With traveling the world becoming as easy as taking a weekend city trip away, the backpacker community has become bigger and better than ever. Many travelers are heading to the very corners of the world, from New York City to Shanghai. This has led to an increase of people taking extended time off or sabbaticals from work and entire life breaks altogether to reassess and work out what they want from life and their careers. Traveling, not only allows you to explore beautiful beaches or discover Buddhist temples, but people use it as a time for self-reflection.
The only problem is, even with a big budget, without a sustainable source of income, it is very difficult to extend your trip. However, many more options have now opened up to travelers to help them continue for as long as they wish.
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4 different ways to extend your travel abroad
Volunteer
A great way to embrace the local culture and put a pause on the budget for a while is to volunteer. There are many excellent online resources, such as the article How to Choose a Volunteer Company by Justin on his blog at beerandabackpack.com, but essentially, you can do this at nature reserves, coffee farms, horse ranches, hostels and more. In return for your help, the host usually provides you with food and board; some even add additional freebies including excursions. A great website to check out is Workaway this way you can safely communicate with hosts and choose from a wide range of opportunities in the areas you would like to visit.
Freelancing
If you have a skill, you can apply fyour laptop, freelancing can be a great little money earner. Blog writing, web design, illustration, and photography are all jobs you can do easily from anywhere in the world. Many websites such as Freelancer or Upwork allow you to create a profile online and get started within minutes. It can be quite difficult at first to gain clients, but once you do, you will be on a roll. This won’t make you rich, but it will be an extra bit of pocket money that goes much further in places such as South America and South East Asia.
Bartending
As long as you ensure the visa you have allows you to work, you could try your hand as a globetrotting mixologist. As so many places that were less accessible are becoming more and more popular, the demand for English speakers is increasing, so if you can pour a beer, or mix a cocktail – test it out.
Teaching
Teaching English is a magnet for travelers. With learning English being in such high demand all over the world, schools are constantly looking for new recruits and many families will pay quite well for private tutors. You may need to get a TEFL qualification, a normal requirement now from most employers. This is easily achievable at home via online courses with costs starting at about $250. The cost for an in-classroom or location based course is a little more ranging in between $1500-$2000 (some courses will cost more) not including room, board, or travel expenses.
So what is stopping you, if you love a country you’ve visited, or want to explore another location, but worries of your budget start to creep in – with proper planning – volunteering and working abroad can change all of that.
Do you know of another ways to extend your travel long-term while minimizing cost?
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