After nearly 3 years of RVing, the number one question we are asked is “How do you make money on the road?” I’ve answered this question before in another blog post, but today I get very specific on 6 different ways to make money while full time RVing. Please note, none of these are easy, they all take dedication and work.
This post contains affiliate links, we receive a commission from purchases made via these links.
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Amazon Handmade
A lot of people have heard of Esty, but not many have heard of Amazon Handmade. It is similar to Etsy in that you are creating/crafting an item and selling it online.
Amazon Handmade is hosted on the Amazon platform and they fulfill your orders for you.
The process is as follows:
- Apply
- If approved, register
- Create a profile
- Set up your shop by listing your creations
- Start Selling
One of the great things about this program is that you can still sell your things other places – Etsy, craft shows, farmers markets, etc. This is not an exclusive agreement here.
Mediavine
Ok, let’s say you aren’t crafty, what can ya do?
Well, let me introduce Mediavine.
Mediavine is an online ad agency, in fact, they are our ad agency here on Exploring the Local Life. They offer a variety of work from anywhere positions on their careers page.
Not only do they have remote positions, but they offer the following awesome benefits:
- Company provided laptop
- 401k
- Health insurance
- Starting salaries $35k – $40k
This is definitely a great option for those of you that are working age and are not ready to give up company-sponsored retirement plans or health insurance.
The biggest requirement they have is that you have a reliable high-speed internet connection. I spoke with one of their Publisher Support Managers and was told that the internet must support regular video conferencing. So, don’t bet on hanging out at the coffee shop down the street and expect to be able to get the internet speeds you need.
VipKid
Are you a teacher* and want to RV and work? Check out VipKid. It is a China-based company that hires teachers to teach kids English online.
*or someone with a bachelor’s degree and 1 year of experience working with children
You can pick your own hours and you can make $14-22/hr.
VipKid offers 6-month minimum contracts to its teachers. Once the contract term has been completed, it is possible to renew.
Classes are one-on-one, and you may or may not have the same students. “…teachers teach any student who books their class.”
There is no mention of benefits (health insurance or 401k), so this is something that may or may not be important to you.
They do provide quite detailed information on technical requirements: click here
Would you like to hear the first-hand experience from a VipKid teacher? Click Here!
Sugar Beet Harvest
Ok. This is nothing like the other jobs/money making suggestions I have shared above.
The Sugar Beet Harvest is a seasonal opportunity that is location dependent. It can run anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 weeks.
There are a few reasons I am recommending this job.
- You can make quite a bit of money during the harvest – the potential for $2,500 in 2 weeks!!
- In addition to the money you make, you get a free campsite. If it is not full hook-up, they have a honey wagon service which is included.
With the Sugar Beet Harvest, you will be working hard. Shifts are 12 hours long and the harvest runs 24/7. This is definitely not for the faint.
The Sugar Beet Harvest begins in October in Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota.
Wanna learn more about the harvest? Read this first-hand experience of the harvest from Henley’s Happy Trails.
Patreon
So, we have talked about Amazon Homemade, Mediavine, VipKid, and the Sugar Beet Harvest.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk about Patreon.
If you are an artist, musician, video creator, you can start your own Patreon page.
The Patreon platform allows your fans to help support your work directly and perhaps get to know you a little better.
In return for their support, you can grant patrons certain perks depending on their contribution level.
Patreon gives creators a lot of flexibility in setting up Patron levels (the amount of money a Patron contributes).
You can set up the perks and Patron levels (monetary contributions monthly or per creation) any way you would like.
Are you are a musician? You can:
- Do special live performances for your patrons
- Release singles to patrons first
- Send them singles, etc.
Are you are an artist?
- Send your patrons postcards with your artwork
- Share live videos of you working on your art
- Invite them to exclusive Patron meetups
Are you a Filmmaker, Videographer, Vlogger?
- Make & release videos/films specifically for your patrons
- Announce upcoming videos/films
- Create live videos for your patrons
Visit our Patreon Page and see how we have set ours up. If you think we are pretty amazing and you have learned from us or been inspired, join us as patrons!!
Blogging
Before you roll your eyes at this one, hear me out.
Blogging is not a fast money maker, the likelihood of making $2,500 in 2 weeks is very, very low, but…it may be the right thing for you.
Starting a blog is the easy part, monetizing it is the harder part.
Here are some of the ways to monetize your blog:
Ad revenue
- Google Adsense (easy to get started right away, but the percentage received is fairly small)
- Mediavine (need 25K page sessions for approval, fantastic percentage received)
Affiliate Sales – this is where you receive a commission for sales made via a link unique to you.
- Amazon – easy to get started right away, various products for varying interests, commissions are low
- CJ Affiliates – allows you to partner “…with the world’s most widely recognized brands…”
- Other companies/products we are an affiliate for:
- Remote Work School – An online course to help people find remote work
- WeBoost – Cellular signal booster, works for cellular devices and hotspots.
- Boondockers Welcome Membership: Annual membership where you get to stay with other RVers on their private property.
- Passport America Membership: Campground membership that allows members to receive 50% off campsite fees.
Freelance writing for other blogs
- You can get paid to write for others.
- If you already have a blog of your own, you already have some writing samples to share with potential hiring blogs.
- As for rates, some ask you what your rates are (so be prepared) and other sites have set (sometimes non-negotiable rates).
Your own Product Sales
- This can anything you create and sell. Let’s say you do crafting and have a blog associated with it, you can sell some of these items right in your blog.
- Created a course, sell it on the blog!!
- Did you write a book? Again, your blog is a great place to sell your book.
If you are thinking, Jessica, that blogging thing sounds great, but…where do I even begin?
I have an answer for ya, read this post from Camille Attell from More than A Wheelin’.
She has some great and simple pointers to get you started.
Bonus – WWOOFing:
OK. This isn’t a Paid Job, but, it would help prepare you for labor-intensive paid jobs, such as the Sugar Beet Harvest.
WWOOFing =
- World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
- Willing Workers On Organic Farms
- We’re Welcome On Organic Farms
As a WWOOFer, you spend about half of each day helping out on a farm, community, or garden project.
In exchange for your work, you get free room and board.
For RVers, you get a free place to park and free food. You may be boondocking (dry camping) unless the WOOFing location has water/electric/sewer available.
There is an annual fee:
- $45 – for Singles
- $65 – for Joint/Couples
The length of stay varies from farm to farm, but the typical stay is between one and two weeks.
Some WWOOFing stays may be as short as 3 days or as long as 6 months.
Need Additional Work Ideas? Keep Reading!!
Watch my Remote Work Video Playlist
Find out how to land your ideal remote job.
Take a course that will help you determine how much money you need on the road, how to build a resume that will get you noticed, and where to find remote jobs.
Read this blog post “Make Money While RVing – How to become an RV Digital Nomad and Land that RV Remote Work“
Here’s another helpful blog post “How to Find Remote Work (in 10 steps)”
Wow, great info. So how much per month do you think 2 people would need to bring home in order to travel and enjoy all the sites in the U.S.A. & Canada? Driving a gas hog (10 miles per gallon) towing a 36.5′ 5th wheel? No time limit. Do you think 4000 a month would be enough? Or should I supplement that income with a little computer skills? Bitten the road in a couple years and wanted an idea to help prepare . Thank You.
Wow this is a good list of ideas. Simple, but pretty informative. Some I’ve heard of some are new. I like the harvest season jobs. Never really thought about these. I always wonder why you have to pay for access to these job boards. How do you determine which ones are really worth it. I know KOA has a work camping program as well.
Usually, the ones that you pay for have less scams… I’m glad these helped.