One of our goals in starting this whole “travel vlogging” journey was to be completely transparent with you guys from the beginning about the “how.”
For anyone who doesn’t know, affiliate marketing is essentially when WE give you a link (and sometimes a discount!) for something and then make some kind of kickback as a result of your purchase. It’s the way a lot of travel creators first start making money in this space. Sometimes it’s a percentage of your purchase, sometimes it’s a flat referral fee, and occasionally it’s just store credit.
In the last few weeks we’ve just been sharing these links with friends and family, and now we want to share them with you!
Everything in this list is something we recommended to friends and family even before beginning an affiliate partnership. Feel free to shoot us any questions you have about any of these things, and let us know what you think if you end up purchasing!
Travel Hacking
Trusted Housesitters
We’re actually at our first housesitting gig right now! If you love pets and are willing to petsit, there are so many people around the world looking for Trusted Housesitters to take care of their furbabies in exchange for free housing!
Use this link for 25% off your membership and start staying in beautiful homes for free 🙂
Travel Cards/Miles and Points
If you travel at least once a year, it’s worth it to get a travel credit card. You don’t need to spend an ungodly amount of money or open 15 cards to reap the benefits. One will do. These two are ours and the ones we recommend. Here’s why…
CHASE SAPPHIRE: Best card for the first-time travel credit-card holder
- 60,000 bonus points ($750 worth) after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months
- Trip Cancellation Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance
- Low Annual Fee ($95/year) pays for itself in 1 trip booked with points
- $50 yearly hotel credit (when booked through Chase)
- Transfer partners: United, Emirates, Southwest, Marriot, Hyatt, and more
CAPITAL ONE VENTURE X: Best for the frequent traveler
- 75,000 bonus points ($750 worth) after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months
- 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year
- $300/year travel credit (when booked through Capital One)
- Priority Pass Lounge access for you and a guest (!!!)
- Global Entry/TSA Precheck reimbursement
- $395/yearly fee
- ….and more. This is the closest thing to a “luxury” card without paying luxury price.
Workaway
If you’ve ever ACTUALLY wanted to travel and live like the locals, this is the BEST way to do it. Workaway is a work exchange platform. In general, you work 20-25 hours/week in exchange for room and board. It’s a great way to give back to the communities you’re visiting. Think of AirBNB, but instead of shopping for accommodation, you’re shopping for work.
The work you could be doing varies greatly: anything from manual labor on a farm, to nannying, to creating content for a small business, to helping at a wedding venue or backpackers lodge… honestly, just get on the website and type in a place you’d like to visit. It’s one of my favorite pastimes dreaming of the possibilities.
We have two workaway gigs booked now: the first will be at a wedding venue outside of Johannesburg in South Africa, and the second is at a small farm on the southern coast of Portugal. Both of these gigs are 3 weeks apiece.
Get 1 free month of your Workaway membership when you use our link!
Products/Tools
Code 118 Wallets
This is Kyle’s wallet–it’s aluminum, RFID-blocking, and comes with a lifetime warranty. For anyone who prefers something small and sleek and reliable, this is prime.
Use our link for 15% off your order!
Cocolene Skincare
It’s such a joy to get to be an affiliate for this company. I met the founder at the Charlotte farmer’s market years ago when she was just starting and bought her Rescue Salve. When I tell you that stuff works miracles…
Skin is the biggest organ in our body and absorbs anything that’s put on it directly into the bloodstream. With that in mind, I want to be so careful and intentional about what goes on it.
Cocolene is a company I trust wholeheartedly, and you’re supporting a self-made small business owner through your purchase. That’s a win-win in my book!
Use code “Cat15” at checkout for 15% off your order!
Health/Wellness
Legion Athletics
Protein Powder! The number one question I (Cat) get from my personal training clients is about protein powder. It’s honestly scary the ingredients that are found in some supplements, and it took me a while to settle on “my” supplement company of choice.
- All-natural ingredients–literally every ingredient is naturally sourced
- NSF-certified, FDA-inspected, and adheres to cGMP standards (essentially, they let other people and companies check them to make sure they’re honest about what they say. Confirmed to have no yucky crap)
- Money-back guarantee
20% off your order when you use our link!
Peace, Love, Hormones
This one is for my ladies: if I had a “secret,” it’d be Soothe.
It’s an herbal hormone balancing supplement. I started taking it about a year ago–a few months before coming off my IUD in the hopes of easing that transition. Not only did it ease the transition, but it’s all but eliminated my cramps and mood swings in every cycle that followed.
Generally, I now take it every morning when entering into my luteal phase and my symptoms when transitioning into my bleed are significantly eased. Literally every woman should have this in their arsenal. It’s a game changer and a non-negotiable for me.
Use code “Caitlin58942” at checkout for 15% off your order!
Charlotte’s Web CBD
On more than one occassion, this CBD has been a lifesaver. They have a HUGE selection of products, but these are our favorites:
- Calm Gummy
- Brain Support Gummy
- Recovery Gummy
- CBD Balm Stick (a lifesaver for neck tension!)
Gruns
In the spirit of full transparency, we don’t have an active membership with Gruns anymore. BUT we did while living in Branson! The only reason we don’t currently have one is that they don’t ship internationally, but as soon as they do (or as soon as we have a state-side landing pad), we’ll be back on the Gruns train!
This is essentially a greens powder, but they’re gummies instead. Not only were they delicious, but it was really nice to not have to worry about mixing a powder and cleaning out a water bottle wherever we went.
No discount to offer on this one, but they’re great to have in your bag for trips where your nutritional gaps may be a bit wider. We honestly found them really easy to incorporate into our busy lives–just threw a pouch into our lunchbox or work bag.