How to Find Side Hustle Ideas to Travel More
Travel can be costly, and a lot of people say they can’t travel because they can’t afford to. There are so many ways to be able to afford to travel, though.
One great way to take advantage of the downtime we all have is to start a side hustle. Side hustles are getting a lot of buzz lately, and there are even side hustle coaches to help you do it.
Do you need one? Well, that’s up to you! You can certainly give it a go and get help if needed. I established one, actually two, on my own without help. And I’ll tell you, I feel so accomplished about it!
Here’s what a side hustle is and how to find some side hustle ideas to help you travel more.
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What is a Side Hustle?
There’s no time like the present to start looking for side hustle ideas to make some extra money. A side hustle is work that you do in addition to your full-time job (or multiple part-time jobs, as the case may be), essentially on the side.
It’s starting up something else in your free time that is not your primary source of income. Side hustles are often done online on your phone, tablet, or computer. So, they have the added benefit of potentially being done from anywhere.
It’s not easy. You’re likely working full-time, and you’re tired when you’re done with your workday. With a side hustle, you’ll be working in the evenings, early mornings, or weekends.
Or you may be working all of the above to get things going or when you get busy. But it’s a great way to make extra money for travel. It’s also a great way to learn prioritization and time management!
And it’s a good way to take some control of your finances to make some extra money for the things you need and those you want.
5 Reasons Why You Should Start a Side Hustle
There are many reasons for starting a side hustle worth considering. Some may apply to you, but not all of them.
Either way, it’s a good idea to consider these before you start. Starting a side hustle gives you an excellent opportunity for development and growth. Before you do it, here are some things to consider.
1. Do Work that’s Important to You
Some of us work to a certain level in our careers, and it’s hard to change, given our position and income. Others end up in a role where there is no opportunity for advancement.
Or maybe you would love to try something different but can’t afford the pay cut. You could also be reliant on the benefits you get from your job in addition to the salary, and that may not be something you can give up—at least not right away and without a safety net.
Some work with great people, but the work isn’t gratifying. You can do work on the side that will enable you to scratch that itch to do something a little different without quitting the stability of your day job.
If you don’t want to feel like your side hustle is work and feel overwhelmed with all of the hours, you’ll invest in your main work and your side hustle and do work that’s important to you.
You’ve probably heard the quote that goes something like, “If you do work you love, you’ll never work again.” Well, that’s the trick. Sure, you may be booking a lot of hours, but if you love what you’re doing, it won’t feel as oppressive as it could!
And, of course, you might be able to quit your full-time gig down the road if you choose to.
2. Sharpen Your Skills
If you want to focus on certain skill sets or even learn new skills, a side hustle is a great way to go. Choose the work that you want to do and create a business around it.
If you want to write a book someday, consider a writing opportunity. Ideally, one that helps you to find the right way to inspire your creativity to get your juices flowing. If you enjoy math but don’t do it much in your day-to-day, consider bookkeeping or another math-oriented position.
Perhaps you love details and have a background in medicine or healthcare. In that case, you could do some medical billing and coding. Whatever you’re interested in and good at, I bet you can find some kind of side hustle.
3. Do What You Enjoy
Maybe you don’t love your full-time job and want to do something different. Or maybe you enjoy your job, but you are considering changing to do something you’ve always wanted to do. Perhaps you’re seeking more fulfillment in your work and an ability to help others or to be more creative.
A side hustle is a great way to do work that you enjoy. It doesn’t have to be what you believe you should do based on your degree, training, or experience. It can be whatever you want to do.
Go big and enjoy the sense of freedom to dig deep. Give some thought to what you’d do if you could. You might surprise yourself. And who knows? You could just be opening the door to your future!
4. Try It Before You Leap
If you are considering leaving your job or changing careers, starting a side hustle is a great way. If there’s something you’ve always wanted to do or something your friends say you’d be good at, consider giving it a go.
Start doing the work on the side to see if you really like it. If you do, that’s great!
You can continue doing it on the side for as long as you want, even forever. And, if you find there’s enough opportunity, and you can draw enough income from it, at some point, you can consider quitting your full-time job and dedicating to the work you do in your side gig.
A side hustle gives you a safe way to try something new before you make a full commitment to it. And if you don’t enjoy it, just move on to the next opportunity!
5. Be Your Own Boss
If you’re tired of working for others and not setting your own rules, a side hustle may be a good way to go. You can define your business and the work you will do.
You can say yes to the work you want to do and say no to things you don’t enjoy or don’t believe will benefit your business. It’s your baby, and you can make it whatever you want.
Remember, the responsibility for success or failure lies squarely on your shoulders!
How Do You Find the Right Side Hustle Ideas?
Don’t get caught thinking about side hustle ideas for too long, or you’ll end up with “analysis paralysis.” You know, that long, or incredibly long period, you’re thinking about some great ideas, but you’re so caught in the details that you can never get it going.
Give it a chance and jump into something. What’s the worst that will happen? You will decide it’s not for you, or you won’t get traction; then you try something else. Here’s how to get started finding side hustle ideas.
Find Your Side Hustle
- Make a list of things you’re good at— list your talents, skills, and anything you can think of that you do personally or professionally.
- Consider what you love to do—look at your list and think about what you’d enjoy doing after a long workday. If you don’t love it, it will feel like work, and you’ll be less inclined to put the effort into it. Are there things that you would do even if you weren’t paid for them? Start there.
- Run it by a few people—think about the people you’d work for or within this side gig and reach out about your idea. If they’re interested and want to know more, chances are you’ve got a real opportunity there. If not, keep searching.
- Run with it—once you find an opportunity to get started with your side gig, get moving! Give it a shot and jump into it to see if you enjoy it and if it can be successful.
There are many great sources of information for side hustle ideas. Read through recommended lists and give some thought to your skills and experience and what creative opportunities you may be able to create.
Side Hustle Tips
Consider how much you want to dedicate to your side hustle to determine whether it’s a worthwhile investment of your time. Will you give it a month? Three? If it doesn’t take off in that time, then be prepared to scrap it and try again with a different opportunity.
Make sure it doesn’t interfere with your full-time work. This side hustle is expected to be done outside your regular work hours. You want to be sure not to create any risk of losing your primary job from which you draw your income, at least until you’re ready.
Above all, try to find something you enjoy. You’ll be dedicating some of your free time doing whatever you choose, and you don’t want it to feel like work. If you love it, it usually won’t.
And last, consider how many hours a week you want to do your side gig. Depending on what you choose to do, your work may ebb and flow a bit. It’s essential to balance your life and carve out time for yourself.
Make sure you’re keeping up with the important things to you now that more of your time is devoted to working. Take care of yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally.
How a Side Hustle Will Help You To Travel More
There are a lot of benefits of side hustles, including what is mentioned above. There are also many ways a side hustle can help you travel more.
Make Extra Money to Travel More
Of course, if you’re working more, you’ll earn more income. And for people who want to travel more, this boon may be all you need to book that trip.
You can work as much or as little as you want on your side hustle. And the more you make, the more you have for what’s important in your life, including travel.
My Side Hustle Experience
I have a full-time job working for a large company. Then, on the side, I have two side hustles: this blog is one, and I do some freelance copywriting and social media marketing.
I spend two-to-three hours a day writing before and after my full-time gig, and I love it. I also work a good bit on the weekends.
The writing doesn’t feel like work, as I’m passionate about doing it. I also love helping people, so both are truly win-win.
I started my side hustles for two reasons. First, I want to have extra income now so I can travel more. Travel is a passion in my life that is so important to me, and I want to be able to do it as much as possible. I currently use every vacation day I get for travel.
So, I want to be sure I can take advantage of that time and have the financial means to do so.
And best of all, when I move abroad in a couple of years, I’ll have established relationships, income, and work that I can do from anywhere. That’s my second reason for starting my side hustles now.
I wanted the time to ramp them up so they could sustain me for the next phase when I move abroad. In the meantime, I sock my extra income away to travel, which makes me happy now as well.
Become a Digital Nomad
Your side hustle is likely flexible, where you can work around your full-time job. Some people go online for a side gig and have this flexibility and more options. It’s not a stretch for you to transition so that your livelihood is from online sources. That’s where the digital nomad life comes in.
You may start with a side hustle alongside your full-time job, but at some point, you may decide you can make enough income to quit. Or perhaps you decide to take a sabbatical from working full time to dedicate to your side gig.
No matter your situation, you can parlay your side hustle into being a digital nomad with the flexibility to work from anywhere. Now, do you see where I’m going with this?
Once you get to that point, you can be anywhere. You can choose to take trips and do some work on them. Or, you can even move abroad and either settle down or keep on moving.
Your side hustle can open up all sorts of exciting opportunities. Your only requirement is a reliable internet connection. Of course, you can certainly keep it at that—a side hustle.
Do Work That’s Travel-Related
If you consider doing travel-related work, it may help you make connections that could be beneficial for traveling, enabling you to travel more. Some side hustle ideas include providing services to travel agencies, and perhaps you can get some discounts.
Put together great itineraries, and maybe you can act as a guide on some trips. Do research for people or companies. Then, leverage your knowledge to book more budget trips for yourself. The opportunities are limitless.
Get creative and use your passion for travel. Find interesting ways to work in the travel industry or on travel-related things. Maybe you could offer group tours in the area you live in doing something you know or love. Or use your skills and relationships to start a business where other people help to support your goals.
A Travel Side Hustle Example
I met a gal on a trip recently who owns a business in New York City offering walking tours to small groups called Like a Local Tours. She has relationships with Broadway actors who put on the tours, and they are amazing!
I had the opportunity to go on one and was impressed.
Start a Side Hustle Today!
Side hustles are done in addition to your work supporting you financially. So, get creative with side hustle ideas and do something with a market opportunity you love.
You can parlay your side hustle into a full-time job or even a job where you derive all your income that isn’t a traditional 9-to-5 job.
If you’re doing something you love, it won’t feel like work at all. And it’ll help you fund the important things in your life, like the ability to travel more.
Need some inspiration to travel? Check out this post.
You Might Also Like
- How I Plan My Trip to Travel Internationally
- Top Tools and Tips for Remotely Working from Home or Anywhere
- 11 of the Best Tips for Travel: What I Wish I Knew Earlier
- 10 of the Best Reasons for Traveling
- How to Prepare for Safe Travels Before You Go
- Remote Side Hustles—20 Options to Get You Traveling More
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Great article, Sam! I got bogged down for so long by “analysis paralysis” before I started my blog. You’re so right that you just need to start and see how it goes! I especially appreciated the section you included on travel-related work; it gave me some ideas to consider.