In addition to working, dedicating a lot of time to this blog (writing about traveling, creating tips, and crafting itineraries), I found other ways to save money and travel more, even while doing great work with other sponsors, affiliates, and partnerships.
Bookmark this page for those times you have… well, extra time… and want to add more money to your savings. And, of course, come back to this page and share this information with others as the list grows.
You can also subscribe to this blog to get the latest tips, below:
Tips for saving money
Check out the entire post to decide what works best for you.
Transcribe:
Rev is an online freelance website that uses transcribers (that would be you!) for different clients who need freelancers to caption and transcribe videos, phone calls, and other audio or visual mediums.
When you start, there’s an application process, a grammar quiz, and then some online training videos to use their program to transcribe and submit. There’s also a trial period before you get more complicated work.
The pros: You can do this on your own time. You can work at midnight, 2 a.m., 6 a.m., over the weekends and holidays, whenever you have time. There’s no minimum or maximum commitment. This is perfect for the writers, bloggers, journalists, news reporters, readers out there. Especially if you’re used to logging soundbites and typing quickly.
The cons: You don’t make a ton of money in the beginning. It comes out to be about $0.36/ per minute on the audio, which if you’re a slow typer or not a careful listener, one minute can feel like a long time. It’ll be about $30 for every hour of audio you transcribe, but as you build a stronger portfolio, you can get up between $100 per hour of audio or some projects go up to $450. But this takes time.
Offer Freelance work
Have a skill? There’s a digital marketplace for that. Maybe it’s writing press releases, editing resumes and coverletters, building websites and blogs, or social media creation and promotion. Maybe it’s doing voiceovers, testing websites, or proofreading. Or just about anything else.
You can sign up for Fiverr, an online program YOU post the services you offer and potential clients contact you once they read your self-created profile.
Pros: Work on your own time, although clients usually
Cons: The money you earn for your travel savings will depend on how many clients you get and what skills and services you offer to get more or fewer requests.
The program is different from Fiverr because clients post and
Pros: You can see what’s needed in the UpWork marketplace and find more opportunities from the posts that maybe you didn’t write on Fiverr. You might also be able to work on some of these projects on your own time, although there will also be posted deadlines.
Cons: It could take a bit of time to get steady clients once you establish the professionalism in your work.
Background acting jobs
This one is fun. I’ve done on-camera work as an actor in “Aloha” the movie, Hawaii 5-0 as various characters, and some background work on a CW show!
There are
But years back when I was getting some regular work in Hawaii 5-0, I saw the TV show’s post for an open call, went there to audition, and landed some great opportunities for various background roles on the show.
You might also find postings on Craigslist (make sure to research those closely) and you can search for local and national Facebook groups with posts for casting calls. Regardless of the source — whether through the websites or other casting opportunities — always make sure to vet the source and offer carefully.
Depending on the site, you can submit to any postings or casting calls you’re interested in (the acting schedule and pay will be also posted), and you submit your headshot, any demo tapes, size card, and other details, depending on what casting wants from you.
Background work pays on average between $50 – $360 / day. You’ll be on set, and depending on state laws, between 8-9 hours, although if you’re done with your scene quicker, you’ll still be paid for the full day. Lately, I’ve been seeing more posts for $50 – $120 / day, so the numbers change frequently depending on the need. I even got an offer for a commercial that only paid $50, for a big company. So, the amount of money you can make to add to your travel savings will really vary depending on the casting call and their budget.
If you have experience and want principal or
For the journalists and news reporters out there reading this, check your contracts to see if this is okay.
Pros: I love meeting amazing people on set. I had a brief run-in with Emma Stone in the make-up room, and that was fun. There’s also a lot of background actors who have also become my friends.. and still are! All of that waiting in between scenes will really help you bond with strangers.
Cons: The start-up costs. Of course, this comes with any territory. But especially for people on-camera, it takes a little bit more investment. You’ll need current headshots and any demo reels to show your work, even if you’re going to an in-person casting call. A website with your portfolio helps, and for the real pros out there, some have taken classes, studied or majored in Acting, or are regularly attending acting workshops. Acting is its own difficult career, though with some experience, background acting is a great way to supplement your income.
To create a profile on Actors Access (to use for submission or for casting directors to find you), you can post two photos for free and swap/replace the free photos as often as you wish for free. Additional photos are $10 each to post and cannot be swapped. Posting demo reels to the database will also cost you. Performance Videos are a one-time charge of $22.00 USD per minute or a fraction thereof. To try out for casting opportunities, a yearly membership is $68 which allows you to submit to as many casting calls as you want on Actors Access. Otherwise, you pay $2 per submission.
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Dog walking / pet sitting
This one is also really fun for me, and it’s possible to schedule consistent dog walking or pet sitting gigs, or just book when you need some more travel savings. Or maybe you don’t have time to have your own pet, this is also a fun way to have a little fur baby to cheer you up, while you get to save more money for traveling!
Bonus: No need for a gym membership here! What great exercise. I went on an incredible run with a pup that was the size of both my feet. How that little thing could go so fast, I have no idea. But 30 minutes later, sprinting up and down the streets of New York City, I’m still sore.
So here it is:
Rover
Rover is an online program and phone app that’s for pet sitters and dog walkers. The website/app allows you to post an extensive profile online, which shares your qualifications, etc. to get pet sitting and dog walking jobs. I’m not a big cat person, so this post is about dogs. But yes, you can also cat-sit via Rover and work with other pet owners, for those cat-lovers out there.
Rover is similar to Fiverr (freelance work, the details above) because the owners directly contact you. Sometimes it’s based on how far away you are from their pet, other times it’s the star ratings on your profile that creates higher-demand.
The program is unique because you can choose to: housesit with the dog there, board the dog at your home, do a brief doggy-day care (on the weekends, holidays, or simply days off) and you can also schedule dog walks, or dog check-ins at the owner’s place.
Pros: You set your own rates! You can choose how much you charge for each service, and because the owners contact you, you can also meet them in advance, read more about their dog, and message them to check for compatibility. It helps both the owner and the dog walker decide what is best.
Cons: Similar to Fiverr, it depends on how many people request you. Also: Rover will take about 20% of your bookings. So if you charge $20 for a half-hour or hour walk (whatever you choose), you’ll theoretically make about $18 instead. The owners can also choose to tip.
Use my PROMO code to sign up for ROVER (if you want to be a pet sitter, or need a pet sitter!): http://sit.rover.com/rS9bt
Wag!
This is a more popular service, and well-known, although it definitely has a whole set of different pros and cons from Rover. Here, pet owners post for walks or sitting gigs, sometimes in advance, sometimes incredibly last-minute like ASAP. An alert goes out to all Wag walkers in the area, and then you choose whether you want to request to do that particular walk.
Pros: Maybe your schedule changes, a lot. Wag! is a great way to pick an ASAP walk whenever you’re free. Wag! also does offer over-night house sitting and dog boarding.
Cons: Wag! takes about 40% of your commission. So a $20 walk will pay about $12 to you once Wag! takes its share. That’s a big cut compared to Rover, but it comes with the flexibility and added convenience. And since pet owners seem to use Wag! when they need on-demand, last-minute help, your schedule could pick up quickly, instead of waiting for someone to contact you.
There are no rules that say you can’t do both Rover and WAG.
Also note: both programs have an
Use credit cards with travel rewards
I use this credit card from Chase any time I travel abroad because there are no foreign transaction fees, and that’s wonderful. Depending on how much you use the credit card (even at home) the travel bonuses are wonderful, especially since you’re making those purchases anyways!
This is one of the game-changer credits cards I’ve had. I used Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card for almost a year and have already earned a great amount of cash back or travel credits. They have incredible cash-back deals. Depending on how much you use the credit cards, the points differ. Some people get $500+ cash back at the end of the year (awesome!) or can trade the cash back option and pick travel deals, which include an added bonus. So instead of $500 cash back, you can earn a bigger bump, around $625+ in travel credits!
I’ve been really happy with how quickly I’ve earned travel points, which can be exchanged for different flights and hotels, etc.
Teach English / Tutor / Babysit
Teaching English online
There are a few websites that help you do this. Most will pay an average $20/hour though you can still set your own schedule. The main thing you need to know: how to work with students, video capabilities (like Skype), a good internet connection, and you need to be a native, fluent English language speaker.
You can earn $1000 to $2500 a month depending on how much you choose to work. The popular companies to work with
Tutoring / Private Lessons / Babysitting
Tutoring, teaching private
I suggest searching on Facebook for moms/mommy/ parenting groups. For example, if you search “Seattle moms” or “New York City moms” you can find various community Facebook groups. You can request to join those groups as a “sitter or caretaker,” and from there, you can post what you’re offering and have other parents and families contact you.
There are also other websites online where you can create an online profile, though I found joining Facebook groups and messaging parents
Back in high school and college, I taught private swim lessons, piano, and writing. It depends on what skills you have! I also used to work as an after-school nanny in college and that helped pay off some of my student loans.
Pro: This is generally in high-demand, so you can also set your rates as need be, within reason. Typical rates are between $15-$30 an hour for babysitting, and it depends on your skillset, the location, the demand, and what’s needed from you. Tutoring or teaching some sort of private lesson (instrument, sport, SAT tutoring etc.) goes between $20-$55 an hour, and sometimes more, especially for those teaching music lessons.
Con: It depends on what hours you want and what is needed, so gigs and opportunties will come and go.
Pitch stories to outlets or guest post for blogs
There are online blogs looking for guest posts and different media outlets looking for features, profiles, think pieces, news stories. Some pay by the assignment, others pay by the word.
You need to have strong researched pitches and solid drafts, and a good rapport with the magazine, blog, or media outlet and editors to get your pieces noticed.
Of course finding stories or pieces worth pitching, writing a strong draft, will take you some time, and that’s an investment before you need to make first before you can earn more money for traveling.
For the journalists out there, check your contracts to see if this is okay.
Otherwise, don’t be afraid to reach out to any bloggers and editors with a cold-pitch or to introduce yourself and ask about writing or other freelancing opportunities with their website or publication.
This website has a rough guide for freelance pay, though some postings aren’t current.
Ebates
I was first skeptical about this app and website, and now I’m just irritated I didn’t join it sooner.
I asked some of my different technology, marketing, and engineering friends to make sure this program Ebates is safe. They checked it out and did some research and every person gave me an all-clear greenlight to install.
If you’re doing any online shopping (that includes Amazon and Target!) you can install Ebates to get cash back off your
My friend did all of her Christmas shopping by using the Ebates app or the Chrome plug-in of Ebates and received a check for $117 in the mail. One of my roommates also uses Ebates to buy clothes online,
I have NO IDEA why neither one of them told me about this earlier (sorry for the informal shout-out if either one of you are reading this).
How does it work?
Alright, so it does sound like a scam at first. That’s how I initially felt, pretty skeptical, and didn’t want to download the program. But there’s a reason why Ebates is able to give you money back on your spendings.
Companies (like Target, Amazon, and many others) pays Ebates to refer people to their sites. For example, if you want to buy something from Target, open the Ebates website, phone app, or Chrome plugin. Search for the store you want to buy from, and use Ebate’s link to be directed to that site. And that’s all you have to do! Once Ebates opens the page for you, shop as normal, and the cashback will automatically be credited to your account.
Ebates receives a commission from the store you want to shop from. For instance, maybe Target will give Ebates 5% per website re-direct or referral (a “thank you” for sending customers to their site). Ebates then splits a part of their referral earnings with you, which is what gives you a portion of the cashback.
It’s a big win-win for the company AND for you.
I made a small target purchase (only a few items) using the Ebates link on my Google Chrome, and because of the promotions, I almost got $1.00 back. The $1.00 arrived in the mail (
Alright, so $1 isn’t a HUGE amount. But think about how much online shopping you do anyways, and all the $1+ (or more depending on how much you’re buying) will quickly add up. Which makes it worthwhile to install and do a quick registration process.
Use my PROMO code to install and it’ll give you $10 just for making a few purchases. If you don’t end up liking the app, of
Before you go!
Don’t forget – bookmark and subscribe to get more tips and updates! I’ll be updated this page with more ways to save money for traveling. And, of course, have tips of your own? Contact me or add it to the comments below and I’ll put it on the list. Remember, these opportunities have more than enough for everyone.
