Three Ways to Fund Full Time Travelling

Since graduating from university over two years ago, I have been travelling almost full time. I have explored 50 countries across four continents and have worked abroad in four countries. When I post Instagram stories skiing in the desert or swimming with dolphins on a random Tuesday afternoon, I often get messages asking ‘how do you have the money’ or ‘are you secretly a trust fund kid?’

Fortunately, travel these days is a lot more accessible than many people assume. Whilst I am incredibly privileged to have a strong passport, strong currency, a family home to crash at between trips and little responsibility, I have fully funded my own adventures. I do this through a combination of remote work, seasonal jobs and simply saving up and travelling smart.

Here I share my experience and tips to help you fund your next adventure!

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Three Ways I Fund My Full Time Travel 🤑

1. Part-Time Jobs ☕ 

Throughout university and at home between trips I have worked an array of part-time and temporary jobs in nurseries, cafes, at a rock climbing centre, and as a student ambassador for my university (something I highly recommend to students searching for easy well paid work!). Working in hospitality can be rough, but it is undoubtedly worth it to earn money to go travelling. 

When travelling in cheap regions, such as Southeast Asia, it is amazing how far just a few shifts of earnings can get you. I managed to stick to a budget of £2,000 (approx. $2,675 USD) for two months in Southeast Asia last year without sacrificing any activities or experiences. I also spent just £1,000 (approx. $1,337 USD) in five weeks inter-railing across Europe. Some nights my accommodation cost as little as £1.50 (approx. $2 USD)! 

2. Remote Work 🧑‍💻

Whilst on long trips, working a remote job is a great way to top up your travel funds. I have worked online as a tutor and as a freelance writer throughout my adventures. Knowing that I have a source of income, even if not a particularly high one, makes me feel more secure when I travel as I know if something goes wrong and I unexpectedly need more money I can simply take on new students or write some more articles to solve the problem. Nowadays there are more opportunities than ever for remote work.

👉 Also read: Jobs for Digital Nomads

3. Seasonal Work and Workstays 🛏️

My favourite way to fund my travels is through working seasonal jobs or volunteering in exchange for free food and accommodation. Sites such as Workaway and Worldpackers make it easy to find enjoyable work-stay opportunities across the world. These can usually be arranged last minute and are incredibly varied. 

For longer term and better paid positions I recommend searching for seasonal jobs online. Over the past two years I have worked as a summer camp counsellor in Pennsylvania, USA (arranged through BUNAC), a chalet host in a ski resort in France, and teaching English in Poland and Germany (through Angloville and British Council respectively).

Teaching English is a particularly good way to earn money whilst travelling and many companies will offer you a job, working visa and TEFL course for free when you work for them. Through these opportunities, I have made lifelong friends, learnt new skills and gotten to know foreign places and cultures far more deeply than when backpacking.

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If you want to travel on a budget, it is of course crucial to choose affordable places, and be frugal, staying in hostels, eating street food or at local restaurants, and watching how much you spend on nights out. I always use skyscanner to find cheap flights, use public transport instead of Uber where safe, visit attractions unguided where possible, book tours locally and use Hostelworld to find cheap, highly rated hostels. 

Ultimately, with careful planning and a pinch of creativity, travelling full time can be affordable. You certainly don’t need to save up for years or have a trust fund to take a gap year. Or two.

What’s your favourite way to fund your travels? Let us know in the comments below.