How to afford a year of travel – One of the questions we get asked the most is how do you guys afford to travel for so long? Although the answer may seem easy to us, we understand that there are many layers and sacrifices that had to be made to be able to do what we do today. We hope this blog post gets you thinking about creative ways to save, so that you too can eventually take the leap and get on the road. We feel extremely fortunate to be able to live the life we have now and hope we can inspire you to do the same! (Read until the end to find out the ultimate secret!)
” This saved us a TON of money so far on the trip “
So what is the secret? How do we do it? A lot of people just assume we came from money, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Both of us grew up in middle class households and have been working on our own since we were young teens. How we got here was by saving… and we mean really saving.
Hanna’s nickname from some of her friends back home was ‘frugal Han,’ as she would often skip a night out with friends to save money. If you really try to set aside funds each month, you can get to where we are. This means fewer nights out drinking, less expensive dinners, skipping that music festival, or shopping for new clothes less frequently. Any little thing you can do to save an extra buck, do it!
However, saving is not the only thing you can do to help. Below we have outlined more tips for you to live by, so that you can hopefully fund a year of travel too!
How To Afford A Year Of Travel
1
Become A Minimalist: Before you leave, sell your things! You can sell things like your bed, dresser, old clothes, furniture, etc. Prior to leaving we sold some of our things and used that money towards our trip. Not only that, but when you pack to leave on a trip like this you really only need a backpack worth of items. Once you only have one backpack, you come to realise, if you can’t carry it you shouldn’t take it. Those items in your bag have a whole new meaning.
2
Cook Your Own Meals: Dining out on the road can add up, especially in the more touristy areas. We met a couple in the Philippines who cooked the majority of their meals at the hostel. They actually inspired us to do the same. Once we realised how much cheaper it was to actually go to the market ourselves and buy fresh produce to cook with, we began looking for accommodation that also had a kitchen. This saved us a TON of money so far on the trip.
3
Plan a Budget and Stick to It: Prior to leaving the two of us did a lot of research… and we mean a lot. Googling the average price per day in each country and creating extensive excel sheets to match. We took into consideration an approximate amount of time we wanted to spend in each country and then timed that by the price per day. In our research price per day included, transportation (any busses/flights/ferries), accommodation, food and activities. Now when we are in a certain country we have a set dollar amount to strive to either hit, or stay under which keeps us on track.
How To Afford A Year Of Travel
4
Prioritise Your Activities: Each country and town quite frankly will have dozens of different tours, treks, or adventures to take part in. The truth is, you just can’t do them all! It is so important to take a step back and choose the ones that mean the most to you. If you do them all, it will cost you a pretty penny. For example, at the moment we are in Khao Sok. This beautiful National Park has so many different activities. Day hike, night hike, elephant tour, canoeing, rafting, and a night stay in huts on the lake. With the trails entrance fee at 300 baht per person per day. We decided we are only going to participate in the overnight tour on the lake. So, while it may seem nice to do it all, realistically and financially we can’t!
5
Stop and Find Work: There are many countries out there that offer working visas, or free accommodation in exchange for work. Whether you do a work away, or work out your own deal with a local family, working in a country is a great way to help extend your trip.
6
Choose Your Countries Wisely: Simply put, some countries are less expensive to backpack than others. Traveling throughout South East Asia will be much less expensive than Europe. Make sure when you plan your trip you take these things into consideration. You will find what may get you a week in France, can pay for 4 weeks in Thailand- just a thought!
7
Drinking Is Expensive: One thing we have cut out massively is our drinking. We still enjoy an occasional beer here or there, but we found that one drink led to the next and the next and pretty soon we spent way more than we wanted to. Drinking and nights out are expensive, so try to limit them if possible.
How To Afford A Year Of Travel
The Secret
The Ultimate Secret:Travel is actually cheaper than living your 9-5. Now unless you still live with your parents, this is pretty much true. For the two of us, living and paying for rent in Los Angeles, or London, along with our monthly fees such as food, drink, parties, cars, etc. ended up being more expensive that what it is for us now on the road. Mind you, we don’t really have any steady income coming in now, like we did before… but we still have less expenses to pay than we did back home!
For more amazing tips and tricks on travel you can miss!
Leave a Reply