How I Make Money While I’m on Vacation (My “Vacation Money” Strategy)
Last month, my family and I went to Disney. We do this every year. And every year we go, I earn money while I’m there.
I want to walk you through exactly how I did it this time, what I changed, and why it worked. This isn’t about some massive viral launch. It’s about building a system that lets you step away and still earn.
How I Used to Do Disney Sales
In previous years, I ran my sale while I was away at Disney.
I would:
- Schedule my emails in advance
- Put my core course suite on sale
- Let everything run while I was gone
That worked well, but this year I decided to do things differently.
What I Changed This Year
I made three big changes to my usual approach.
1. I Ran the Sale Before I Left
Instead of running the sale while I was already on vacation, I ran it before I left.
I wanted to:
- Be available to answer questions
- Support affiliates properly
- Be present during the most active part of the promotion
This alone made the entire experience feel calmer.
2. Everything I Sell Was Included
In the past, I usually only discounted my main courses.
This time, I included:
- My full course suite
- Mini courses
- Digital downloads
- Literally everything I sell
If someone wanted something, it was on sale.
3. I Increased the Discount to 75% Off
Normally, I do 50% off sales.
This year, I went to 75% off.
Why? Selling courses has been harder lately and the market feels different. So I wanted the sale to actually move volume and I figured a huge discount would help that goal.
The deeper discount made it easier for people who had been “thinking about it” to finally buy.
The Results
Here’s what the sale brought in:
- About $5,700 USD in sales
- About $1,400 USD paid out to affiliates
Since I’m Canadian, that worked out to over $5,000 CAD for me.
That income covered bills before, during and after the trip. It covered vacation spending money by topping up what I had already been saving up for the trip.
Most importantly, I didn’t spend my vacation worrying about money. It has been amazing every year to have the peace of mind to not even crack open my laptop for the most part.
My List Size (Because This Matters)
I want to be very clear about this part. My email list is about 2,500 people and I don’t grow it consistently. New subscribers trickle in over time and this really isn’t a massive list.
What does matter is how long I’ve been building the relationship.
The Real Reason This Works: Email Relationships
I’ve been building this specific business for about three and a half years.
I’ve sold online marketing courses for 15+ years, but this version of my business was a rebuild.
I’m an email marketer. That’s the core of everything I do.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
- People get value from me regularly
- They also get offers regularly
- I never hide the fact that I sell things
I’m in business. That’s never a secret.
People tell me regularly that:
- They love opening my emails
- They enjoy reading them
- They trust my recommendations
That trust is built by showing up consistently. I send emails daily, and that’s something I strongly believe in.
Why Sales Like This Convert So Well
When a big sale happens, a lot of people already know what they want.
Many people on my list have already been thinking about making a purchase. Maybe they’re saving up or waiting for the right time. A sale like this allows them to get off the fence and take action.
This year, I also scheduled emails a full week before my trip, so I was able to take that time to get ready for my trip. Also, if you’ve ever been to Walt Disney World you’ll know it’s a lot of walking and often on hot days. So I wanted to not jump right from work to vacation without a little down time first!
I scheduled everything: emails before the vacation, during the vacation and for a few days after. I got to work batch writing and scheduling those emails.
What Happened During the Sale
Because this was a full offer-suite sale, the emails were very sales-focused.
I sent two emails per day for most days of the sale. Each email highlighted various product in the sale so that I could get to all the products (about 37 of them) with all the emails.
This worked because:
- The products already exist
- People already know about them
- I promote them regularly throughout the year
When everything goes on sale, there’s no need to explain each product from scratch.
A Small Glitch (And What I Did)
On the final day of the sale, the coupon didn’t work properly.
I felt like people missed out, so I extended the sale until I got back from Disney.
Everything was still scheduled. The extension just gave people more time.
How People Responded
My subscribers knew the emails were scheduled so I could enjoy Disney.
I got replies like:
- “Enjoy your trip!”
- “Have an amazing time!”
One member even bought a course she already technically had access to, just to support the trip.
When I asked her about it, she said:
- She wanted full access outside the membership
- She also wanted to support me
That only happens when real relationships exist.
If You Want to Do Something Like This
Here’s what you need to have in place:
- An offer suite you build over time
- An email list where trust already exists
- Regular promotion throughout the year
When you run a fast-moving sale like this, you’re not trying to convince strangers. You’re offering something valuable to people who already want it.
If you’re only putting one or two products on sale, you’ll spend more time explaining.
With an offer suite sale, the excitement does the work.
A Final Note on Selling Through Email
When you write sales emails:
- Be natural
- Be clear
- Include links
- Explain who it’s for, what it is, and how it helps
You don’t have to sound salesy. You’re just showing people how the product fits into their life.
If this gave you ideas for earning while you’re on vacation, taking Christmas off, or stepping away for a break, this is exactly what email marketing, scheduling, and automation can make possible.
Talk later
Angela
If you prefer the video version of this post here it is:
