There Are Tons of Way to Make Money on the Road

[VanFocused]

I've been working on creating an extensive list of all the ways to make money on the road. Some of these ways could be remote jobs, allowing you to work from nearly anywhere. Others, are mobile jobs that allow you some freedom but might have a more rigid schedule. Still others are temporary and seasonal work.

So far, I've gotten the list to 52. I'm actively trying to grow this list with any other possible ways to make money.

https://vanfocused.com/remote-mobile-van-life-jobs/

I'm currently a travel nurse (#52 on the list). This allows me to work short (3 month) assignments anywhere in the country. While I'm on assignment, my schedule is pretty rigid and I work a lot and take a lot of call. However, after my assignment is up, I have no obligations. I can take as much time off in between assignments as I want. This allows me to work other odd jobs (like in the restaurant business) to earn some money as well as travel, hike, and explore. 

I also do freelance content writing (#6 on the list). I do this on the side, occasionally, on my own schedule. This is more related to working on my writing skills than actually making a significant income although good freelance content writers can make a decent living.

In the past I have delivered for instacart (#3 on the list) and done meal delivery service (#2 on the list). I preferred InstaCart and I actually made some decent money doing this between nursing assignments.

I'm excited to hear from you guys so, my questions to you are...

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]What have you done to earn money on the road?[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Please take a look at my list so far and let me know if I have missed anything (https://vanfocused.com/remote-mobile-van-life-jobs/) that I could add.[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Cheers, [/font]

 

[mpruet]

Good list...

 

[gsfish]

I spent a decade or so doing industrial maintenance, construction and shutdowns on the road. I already had commercial electrical experience and by the time I found a permanent plant maintenance position in town had picked up knowledge on the job that allowed me to hire in as an instrument fitter, instrument tech or pipe fitter as well. Getting hired in as a helper in any craft is a foot in the door to work your way up. Show up for work a little early every day, give an honest days work, show an interest in learning and you will get noticed. By not doing that you will get noticed too.

There is a real community of people doing these jobs and once you are in as a proven good worker jobs will come to you by word of mouth. My first job was in Pensacola. A few weeks after that i was called to Mobile Alabama. A few weeks after that I was called to Torrance California...

Pay is above average and often there is a per diem for out of towners to help pay living expenses. I have worked on jobs where it was just me and the foreman and jobs where there were two twelve hour shifts with a total of 4,500 hands in the field. My preference was for a 7/12hr work week with lots of time between jobs. My all time record was 85 12hr plus days in a row.

Guy

 

[VanFocused]

 My all time record was 85 12hr plus days in a row.

Holy guacomole! That's a lot, and I thought my nursing schedule was bad. The most i've done is 5 12 hour shifts in a row and I was exhausted. I do love trying to group my work together and maximizing my time off, and lumping shifts is one way to do that!

 

[Uncle Todo]

Nice topic!
I'm not on the road yet, but am gearing up to hopefully supplement, rather supply, my income once I hit the road.
And honestly how well that goes will dictate the length of my road trip
Part of my van camper build though is wanting to set it up as a mobile work station to offer curb side computer/electronics help to people at their house.
Also, I've never been a blogger or writer, but want to start making some how to and travel videos and blog posts. Get some associate sales things going etc etc

 

[Cammalu]

For anyone in Quartzsite wanting work I think all the eateries are hiring

 

[Ikigai]

Thanks for the list, I got a few more good ideas. Although right now I almost have too many ideas, lol. I want to do them all! One idea that I found somewhere else that you may want to mention was teaching English as a second language virtually (similar to tutoring I suppose). I think there are some where you just have a conversation with a foreigner trying to learn English and get paid to do so. Thanks again!

 

[VanFocused]

Hey! That's a great idea and I've heard that several times recently. I'm definitely going to look into it further and add that one to the list. Do you know of any services/websites that cater to this?

 

[Ikigai]

VanFocused,

I found this blog that had a lot of links to places that hire teachers. I haven't tried any of this personally yet as I'm still in the idea and exploration phase!

Link to blog on teaching English online:
https://www.twowanderingsoles.com/blog/teach-english-online

 

[VanFocused]

Thanks so much! I'll look into it

 

[Dingfelder]

I've been working on creating an extensive list of all the ways to make money on the road. Some of these ways could be remote jobs, allowing you to work from nearly anywhere. Others, are mobile jobs that allow you some freedom but might have a more rigid schedule. Still others are temporary and seasonal work.

So far, I've gotten the list to 52. I'm actively trying to grow this list with any other possible ways to make money.

https://vanfocused.com/remote-mobile-van-life-jobs/

I'm currently a travel nurse (#52 on the list). This allows me to work short (3 month) assignments anywhere in the country. While I'm on assignment, my schedule is pretty rigid and I work a lot and take a lot of call. However, after my assignment is up, I have no obligations. I can take as much time off in between assignments as I want. This allows me to work other odd jobs (like in the restaurant business) to earn some money as well as travel, hike, and explore. 

I also do freelance content writing (#6 on the list). I do this on the side, occasionally, on my own schedule. This is more related to working on my writing skills than actually making a significant income although good freelance content writers can make a decent living.

In the past I have delivered for instacart (#3 on the list) and done meal delivery service (#2 on the list). I preferred InstaCart and I actually made some decent money doing this between nursing assignments.

I'm excited to hear from you guys so, my questions to you are...

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]What have you done to earn money on the road?[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Please take a look at my list so far and let me know if I have missed anything (https://vanfocused.com/remote-mobile-van-life-jobs/) that I could add.[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Cheers, [/font]

You kind of threw me for a loop there.  Nurses can make excellent money, especially with overtime.  But even without it.  Yet you talk about doing food delivery or restaurant work?  The best of those jobs don't make the least of your money, are uncertain at the very best, and are generally quite low-paying.  Why on earth would you want to take some of those jobs unless you absolutely had to, especially with the kind of degree that could actually set you up reasonably well in life?

 

[Txanakonda]

What address should I use when I apply? I live in my car and I don’t think it’s a good idea to tell the hiring manager that. What do y’all think?

 

[LERCA]

Yeah ditto with the teacher thing. I have 8 years of university to be a teacher. And there are thousands of teacher ed program graduates wandering around jobless. There are no more substitute teacher jobs much less regular classroom jobs so the competition for online teaching is fierce. And most schools with high paid English conversation jobs with Asian students are long gone.

 

[maki2]

Not much need for conversational English teachers this year. The USA citizens who were doing it in other countries have had to return home. The foreign business men who were in the USA taking lessons have had to return home as have most of the foreifn students. So it will be a few years longer for it to become viable again.Best try something else such as becoming a person qualified to give vaccinations.

 

[sober living]

Yeah. I've been teaching overseas for over a decade. I am still overseas, because the country I am in says if I leave most likely they wouldn't let me back in due to COVID in the USA. I miss friends and family horribly but right now I am focusing on saving money, being as frugal as I can so when travel CAN happen again I can pack kids and go. (I plan to go back and forth... if travel ever opens) 
When I lived in the USA I made decent money as a private tutor working in Uni cities with foreign students... but sounds like those days are gone there for the time being.

 

[Zmann]

World's oldest profession... not talking bakeries...

 

[user 423]

World's oldest profession... not talking bakeries...

Are you earning a lot doing that?

 

[Freelander]

World's oldest profession... not talking bakeries...

I think I'll pass on that!!

 

[VanFocused]

You kind of threw me for a loop there.  Nurses can make excellent money, especially with overtime.  But even without it.  Yet you talk about doing food delivery or restaurant work?  The best of those jobs don't make the least of your money, are uncertain at the very best, and are generally quite low-paying.  Why on earth would you want to take some of those jobs unless you absolutely had to, especially with the kind of degree that could actually set you up reasonably well in life?

Sorry for such a late reply! I just saw this one. 

I did my restaurant work before nursing but I have to say that when I first became a nurse, it was actually a pay cut. As a beginning nurse, I only made about $27/hr. My min. wage + tips waiter/bartender job came out to more than that. However, as I progressed in nursing and became a traveling nurse, of course my traveling nursing pay is higher. 

All that being said, I would love to bartend again in between assignments. As a travel nurse I work (typically) 3-month assignments. When I'm working in my specialty, I am usually doing 40 hours a week plus 3-4 days of call a week (equally 60-80 hours of call). This doesn't lead to much free time or social life. I try to work only 1-2 assignments a year (3-6months).

When i'm in-between assignments I will occasionally do grocery-delivery or meal-delivery to supplement my income. Although I don't make as much as nursing, it's something. If i can deliver groceries on my terms when I have free time to make a little extra money and extend the time off I have between assignments, I'll do it  .

 

[gsfish]

There's a guy at the flea market who sharpens knives. He seems to keep busy enough. If you are good at it might be a way to make some spending money. Stick a sign in your window if in a campground. Make a point of sharpening some knives where people can see you.. He has a couple small inexpensive power tools.

Guy