7 Ways to Make Money Travelling as a Family

My kids and I love to travel, try new experiences and see different places.

Over the years I have worked out a variety of ways to make money from our travels which anyone can do! In another article I share ways to save money on travel as well.

This post contains affiliate links for products and services I use. Read my full disclosure here.

1. Rent Out Your Home – $150+ per Night

I previously did this whenever we travelled but the rules for some of the platforms have changed and you need someone local users can contact if there are issues.

However, my small 2 bedroom unit generated $1,300 in 5 days at Christmas a few years ago.

My place is only rented out when we go away. I have my calendar set up so it is available at times I want to travel and it’s all so easy to do on different platforms.

You can check out my tips for Airbnb here.

How much you make depends on if you rent a room or the whole home, where it is located, what is included etc.

Many people renting their homes out on Airbnb make $10,000+ a year.

Your home won’t be rented all the time, but if you list it when you go away it can be a great way to offset the cost of your accommodation elsewhere.

2. Rent Out Your Car – $300+ a Month

I haven’t personally rented out my car but friends have. Remember, people renting it will not treat it as well as you do.

One way to do this is with Uber Carshare (previously, Car Next Door). It is simple to get started but if you want to try it as a customer first, you can with $50 off your booking here.

3. Write Articles About Your Trip $50 to $2,000

Can you write an article about your trip or offer an article with tips for the places you are visiting

Pitch ideas to magazines, websites, blogs and other publications.

Check if they pay first by searching for the submission guidelines on their site and follow them properly.

You can do this before you go and then pitch to places you are staying for a discount or free accommodation or other perks as well by letting the locations know you are writing a piece for a specific publication.

Freelance writing rates are much higher than $50 but some sites don’t pay much (many don’t pay at all) and it can be a great place to start plus get your foot in the door for higher paying freelance gigs.

If you have something funny or amazing happen during the trip then pitch it to That’s Life or Take 5 with photos.

They pay well for first-person experiences which are weird, different, funny or have a strong human interest.

Other magazines pay for pictures of their magazine in various locations or for jokes and short stories too. Find out more about freelance writing here.

4. Sell Your Photos

Whether you are a professional photographer or not, you can make money with your holiday snaps.

Travel photography is notoriously competitive, but you don’t have to be competing with professionals.

Instead, if you have some great images you can look at stock photo sites to sell your images (check their requirements first).

You can also send images to magazines and websites that pay for them.

Check their submission requirements, most magazines select a photo of their magazine somewhere in the letter to the editor section.

Also, check the local hashtags for tourism boards and attractions.

Some have giveaways and competitions happening for photos on social media which can include cash prizes!

5. Housesit

While some housesitters do it for free, you can also get paid to do it, especially if pets are involved. It is harder as a family but not impossible.

Check out this post for more information on it. Establishing a good reputation with client testimonials helps you charge higher prices and get better bookings.

6. Offer services

Some locations pay you to do farm work, groundskeeping/caretaking at campgrounds, berry picking, run workshops (depending on your skills) or you can offer other services. For example, hairdressers and beauticians do well in caravan parks when travelling.

What skills can you offer and how?

Personally, I have done the hairdressing and beauty option as I am qualified and had a registered mobile hairdressing business when I was younger.

Now, I mainly get paid to do public speaking, influencer marketing of a location or run workshops wherever I go.

7. Refer friends

Many travel-related services have refer a friend payments.

Often you get a discount when you use them for the first time and can share a specific discount to friends and family.

When they use it, you get a payment as well, generally in the form of credit to use on future bookings with that company.

Check out our freebies section for more discounts plus programs you can possibly join then refer friends to as well. We only recommend services we personally use!

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