First of all I’m starting with an apology, it’s been a while since I posted a blog so here’s my first resolution for 2021… stick to a blogging schedule! But it’s coming to the end of my first year on my mission to live life more flexibly and freely whilst spending more time on adventures and I wanted to share (with the hope of helping some of you with a similar desire) how I made it possible financially. As many of you know I no longer work full time but obviously the reality of life is that we all still need some form of income to live!
Have I earned thousands upon thousands? Not at all. Have I had a year of adventures, spent more time doing the things I love and still been able to pay all my bills, put fuel in my van and treat myself to the odd Starbucks and Chinese takeaway? Yes absolutely.
You so often see the more famous influencers affording to be able to travel full time or work remotely from vlogging, instagram etc. but I wanted to share a few ways that I personally as a normal (well somewhat normal!) everyday person have earned some cash in a fully flexible way in my first year. I realise all these options won’t suit everyone, but maybe there’s something here that will work for you! I think there’s a big mindset of people thinking you must be rich, sitting on a ton of savings or a ‘trust fund’ (whatever that even is…) to be able to travel when you want to. But it’s simply not true, you want it badly enough? You can make it work.
1. Freelance Marketing/Virtual Assistant Services
I’ve been offering social media management, web design and other design and marketing services since quitting my full time job. I would be lying if I said starting out as a freelancer was easy, some months have been successful others I have had hardly any freelance work at all, but slowly it has been going in the right direction! I recommend if this is something that you want to get into, that as well as looking into all the freelance sites like Upwork etc. you think about the connections you already have in your working life and think about how you can use those, whether that’s small businesses you can offer services too or businesses you know from your local area. Connecting with people is such a massive part of freelancing and even if they don’t need your services right now, they know where you are when they do!
2. Teaching English Online
A few months ago I started teaching English to children in China through a company called Palfish. It’s all done remotely through an app on your phone. There are a few different companies for teaching English remotely out there but I went with Palfish as you can work as many or as little hours as you like and unlike some companies, you don’t need a teaching degree to be accepted as a teacher. You do however need a 120 hour TEFL certificate but I got mine by doing a course from Wowcher for £15! I’m planning to write a post on this soon with all the details of how I got started and the sign up process. At the moment I personally work around 15-20 hours a month teaching English, but I know people who work a lot more and use it as their main source of income.
3. Delivery Driving
Now this one may seem to be a little random, but if you’re often based in one place and have a vehicle (it doesn’t need to be a van any vehicle as long as it’s not a 3 door is fine!) then you can deliver for Amazon via their Flex scheme. You can work as little or as much as you like and it doesn’t matter if you go on a trip for months and don’t do a single shift, you can still start picking up shifts when you come back. This has been a bit of a lifesaver for me when my freelance work has had a quiet month or I just need to save some money for a big bill or for working on the van. I really wish that they changed their system so that you could pick up shifts no matter what area you’re in, hopefully they will at some point but at the moment you have to stick to one area as your base. Obviously this won’t work for those wanting to travel constantly but if you live in your van based in one place or go on trips and come back every now and then it might suit you.
4. Selling Products/Creations
I started my range of travel stickers and have sold some through Etsy & Ebay. I have also recently started making jewellery using sea glass I find on my travels along the coast and this is something that I want to hopefully expand my online shops to selling in 2021! Creating your own products are a great way to earn an income remotely and something I also really enjoy.
5. Online Transcription
Not something I’ve done a lot of or spent much time on – but I have made the odd £20 from transcribing. Online transcription sites pay you to listen to audio (usually business meetings or interviews) and transcribe them into text. The pay rates are quite low but it is entirely flexible as you just pick up jobs as and when you want to. The site I use is called Rev but there are a few different options out there, not something I would say from my experience was feasible as an only source of income but for the odd bit of extra cash it is definitely a legitimate option!
Employed Remote Jobs
If you don’t feel comfortable being self employed and would rather stick with secure employment, this doesn’t mean that living a more flexible lifestyle isn’t possible for you. Personally I prefer the freedom which comes with picking up work on my own terms but I also realise that alongside that comes an element of insecurity that not everyone is comfortable with. I’ve seen lots of opportunities out there for employed part time (and full time) jobs which can be done remotely, many of these are advertised on the usual job sites like Indeed. COVID seems to have pushed a lot more businesses to be open to remote working which has opened up opportunities for those of us not wanting to work from one place.
So this is how I’ve stayed alive, well and financially afloat during the last year! Alongside finding more flexible ways to earn an income reducing my expenses was a massive door opener. I’ve gone from having a house of my own to a van and a small room I rent off some good friends for the times I can’t be in the van. Although this may sound like a sacrifice to me this change has only opened up more freedom, and by working constantly on someone else’s terms I was sacrificing something far more precious than material things – I was giving up so much of the most precious resources we have, time.
I hope this blog is in some way helpful either to those planning or to those already living a more free lifestyle and looking for ways to top up their income.
If you have any questions or want to chat feel free to contact me on social media or drop me an email! I’m always happy to talk about my experiences – although I’m no expert, just working it out as I go along!
Check out our adventures or get in touch on Instagram – www.instagram.com/adventuresofhanzo
