Are you looking for ways to make money while traveling?
We’ve met many amazing people while RVing. Some are retired, but others are like us and also trying different things in order to make their traveling dreams a reality by making money while traveling on the road.
Everyone does something a little different to make money while traveling.
So, yes, it is possible to make money while traveling full-time! In fact, there are many ways for anyone to make money on the road.
This factor is something that holds many potential full-time travelers back, but it shouldn’t! Don’t let making money on the road hold you back from living your dream, because even though it may seem big, it’s something that can usually be worked around.
One of the first questions I am asked as a full-time RVer is what I do for money. Some assume I’m a bum, others have asked if we are trust-fund babies, but most are blown away by the fact that working while traveling is such a possibility in today’s world.
Related articles on how to make money while traveling:
- 75+ Ways To Make Extra Money
- 10 Ways To Make Money Online From The Comfort of Your Home
- Ways To Make An Extra $1,000 A Month
- My Tips On Successfully Traveling And Working At The Same Time
- 25 Best Travel Jobs
Here is how to make money while traveling in an RV.
Start a website to make money while traveling
This is what I do to make money while RVing, so I had to include this one first. Like I always say, I never realized I would be earning as much income online as I do now. Don’t feel like making money on the road is unattainable, because everyone has to start somewhere.
No, blogging is not a way to get rich quickly, but it can be a way to make side money or even a full-time income if you put enough hard work and time towards it.
You can make money through advertising, affiliate marketing, sponsorships, reviews, partnerships, e-courses, ebooks, and more. You can read all about how I earn a living online in my monthly online business income reports, where I describe how I make over $50,000 online each month.
You can create your own blog here with my easy-to-use tutorial. You can start your blog for as low as $3.49 per month, plus you get a free domain name when signing up through my tutorial.
Also, many of you ask what I’m using for internet. I’m using a Verizon MiFi Jetpack. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best option out there for most RVers, especially those who are trying to make money while traveling.
Related articles:
- The Ultimate Guide To Making Money Blogging
- How I Earned Over $300,000 Through My Blog in 2015
- How To Start A Blog On Bluehost
Telecommute to make money while traveling
In this day and age, some people are able to work for others straight out of their RV. At the campground I am currently at there are four RVers who telecommute to their jobs Monday through Friday.
Sometimes your employer may allow you to take your current position and make it a remote one. Other times, you may have to search for telecommute positions. These jobs do exist and are growing in numbers.
I recommend reading Forbes’ article Work From Home: The Top 100 Companies Offering Telecommuting Jobs for more information on telecommuting jobs.
Check job boards at campgrounds
One great way to learn how to make money living on the road is to check job boards at campgrounds.
There are often jobs listed on campground bulletin boards. Someone may need help in the local area, a business may be hiring for temporary work, and so on.
This leads to the next possible option for making money while RVing.
Work at a campground
Work camping (or workamping) is when you work at an RV park or campground.
Many, many campgrounds (including ones on the beach, at national parks, national forests, and more) are looking for workampers, and this can be a good way to get your stay for free.
I’ve met many very happy workampers. They stay for free in some of the most beautiful places. What’s not to like about that?!
As a workamper, you may:
- Work in their office
- Help clean up RV sites and the RV park
- Clean bathrooms
- Guide RVers to their sites
- Make food
Workampers can be paid by a provided RV site during their stay, an hourly rate, or a mixture of the two.
Find jobs in the places you are visiting
There are many instances in which you may decide to stay in a city for longer than just a vacation, and there are many things you could do in order to earn a living.
If you want to make money while RVing, you could try one of the options below:
- Bartend or work at a restaurant
- Work at a hotel, motel, campground, or hostel
- Help out on a farm
- Tutor
- Get a temporary job at a store
Freelance write or become a virtual assistant
Freelance writing and virtual assisting are some of the very first things I did to make money online.
Freelance writing can be a fun way to make money while traveling, plus you can usually freelance write from anywhere in the world (some positions ask you to be in-house, but the majority I’ve seen allow you to be location independent).
Another online job, somewhat similar to freelance writing, is virtual assisting. I know many freelance writers who provide this service as well. A virtual assistant helps a business run more smoothly. You can be contracted for one project (such as collecting specific data for research), or it can be a continuing job such as replying to e-mails.
Related articles:
- Interview With A Successful Freelance Writer and Virtual Assistant
- So You Want to Be a Freelance Writer?
- How To Become a Virtual Assistant
- What Does a Virtual Assistant Do?
Take surveys to make money while traveling
The great thing about survey sites is that they allow you to make extra money from the comfort of your home (or RV). They won’t make you rich, but they may allow you to make money on the road with minimal work.
Some survey sites I recommend include:
It’s best to sign up for as many as you can to receive the most surveys and make the most money. These are all legitimate survey sites, and occasionally you may receive free items to test out too.
Amazon Camperforce
We recently had out-of-town visitors. One of them works for Amazon’s HR department, and she was telling me a story about RVers who work for Amazon. I was completely confused and had her explain it further to me.
With Amazon’s CamperForce program, they are looking for RVers who can work at their company “picking, packing, stowing, and receiving” packages. They offer hourly pay, a completion bonus, referral bonuses, and paid campsites for those that join their CamperForce program.
Technomadia has a great blog post on this – Workamping at Amazon.com – Was it Worth it? They talk about their first-hand experience of the good, bad, hours, and pay while working for Amazon under this program.
Proofread to make money while traveling
You can proofread for many different people and make money while traveling. Court reporters, bloggers, book authors, and more may need help with proofreading. Pay can vary, but most earn around $500-$1,000 in their first two months. Plus, it can all be done from wherever you are!
I recently interviewed a successful proofreader and she stated, “Those whose eyes are drawn immediately to errors in text, love punctuation and spelling, and overall enjoy reading would be a much better fit for this type of work.”
Related: How To Become a Proofreader
Sell products
Selling products both online and offline is another possibility to making money on the road.
I’ve heard of some who sell items they collect while traveling, those who create crafts to sell at local craft fairs, and so on. Etsy, eBay, Craigslist, and countless others are great places if you decide to sell items online.
Related: How Melissa Made $40,000 In One Year Flipping Items
Are you interested in learning how to make money while traveling?
Eva @ Girl Counting Pennies says
I love this post! I think it’s amazing that you are able to travel AND make money at the same time!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Thanks!
Marina says
I really liked this post! Thank you! It’s nice to read the material on such a fresh topic. My husband and I are lovers of road trips. He is the type of person who rests behind the wheel, and I am the type of person who suffers from boredom. In principle, I want to switch to freelance for a long time, I left my steady job to figure it out. Everything went well, and I like to travel, and I don’t want to be tied to one place. I tried to work on exchanges, my husband is engaged in creating websites and web design, introduced me to a couple of freelance exchanges, a blog needs to be developed, which takes a lot of time. I put these options aside. I liked the idea of working as a proofreader, I will definitely try it. I want to do everything possible so as not to be tied to one place. You can add the idea of tutoring, online teaching for those who have the opportunity. It all comes down to an Internet connection, it’s one thing to work from home, and if you try on a trip, you need to think about it, this shouldn’t interfere with work. I can’t wait to try everything you recommend!
Aliyyah @RichAndHappyBlog says
I aspire to be an online entrepreneur myself. Eventually, I want monetize my blog to the point where it replaces the money I make from my day job. I also have other income streams in the works such as an online course and an ebook. So far, I’m learning that consistency is key to getting things done and being successful. I need to keep working at my goals every day.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Sounds like a great goal 🙂
Christine @ The (mostly) Simple Life says
I bet it’s been really interesting to meet people making incomes in so many different ways, I hope someday we can do a combination of these. My husband is almost done with his web development degree, so he may be able to telecommute or freelance. And I’m interested in trying some freelance writing along with my blog.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Awesome!
Natalie @ Financegirl says
These are GREAT ways to make money on the road! Personally, I like freelance writing and blogging. I’m all about work from wherever!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Yes, same here!
Kalie @ Pretend to Be Poor says
Great ideas. I’d never heard of Amazon Camperforce. Very interesting. What will Amazon come up with next?
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Haha, yeah, I thought it was awesome!
Holly@ClubThrifty says
I think this is awesome, Michelle! It’s true that all you really need is an internet connection these days!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Thanks!
Ree Klein says
Great list, Michelle! We don’t live full time in our RV, but we hit the road every chance we get. I sell on Amazon both FBA and FBM. For the products that are fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) I don’t have to do anything except make sure there is enough inventory in stock so we don’t run out before coming back home.
For the products that I fulfill (FBM), I do one of two things:
1. If I know we’ll be in places where there is a post office nearby, I bring my inventory with me and fulfill orders from the road.
2. If we’ll be dry camping with no post office in the area, I set the “Fulfillment Latency” field to a number of days that will ensure I’ll be home before the order must be shipped. This is important to do so that you don’t ruin your seller rating by being late on shipments.
Easy! I love making money on the road and hope we can start to be on the road more than at home (although I love my home, too).
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Thank you! Sounds like you have a great method.
Travis says
Awesome plan for freedom! Would you mind sharing “how” comfortable your living is doing Amazon FBA on the road like this? Thanks!
Eric Bowlin says
Related to selling things…I met some people before who were “Fair Followers.”
They had some random product that they sold. It wasn’t anything amazing, just some trinkets. They would essentially pay for space at all the fairs around the country and just travel and set up at them and live on the road. They said the money was actually pretty good, easily earning a 50-75k per year, and they had basically no expenses other than their RV.
If you had a product to sell, and no school-age children, sounds like something really fun to try out for a couple years.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
What an awesome idea!
Kimmy Burgess says
Yes virtual travel consultant is a good career option to look out for. Which not only offer enhancement of knowledge, but financially growing too. In case of job cuts one can always apply for such freelance virtual travel consultant to earn hefty in a better manner.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Interesting! Do you know anyone who has done this?
Chelsea White says
My husband started telecommuting to work at the end of 2015. It’s be great, because we were able to pick up and move to a new state purely because we wanted to. I love the sense of freedom we have now. I’ve been kicking around the idea of starting my own website with the intention of eventually being able to give up my 9-5 job, so thanks for this article. Your hard work and success is an inspiration!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Thank you! 🙂
Nate says
I would love to have a job that I wasn’t required to be in the office for. I would be on trips all the time!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Maybe it’s something you should look into? 🙂
Josh says
This is something my wife & I have intentions of doing in a few years, once our little family grows up a bit. It is amazing how many opportunities can become reality with an internet connection.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Yes, I love it 🙂
Thomas @ i need money ASAP! says
Whoa. The Amazon Camperforce is crazy! I had no idea something like that existed. Sounds like an awesome way to earn a few bucks for those nomadic people like you 🙂
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Yes!
Linda says
Thanks for the survey site list! I signed up on Opinion Outpost last week and have been thinking I need to search for more survey sites.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Welcome!
Emma Healey says
Great list Michelle. The only limitation to earning money whilst travelling these days is attitudinal. There are so many interesting and varied ways to hustle together an income if you put your mind to it. I think the key is to be willing to wear many hats – I’d happily clean campground toilets if I got to RV around the US!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Yes!
Mrs. CTC @FromCostToCoast says
Good list, thanks!
I love all the possibilities when earning money becomes location independent, and hope to achieve the same one day.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Thank you!
Katy Perry says
It seems like this post is just written for me. The good thing is we need not to worry about the location to earn money. Loved it seriously!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Thanks! 🙂
Ravish Sundriyal says
A really insightful post, there were many new things I noticed. Great research and thanks for sharing proven tactics. Can you suggest few sites where I can go for a proofreader job? Thanks
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
I recommend checking out this post – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/01/make-money-proofreading-court-transcript-proofreader-freelance.html
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Thanks!
Tyler @ Oddball Wealth says
Awesome suggestions for making money while traveling! In today’s world with the internet and everything else, anyone can live out their dreams on the road!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Thanks!
Crystal Suarez says
I can’t wait to become a full time RV’er! But first, I’m getting my freelance writing business up and running! Thanks for the inspiration!
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
RVing is so much fun 🙂 When do you think you’ll be an RVer?
Crystal Suarez says
2017! I’m determined to get my freelance writing business up and running, and get a blog going – STAT. By the end of 2017, I plan to be done with corporate life, and on the road! I’ve bought the domain names, and I’m working on content and solidifying my niche right now. Very exciting – nerve wracking, but exciting.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Awesome! RVing is so much fun and I know you’ll love doing it full-time 🙂
Joseph Hogue says
Jobs in the places you’re visiting sounds like a cool way to get to know the people beyond just a tourist’s view, never thought of that. Great idea.
DNN says
Michelle,
This is a really great blog because very few people know that it’s possible to make money online while traveling. As long as they have a durable laptop and reliable Internet connection in addition to having a quality speech recognition program installed on their laptops so they can create content, they’ll always have a way to stay meaningfully engaged with their audience and increase the probability of earning commissions from promoting affiliate programs on their blogs or websites. I just purchased a brand-new Dell Inspiron on 11 3000 series to win one touchscreen and looking forward to installing my Dragon NaturallySpeaking speech recognition program on it so I can create content on the fly when out and about on the road.
Vickie says
Great article! One thing you did not mention as far as a way to make money is Network Marketing. My husband and I travel a lot, recently staying 2 months in Florida in our rv and earn 5 figures every month traveling or not. There are many good companies out there. Look for one with products you can get behind, a team who will help you be successful a simple system and we wanted a company that the major growth was in front of us. As long as we have phone service and occasional internet we are in business. We don’t have to keep a supply of product because we are manufacturer to consumer. (Kind of like Whole Foods meets Amazon)
We are looking at traveling even more and selling our home in NM. We’ll see!
Vickie B.
Alisha says
How do I get I to this?? Where do I start???
Jan says
What do you do for health insurance
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
I wrote this article on health insurance for RVers that may help you out – http://winnebagolife.com/2016/01/health-insurance-challenge-coverage-for-full-time-rvers
Tammi Velez says
You know, I am a Tupperware lady and one of my friends who is too just sold her house and she and her husband took off just this week. She has a great Tupperware vehicle and can take it anywhere – off they went!
Another Tupperware friend of mine always has parties when she goes RVing – things can be sent straight to hosts and customers. I love jobs which allow people to move about unrestricted!
Jayant Gosain says
This is amazing. Earning while on the road sounds weird to some people but it is an idea for those who knows the potential of the internet.
Thanks for sharing it with us.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Thanks!
Sue Stimers says
My husband and I are getting ready for full time traveling in our travel trailer. We live in it full time and go from campground to campground around Carson City, NV because we have a small motorcycle gear store there. We have joined a network marketing company and are looking forward to building that up to supplement our retirement income. The company we joined does not require stocking inventory or taking and delivering orders, so it works well for full timers. Something to look into if you want more money for traveling.
McKenzie Allyshia says
I really, really enjoyed reading this post. After getting our tow-behind, my husband and I have dreamed of traveling more. I recently purchased a small indie makeup company that I am able to do in our RV, but it is still very small at the moment. I would love to be able to look into other options as well to make traveling more possible!
Debbie Summers says
All these comments were so helpful. I noticed the last post was in 2018? I am 55 and work full time (from home since COVID) for an insurance company. I will be going back to the office Jan 2022. I love working out of the office and love to travel. I know a little about the internet and would love to travel and make money. Any suggestions as to what would be good to make money while traveling? As I have no idea what to look for? Thank you Debbie
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says
Hey Debbie!
Here are some great blog posts to read:
-https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2021/02/free-work-from-home-courses.html
-https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2021/05/best-travel-jobs.html
as well as the job options talked about in this blog post.
Tim Ahern says
I spent a year in a campervan with the wife and dog. We made money from YouTubing, fruit picking (grapes in the wine regions in particular) and Crypto Trading.
Crypto trading being the one the worked best for me for the money but watching the sun go down with a wine in hand after picking the fruit for the new vintage was most rewarding.