Earning on the road

Earning on the road can be easier than you think. Basically, you don´t need to be a professional musician, acrobat or talented skillful person to get people´s attention or get a temporary job. Entertain them, provide a service, and fulfill a persons or businesses needs and wants. For this you will get their attention, their thanks, their appreciation, but also in-kind support and pay. You can find jobs in advance, take temporary work or busk occasionally. You can stay in one place to earn and gather funds or move quickly from place to place.

Street Busking

Busking is a flexible skill.You can busk in one place, while traveling, busk in a public square or highway. While the locations, situations and circumstances may change; basically it always works the same. Take an instrument that you can carry and play. Harmonica is the easiest to travel and carry, along with the ukulele and different kinds of flutes. However, it is easy to carry and travel with some balls you can juggle with. The possibilities are endless. Imagine yourself as a passerby; or a pedestrian. What would entertain you? If you really can´t find any skill, invent it and create it, as ach of us is full of abilities and potential!

As for locations, find a well transited place, such as a pedestrian street in city centres, or a subway exit etc. Check the situation for your performance (acoustic condition if you play music, visibility if you wish to make a spectacle. Like hitchhiking, give people the possibility to stop. Ask other buskers in the surrounding vicinity for information. Take time and effort to do this, and while some may not be friendly, you will find the right ones ready to help you. Get to know them, especially if they are local. They know the "rules" (official and practical).

Start performing but for a long period (minimum 30min - 1h). Don´t have high expectations and especially don´t get disappointed if you don´t see money dropping quickly. You may earn what you need in the first five minutes or the last five minutes. Just keep playing/performing. Try to call the attention to your performance. The more you will impress people the more money you will get.

Street Busking Ideas

On the Make Money Busking website, you can find some useful tips about how to make better money performing in the streets and how to face the most common troubles Buskers have. However, as for everything, it will be your experience that will lead to the best advice.
The busking Project.com is a valuable resource for street performers.
A way to make money on the road. Buy picture postcards and put stamps on them, then set up your own postbox where tourists are passing.

Annoyances

Police may come to bother you. It may never happen or it may happen all the time. Just keep calm and be relaxed (especially if you are abroad). Often, you may be in a weaker power position. Don't run. Listen to to what they have to say and what they want. Ask them why you can´t play, where is the problem, where you can go etc. If you can´t communicate just stop performing and move somewhere else.
Other buskers may come to bother you. They may start to play next to you, argue that its their place for years etc... Behave as with the police. They are nice people normally come to prevent you, ask you when you will have finished, if they can play after you etc, kindly and gently, the arrogants normally just get nervous angry and might aggress you, verbally as physically. Keep calm and wise, you won´t lose so much money changing spot, if you can´t make your rights be respected just let it flow and move somewhere else, show them how small they are!:)
Nearby shopkeepers might be bothered by your performance, because you "take clients away", if they feel you are too loud, or simply because they are that bored. They have rights, because they can´t go elsewhere to do their business while you can. Again, keep calm if they are aggressive. Just take your stuff and change location. Wait until their shop closes in the evening.

Paying Jobs

There may be a chance to take a temporary job while on the road to earn some money or at least receive some in-kind supports (food and board). The types of jobs available will be varied, with some requiring skills, and others not. However, if taking a job in the underground economy, rather than volunteering, its best to identify a paying job do as to earn financial payment. Given that you are on the road, you may be not have the documentation or visa to legally work. Therefore, you may be working in a legally grey area. This brings both opportunities but also challenges and annoyances. The opportunities comes from the fact that billions of dollars in cash circulate through the underground economy. The challenge is not getting exploited or caught.

This section does not include tips, websites or advice about working in the black economy, which includes income generated through illegal means (example: prostitution, gambling).

Disclaimer: working and intentionally not declaring income is, in most cases, a legal offense. nomadwiki.org in no way endorses tax evasion. However, The doctor who takes cash for a office

visit maybe working off the books; so is the waiter who doesn't report cash tips. It a valuable part of every economy.

Types of Jobs

Tutoring students at school or college level in a subject area or language. You may want to get a Teaching English in a Foreign Language qualification if you are traveling abroad.
Work as a proofreader.
Work in the tourism, hospitality industries; which a a big employer home in your home country and abroad (Coffee shops, bars, pubs, restaurants).
If you have a skill, use it (cook, bartender, carpenter, welder, plumber).
Earn money from your craft skills (Sewing, ceramics, jewelry).
Teach music lessons.

Livesafely.org has a list of Jobs That Pay Cash Under The Table.

Job Websites

Live-In Jobs - Free Live-in Jobs Service for Backpackers. Dee Cooper offers a free service providing contacts for Hotels looking for staff throughout the UK on a 3-6 month contract basis. As it's live-in and meals are usually provided on shift, it's a great way of saving the cash before getting back on the road. You will need an EU passport, or a working holiday visa, or an ancestry visa.
The Jobs Abroad Bulletin (JAB - is a bulletin board full of job vacancies posted by employers looking for staff. We allow employers to post vacancies to us for free so JAB can contain as many jobs as possible.
Any Work -Any Where - provides information on paid live-in jobs, and also voluntary opportunities around the world.
Fruit Picking Jobs - Seasonal Work & Harvest Jobs Around the World.
Picking Jobs - Picking Jobs is the place to find fruit picking jobs and other seasonal work around the world. They post available jobs worldwide, across Europe, North America, Australasia and Africa
Back Door Jobs - short-term adventure jobs and international short-term job opportunities.
Back Work Couples - is a site offering live-in job opportunities for couples.

Advice Websites

There are many websites that offer advice to those seeking underground economy jobs.

Annoyances

In theory, many of the jobs you take should involve paying tax. However, underground economy jobs are largely cash only, or use methods so that the government can not track the currency movement.

The risk of getting exploited with lower pay or not being paid at all.
No Social Security, health benefits, or any worker protection.