💻 How We Make Money on the Road as Digital Nomads | Smiths On Tour
🌍 How It All Began — From Yorkshire to the World
If you’d told us a year ago that we’d be travelling full-time, running a YouTube channel, managing social media, and writing blogs for people all over the world, we would have laughed! We were a Yorkshire family who loved being outdoors — camping on weekends, exploring nature, and keeping things simple.
We didn’t even have social media or YouTube before making the decision to leave the UK. In fact, we were probably one of the few families left that didn’t scroll aimlessly! Our focus was always on experiences, not screens.
So, how did it all begin?
It actually happened by accident. When we made the life-changing decision to travel full-time as a family, we knew we wanted to capture every special moment. We wanted to film our adventures so we could look back years later and remember the laughter, the challenges, and the lessons we learned along the way.
I remember sitting in the living room one night, trying to come up with a name for our YouTube channel. We wanted something that meant something to us, that connected with who we are. Then it hit us — our surname Smithson and the fact we were touring the world… and so Smiths On Tour was born!
Funnily enough, most people think we’re “The Smiths,” which makes us smile — we’ll take it either way! 😄
🎥 Entering the World of Content Creation
When we uploaded our first video, we had no clue what we were doing. We had never edited a video before, never created a thumbnail, and didn’t know the first thing about hashtags or algorithms.
To be honest, we didn’t even start this journey thinking of it as a “business.” We were just filming our life, documenting our story for family and friends. But slowly, as people began to watch and message us saying how much our journey inspired them, we realised this was bigger than us.
We also discovered that we loved it — the storytelling, the creativity, the editing — and we found ourselves growing passionate about it.
We’ve always been a family that loves to be outdoors, so taking on the beast of social media was a big step. And here’s a little secret — we don’t use social media for personal scrolling. We don’t sit online for hours; we use it with purpose— to connect, share, and hopefully inspire others who might be dreaming of a different way of life.
It’s not all easy though — creating meaningful content takes time, effort, and consistency. Between filming, editing, uploading, responding to messages, managing collaborations, and writing blog posts, it easily adds up to 40+ hours a week (and that’s just the media side of things!).
💡 The Truth About Getting Paid as a Digital Nomad
We get asked this a lot: “How do you sustain an income travelling full-time?”
And the truth? Right now — we don’t. Not fully anyway. We knew building something from scratch would take time, so before leaving the UK, we made the decision to sell our home and use part of that money to fund this dream while we built our platforms.
We didn’t have millions tucked away — just a small nest egg that gave us a window of time to chase this dream. We’ve had to budget carefully, plan ahead, and be mindful of every penny.
After about a year of creating, we finally got monetised on YouTube. That moment was huge for us — not because of the money, but because it showed we were on the right path. Since then, we’ve made around £1,000 in six months, which isn’t enough to live off, but it’s a start.
Most people assume once you’re monetised, you start making loads — but that’s far from true. The income depends heavily on location and audience. For example, if most of your viewers are in countries with lower ad rates, you earn far less per view. We’ve had to learn all about CPM rates, VPNs, and regional differences — it’s a steep learning curve!
Right now, Facebook Reels is our best-paying platform — bringing in around £70 a month on average — but it fluctuates massively. Some months it’s up, others it’s barely anything.
We’ve also started receiving affiliate offers, but we’re very selective. We only work with brands that align with our values — products we actually use and believe in. Some creators will promote anything, but we’d rather stay authentic.
💰 Other Ways to Earn Money as a Digital Nomad
If you’re wondering how other digital nomads and content creators make money on the road, here are some options we’ve explored or seen others succeed with:
Affiliate Marketing – Earn commissions by recommending trusted products or services.
Brand Partnerships – Work with brands that align with your story or niche.
YouTube Monetisation – Earn ad revenue once you meet YouTube’s partner requirements.
Freelance Work – Offer skills like writing, video editing, photography, or social media.
Virtual Assistant Work – Support other creators or businesses remotely.
Digital Products – Sell templates, e-books, travel guides, or printables.
Online Coaching or Courses – Teach something you’re passionate about.
Remote Jobs – Work online in your field (marketing, design, admin, etc.).
Content Licensing – Sell your photos or footage for use in media and advertising.
The key is to build multiple income streams so you’re not dependent on one source. It takes time to grow, but it’s possible — especially if you stay consistent.
⚖️ Pros and Cons of Being a Digital Nomad Family
✅ The Pros
Freedom — no 9–5 grind, just life on your terms.
Quality family time — every day we’re together.
Worldschooling — learning through real-world experiences.
Adventure — exploring new places, cultures, and ways of life.
Inspiration — knowing we’re helping others see what’s possible.
⚠️ The Cons
Unstable income — not every month looks the same.
Long hours — creating content is a full-time commitment.
Balancing travel and work — editing, filming, and exploring all take energy.
Technology headaches — slow WiFi, VPNs, or software issues on the road.
Emotional challenges — especially being far from family back home.
We also navigate personal challenges — our eldest daughter chose to stay in the UK. She’s nearly 17, at college, and settled in her own life. We support her choice completely, but it’s still hard being apart. Thankfully, technology allows us to stay close — we video call regularly, and she joins us when she can.
❤️ Why We Keep Going
It’s not always easy, but every time we hear from a follower saying, “You’ve inspired us to travel with our kids,” it reminds us why we do this.
We know it takes time, consistency, and heart, and while the financial side isn’t there yet, we see this as our purpose. We love creating, filming, and storytelling — and if that can one day help sustain our travels, that’s the dream.
When you love what you do, you don’t need instant rewards. We’re in this for the long haul — because it feels right, it’s meaningful, and it gives us joy.
✍️ Building the Blog (From Scratch!)
This very blog you’re reading? I (Emma) built it from scratch about three months ago on Squarespace.
I had no idea what I was doing! I spent hours researching, learning SEO, designing layouts, and piecing together our journey from the very beginning (back in January in Mexico). It took me days to backtrack, upload photos, and remember the details, but I loved every minute of it.
And here’s the thing — I don’t get paid a penny for this blog. It’s free, from the heart, and a space to inspire others. I want other families and dreamers to see that it’s possible — that you can follow your dreams and create your own version of success.
We’re even dreaming of writing a book one day, sharing everything we’ve learned on the road.
🌞 Final Thoughts
We might not be rich in money, but we’re rich in freedom, love, and experiences — and that’s priceless.
If there’s one message we’d love people to take away, it’s this:
👉 Do it because you love it — not because of the money.
Life is short. If you’re dreaming of becoming a digital nomad, travel content creator, or worldschooling family, just start. You’ll figure it out along the way — we did!
For now, we live in the moment — exploring, learning, laughing, and sharing it all with you. Because at the end of the day, life is for living — and this is ours. 💛
📣 Support Our Journey
If you enjoy following our story, please subscribe to our YouTube channel — it’s free, and every subscriber helps us keep travelling and creating.
➡️ Smiths On Tour YouTube Channel
We Would Love To Hear From You!
We’ve shared the real highs and lows of life as full-time digital nomads and content creators — from filming every moment on the road to staying consistent across YouTube, Social Media, Pinterest, and this blog. It’s been an incredible journey filled with passion, purpose, and a whole lot of learning along the way.
But now we’d love to hear from you! 👇
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a digital nomad or creating content while travelling full-time?
What’s holding you back — time, finances, or just taking that first leap?
Drop us a comment below — we love connecting with other families, travellers, and dreamers who are looking to make life more adventurous. Your stories inspire us just as much as we hope ours inspires you! 🌍💛
