Let’s be real, most people don’t grow up thinking they’ll work from a beach in Bali or a coffee shop in Lisbon. But here you are — Googling how to make money online while you travel.
And I get it.
I used to scroll Pinterest late at night, pinning dreamy “digital nomad” photos and wondering how the hell do these girls actually make money doing this? Because nobody teaches you this stuff in school.
But now I run a soft digital empire from my laptop — and I built it from scratch.
This post breaks down 6 realistic, beginner-friendly ways to earn income online while you travel.
Let’s dive in.
1. Start a Blog That Builds Income Over Time
Blogging in 2025 isn’t dead. It’s actually one of the most powerful ways to grow an online business — especially for introverts, writers, or anyone who hates chasing the algorithm.
Here’s how to actually get started:
First, pick a topic you’re naturally drawn to — even if you’re not an “expert.” This could be your freelance journey, healing era, travel tips, your soft girl digital biz — or all of them. It’s okay if you don’t have a niche yet. Just start with the topics you could talk about for hours.
Next, build a simple site. I love Showit + WordPress combination because it’s aesthetic and easy. (you can get a free month of Showit from here!)
Then you want to choose a soft, clean template. Don’t overthink the branding — it can evolve as you grow!
Now write a few blog posts that are actually helpful. Not just “my trip to Greece,” but “How I Traveled Greece for Under $1,000” or “What I Packed for One Month in Europe (Carry-On Only).”
Always think: Would someone Google this? Would this help someone like me?
Then, softly start collecting emails. You can offer a little freebie — a vision board template, travel checklist, Notion planner — and invite readers to join your list. That’s how I started Designed By Her Diaries, and now it’s where most of my income comes from.
Later, you can monetize with:
- Affiliate links to tools you already love
- Digital products (ebooks, templates, etc.)
- Your services or online course
- Display ads (once your traffic grows)
If you’re posting consistently and using Pinterest to drive traffic, a blog can become a scalable business that makes money while you travel the world.
Becoming a Freelancer
Freelancing is one of the easiest ways to start making money from your laptop, especially if you need income quickly. The great thing is you don’t need tons of experience or a big portfolio to begin.
Think about what you’re already good at, or what you can learn quickly. It might be writing blog posts, managing someone’s social media, helping with emails and scheduling (virtual assistant), or designing simple Canva graphics.
When I started freelancing, I just picked one skill I was comfortable with and offered it to small business owners online. I created a simple page that explained what I do and how people could hire me.
Finding clients can feel intimidating first, but there are plenty of places to look: websites like Upwork and Fiverr, Facebook groups, or even messaging people directly on Instagram or LinkedIn. The key is to be clear about what you offer and who you want to help.
Start by offering a few sample pieces to show your work — it could be a blog post you wrote or some social media graphics you designed. That helps build trust.
Once you get a client, focus on communication and delivering good work. Happy clients often come back with more projects or refer you to others, which means steady income as you travel.
Freelancing lets you set your own hours and work from anywhere with Wi-Fi. It might take some time to build up, but it’s a flexible, real way to make money on the road.
Becoming a Course Creator
You don’t have to be an expert or have a perfect product to create a course. In fact, the best courses often come from people who are just a few steps ahead of their audience.
Think about something you’ve learned that took you a while to figure out — like how to start freelancing, grow a Pinterest account, plan your travels on a budget, or organize your business with Notion.
Now imagine breaking that down into simple lessons or guides that help someone else get started faster.
To start, you don’t need fancy video editing or complicated platforms. You can record lessons on Canva or even your phone.
There are easy platforms like Thinkific (what I use) where you can upload your course and sell it without worrying about tech.
The key is to focus on helping your audience get a small win — not teaching everything at once.
For example:
- How to land your first freelance client
- How to create Pinterest pins that get clicks
- How to build your first blog
Once your course is ready, promote it to your email list, social media, or blog readers.
Creating a course takes some upfront work, but after that, it can generate income for years while you’re traveling or working on other things.
Selling Digital Products on Etsy
If you like creating things—like planners, templates, or printables—Etsy is one of the easiest places to sell digital products.
The best part? You create something once, upload it, and it can keep selling while you’re traveling without you lifting a finger.
Start by thinking about what you enjoy making or what people might need:
- Budget planners or travel journals
- Social media templates (Instagram, Pinterest)
- Notion dashboards for organizing life or work
- Printable wall art or stickers
Tools like Canva make it easy to create beautiful products with no design experience.
Open an Etsy shop (it’s simple and affordable to start) and upload your files. Write clear descriptions and use keywords people might search for. Alura tool is great for Etsy sellers!
At first, your sales might be slow, but if you promote your products on Pinterest or Instagram, you can grow your store steadily.
Once your shop is set up, you can add new products or even bundle them together to increase sales.
It’s a great way to build passive income, especially if you like designing and want a business that runs while you explore new places.
Becoming a Social Media Manager
If you spend time on Instagram, Pinterest, or TikTok and enjoy creating posts or stories, social media management could be a great fit.
As a social media manager, you help small businesses or creators by planning, creating, and scheduling their content. You might also engage with their audience or help grow their followers.
You don’t need to be a pro marketer right away — start by offering to manage content for a friend, a small brand, or even your own social media. This gives you experience and something to show potential clients.
To get started, pick one platform you feel confident with. Instagram and Pinterest are popular choices.
Create a simple services page explaining what you do — for example, “I help Etsy sellers post beautiful Pins that get clicks” or “I create Instagram content for wellness coaches.”
Look for clients on freelance sites, Facebook groups, or by reaching out to businesses directly.
Use free or affordable tools like Canva to design posts, and scheduling tools like Later or Metricool to plan when content goes live.
This role lets you work from anywhere with Wi-Fi and often offers flexible hours, which is perfect for a travel lifestyle.
Starting a Print-On-Demand Business
Print-on-demand (POD) is a great way to sell physical products like T-shirts, mugs, or journals without handling inventory or shipping. I love this business model because it allows you to run it from your laptop and completely remotely.
You create the designs, upload them to a POD service, and when someone buys, the company prints and ships the product for you.
To start, think about designs that fit your style or a niche you know — funny quotes, travel vibes, soft girl aesthetics, or something personal.
Use simple tools like Canva or Kittl to create your designs.
Choose a POD platform like Printful or Printify, which connect easily with Etsy or Shopify to set up your store.
Write clear product descriptions and use good photos or mockups to help customers imagine owning your products.
Promote your store through Pinterest, Instagram, or your email list to get traffic. It takes time to get sales consistently, but once your store is set up and promoted regularly, POD can become a nice source of mostly passive income while you’re on the move.
Final Thoughts
Starting to make money while traveling might feel overwhelming, but remember—you don’t need to do it all at once.
Pick one path that feels doable right now. Maybe it’s freelancing with a skill you already have, or setting up your first Etsy digital product. Maybe you want to build your blog and write emails to a small group of readers.
The most important thing is to just start.
If you want to follow along with how I build my soft, sustainable digital empire while traveling Europe and Bali, I send out my diary entries — twice a week emails packed with real stories, tips, and inspiration to help you build your own soft digital empire.
I’d love to have you.
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