Making Extra Money on the Road (or at Home)
Katrina’s Ancestral European Adventure started out as a 30-day trip, but quickly evolved into a six month pilgrimage.
It wasn’t something she planned in advance.
In fact, it all happened rather suddenly and before she knew it she had plane tickets to a dozen European cities.
One might wonder then, does she have a hidden trust fund that let her just take off? Or is she a dreamworker who generates millions by doing one-on-one dream session?
Truth be told, being self-employed is a lot of work. Constant, consistent work. Vacation often feels like a luxury. And travelling for six months like Katrina? Well, when you’re a one-on-one counselor, taking a lot of time off seems completely out of the question.
Unless, of course, you implement some unique systems and ways of earning income.
Donations http://www.gofundme.com/
Before she left, Katrina raised more than $1100 in donations with the assistance of GoFundMe. (You can help her too, if you feel so inclined.) Friends and blog readers continue to add funds to her account, and it’s no wonder: this is the trip of a lifetime and many of us are living vicariously through her.
GoFundMe.com is a great way to raise money, for yourself, for your organization or for whatever. The company has an easy to use interface and you can integrate the donation information directly into your website.
You can see what it looks like by looking in the right sidebar of Katrina’s site: http://katrinadreamer.com/
You can also see what a GoFundMe.com page looks like by visiting Katrina’s page: http://www.gofundme.com/ancestraljourney
Morals of the Story
If you don’t ask for help, people are less likely to give it.
If you do ask, you’re more likely to get the support you need! This is true of all things in life, not just finances!
One-on-one services via Skype http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/welcomeback/
Just because Katrina is not sitting for long hours behind her desk (like I am) doesn’t mean she can’t do dreamwork sessions. With the advent of Skype, Google Voice and other audio/video chat systems, overseas sessions can cost as little as $1.38.
You can even use these systems from home if you have clients overseas or even down the block. It’s a great way to work with clients who can’t meet you in person. It’s either free or inexpensive, depending on your needs, and nearly as reliable as a phone as long as your internet connection is active and you have voice chat capabilities (a microphone and speakers).
Note: The downside with video chat is that you have to look presentable. Since I often work in my pjs until after noon I’ve never really taken to the whole video chat thing!
Sell Your Art on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/
If you’re an artist of any kind, Etsy may be a great place for you to sell your stuff. It’s easy to use and free to set up shop.
Katrina sells her photos on Etsy, and I’d show you her store, but she’s disabled it until she returns. I imagine it’s hard to carry a supply of 8 x 10s glossies in your backpack.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/octoberphotography
Photos by Katrina – copyright 2011
WWOOFing for room and board
One of Katrina’s travel goals was to get to know her ancestral lands and the people who live there. It seemed logical, therefore, to stay in people’s homes instead of hostels or hotels.
Also, Katrina wanted to really get to know the earthy parts, not the touristy places. With this in mind she checked out the WWOOFing system.
WWOOF stands for “World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.” It’s a trade system. Katrina farms the land or does whatever requires doing, and in return she gets room and board. She’s currently staying at a beautiful farm in Norway and writes glowing stories about it on Facebook and elsewhere.
Moral of this story
If you’re willing to be unconventional, you can make your dreams come true. That doesn’t mean it will always be easy, but it does mean that you’ll have the adventure of a lifetime.
Share below
What great side-income secrets to you have? Share them in the comments area so we can benefit from your experience.
*Photos by KatrinaDreamer
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