Earn Money While Out on Vacation - Five Lucrative Methods

[Naomi]

Most of us look at vacations as unaffordable luxuries. And on the surface, I can see why: they usually cost a lot of money, and most of us would rather save our vacation leaves (since we can convert them to cash at the end of the year). But while vacations may appear frivolous to some, vacations are actually a necessity. They help us decompress from the stresses of work, they help us recharge our minds, and they let us assess life from a safe distance.

It may look like we’re losing money when we go on vacation, but consider it an investment in yourself. In the long-run, I think the benefits of vacations are a net positive.

But economic realities being what they are, I also know that vacationing is simply more difficult for some people. to help you guys out, I’ve compiled a list of ways to help offset your vacation costs. These earning methods are easy to do while you’re out on vacation, whether you’re at the beach or taking a long train ride (a stable internet connection is required for most, though). And best of all, they’re relatively simple and won’t take too much time away from spending quality time with your loved ones. These earning methods won’t pay for the entire vacation, but they will help make it more affordable.

Here’s my list:

1. Rent Out Your Residence While You’re Out on Vacation

Company: Airbnb
Website: https://www.airbnb.com
iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/airbnb/id401626263?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.airbnb.android

Most of us pay rent or mortgage, and it doesn’t matter whether we’re at home or not; we still gotta pay. Think about it: when you’re out on vacation, your home isn’t being maximized. Your house is not being used, but you still have to pay the same rent or mortgage amount when the due date comes.

I think Airbnb helps mitigate that. Since you won’t be using your home anyways, you might as well rent it out to people who are traveling to your city. Your earnings will depend on your location and the size and condition of your home. Personally, I’ve made a couple of thousand renting out my modestly-sized duplex. That amount went a long way in helping offset to my vacation expenses. I recommend you give this a shot!

2. Rent Out Your Car

Company: Turo
Website: https://turo.com
iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/turo-better-than-car-rental/id555063314?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.relayrides.android.relayrides

Parking my car at the airport parking lot for extended periods of time is always a scary prospect - and expensive, too. Anyone who travels frequently can attest to the crazy parking fees one has to pay. Turo is a great way to offset the parking cost and earn some extra money in the process.

With Turo, you park your car in a Turo parking space for free. In exchange, Turo rents your car out. It may sound scarier than just parking your car somewhere, but really, it’s not. Turo vetoes every member who wants to rent a vehicle (kinda like Airbnb) so you’re pretty assured of your vehicle’s safety.

3. Take Stock Photos and Sell Them Online

Company: Adobe Stock (previously Fotolia)
Website: https://contributor.stock.adobe.com

This is applicable if you’ve got photography skills. When you’re out on vacation, you can take scenic photos and sell them as stock photos. Of course, it would help if you’re visiting a scenic or noteworthy location. But even if you’re visiting your grandmother in a generic-looking city, you’ll have the opportunity to take lots of photos and sell them online. Being away from your own city (or even country) lets you look at a place with fresh eyes, and hopefully, that translates to cool, sellable photos.

This was a great earning method for me since taking photos while out on vacation comes naturally to me - and I’m pretty sure that applies to lots of people, too.

4. Answer Surveys

Company: Forthright
Website: Registration Page: https://www.beforthright.com/join

Answering surveys is one of the most common earning methods online. While most of them are awesome, sometimes you’ll have to wait to be able to spend your earnings. Most survey sites have a minimum withdrawal requirement, or take their sweet time processing your payout request. All of which might be a problem when you’re out on vacation and need your earnings asap.

Forthright, however, is pretty unique: the site has no minimum payout requirements. In fact, they pay immediately! As soon as you’re done taking a survey, you get your earnings right away. Forthright is the perfect vacation survey site!

5. Do Miscellaneous Tasks

Company: Gigwalk
Link: http://www.gigwalk.com
iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gigwalk/id391881025?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gigwalk&hl=en

This method is recommendable if you’re going to spend an extended amount of time in a specific location. Gigwalk connects you to locals looking for people to do miscellaneous tasks. These tasks are pretty simple and may include everything from doing secret shopping (shopping at an establishment and telling management what your experience was like), walking pets, or delivering groceries.

Jobs will vary based on location. And note that this is only open for residents and locations in the United States. Pay also varies from a couple of bucks to a couple of hundred. It’s perfect if you’re backpacking or want to experience local culture for a longer period of time.

Conclusion

So these are my five methods for earning while out on vacation. They’ve helped me make vacations more affordable. And since I could take vacations more often, my quality of life has greatly improved. I’m sure the same would apply to other people as well.

Your Turn

Now it’s your turn to share! Do you have any other methods for earning will out on vacation? Let’s hear ‘em!

 

[June]

I’m finally going to be able to take a break from juggling different tasks as a WAHM this holiday season, so I’m really glad I got to read this article on how to earn money while out on vacation

I know, I know, it’s a vacation so you’re supposed to NOT think about work. But I’m hardwired to always think about ways to make money when the opportunity arises, given that I am a freelancer for the most part. Simply taking the day off from work is already a vacation for me because I can finally stop fretting about tasks, but I don’t think I can rent out my home, car (my husband tried this once and it was disastrous), or even take stock photos to sell - heaven knows I’m a hopeless photographer!

What I found that works for me are answering surveys and collecting receipts for cash-backs. Sure, it’s not really “working” but if it earns me some money in the process, I would consider it to be a successful money-making activity. I’ve already written about cash-backs apps and sites which I find to be helpful. Some of these already give me cash just for joining, and even more when I have successful referrals! But of course, they work best when I use their coupons for huge discounts, and when I actually get rebates for purchasing their featured products.

 

[Amos]

I used to try my luck selling stock photos online. But I’m a hobbyist, not a professional photographer. But the cool thing about taking photos with the intent of selling them online is that I could always justify the expense by saying I was investing my money in my stock-photo selling racket, lol. Well, surprise, surprise, I actually did sell a good amount of photos. I quit because I have a new baby and I don’t have time to haul my gear to shoot photos in different locations. But I definitely recommend this for anyone with an eye for photography. And even if you didn’t, no harm trying, right? My main piece of advice is that you try to shoot different “themes” or scenes in one go. That way you get to maximize the time, location, and your effort hauling stuff. So you only do all that once, but you get more photos out of it. That’s definitely a good way to maximize your efforts. I read somewhere that photography groups would sometimes organize “group shoots.” I think that’s a great idea, and another great way to save money taking stock photos, since you all get to split the cost of the shoot logistics.

 

[Holden]

I think these are all great earning methods while you’re out on vacation, but you’ll have to sort of pick and choose the methods which fit your travel itinerary. For example, I like having pretty set travel plans (I know, I know; that isn’t the best way to explore new locales – I’m not the most adventurous traveller around), which means doing various miscellaneous tasks is kind of out of the question for me. But with that said, the earning methods Naomi listed down can indeed be “stacked” one on top of the other. For example, when you’re out on vacation, you can rent out your driveway. Then when you’re out and about, you can start taking stock photographs to sell when you come back. So you’re out on vacation, but you are already employing two earning methods. And when you’re waiting in line (which will happen a lot when you’re travelling) you can answer surveys or watch videos. So that’s a third earning method!

You will also need to take into account how fast these companies pay. You might have a lot of earning methods to do use while you’re out on vacation, but you might get your money when you get back home. To me, this is fine. Consider it a way of offsetting your travel expenses.

 

[Naomi]

You guys! I discovered another great way to earn while on vacation – driver for Uber. Sounds far-fetched and impossible, right? All that changed when I met an Uber driver who was on vacation… as an Uber driver. Driving an Uber is probably the last thing I would think of while out on vacation, and for sure, it’s not doable in every type of vacation. But if you can work out the logistics, it’s a great way to earn while your out on vacation. That’s what my Uber driver told me – he’s Canadian, but goes to different countries and drives an Uber for money.

I honestly don’t know the full logistics of how he does this – I don’t driver an Uber, so I didn’t really ask much about how he does it. But from the looks of it, he has a network of friends that let him drive their cars. And he has to wait for Uber’s approval first, as stated in this page.

But once everything is worked out, my driver said it’s a great way to experience different cultures. You’re not holed up in some resort, and get to talk to locals during their day-today. Sounds pretty interesting.