Tips for earning money while backpacking by teaching English (ESL/TEFL), picking fruit, planting trees, travel writing, or working abroad.
Working in hostels
Good friends at a hostel in Chengdu, China
Every long-term traveler experiences it at some point - the need to slow down, hang in one spot for a while, catch your breath, and build more than just fleeting friendships with people. Unfortunately, being on the road costs money, and it doesn't feel good to be spending money and not moving.
Staying and working in one place is the best way to go deeper into the local culture and to be accepted as more than someone just "passing through".
Working in hostels offers the perfect balance between traveling and staying in one place. You are constantly
interacting with other travelers and can leave at any time. The money may not be great, but its a cheap place to sleep (and maybe eat).
Read a true account of
Hostel work in China
Teaching English Abroad
Friends, experience, and life abroad!
If you speak English, you can pretty much travel forever! This is one of the most popular options for long term travelers looking to earn funds and reside outside of their home countries.
English does not even have to be your first language, and no, you do not have to speak the local language where you want to teach! You will learn some of the local language once you get there, but it is not expected.
Most schools want to submerge their students in English, and many even just want your Western presence in their schools. Some schools in developing countries offer room and board, and some countries such as Japan and Korea pay a good solid salary, allowing you to live abroad AND save travel funds for the future.
Even if you have no teaching experience, you can still probably find work. Getting your TESOL/TEFL certification helps bring credibility and gives you an edge over other travelers. Just have a look at some of the available
teaching jobs in other countries.
You can even take the short
certification course online, which opens up your options later once you are on the road.
You can decide to volunteer your time just to live somewhere warm and beautiful with a new culture, or you can take a paying job. Either way, by living and working in a country, you will gain an insight into the life and culture that most travelers never get to see.
Teaching English is without a doubt the surest way to get funds while on the road. Even you do not intend to make teaching a career, the leadership experience looks great on future resumes. Not only that, but the personal experiences that you gain by teaching and interacting with locals will last a lifetime.
Read a true account of
Teaching english abroad
Discuss teaching English experiences with other travelers in the forums:
TEFL/ESL/TESOL Forums
from StartBackpacking.com
