A couple of weeks ago we published the post "How Can I Afford to Travel?", in which we revealed how we, and 18 other top travel bloggers, can afford to travel.
Our answer was basically threefold:
- Eliminate accommodation costs: get completely free accommodation through House Sitting,
- Reduce transportation costs: Take cheap (but long) coach rides and flights
- Pay for everything else by making an income online.
That latter part is something we are asked about quite a lot -
How Can You Make Money Online?
So today we're going to reveal to you how WE make money online which will hopefully give you some ideas as to how you can start making money online (or increase your online earnings if you're already there)!
Just like our answer to how we can afford to travel, our answer to where we make money online is threefold:
Just like our answer to how we can afford to travel, our answer to where we make money online is threefold:
1. As Travel Bloggers!
Now you (hopefully) know all about our Travel Blog - TravellingWeasels.com - as you are here right now.
It's true that you don't make money overnight with travel blogging and that there is a LOT of competition. But, if you can successfully build a following and have a (relatively) unique niche you'll be fine.
On average it takes about a year for a travel blog to make money, and about 2 for it to be making 'decent' money. Needless to say, a lot give up/can't wait 2 years. It's advisable to have a 'safety net' in those first 2 years - have savings, have another source of income and/or house sit so you don't need a 'decent' amount of money to survive.
On average it takes about a year for a travel blog to make money, and about 2 for it to be making 'decent' money. Needless to say, a lot give up/can't wait 2 years. It's advisable to have a 'safety net' in those first 2 years - have savings, have another source of income and/or house sit so you don't need a 'decent' amount of money to survive.
But how do Travel Bloggers make money?
There are actually quite a lot of ways for travel bloggers to make money: sponsored posts, trips and stays, donations, affiliate programs, advertisements, selling merchandise, photos or advice, sponsored guest posts, book sales etc. We make money from our travel blog in the following ways:
Sponsored Posts/Promotional Guest Posts
Sponsored Posts are where we are paid to write about a product we like and publish it on travellingweasels.com
Promotional Guest Posts are similar, but they write the content themselves.
These links link to websites we endorse (mainly Trusted House Sitters) and if someone clicks on them and buys something, we get a portion of the profits (but that someone doesn't have to pay any extra).
It's pretty fair really, if we've said something that's convinced you to sign up or given you some kind of useful information, it's polite to reward us for it :) Affiliate Window is where we find our affiliate links, they are trustworthy and pay you once you reach the $20 threshold.
Google AdSense
It's pretty fair really, if we've said something that's convinced you to sign up or given you some kind of useful information, it's polite to reward us for it :) Affiliate Window is where we find our affiliate links, they are trustworthy and pay you once you reach the $20 threshold.
Google AdSense
These are just the ads you'll see dotted around the page. We get paid through them if you visit our site. They are useful because people can help us out just by sitting and reading through our website. (Or even by just leaving our website open and doing something else.)
I really enjoyed writing my ebook House Sitting in Australia - a Guide for First Time House Sitters and it's so wonderful that people have bought it and liked it (or at least that's what they told me) ;)
My ebook has two uses: to help people find their first House Sits and to guide them with House Sitting in Australia. There were so so many things we wished we'd known before started House Sitting/ flying to Australia and they can be found there.
My ebook has two uses: to help people find their first House Sits and to guide them with House Sitting in Australia. There were so so many things we wished we'd known before started House Sitting/ flying to Australia and they can be found there.
This one is a bit cheeky, but this is a great way to show your support for us (and allow us to have a treat)! We are humbled by the people who do donate and are extremely grateful to them - you rock! [Here's a cheeky link to it]
This one technically isn't actually money, but it means that we don't spend any money so we definitely count it. Basically if you take our $25 AirBnB coupon, we get $25 to spend on AirBnB too (and thus a free night's accommodation). As you know our main (and favourite) type of accommodation is House Sitting, but AirBnB is really great for those awkward dates in-between sits OR if we really, really want to go somewhere and it doesn't look like a sit is on the cards (we're looking at you, Paris) .
2. As Authors
I know I just mentioned ebook sales - but this is for our ebooks that we don't sell on our website (mainly because they have nothing to do with travelling or house sitting.)
Writing an ebook is great - if you enjoy what you write about it doesn't really matter if you never sell, because you enjoyed the process.
Writing an ebook is great - if you enjoy what you write about it doesn't really matter if you never sell, because you enjoyed the process.
Luckily though we do sell, or rather Tanbay's sell. Ten years ago Tanbay moved to England so he knows first hand what it's like to do it (and what not to do)! He's written two ebooks about it which sell quite nicely on Amazon etc. The best thing about it is once it's written you don't really need to do anymore work! You can potentially earn for years. Yey.
Incidentally, if you are interested in Auswandern Nach England, check it out: here!
Incidentally, if you are interested in Auswandern Nach England, check it out: here!
3. By Utilizing Fiverr!
Fiverr.com is where we first started to earn money online - before Travelling Weasels! It's a great website that allows anyone anywhere to offer any skill for $5. Once you sell enough gigs/get enough good reviews you become a level 1 seller and then later a level 2 seller. Once you're one of those you can charge whatever you like - instead of just $5.
But what can you actually do on there? Pretty much anything, here are the ones we've had success with:
- Teaching English
- Translating
- Helping with maths homework
- Reviewing music
- Proof reading
- Reviewing products
- Modelling
So next I'll tell you a little bit more about what each 'gig' entails - so feel free to skip to the one you're most intrigued by (modelling right)?!
Teaching English
I taught English for about a year online. I am actually still pretty surprised by how well this one worked out (considering I have no English qualifications other than GCSE English lit and lang and the fact that I am English).
I advertised (on Fiverr) that a native English speaker was willing to have one-on-one conversations with people wanting to learn English. So many people were interested!
I enjoyed it at first, it was certainly good for my wanderlust as I had students from Brazil, Spain, Poland, Malaysia, Nepal, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, China...
However, after a while, it lost its appeal. Although it's mainly chatting about travel, it's still hard work and there's a horrible pressure that comes with it - why aren't they fluent already? I've never wanted to be a teacher, so what's the point of being one?
In the end I decided it was best to focus on my real passion (travellingweasels.com) and use Translating (see below) as my 'back up income':
Translating
I advertised (still on fiverr) that I could translate texts from German to English. I really enjoyed doing this as it meant I could keep up my German. But I would always get Tanbay to check the work because he's so much more bilingual than I will ever be.
Soon enough the work started snowballing, so what we now do is work together, making sure the translation is correct and the English sounds 'proper'.
Tanbay also does English to German translation which is so much harder.
As travellingweasels.com gradually earns more we are able to cut out translation a little bit more. It's lovely to have it there as a safety net, but our plan is to one day not have to do it and live completely off TW.
So English teaching supported us for a bit, German translation supports us now, but what other projects did we try out on Fiverr?
So English teaching supported us for a bit, German translation supports us now, but what other projects did we try out on Fiverr?
Maths help
I actually did a mathematics degree, which often seems crazy now. I do really enjoy maths but helping people with it is not as fun as I thought it would be.
I used to do a lot of helping people with their homework and/or making maths revision notes for people on fiverr. It paid okay and I loved finally being able to use my maths, but it just didn't sit right.
By that I mean that I am fiercely loyal to maths, and I want everyone to work really hard at maths and be good at it - not pay someone to do that for them.. It was fine when they really wanted to learn and just needed a bit of extra help, but mainly I just had idiots who hadn't done their homework and needed someone to do it quickly and efficiently. No. Go home and love maths.
By that I mean that I am fiercely loyal to maths, and I want everyone to work really hard at maths and be good at it - not pay someone to do that for them.. It was fine when they really wanted to learn and just needed a bit of extra help, but mainly I just had idiots who hadn't done their homework and needed someone to do it quickly and efficiently. No. Go home and love maths.
Reviewing music
This is one of Tanbay's. He reviewed up-and-coming musicians to assist them in 'making it big'. Tanbay went to the same music college as Ed Sheeran, so he is in the know.
He also helps them by promoting them to his twitter followers/ social media etc. and he publishes honest reviews for them.
This is a really good one to do because Tanbay loves it - and that's what matters.
Proof reading
This one just stems from teaching English. I proofread texts for people who don't have English as a first language. It does what it says on the box really!
Reviewing products
Both Tanbay and I have done this, though Tanbay has done it more than me - people send us products to review honestly. The best one by far though is the yoga mat that we were sent to review - and keep for free :)
The trouble with this is that we don't always have a permanent address - actually we almost never do!
The trouble with this is that we don't always have a permanent address - actually we almost never do!
But we get round it by reviewing online products too - ebooks, websites. Anything we have access to!
Be a model!
I'm going to end on a funny note because I actually think that this is hilarious! If you are in a beautiful location (like Australia) and you have a pair of giant sunglasses you can do this too!
Most people wanted me to write things on paper like 'Happy birthday Sam' or whatever and then hold it up. One person actually wanted me to pretend that I had got my 'super bod' (lol) from their diet program.
Ultimately though this was the easiest job I've done on fiverr, but also the weirdest, and the least 'like me'. If nothing else, fiverr is a superb way to find out if you really would actually enjoy doing something as a job (before you waste time and money on a TEFL/degree/modelling shots).
So there you have it! Our secret is revealed and can be nicely summed up in one sentence:
Never put all your eggs in one basket
Firstly, most of the different jobs we do are quite volatile - some weeks we get more orders than we can handle and other weeks we have almost nothing!
Secondly, it's much more fun to do be doing lots of different things :)
All in all, we have been shocked by a) how many ways there are to make money online and b) how successful you can be doing some of these.
It does need to be said though that we don't make the same as a 9-5 graduate. But because of house sitting and our minimalistic ways, we don't need to make as much as a 9-5 graduate either...
We're just so happy that we can afford to be with each other 24/7 in new gorgeous places (and most importantly of all we can wear pyjamas all day).
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