you have in your backpack.  

You either spent too much at the pub last night or got robbed when you returned to the hostel and passed out.  Your plum broke and have no way of earning money or getting back home.  

So what do you do?  There’s no way of getting away from it…you need to make some cold hard cash and quick.

Sure, you can ask the friends you’ve made at the hostel for some help, but that will only get you so far.  Here are a few tricks that you can pull out of your sleeves to make a few extra bucks and save money while backpacking.  Just remember, the key to making & saving money while you’re traveling around the world is to take whatever skills you are good at, advertise them, and put some dough in your pocket.  

Without further ado, here is a list of potential money making ideas to help get you back on your feet during your adventure around the world!

Money Making travel tips to help you go…

Cut Hair…

Putting up a sign that says “$5 Hair Cut” even near a hostel is a sure fire way of earning some extra bucks.  All you need is a pair of clippers or even some scissors and start chopping away.

Start a travel blog/website…

This is becoming more and more popular nowadays as internet access is available virtually everywhere.  Simply take you laptop, create a free blog through WordPress or Blogger and start writing.  This can hardly be called a job, just write 3-4 articles a week and in no time you’ll have enough traffic to start advertising and earning some extra cash while on the road.

Click here to discover how I began my travel blogging career for some words of advice!

Write articles for travel websites…

Don’t want to deal with the hassle of being a webmaster for your own blog?  Then instead of writing articles for your blog, go to another travel site and start submitting articles.  Just one accepted submission can pay anywhere from $25 USD to $50 USD and can add up quickly.  A good place to start off doing this would be with the Matador Network.

Design websites/blogs…

Have a knack for computers?  There are always people out there looking to start their own blogs.  Whether it be advertising on craigslist, in a hostel, or talking to fellow travelers as you go, creating websites can be some serious quick cash and depending on your computer skills can be completed anywhere between $50 USD to $200 USD or more per project.  Of course keep in mind where you are advertising because your average backpacker will not want to pay $200 USD for a website when they can make it themselves.

Serve Drinks/Bartend…

Ever served drinks, bartend, or even serve food?  Well this is a great way to not only get to know the area your are visiting better, but to also earn some extra bucks when you are in a rut.  When the banks starts going dry, just swing by your nearest town and show the local pub your skills.  Bartenders are in high demand all over the world so this will give you plenty of opportunities to not only get to meet the locals, but to have a few discounted drinks as well.

Teach English as a Foreign Language…

Teaching English as a foreign language is another popular way to earn money while you travel.  Considering english is your native language, it has been said that all you need to do is walk up to a school, show them your skills and you’ll have guaranteed employment for up to 6 months!  Of course, holding your TEFL/TESOL or ESL certificate will help, if you are crafty with words you just may be able to talk your way into school.  If your not sure, it wouldn’t hurt reading up on How to Teach English Overseas either.

Work on a farm/Pick Fruit…

Picking fruit is another great way to make some extra money.  Although it may be a bit more difficult to find work while on the road, there are agencies online that can help you while you are in the planning phase of your trip such as PickingJobs.com that have a plethora of listing on fruit picking farms worldwide.

Hostel Work…

Finding a job internationally can be as simple as just walking up to a hostel and asking if they could use an extra hand for a week or two.  This works hand in hand with budget travelers because even if they need a hand but can’t pay you, hostels usually will be more than happy to provide you a free place to stay in exchange for some extra help.  Just be a good host in the sense of getting up early in the morning before everyone else, making breakfast, and some tidying up of the hostel itself.  Even some yard work wouldn’t hurt at all because if they see you’re trying your best, they may be able to scramble up a few bucks here and there to help you out.

Become a Tour Guide…

Have one of those personalities that makes you perfectly fine with walking up to a total stranger and start talking to them?  Then becoming a self proclaimed tour guide may be right for you.  Of course, it could become a bit sketchy at times, but if you know the area you are visiting very well and you wouldn’t mind taking a few extra people for you on that trip to the Taj Mahal, then swing by and pick up a tour book for $18 USD and charge your guest $30 USD to 50 USD (much cheaper than the going rate) per head.  If you ever get stuck in a rut, just explain to them that this is your first tour and you’re getting stage fright.  It happens to everyone and believe it or not, they’ll appreciate your honesty and tip you out even more!

Sell Photographs…

So your computer is backed up with hundreds upon hundreds of photo from all of your travels but they are doing nothing but sitting there, hogging up your hard drive.  Put them to work!  With companies such as Shutterstock, Flickr, and fotolia, it is now easier than ever to place you pictures up for sale.  They say that the average picture will earn you $9 USD per year, so if you put up 100 photos….well you do the math! 

Sell Items on Ebay…

Selling items on Ebay is a great way to make some extra bucks while your on the road but the downfall here is that you have to stay in the area that you’re visiting at until your items sell.  But keep in mind, an artifact in Africa may only cost about $5 USD, but not everyone has access to Africa so they are willing to pay a pretty penny to buy them off of Ebay or other various online auction sites and have them delivered straight to their door steps.

Write guest house & hostel reviews…

Yes you can get paid to write reviews while traveling.  Sure you can’t depend on this as your only income but for your budget traveler if you are trying to stretch your dollar as far as it can go, then writing reviews would be a great way for getting some cash back.  

Many companies will pay you up to $5 USD for writing a review on a hostel that you’ve stayed in!  Not too shabby, eh?

Teach Yoga Classes…

Have you ever taken a yoga class or two?  Perhaps you’ve even come up with your own routine.  Then grab a piece of paper and take a walk to your local park offering $5 USD to $10 USD for yoga classes.  You will be surprised exactly how many people are interested in what you have to offer and will literally run up to you and ask about the details.  This works just as well in a hostels, schools, and food markets.

Become a Massage Therapist…

Similar to offering yoga classes, just do the same thing and start offering to give people massages.  Be prepared as this may also attract creepers who may want a “happy ending”…

Beg for Money or Become a Street Performer…

If all else fails, you can always beg for money.  Pay attention to those tourists who are dressed like obvious tourists.  They carry a lot of money on them and it’s just itching away at their pockets, begging to be given away for a good cause.  You can also pick up a few dented cans, a rubber mat, and a bottle to blow in.  Making a creative beat that drives attention from the stalls and to you will ultimately have people giving you their spare change.  Don’t fret, because every nickel adds up.

Use common skills…

There are many backpackers and travelers alike who don’t take their common skills with them wherever they go.  If you have a talent for carpentry, landscaping, or anything else be sure to advertise yourself and talk to people.  Something as simple as changing a light bulb or writing a resume for someone can land you some extra dough or at least a free place to stay with a meal or two.

There are countless ways to earn some extra money while on the road.  It’s all about how you look at things.  If you can keep your options open and start thinking outside the box then you’ll be able to find many different ways to fund your trip as you continue backpacking around the world.  

What do you do to fund your travels?