The life of a travel blogger is one that is much envied by workers who are stuck indoors. While travel bloggers get to have adventures and enjoy the fresh air and sunlight, most office workers are stuck in a cramped cubicle space, bathing in the unflattering glow of fluorescent lights. But how exactly do these intrepid online stars afford to go all over the world if they’re not clocking in hours at a conventional job?
Chanel Cartell, 32, and Stevo Dirnberger, 30, run a popular travel blog called How Far From Home. Speaking with Good Housekeeping, the couple, who is originally from South Africa, revealed that they were both in advertising before their blog took off and that they started traveling in March 2015. Since then, they have been to Australia, England, Spain, Zambia, Iceland, and 20 other countries.
Cartell said that they saved up about $15,000 before making the big leap to leave their jobs and travel around the world.
“We cashed in our retirement annuities,” she said. “We also sold our cars, all our furniture, and some belongings.”
Once they started traveling, Dirnberger said that they found a way to make some money by signing up with a website called Workaway. On this site, anyone who is interested in cultural exchange and learning and is willing to help out for a few hours in exchange for food and accommodation is connected with thousands of active hosts in over 155 countries.
“The first job we did was in Norway working at a husky lodge looking after 70 dogs and puppies,” he said. In a previous interview with Cosmopolitan, the couple revealed that they also had to scrub toilets, build wooden structures, and even scooped dog poop as they made their way across the globe.
Apart from doing odd jobs, the couple has also made a steady income from their blog which amounts to $3,000 a month.
As to how they spend their money, the couple says that they have a set amount for entertainment and that they only allow themselves to spend on little treats, such as a trip to the Blue Lagoon when they were in Iceland.
Cartell hopes that others will be inspired by what they’re doing.
“Yes, it’s tough, and as with life, there’s always bad that comes with the good, but the good is soon good, that it is absolutely worth it,” she said.
For more, check out Jobs & Hire’s report on the five odd jobs that pay surprisingly well.
