My biggest goal this new year is to get my money in order. From the outside looking in, it looks like I travel often and enjoy life. Of course I enjoy life. However that’s not to say that it comes with a price. This new year, I plan to earn money creatively.
My goal is to both pay off debt and get money saved for travels this summer. I have set goals for exactly how much I will pay each month to lower my debt and how much I want to save.
One thing I know and love about myself (yeah self-love) is how resourceful I am! When it comes to lots of things in life, I always find an alternative way. This is just how I’ve always been. The other week I found myself thinking “leave it to me to get myself out of debt with a bunch of random jobs, projects, etc.” However that is exactly how it will play out and I’m excited.
Here are some ways I’ve found to earn and save creatively.
1. Work online
Yes yes … we often hear about this elusive idea of working from home. There are lots of scams out there that either lead you to nothing or put you in the hole. However there are some legit ways to find actual paying work that you can do from home. Here are a few things that I’ve found to actually be legit:
- Online teaching. This is probably my biggest source of online income (well maybe some months it ties with the blog, but that’s another point below). As a native English speaker with experience teaching both children and adults, I’m in a good spot for online teaching. I teach English to people learning it as a second (or even perhaps third or fourth) language on a platform called Verbling. I actually wrote a blog post about 7 different companies with online teaching jobs. Additionally, I’ve heard that there are platforms where you can tutor in other subjects (although I know next to nothing about them).
- Flexjobs. This is a website that you have to pay a membership. They have three different options: $14.95/month, $29.95/quarter or $49.95/year. I have the yearly membership since it saves so much money. They have all sorts of jobs on this site and all are vetted (meaning no scams). I like to keep my eye on the jobs and apply to any remote positions that involve writing.
- Join Facebook groups and put yourself out there. Facebook groups are how I find so many opportunities. There are groups where you can network and find remote work opportunities.
2. Blogging
Blogging is another way I earn and save creatively. I have been blogging for over three years and I love it just as much as when I first started. In fact there are days where I feel like I love it even more. It’s so exciting to me to plan out all the content that I want to share with you!
Blogging either pays or subsidizes what I would already do. Let me break down each of these things for you:
- As a travel blogger, I’ve done my share fair of collaborations. This means that I’m gifted something in exchange for a review and posts on social media. I have stayed in countless hostels for free, received items and gone on tours for free. Now I know that this topic can be controversial. People often question the sincerity of a review since the blogger got it for free. However in my case, I only accept collaborations that are in line with my niche. I would actually stay at a hostel when traveling, so I look at it more as something that offsets my travel costs. Here are a few example of travel collaborations I did: 4 Things to do in Atlanta and Top City, a Fun Lagos Hostel. Both of these collabs helped to offset the overall cost of these trips.
- I also sometimes get paid to create content. Sponsored posts (like this one!) are another thing that I earn money off of. Sometimes I allow companies to guest post on my blog or I get paid to create the content myself. I sometimes earn money from creating content for social media like this video I made for Match.com over the summer (in sweltering heat … but I got $100 for it, so it was worth it). Here are a few sites where bloggers/influencers can find opportunities:
- If you’d like to read more about how I got started with blogging, check this post out: Start a Travel Blog in 3 Steps
3. Deals sites
Another way I save creatively is through deals websites. There are so many different websites that offer exclusive discount codes or even cash rebates when you shop through their site. You can still shop all your favorite brands through them. The only difference is that clicking on the store through them saves you a bit.
There are many sites like this. One great one is Swagbucks. You can search by brand or category. I know I’ll be taking a peak when planning my next trip.
Related: 4 Tips for Finding Cheap US Travel
4. Live for free
The fourth way that I save money is through my living situation. Now I will start by saying that my situation is not for everyone. Over the summer, I found an opportunity to live with a family for free in exchange for working with their children. In some ways, I’m like an aupair.
I found this family on a website called WorkAway. This site is awesome! On this website, you can find all sorts of volunteer opportunities around the world. The premise is simple: you volunteer maybe five hours a day in exchange for housing and (sometimes) food. In the fall, I was looking to do a work away for the month of September. However I found a family who lives in the same town that I work in. So I decided to extend my stay for the entire school year since I knew I could save a lot of money this way.
There are other similar sites with similar opportunities. There are also sites such as Trusted House Sitters where you can find places to stay in exchange for caring for pets or houses.
Staying positive and on target
Overall, saving money is a way of life and it’s a choice. Every little thing that you buy or don’t buy adds up. I just have to keep going and remember that it takes some time.
How do you save creatively?
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This was a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
