Making money on the road: how to find digital nomad jobs

Many want the full-time freedom of being a digital nomad and living long term in an RV but fear the lack of savings will prevent them from fulfilling this want. Those who have lived in a RV rental long-term will tell you that making money from the road is not only possible, but sustainable. In fact, 97.6% of people who have work remotely want to continue working remotely for a while, if not for the rest of their careers. Working as you travel allows you to stay on the road for as long as you like without running out of funds.

Making money before hitting the road

The great thing about long-term RV living is that because it is a less expensive lifestyle, it is a lot easier to sustain. Some nomads choose to not work on the road, by working and saving as much as they can between trips. This way they get to take a long vacation, however, they are limited on how long they are able to stay on the road.

A great option for those going on a long trip is to rent out your home while you are away. Instead of paying for your permanent home and your new home on wheels at the same time, you can rent out your permanent home temporarily while you are away. This can not only potentially cover your mortgage or taxes on your permanent home, but you could also have money left over for your adventure.

Some nomads choose to work and save up as much as they can before starting their road trip. Some ways this is done is by picking up extra shifts or getting a part-time job to earn extra income. Another way people choose to save money for travel is to start budgeting their everyday life, that way they have income left over to put towards the trip.

Others choose to go minimalist, selling the items they no longer need or use. This will not only help when switching to living in a campervan, but also it gives people a little extra money for their road trip. These options are great for those who want to take a long vacation but don’t plan on making long-term RV travel their new way of life. Those who want to be able to stay on the road however long they would like and sustain themselves along the way will choose to find RV-friendly employment.

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Working on the road

Digital nomad jobs

Thanks to Covid, the following job options have become more popular as many are realizing that working from home is a great alternative to working in an office. More job positions are now remote positions, meaning you can work from anywhere as long as you have a good internet connection. Here are 3 types of jobs you can do while you are out on the road:

Work for a company remotely. To be completely independent and not to be at the mercy of where you can find the best Wi-Fi, you can install a Wi-Fi system in your campervan. This was you can be completely independent and travel to the places you want to see instead of needing to follow work around. RVs are perfect for this type of work, as you can even set a temporary workspace in your campervan. You might still have a 9-5 job, but you’ll definitely have the best office view. Some of these jobs include teaching or tutoring through a virtual classroom. Others including becoming a virtual assistant or consultant to name a few. There are so many positions that already exist and new ones being created every day.

Another remote opportunity is freelancing. Market yourself to potential employers by advertising your freelance skills such as writing, editing, and photography on sites like Fiverr and Upwork. Freelance gives you total freedom in not only choosing where you work, but when you work. Some freelances work with people virtually other gigs require meeting face to face, you decide which you prefer. The best part of being a freelancer is you get to be your own boss.

Another way to work from the comfort of your home on wheels and to be your own boss is to create a business. Every business, even web-based businesses take a lot of time and work to become successful. But the end reward is a sustainable business that will support you from anywhere in the world.

There are many types of online businesses that you can start, including but not limited to:

Build a profitable blog or website
Develop apps and software
Start an e-commerce store
Sell digital products
Start a podcast or YouTube channel
Create online courses
Provide a service

Please remember that starting any business is a lot of work, and it may take time for it to become profitable and able to sustain you in your adventures. To compensate for this, many choose to freelance or remote work on the side for extra income as they build their business.

Seasonal and temporary jobs

Many nomads choose to do seasonal jobs, depending on the season and location they might take up a job on an orchard picking fruit in the spring and fall, giving tours in the summer and ski instructors in the winter. With these types of jobs, you are limited to where they are available and may have to stay in places longer than you had planned.

Temporary job positions are great if you want to spend time in more urban areas. These can be jobs such as being a server at a restaurant or a barista at a cafe. These jobs can also be seasonal, as stores need more employees around the holidays. Again, with this type of job, you will be limited in where you can go and in some cases how long you stay.

One way to sustain yourself while doing long term RV rentals is to find “workcamping” opportunities. This often means that you will be given free room and board in exchange for labor. This can be anything from cleaning to taking care of farm animals. This is a great opportunity for monthly RV rentals, but might not be suitable long term as you are not getting paid.

There are many ways to make money on the road, and the ones listed above are just a few. So whether you want to be a working nomad or just want to take a long holiday, long term RV living is now more attainable than ever, with more and more people choosing alternative forms of employment, there are new opportunities every day. It’s hard work, but once you taste the freedom of working from anywhere and everywhere, going back to a regular day job might not be a possibility.

Now that you have the tools to make it living in an RV, start your adventure and book your next trip!