Mix and Match

[ChickadeeJP]

I need all your lovely brains and positive energy to help me figure out how to make a sufficient income on the road. I am a single mom to a young son, so being able to just drop into a temporary job at a location isn't going to work for me as I would need childcare prearranged. I have a 1986 25ft Southwind, and it needs some work before it is road worthy. Here are my skills and experiences to start with:

• Retail and Customer Service
• Nanny and Childcare
• Sewing at a professional quality (children's clothing, custom orders, sustainable products, I do not have an Etsy site set up yet)
• Amazon FBA books (have had to put this on hold but was not up to the point I was making a consistent income after over a year, Amazon keeps increasing their share of my profits)
• Yoga teacher (I am in training for it right now, some past bodywork and nutrition education as well)
• Doula training (will be starting this in March, combines well with my current job as a WIC breastfeeding counselor and future goal to be an IBCLC)
• Merch by Amazon (something I am considering as a passive income stream, paying a friend to do the digital and graphic aspect for me)
• Basic computer skills, no college degree

I am open to suggestions and would love to hear your personal experiences if you have combined any of these into a fulltime income on the road. I have been looking around today for information on traveling yoga teachers, but they seem to be mostly out of the country and single childless people. It seems to be a thing that many yoga studios will hire temp/traveling yoga teachers in order to add diversity to their studios and to have coverage when not fully staffed. For something like this, I would have to find flexible childcare for my son for 1-4 months in a location, which seems doable. I would also have to pay for a campground or spot to park on someone's property. I will be starting to use some of my spare time to make listings on my etsy page for items I already have made and see if I can garner some sales.

Thanks!

 

[bullfrog]

Maybe specialized custom upholstery work. I see pieces like seat bottoms on Ebay for cars. Boats are usually one of a kind and large but maybe some piece work?

 

[sometimesido]

Etsy is getting flooded with factory stuff...

My wife used to take custom sewing/crochet orders from rich moms to get hats, scarves, dresses, and what not made, before her Rheumatoid Arthritis got too much to handle.
What she did was find a local mom's forum on fb, etc., and took orders.
If you happened to have embroidery machine, my wife's friend does that full time.
Just an option to throw out there.

 

[VanKitten]

If you have or can get training/experience as a sail maker there is real money in it.

There is always a deman for repairs, and new sails, headliners, Bimini, canapé, etc.

I remember having a hard time finding one that wasn't already booked weeks and weeks in advance

 

[Zardor]

I would ask you what do you love to do? It's been my experience that anything I do passionately, without abandon - The universe responds by working out all of the other details like food, rent and pay. I recently quit my very cushy job, that over the years I started to hate. I have an art degree and I just made up my mind that I was no longer willing to do anything other than what passionately drives me. Money is trickling in, but I know more will come. I truly believe that's the secret. Do what you love to do and trust that the universe will provide and it will. I know that sounds like wishful thinking, but I have gotten everything I have gone after passionately. Everything. Still waiting on that lottery tho.

 

[ChickadeeJP]

I would ask you what do you love to do?

I love sewing and creating custom items for kids. I love working with moms with breastfeeding and talking parenting. I love playing with my kid, reading, writing, cooking, biking, being outside. I'm passionate about sustainability, holistic health, and safe products. I was talking with a friend more on this recently, and she was trying to convince me to keep working on college, possibly full time, while living on loans. That just doesn't sit right and gets me further from what my ideal is. I would very much like to make it work by sewing, living frugally, and maybe camp hosting. I also sell for an organic health and beauty company, but not making much with it (passionate though!).
To the other suggestions: I like the ideas of finding a niche than has a demand for custom work. The issue with doing seat cushions and sales is that you need a large area to work an industrial sewing machine. I have a pretty simple machine and a serger. I will try to think in this direction. I could always offer my skills and custom work to fellow RV/van-ers along the way and see if I find a niche market that works for me.

 

[theinfamousj]

As a fellow nanny, travel nanny or Newborn Care Specialist are both things, especially if you have your home and can travel.

There is no official certification for a newborn care specialist, though there are some training programs that will announce that you graduated from them. Those positions are usually 3 months long at a time (aka 12 weeks).

I don't know much about travel nannies, but I do know of an agency that places them and met one travel nanny who loves what she does, and stays in hostels (rather than a vehicle) while doing it.

In both of these positions, you ought to be able to bring your own little one.

Sent from my SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

[ChickadeeJP]

As a fellow nanny, travel nanny or Newborn Care Specialist are both things, especially if you have your home and can travel.

I had never heard of this before! Love the idea and will look into it. I would gladly take a training course on infant care, though I am well versed in it with experience. My doula training might cover enough of it, so I will check/complete that before I do another course. Had a thought that maybe fellow traveling families would like the idea of a doula who could travel to them or stay near them during the end of the pregnancy. Thank you!