Earn Extra Income on Vacation: Proven Ways to Make Money While Traveling
Sell your vacation photos
Your Instagram followers shouldn’t be the only ones to appreciate your awe-inspiring vacation snaps. Instead, you can make money on vacation by putting those photos to work for you. List your best shots for sale with an online stock photo site such as Istockphoto.com, pond5.com, and Shutterstock.com; then those sites can sell your images to websites, creative directors, travel agencies, and people looking for background images for their blogs. You receive a percentage of the sale, which varies depending on the site listing your photo. Be sure to review the technical requirements before uploading your pictures, as most sites require higher-quality images than you can take with a smartphone.
Rent out your house
While you can save money in most big cities by staying in an Airbnb instead of a hotel, you can pay for the cost of your stay by renting out your pad back home. Not sure how you feel about strangers in your house when you’re not there? The company provides host-protection insurance in case anything gets damaged or broken. You can also read reviews that users have received from other hosts to avoid potential problems.
Be a courier
Wondering how to make extra money on a road trip? Roadie has your answer. If you’re planning a road trip and you’ll have some extra space in your car, you can cash in by signing up with Roadie to be an on-demand courier. Most local deliveries will pay between $8 and $50, but if you’re delivering an oversized item cross-country or transporting a pet, you could earn $650 or more. In addition, you can write off the cost of gas when you do your taxes. Ready to hit the road? Don’t forget to pack these road trip essentials.
Be a mystery shopper
If you’re headed to a big city and planning to grocery shop while you’re there, you can pick up some extra cash by signing up to be a mystery shopper. Once you’ve installed the Field Agent app on your phone, you can choose from the available assignments, most of which take under 10 minutes to complete and pay between $3 and $11. You won’t get rich mystery shopping, but if you pick up a few assignments per day, you just might cover the cost of your groceries.
Check Craigslist
Craigslist isn’t just a great place to unload unwanted furniture or pick up concert tickets—it’s also a favorite of savvy travelers who know how to make extra money on vacation. A quick search of the “temp jobs” section turned up a translation gig in Paris, a bridal modeling assignment in Rome, and a request for gardening help in Sydney. Craiglist also presents lots of opportunities to put your professional skills to work. Are you a photographer, massage therapist, or makeup artist? If so, you can post an ad and line up temporary work before you leave home, then schedule the work around your sightseeing activities.
Pick produce
Farm work might not appeal to everyone, but if you like the thought of spending a day or so doing something physical in the great outdoors, consider picking grapes in France, strawberries in England, or oranges in Australia. If you’re traveling to a place where it’s the off season, you can still check out pickingjobs.com to find temporary work as a farmhand.
Babysit or pet sit
If you love kids or animals and you have good references, you can sign up to offer babysitting or petsitting services through Care.com. Before you leave for your trip, create a profile outlining your expertise, special skills, education, and references. Specify the type of work you’re looking for and the distance you’re willing to travel; then you review job postings and apply for those that appeal to you. The service is currently available in 33 U.S. cities and 17 countries worldwide.
