How to Fund Your Travels with a Side Hustle

Side hustles were once money-making gigs for those looking to turn their passions into a full-time venture one day. It seems everyone today has a side hustle, from teenagers to veteran entrepreneurs looking to spin-off a new income stream.

Whatever your demographic, side hustles are an innovative way to fund your travels for an extended stay. Here’s how to get started and create your own side hustle dreams.

Borrow from Your Skillset
Too many people try to reinvent the wheel when it comes to their side hustle. Instead of trying to launch an entire consulting business from scratch that requires an in-depth marketing plan, look to your existing skill set. Anything from detailed spreadsheet creation to taming someone’s email inbox and coaching an adult league soccer team is in demand. Brainstorm what you can already do right now and use it as a foundation for your side hustle.

Keep it Flexible
Side hustles need to be flexible in order to work. No one with a full-time job and travel ambitions has time for an epic multi-tiered web design project requiring 40 hours of work a week. Look to picking up five or 10 hours of work a week to start and see how it aligns with the rest of your schedule.

Tap Into Your Network
Using freelance platforms like Upwork can yield success for some side hustlers, but going straight to your network is usually faster. Post your side hustle offering on your personal social media channels and tell a few friends in your offline world and see what happens. You can also ask around your neighborhood or small businesses to spread the word about your services.

Open a Dedicated Savings Account
Making extra money isn’t that difficult, but holding onto it can be. Open a free savings account dedicated to your travel goals and commit to funneling all of your extra cash to your cause. Remember to add in any reward points or cashback offerings from credit cards to give your new account an added boost.

Once you’ve reached your side hustle goal, keep going. Add another 25 percent to your fund in case of a travel emergency or unexpected expenses. Then dedicate yourself to budget-friendly travel to keep stretching your fund.