5 Ways to make Money for Travel in 2021

This is an updated list of ways you can build your Travel Fund! 

Check out my previous blog 5 Ways to get Money for Travel for more ideas!

Become a Brand Ambassador

I have worked as a Brand Ambassador since 2015 and I have made thousands of dollars doing the funnest yet sometimes boring jobs I’ve ever had. I have worked at festivals, special events, bars, restaurants and liquor stores making anywhere from $18-$30hr. Most of my job duties included working at activity booths or sampling/distributing alcohol but mostly it was a lot of standing around. It’s a quick way to get money for travel. One time, I worked an event for 3 days and made $600. Then I took that $600 and went to Guatemala for 5 days spending less than $500. 

Pretty much anyone can work as a Brand Ambassador and if you want to know all about the different types of Brand Ambassadors, how much they make, where to find the jobs, what the duties are, and how to snag a Brand Ambassador job, then check out my book How to become a Brand Ambassador in 2021. It explains everything you need to know and I even give you a copy of my personal resume. 

Become a Secret Shopper 

What if you could get paid to dine at restaurants, stay at hotels, and shop at certain stores? Well, that’s what Secret Shoppers do. Here’s how it works. You will be given instructions to go to a location at a specific day and time (usually flexible time frames) to  experience a certain service or purchase a specific product. After you leave you will have to fill out a form about your experience at the location. The payment is in the form of reimbursement of whatever service or items you paid for during your assignment.

For example, your assignment is to go to a restaurant during the afternoon on the weekend and order an appetizer, drinks, meal, and dessert. You could also be required to go to the bathroom or rate the staff's performance etc. After you leave the restaurant, you will fill out the form about your experience and send a copy of your receipt. Then you will receive a check reimbursing your meal and any other payment arrangements made by the company. I did a few secret shopper gigs over the years and I always enjoyed a free meal as it would help me save more money for my travel fund. 

Freelance on TaskRabbit

I heard about TaskRabbit from a friend of mine who was currently freelancing due to being laid off during the pandemic. He told me he was making thousands of dollars on this app doing random tasks for people. I gave it a try myself and after investing $25 for the background check, I started getting job requests after using the app for about a week. I liked that I did not have to seek out any of the tasks, they come to you as a request. You can make good money there, set your own price, and make your own schedule. Check it out and see if it’s available in your area. 

Freelance on UpWork

Upwork is similar to TaskRabbit but the work is mostly done online. If you have a special administrative skill, graphic design, editing, writing, etc then this is a good option for you. Clients go on UpWork and post job postings such as, “ Seeking E-Book Designer” and then you would apply to work on that project and then have to be selected. 

I have not made any money on UpWork but I have SPENT money on UpWork to assist with some administrative things I needed done at the moment. I have always been pleased with the results so this is why I am recommending this app to you. 

Write on Medium

I saved this one for last because this is where you can make the most money if you are successful. Writing on Medium can earn you thousands of dollars and I’ve heard of some people even making more than $10,000 a month writing on this website. You get paid off of views on your articles and anyone can join and become a writer. The trick is to get your articles/blogs published on a popular Medium outlet page to boost your views. It’s kind of like having your Instagram photo reposted by a page with 100,000+ followers and you get the benefits of those views as well. 

If you aren’t a writer then Medium isn’t for you but if you are already writing or want to get into blogging then this is a great option to start with. So far I have only made 9cents on Medium but I have only posted two articles and neither has been published on a larger page. I am determined to spend more time on this though and update you on my progress later. 

If you try out any of these money making methods, let me know how they work out for you!