The most asked question is, “How do you afford to travel the world?”. Since my Instagram, @thewildindiangirl, grew to 100K+, I get this question about once or twice a day! In this blog post, I will share the different ways I generate income while traveling the world, along with tips and tricks on how you can take steps towards the same journey.

MY JOURNEY

I didn’t grow up traveling the world. My first flight wasn’t until I was eight years old. My father got a job in Detroit, Michigan, so we packed our bags and flew to the United States. That was my first flight, and until I was 15 years old, that was my only flight. Since then, we have made a few trips to India, but we kept ourselves at home for the most part.

In 2010, I signed up for Miss Teen Washington and started to travel around Washington for photoshoots. This is also when I fell in love with modeling. By 2016, I made a few trips to LA by myself and even booked my first paid job. By 2017, I was ready to quit my regular job and transition into modeling full-time. In 2018, I took off on my first ever international trip without my family! I flew to New Zealand for one year, where I learned so much about myself and how much I love seeing the world. By 2021, I was working as a full-time model/content creator for brands like Rei, Backcountry, Lowes, and so many more.

Disclaimer: This is a short elevator version of my story; it wasn’t as simple and easy as you read above. I had a lot of restlessness night, and if it weren’t for my family, I wouldn’t be where I am now.

HOW I MAKE MONEY TRAVELING THE WORLD

Once I hit 10,000 followers on @thewildindiangirl on Instagram and started getting paid a little bit here and there from clients, I decided I wanted to try to make that my way of life. Below I have listed a few ways I generate income while traveling the world. You can see that social posts are not the only source of income. More often than not, content creators have to have several avenues of income to make it sustainable. Keep in mind this is a list that has changed over the years and there is no one tried and tested way. A lot of it is hit and miss.

INSTAGRAM COLLABORATIONS

Social media is my primary source of income while traveling, and it has been for the last four years. Brands pay me to advertise their products on my social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or TikTok. My first paid job was in 2016. I got paid $500 to shoot for a wedding dress company.

BLOGGING/AFFILIATE MARKETING

I haven’t done much blogging to consider myself an expert, but I do make some commission off the sales from the affiliate links I use. Another way of making money from blogs is writing for others. I have written several blog posts for clients to use on their websites, including companies like Biolite, Icebreaker, Ski Utah, and more. When I write a blog post on my website, I share products that I found helpful and love to use. When I write one for a client, I share more about the experience and how it made me feel. Here is an article I wrote for Biolite.

CONTENT CREATION

Sometimes brands hire influencers/creators to generate fresh content for the brand to use on their website, Instagram feed, or email marketing. More often than not, this is a cheaper way for the clients to get high-quality content than doing a full commercial shoot. Since influencers are freelancers, companies save on salaries and any other employee benefits they might offer a more full-time staff member.

HOSTING TRIPS

My husband, Michael Matti, and I will be hosting our first-ever group trip to Bali this year! (2022) This island holds a special place in our hearts. With its incredible beauty, delicious food, friendly people, unique culture, and beautiful amenities, this island keeps us coming back each year. But this year, we want to share our love for this island with you!

PLANNING TRIPS

Another service that I am very excited to offer is “let us plan it.” This is a way for you to enjoy a trip without all the planning. Planning a trip can get overwhelming, especially if you haven’t done it before. Everything from hotels and flights to drive times is planned out for you. Click here to learn more about the process. 

HOW YOU CAN START THE JOURNEY

So how can you start traveling full time? There are tons of ways where you can make the dream of traveling full-time come true, and no, you don’t need to quit your job or become an influencer right now to do it.

Disclaimer: The full-time content creator/ model process took me 12 years to make a reality! I want to make it abundantly clear that this is a process. Making rash and uneducated leaps of faith can leave you in a sticky situation. I suggest taking this process slowly and finding the right balance.

Below I have listed a few things to start implementing into your life, to make the dream of travel a reality.

INVEST IN A CREDIT CARD

I learned my #1 frugal travel hack two years ago! I had no idea how easy it was to earn points using credit cards, and now that I know how, I can’t keep it all to myself. It is a three-step process:  

• Step one: Get the  Chase preferred credit card. It costs $95/annually but comes with 60,000 bonus points after spending 4k in the first three months. 
• Step two: Charge everything to it! You earn points for every purchase and usually bonus points for categories such as Gas, uber, gym membership, groceries, travel, etc.
• Step three: Pay the card off at the end of the month to earn the points! You don’t have to pay the complete statement balance all the time, though that is suggested. Even if you can only pay the minimum balance, you can still get points.

START SAVING MONEY

Savings don’t show up overnight, so set a goal to travel for a future date and start saving for the trip; I suggest setting a date as far as six months out. I’m not suggesting that you have to be a penny pincher to travel, but you must sacrifice now if you want to enjoy a vacation later. I have learned that I don’t need much to be happy. I also prioritize travel and experiences over unnecessary material possessions. Here are four easy ways to start saving money:

CUT BACK ON UNNECESSARY SPENDING

Start by cutting back on unnecessary things like coffee every morning from a local coffee shop or going out to eat for lunch during workdays. Pack your lunches and make coffee that you take with you from home. These might seem like minor changes, however, the little things add up. 

Helpful tip: if you head out to get coffee, then opt to take a cup from home. Most coffee shops have a discount for saving on plastic use. 

RENT CLOTHING

I used to buy dresses all the time for shoots. However, that soon became very expensive. A friend told me about Rent the Runway, and I couldn’t have appreciated it more! Renting clothing allows you to be more open to exploring your style. With no commitments to the pieces and a constantly rotating closet, you will surely have fun and find exciting new ways to express yourself via clothing.

Something that kept me from renting earlier in life was that I didn’t know how RTR cleaned the pieces. Rent the runway is pretty transparent about its cleaning process. Read it here.

EAT OUT LESS

Eating out is something I struggle with often. However, when I decided to travel full-time, I realized that I could sacrifice Thai food for lunch in exchange for Thai food in Thailand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statists, an average household in America spends roughly $3,000 a year dining out. That’s an entire vacation in Bali, including flights! Imagine what you can do with even half that money! 

TAKE A LOOK AT RECURRING BILLS

This might be the most lucrative way that a company gets you to spend more than you need. Subscriptions might start with a 7-day free trial, but that is how they get you. In 2018 West Monroe field surveyed consumer spending on subscription services and found that the average monthly subscription expenditure is roughly $273 per MONTH? That’s a whopping $3,276 a year. Take a hard look at your monthly spending habits and ensure you only pay for what you really need. 

PLAN TRIPS IN ADVANCE

Any knowledgeable traveler knows that trips require a lot of planning. Countless attractions and accommodations need reservations in advance so planning early is just generally a good idea. But the main thing is that usually, you will find better prices as more things are available earlier rather than later. This is particularly true with flights, car rentals, and hotels. As the trip dates get closer, inventory decreases, and prices increase. When planning, it could also be helpful to consider using websites like Expedia, to book packages that can include flights, rental cars, and hotels all in one place.

TRAVEL DURING OFF-SEASON

Really the best way to save money while traveling is to go to a destination when most people don’t want to visit that place. This may mean that you don’t have the best weather or temperatures, but it is certainly easier to grab cheap flights and hotels in the offseason. In the northern hemisphere, unless you’re going to a skiing destination, this means traveling in the winter or early spring/late fall. Generally, just avoid traveling in the busy summer months.

FIND JOBS THAT LET YOU TRAVEL

You may be surprised by just how many people earn a living off full-time blogging or working remotely as a virtual assistant. Find jobs like this that let you work from anywhere or that let you take your work with you while traveling. Fiverr and Upwork are great places to find ways to make some virtual cash. Even if you currently work full-time, doing this on the side may eventually provide the income and freedom you’ve always wanted. Some other side hustles that can help generate more income include Uber, Wag, Postmates, Amazon driver, or Door Dash. 

GO TO PLACES WHERE MONEY TAKES YOU FURTHER

TRAVEL HACKS

• Housesitting – If you can’t afford a hotel or plan to stay in one place, consider housesitting.
• Take advantage of long layovers – Instead of just killing time at the airport or book a basic nearby hotel for that 19-hour layover, consider traveling light and getting out of the airport to visit a new destination for a little extra cost. For example, I had a 14-hour layover in Hawaii, a friend picked me up from the airport, and we drove around Hawaii for a few hours. I got to stretch my legs, eat good poke, and get back on the plane for the remainder of my journey. 
• Look for free activities– Free walking tours, some museums, markets, hikes, and cathedrals are a great way to immerse yourself in the city at no cost.  
• Avoid taxi services– walk everywhere instead of taking a taxi or uber. My husband once took me on a food tour of Chicago, and I soon realized that meant walking 6 miles around the city while stopping for food every hour. We saw more of the city than expected and got to try excellent food. 

BOOK CHEAP FLIGHTS

• Keep searches a secret- the more you use google or kayak on a regular browser, the more likely the prices will increase. Try switching to incognito mode to do an initial search. 
• Use the best search engines – Google flights is one of my favorite search engines. Why? Because if you do it right, you save TONS of money. 
• Figure out the cheapest day/date to fly
• Find the cheapest place to fly using Google flights explore tab

ASK FOR TRAVEL-RELATED GIFTS

Lastly, if you’re in the market for high-quality camping gear, suitcases, etc., these items tend to be expensive. Ask your friends and family to buy travel stuff for your birthday/ special occasion. You should also give them a list of specific products and brands you prefer. Doing this can provide peace of mind knowing that you won’t have to return or exchange anything.

If you’re excited about traveling and interested in new gear, here are some of my favorite things that help me stay organized during trips.

Final thoughts

Traveling the world can get expensive but if you take your time and get prepared before jumping into it, you can find ways to make it affordable for you. I have been traveling the world for five years now and it is still a skill that I have to continue to work on. If you have any questions, drop a comment below. And I look forward to seeing all of your adventures!