Things I’ve Done for Travel Money

Rocking my press pass covering SEWE for the Charleston City Paper

Since I am not one of those people who leaves a high paying job to travel, I work pathetic little side jobs to save up for trips. I hustle doing random work so I can have all these amazing adventures. I thought my readers would enjoy hearing about the bizarre things you can do:

Craigslist: Downsizing is important when you are preparing for travels, so selling furniture and unnecessary items is important. I also have sold furniture and items for my family members who aren’t quite as technologically savvy.

Plato’s Closet: In the same vein, getting rid of clothes you don’t wear or won’t need on the road is a great way to earn cash. They can be picky about what they take and oftentimes, you won’t make more than $30 for a box of clothes, but every dollar helps.

Coinstar: Take all those pennies that have been collecting at the bottom of your purse, underneath your couch cushions, hiding in your car’s cup holder and bring it into your local grocery store for cash. They do take a commission, but rolling pennies for the bank is time-consuming.

Babysitting: Biggest upgrade to this point is cash, meaning no taxes. If you’re not a kid person, it can be difficult, but let’s face it: you won’t find much better of a deal.

Label sewing: This one time I made some money sewing labels into ultimate frisbee jerseys as a favor for my ex boss’s fiance. I’m not so hot with sewing machines, so I only lasted one day.

Lifeguarding: So you have to actually have qualifications for this job, but if you’re lucky like me, you have a friend who works for the company. She set me up as a gate guard, who basically does the same thing but doesn’t have to save lives. Just keep you from running around the pool deck and bringing glass bottles around.

Sales Associate: I’ve worked retail for a while, but the best job for my travel funding is at a company that sells wholesale goods for a week twice a year, but gets me more money than I usually make in a month. The hours are long and the customers are scary, but the pay is how I have taken all my trips.

Waitressing: Always a good option for college students and barely employed twentysomethings, waitressing can be a great way to come up with money. When I worked at The Taco Spot, I got paid tips and cash every night, in addition to food and drink during my shift. Sure, you may have some cranky customers on occasion, but it’s a skill you could use on your travels.

Freelance Writing: This one is obvious for me, since it is my chosen career path, but works for anyone. If you’re not in with a newspaper or magazine, Matador’s Bounty Board offers articles on every topic, not just travel, for $25 per article. In my freelancing career, I’ve covered everything from gay prom to wildlife expos to fashion shows. The perks are that you get into events like this for free and sometimes you even get free drinks and food. The downside is that it takes a while to get paid, so it’s difficult to make it your sole income.

Office Assistant: This wasn’t one of my favorite jobs, but it paid okay. I was an errand runner at a law firm, which meant I made copies, faxed things, answered phones, picked up dry cleaning and whatever else needed to be done. Lots of bitch work and the pay is barely above minimum wage (wtf law firm, I know how much money you charge), but you get reimbursed for mileage, which adds up if you have an efficient Honda like myself.

Gift Wrapping: The holidays can be an especially hectic time at the mall, so many stores hire people to wrap gifts for the season. I’m not a pro at making the boxes look how the store wants me to, but it’s pretty easy money and you get paid soon.

Errands for friends and family: If you’re lucky like me, your family supports your travels. Mine helps me come up with things to do for money. I cleaned out offices for my dad and made photobooks for my aunt. Offer to do laundry, cleaning, Christmas shopping. Whatever will get you to your destination.