More Travel? Need Money? Saving Tips to Get You On the Road

Are you dreaming of a dream destination or a new RV but it is out of budget?  Get creative and make some extra cash using what you already have on hand!

"We make money the old-fashioned way.  We earn it."  I can still hear that Smith Barney commercial in my head from the late 1970's.  I just really dated myself there.  Travel requires money.  And at the end of the month when the bills are paid, there isn't always a lot of disposable cash lying about.  So, can you earn some cash without finding a second job?  Look around and use what you have.  Here are three tips to help fund your travel budget while using the resources you may already have at home!

Sell Items that You Are No Longer Using

I purge things from my home on a regular basis.  If something is coming in, something has to go.  It helps me keep clutter at bay and my closets clean.  There are lots of ways to go about selling discarded items.  A yard sale is the old fashioned way of doing this, but I quit having yard sales a long time ago.  It takes a lot of stuff and prep work to make a little money.  I just don't have the time.  What I do have time for is online sales.

Ebay is one of my favorite ways to sell what I am not using.  I do seasonal sales where I get rid of things I don't want for the upcoming season from my closet.  This positions clothes at a time when people are shopping for these items and are much more likely to sell.  I purchase these plastic shipping bags that are about 14 cents a bag.  These are perfect for packing clothing and are much cheaper than buying mailing bags at your local store.  

These waterproof bags are perfect for shipping goods and clothes to buyers.

Clean out your closet and begin photographing the items you want to sell.  List your things on eBay by providing a good description and attaching your photographs.  You can do this through your computer or on the mobile app.  Be sure to include the brand name, size, and color to help shoppers to find your items.  I sell the majority of what I list.  You can always relist an unsold item.

If you have larger items or don't want to sell on eBay, use the Facebook Marketplace to sell your goods.  I have used the Marketplace to sell everything from a bathroom sink to old toys.  Shoppers can pick up at your home or meet you at a public place.

I have had good success with both avenues and highly recommend using both.  And if I don't sell an item, it can always to go Goodwill.  Small sales add up quickly.  Your savings will really start to add up once you get going.

Sell Crafts and Handmade items on Etsy

If you are a crafty person and make things for others, Etsy is perfect.  You can sell anything from hand-sewn items, tee shirts, and more!  I have an Etsy shop where I sell invitations.  I customize digital files that the buyer can download and print at home or commercially.

Have you ever thought of opening an Etsy shop?  If you are crafty or creative, this could be an excellent way to supplement your income for extra travel cash!

With Etsy, you can keep as much or little inventory as you like.  You are open for business when you want to.  You can even set your Etsy shop to vacation mode if you are traveling!  Etsy gets a small listing fee for everything you list on their online store, but it is nominal and worth it.

I have my account set up so that the money I make from my Etsy shop goes directly into a savings account.  I never touch the money, and it sits there waiting until I need to access the funds.

Rent Out Your Camper

Unless you are a full-time camper, you may not use your camper every weekend.  Make some money just by renting your camper on Outdoorsy!  I just did this, and have not yet rented out Peggy Sue.  But I anticipate that I will over the fall months.

Peggy Sue is listed on Outdoorsy for rental this fall!

With Outdoorsy, rentals are protected by a liability policy.  There is a DMV check.  And you can decline to rent to anyone you choose.  Finally, you can customize your rental to include drop off and set up services as well as renting your linens and other camping gear.

I'm also doing some Air BnB rentals over football season in our hometown for game day visitors.

Get started making a little extra travel money by:

• Evaluate what you have at home that you want to sell.  Go through closets and storage.  
• Photograph items that you want to sell and determine where you would like to sell - eBay or Facebook Marketplace.
• Determine if you have good or services that you could sell on Etsy.  An Etsy shop would allow you to sell your handy work at your own pace.  
• Consider renting out your camper through Outdoorsy to make some extra money from your RV that might not be in heavy demand.

If you are looking to make a little extra money to fund that dream vacation you want to take, get creative and make some money the old-fashioned way.  You can earn money easier than you think with a little creativity and self-marketing power of the Interwebs!

Until next time...

This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links.

Pin this to Post to Pinterest for other readers to find!