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Paying for a Mobile Lifestyle: Ways to Make Money Online

September 18th, 2007

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Make money online To cover the cost of the van, living expenses, food, and various state-emblazoned gas station trinkets, we need to be able to make money, preferrably online.

So what are our options?

Here’s a brief list I came up with:

  1. Begging - not a fan of this one as it requires trading diginity for cash. plus carting all those nickels around will weigh down the van and cost us more in gas (theoretically).
  2. Affiliate marketing – the ole fashioned way to make money online. old as them (digital) hills. The shoemoney, john chow, and Darren Rowse way. I’m not sure what we could ask you to buy that you would actually want.
  3. Goolge Adsense – we could paste Google adsense all over this website which might annoy the bejesus out of our readers but make several cents per click with “van grease” ads (or whatever would be the targeted market for a site like this).
  4. Create an informational PDF and sell it – not sure if this would work. Possible titles could be “How to create an informational PDF and sell it” or “Little known ways to make money when you’re living in a van down by river” but that one would result in the classic “chicken before the egg” paradox.
  5. Eat things into the shape of Jesus and sell them on eBay – did you know that people pay thousands of dollars for food that looks vaguely like their deity of choice? Strange but true. Here are my first attempts – the “Jesus toast classic” and “baby Jesus” – whichever you prefer. Any takers?
    My own. Personal. Jesus. Baby Jesus
  6. Run a lottery scam – We could spam a bunch of people telling them I’m King/His Highness/Minister Abdul Jafar III (the third or fourth lends an air of legitimacy to a name) and that they have just won/found out about/been recommended for a prize/lottery/inheritance worth millions/billions/trillions of dollars and all they need to do is send us a Honda Odyssey van to transport the gold/cash/IOU’s out of Kenya/Argentina/Canada.
  7. Promote an MLM - A little less insidious than the lottery scam: we could plaster Avon or YTB Travel or MonaVie stickers all over the van and pressure people to join our down line. Everyone would hate us. Including ourselves.
  8. Give psychic/psychiatric advice – we could charge 5 cents to 5 dollars to tell people about what will happen to them or listen to them whine about what has already happened to them.
    Peanuts advice
  9. Sell prints of our photos – this one is a bit more legitimate, but it’s tough to predict demand so it’s a bit of a wildcard.
  10. Sell magazine subscriptions – would you like to buy 40 subscriptions of Vibe?
  11. Sell Bumper stickers via Cafepress – how about a “WWJDIHLIAVDBTR?” bumper sticker? Two hundred “Schrute bucks” to the first person who figures out the acronym.
  12. Become a motivational speaker – a tried and true method, according to the economists/SNL-comedy-sketch writers of our time.

What would you do to create an online income to help finance a lavish trip around the world? Or in this case around America (but to those of us who are as ethnocentric as me, it’s basically the same thing).

Photo credits: massdistraction, me, me, pbs

Posted in Making money

35 Responses to “Paying for a Mobile Lifestyle: Ways to Make Money Online”

  1. greg Says:
    September 18th, 2007 at 12:53 pm

    WWJD if he lived in a van, etc. Where can I spend these bucks, again??

  2. Markus Says:
    September 18th, 2007 at 1:11 pm

    details here:
    http://www.tobyhilden.com/schrute_buck.html

  3. maria Says:
    September 18th, 2007 at 1:17 pm

    One idea is to travel around until you need cash, stop wherever you are and a find short-term job. This way you can make a little money when you need to and get to know the local culture along the way. Of course you may end up working at a gas station or such, but this will be all part of the adventure. You may also be surprised at the generosity people have towards you. This way will also provide for a better stories!

  4. Jules Says:
    September 18th, 2007 at 1:48 pm

    I absolutely love this site. You’ve become my new favorite. And every time I scroll over that picture and see My own. Personal. Jesus. I crack up all over again. Oh, and the Office Space reference was so subtle I almost missed it. Anyone who knows Office Space that well is ok in my book.

    I hope you do come up with some good ideas, I’d like to do what you’re doing as well. I think the whole working from place to place is a good start, but I’m hoping you can come up with something more fun.

  5. Molly Says:
    September 18th, 2007 at 2:14 pm

    I really like Maria’s suggestion. Income and blogging material all rolled into one! It would be totally interesting to read about your jobs at a local grocery store one week, your jobs at the local dive bar the next week, ect. ect.

    Good luck! I look forward to following your story!

  6. Markus Says:
    September 18th, 2007 at 2:20 pm

    Maria: I’d rather not rely on or have the pressure to find odd jobs wherever we go – I’m sure it’ll be adventurous enough. Besides there’s gold in these here interwebs – just gotta figure out where.

    Jules: thanks! Each reference you get earns you a Schrute buck ;)

  7. James Says:
    September 18th, 2007 at 2:53 pm

    Check out http://www.workamper.com for odd job listings across the country. There’s always a campground in need of help in exchange for pay, or at least a free spot to camp. Check out http://www.rversonline.org for a lot of useful info about life on the road. They have some good advice on full-timing and what it takes to do it.

  8. J. Sunsurn Says:
    September 18th, 2007 at 4:27 pm

    It matters how much ‘work’ your looking at getting involved with. A few years back a friend of mine who was living in NYC spending like two hundred a week on a small room figured she could do better and took up learning “Medical Transcriptionist” she did the courses and stuff got herself regular work from it, enough to make enough to survive in her small space in NYC, then packed up and moved to Thailand, where her small space turned into a HUGE space when she went to Pattaya. She still worked making US dollars going into her NYC account, but didn’t live there thats all. Granted its NOT easy work, and it might not be up your alley… but its an idea. Plus there might be related work that would be easier to get, copy editing perhaps, online tutoring, scripting and virtual design for online worlds (Second Life does a small but brisk economy). I could think of many others but this should do for now.

  9. ers Says:
    September 18th, 2007 at 4:50 pm

    Have you read “The 4-Hour Work Week” by Timothy Ferriss? :P

  10. Markus Says:
    September 18th, 2007 at 4:59 pm

    thanks for the links and suggestions.

    ers: this whole thing is inspired in large part by Tim’s book (except selling French sailor shirts online is a lot more profitable in “theory” than in reality)

  11. Eggo Says:
    September 18th, 2007 at 7:38 pm

    Great post, you have good idea. You have an entertaining blog, keep it up and you should be able to make a decent profit off it.

  12. funekun Says:
    September 18th, 2007 at 9:15 pm

    Where would Jesus drive if He lived in a van down by the river?

    woo hooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  13. matt glaman Says:
    September 19th, 2007 at 12:03 am

    First thing first, just put a paypal donation link up. There’s nothing to lose, and you never know what people might do. I’m sure this site has a considerably large readership now, figure one out ten could donate $1-$5 just for the hell of it.

    Like I said, nothing to lose.

  14. amithyst Says:
    September 19th, 2007 at 9:01 am

    How about you spend part of your time picking up cans off the side of the road and recycle them

  15. TYLER Says:
    September 19th, 2007 at 9:32 am

    free spirted hippies

  16. Markus Says:
    September 19th, 2007 at 12:37 pm

    Good idea, Matt. I installed the “buy me a beer” plugin but changed it to “buy us a gallon of gas”. Who knows, maybe people will support the cause. Thanks!

  17. Roger Says:
    September 19th, 2007 at 2:38 pm

    What Would Jerry Do If He Lived In A van Down By the River…

    First, he would learn how to program web pages. then he would attempt to find several clients that require only a few hours a month in updates to their sites. Then he would do the work form the River and use the trusty ole paypal account to collect the mega millions derived from such efforts..

    There are also many intentional communities (communes) across the country where they will pay you to come in for a few days and help them harvest organic veggies and stuff like that…

  18. Roger Says:
    September 19th, 2007 at 2:40 pm

    I have also heard of Auto Wraps where a specific corporation will pay you to a “billboard” on your wheels and show up at specific places and events. I am sure you have seen the Red Bull Cars. Those get anywhere form 800 – 2500 per month, depending on car and market…

  19. meniscus Says:
    September 19th, 2007 at 5:12 pm

    Well, I was interested in your plan.. at first. But now, 2 weeks later with no vehicle or money doesn’t seem like much progress. Hey you’re not one of those guys who just blogs about anything, are you?

  20. Markus Says:
    September 19th, 2007 at 5:17 pm

    I realize most people have ADD but this is something I want to do right so it will take me more than a few weeks to put together – if I want to do it properly (and I do).

  21. Jerry Says:
    September 20th, 2007 at 9:01 am

    Blogging for money http://www.problogger.net/ I don’t think that you will get rich.

    Selling “found objects” you are on the road, find stuff – just drop them off at one of those eBay iSellYourItems stores and let them sell it for you.

    Last item that I can think of — crafty stuff knitting, beading etc.

  22. Jules Says:
    September 20th, 2007 at 10:32 am

    Ooh, selling found objects sounds good. I came back to see if there’d been any new ideas and also to mention http://www.problogger.net/, but I see someone beat me to it.
    I found this link yesterday:
    http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/05/
    how-to-make-money-from-your-blog/
    Sorry, I’m not good with creating links in comments, but if you copy and paste the two pieces of that web address right there, I promise it will take you to a VERY good read on how to make money from your blog (like the title implies, duh :) ) ANYWAY, let me know what you think. I actually may have discovered that article through problogger, so whatever. :)

  23. Jules Says:
    September 20th, 2007 at 10:44 am

    Oh, hey, if you click on the first part of that “stevepavlina” link, it just takes you to the archives for that month (the post is ALL the way at the bottom), so don’t forget to add in that last part to go straight to the right post. (Hope that doesn’t sound condescending)

  24. Go Amie Says:
    September 20th, 2007 at 12:59 pm

    What about Google Answers, or Amazon’s similar service? Or, get an ING savings account, and refer new customers. They (the new customers) get $25, and you get $10.

    Or write a book and publish it on lulu.com.

    Or become singing telegrammists!

  25. Boko Says:
    September 20th, 2007 at 9:02 pm

    If your artistic you could do sketches of your locations an sell them online.

  26. Dave Says:
    September 21st, 2007 at 8:34 am

    I think advertising on the van would be fine – wouldn’t need to be MLM. Get some company with oodles of money who wants to get the word out, and someone you believe in.

    Short of that, you could start a religion / cult. Maybe then you could deduct the entire trip from your taxes. Call the Van your “Church.”

  27. Lo Says:
    September 25th, 2007 at 3:47 pm

    Or you could do what other people who take similar trips do… you know, work and save money.

    I have a friend who’s doing something very similar, and she’s been planning and saving for at least a year. She also waited until she was ready, living in her van, and about to start her trip to set up her blog about it. If you’re really going to plan this correctly, you started blogging way too soon. It’ll be tough to keep your readers’ interest.

  28. Markus Says:
    September 25th, 2007 at 3:53 pm

    I’ve never been fond of doing things “how they’re supposed to be done”

  29. Kim Says:
    October 5th, 2007 at 9:01 pm

    Hey you two, you could get one of those roller grills like they have at 7-11 and you could sell hotdogs roadside. Then you could rename your blog–In a Van down by the River selling Hotdogs

  30. Kim Says:
    October 5th, 2007 at 9:19 pm

    Hey, have you two considered getting one of those rotating hotdog grills like they have at 7-11. You could sell hotdogs by the roadside.

  31. Heather Says:
    October 23rd, 2007 at 10:08 am

    Just a few ideas, building on the ideas of others…
    If you were to entertain the “get a short term job when you stop for a few days” idea, the best way to do that is to call places like Kelly Temps and Randstand and other places that specialize in temp jobs. Ask if they can put out an email blast with your qualifications so that you can just call up a local office and see what they have for you.
    Another idea was “selling found objects”. Not a bad idea! I am an artist and would love to buy some found objects to use in my art, so let me know if you decide to sell anything that you find :)
    If either one of you is crafty (in the arts and crafts way!), there are several great websites that you can help you sell your handmade wares (Etsy is the best and there is also HomeGrownMarket.com and lov.li, for starters). And there is always a need for webdesigners (not only can you cruise craigslist for jobs, but check out getafreelancer.com where you can bid on web jobs).
    I hope that all of this helps and I look forward to reading more from you guys!
    If I can help you guys out along the way, let me know :D

  32. AJ Says:
    October 31st, 2007 at 5:05 pm

    A couple of options:

    Option 1:
    Sponsorship form Monster.com–

    You could approach Monster.com or some other employment site … even Craigslist (They charge for employment ads) and propose the ultimate reality ad campaign. The premise being that you land only jobs you find off of their site and blog about the jobs greatness (and of course Monster.com’s – or said job hunting site). The premise being…if you can find a job off of Monster.com living in a van down by the river, why can’t anyone else?

    I haven’t heard an argument this cogent in months.

    Option 2:
    I could outsource web design work to you. I can afford to pay in the $20/hour range per project. I can’t guarantee a steady work flow as of yet.

    Option 3:
    Just a way to increase site traffic…
    Try to get on the morning radio show circuit. Just go city to city and be a guest on radio shows..this should bring a plethora of visitors to your site. You could just plaster your van with all the radio station bumper stickers that could possibly fit.

    You guys have one of the most compelling ideas I’ve heard in years. Advertisers want to make ads entertaining because they’re losing an astonishingly large portion of males ages 18 – 24 to interactive media. It takes one intelligent advertiser to realize what they’re sitting on…

    Best of luck! Be sure to give me a hollar when you pass through Tucson, AZ.

  33. Markus Says:
    November 5th, 2007 at 4:31 pm

    Good ideas AJ!

  34. Hobo Stripper Says:
    November 13th, 2007 at 12:28 pm

    I’ve had good luck sitting on the side of the road singing, giving foot rubs at fairs and festivals, and using adsense/affiliate ads on my site. Also car washing: make up a flyer offering your car washing service, take it to an office building and tell them you’ll be back the next day to wash their cars. Come back the next day and wash cars. Always good for $150-400.

  35. John Says:
    January 2nd, 2008 at 7:10 am

    I am sorry but you should finance your adventure yourself, if not you will look back at it as a joke you pulled on everyone, scamming doesnt sit well with the people you are supposedly wanting to meet on your journey.unless of that is you goal…

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