Money For Travel

Hi folks,

okay , I've spent a fair amount of time rambling on about my philosophies of saving, creating passive income , and compound interest. Although I do fervently believe that these points strongly contribute to developing the ability to travel freely and at the very least maintain some cash reserves, I do admit I have been neglecting part of my blogs main focus.

So, today I would like to continue our discussion on how to keep money coming in while you are away from home and possibly moving on frequently. For today I will touch on each of the points and develop them separately in subsequent posts.

To begin with, we have to ascertain whether or not you will be in a particular place long enough to aim for a regular wage income or if you have a very limited amount of time in which to gain a few coins for travel.

Naturally, if you are in a country where you speak the mother tongue and intend to be there for some time, we will presume that you will follow the traditional methods of searching classifieds on the net and in newspapers and magazines and sending out a relevant CV.
The situation I would like to address today is when you are in a foreign speaking country and may not have access to traditional paths of employment and also, if you will only be spending a short time there.

Primarily, your most valuable asset is inside your skull. Your brain is the one thing that, if you lose everything, can get you back out of the gutter and on the road to recovery. This is because every great achievement has evolved from a single idea or a flash of inspiration.
Now, I'm not going to say that during a month in China your brain is going to have a burst of inspirational creativity that will vault you into the economic stratosphere. Nor do I want to discourage anyone from acting on a 'Eureka Moment'. The biggest dream killer of them all is apathy.
What I am suggesting is simply, if you want to make some cash easily, use those skills which you already have. If you are a talented crafts person, maybe you could put that into use somehow. If you are a talented musician, have a go at playing any way you can.
Some of you might say, 'but I don't have an instrument or any tools'. So, be creative. If you are staying in a hostel, try and find some work there to do. If you are staying in a private B and B, maybe they need some odd jobs or repairs done. Do a good job and you might get some cash or some other reward, like a free night or food.

You may also have special skills or abilities that you, yourself, don't really consider to be special but that others may find value in. It is your job to recognise such things and exploit them.

By far, the most simple and lucrative form of work for a native English speaker in a foreign country is teaching English. This is especially the case if you have any former teaching experience and/or a university degree. If you are spending more than three months a foreign speaking country, there are great prospects for picking up some well paid positions in schools that include accommodation and a completion bonus. You may even have a shot as a live in tutor which can include full board and pocket money for daily English classes.
I would recommend visiting websites such as thegumtree.com, tntmagazine.com and ESL websites to see what's on offer.
I
f you won't be staying long, there is still good opportunity for tutoring students privately. Put flyers up in universities and schools and advertise on local blogs and forums. This is especially the case if you have any level of proficiency in the language of the country you are visiting. Believe me, it makes things a hell of a lot easier to organise and teach lessons when you can speak in their mother tongue. However, if you only speak English, don't let it stop you. You may have to target your pupils more specifically. For example, more advanced level students or post grad.

The second most important tool, I believe, for keeping some cash flowing into your hands would be access to a laptop. I understand that many travellers simply don't have the means to purchase one or may see it as excess baggage, but trust me, it is an invaluable device.
The priced on descent laptops have plummeted in recent years just as their usefulness has skyrocketed.

Consider this. When you are in command of a laptop, you have your own personal storage unit, entertainment system, and these days, complete portable office, with phone and video conferencing, word processing, email access and business portal. No matter where you are in the world, as long as you can pick up a wireless signal, you can connect. You can deal with personal and business banking, keep in contact with friends and clients, attend meetings and also prepare and present professional reports and presentations. You can also keep tabs on your Internet business and websites to ensure that passive income is increasing. All from the comfort of your hostel, or 'insert generic coffee chain name here' sipping on a skinny triple mocha vanilla latte.

You will find this tool indispensable when planning classes or keeping records of materials for classes. If you think that carrying a 4kg laptop is too much extra luggage, compare that to hauling around text books, and hundreds of A4 worksheets in your backpack.

Oh, and just one last piece of advice. Please ditch those international phone cards. If you're not on Skype yet, get on it now. For the time being, calls from your computer to another are free and to landlines and even mobiles, the rates are preferential. Make sure that your parents know how to use it and they'll love you for it.

until next time,

Park Namsu