I’ve noticed a weird pattern that emerges whenever long-term travelers talk about how they’re able to afford their lifelong travel adventures. Since money issues are at the top of the list for most people, this is often the most frequent question that long-term or frequent travelers receive. And unfortunately, I’ve seen quite a few that don’t bother answering the question as directly as they should.
Generally you’ll see statements like these:
“Because I work, dammit!”
“I just don’t spend stupid amounts of money on fancy hotels, duh!”
“I’m not an idiot who buys designer shoes!”
“Travel can be cheap!”
Okay, fair enough. In some cases, that’s exactly what certain readers need to hear, particularly the ones who accuse any long-term traveler of being a trust fund kid with infinite money. It’s perfectly acceptable to slap these people in the face and tell them they’re idiots. Metaphorically.
But at the same time, it doesn’t really answer the question for those who are legitimately interested in how to travel for several months on a limited budget. They already know that working is how you get money. And they probably already know that staying in hostels, cooking for yourself, skipping taxis, and going to cheap countries will keep costs down. None of this is new information to them.
Sure, there are people out there who have no idea how to stay in a hotel with less than 4 stars, but I doubt they’re reading budget travel blogs. The readers asking these questions are probably aware of many of these strategies already, and if they look at the cost estimates for 1 month of travel, it’s perfectly reasonable to wonder how a 22 year old can afford to do it for 12.
You know what I rarely see? Travelers who flat out say “yeah, you need a lot of money to travel. In fact if you want to go for a long-term trip during which you’ll have no income then you’ll need several thousand dollars.”
I have no idea why this is so rare.
The majority of the time I’ll see people talk about how cheaply they can travel, how they don’t spend money exorbitantly, how they’re brilliantly talented at saving for a rainy day, and how you should totally learn from them and everything will be great.
But then somewhere along the lines they’ll say “And I had $20,000 before I left on the trip.”
Aha. So that’s the secret. Having a lot of money.
Now I don’t mean to call people out on this; in fact in many cases, I’ve seen people describe exactly how they saved that money, and exactly how they spent it on the trip, with no ego whatsoever. Merely a realistic presentation of saving and spending. That’s fine. In fact in many cases it’s exactly what some people need. A simple reminder that you can skip dinner and drinks and new shoes and save the cash instead.
But I’ve also seen a lot of high-and-mighty “I just don’t spend money on designer handbags” kind of talk, which…well, some people need to hear that, sure. But for many others, that is simply not the problem at all. And it bothers me when people fail to recognize this.
I mean, think about how much of a struggle it is for people to save up $20,000. Living expenses, depending on where you are, may very well be $20,000, which means you’d need a job that pays $40,000 (after taxes) in order to save all that money in a year. And for plenty of people who are only earning $20,000 a year, well…you can see why they ask where the money comes from. And I think it’s rather disrespectful to say “I just worked hard and saved” when the real answer was “I had a job that paid way more than yours.”
Now imagine if that person has ridiculous medical bills. Or their car breaks down and they can’t get to work anymore. Or if they have to bail out a friend who’ll never be in a position to pay them back. Or if they get robbed. Or outsourced. Or whatever. Telling them “I just don’t shop at Gucci” is incredibly rude.
Now I’m all for giving useful advice on how to save, and love reading over expense reports after a month of travel in whatever country, because that’s the exact sort of advice people can use. And I’m all for telling people not to buy useless garbage, and recommending they save the money instead. That’s all great.
But I’m also in favor of telling people that if they want to travel the world for a year without getting a job along the way or hitchhiking and begging for food the whole time, they probably need around $15,000 to do it. And even then, they’ll have to budget carefully.
If they accuse you of being rich, then by all means, smack them upside the head. But if they ask where you came up with $20,000 at age 21 or whatever, just tell them.
And don’t be a jerk about it.
Unless they were jerks first. Then go for it.
Thank you! Finally. Honesty! I have been listening to this podcast where when asked how they afforded the trip, travelers always talk about leaving their fancy jobs and selling their sports cars and living abroad. So you have to have some serious cash to get you there. But what about waitresses and factory workers and single moms? How are they supposed to live their dreams? It’s different when you are young, single and fresh faced. There is always a couch for you, a party invitation, a tent. But chubby, old married people are on their own! Think about the successful travel bloggers. They are lean, bikini-bodied hipsters, frolicking on Thai beaches. No one wants to read a blog called Old Fat Guy with Arthritis Goes Places. (Actually, I would totally read that.) So.. here’s how to afford travel 1. Be young, cute and energetic and blog about it. or 2. Have a great job and save your money. or 3. Go into debt and spend your future paying it back. 4. Military service. I know there has to be a way for poor, regular people to be able to travel. That’s what I want to know about.
Yup…and method #2 seems to be rather common. Have a relatively high-paying job and save up, and then go. But what about the people without the great jobs? Seems to me that no amount of budget travel tips will fully solve their specific issues. They need to live with parents, couch surf, or otherwise get something for free. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I think the positivity of “anyone can do this!” is annoying for the people who simply don’t have the cash.
Last time I travelled it cost me $5000. I spent most of the time in Italy but also saw Greece for a week, France, SPain and Switzerland. Next time I go to southern Europe Ill prob just go to Italy which was my plan to begin with but my friend had it in his mind to do the whirlwind Europe tour and well He talked me into it cuz I had already spent a month alone in Italy and couldn’t do another month alone, Im not that guy or atleast I wasn’t, I was early 20’s and was my first big trip. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed seeing other countries but aside from Switzerland the rest of southern europe in my opinion is an uglier form of Italy. Im totally bias ofcourse being that that’s part of my lineage and culture growing up but truthfully I don’t even like Italian Italian’s that much; way too much time on their hands and way too dramatic but then i didnt’ like many of the other people I met in other countries either I found most people to be annoyed I was in their Country. I understand their perspective Because I used to live in gastown in Vancouver and there was tons of tourism there and basically all over British Columbia, tourism bieng our biggest industry. It meant that all the shops on this beautifull street i lived on were mostly useless tourist shops, the price of everything was way too high and traffic was always bad. I respect that they want to see this beautiful place where I lived and that they were bringing money into our economy but I was just annoyed by the previous reasons mentioned. When I went to Italy I spent 2 years learning Italian and I found that I got alot more respect from people and had the courage to see places less touristy where i found the people were friendlier and didn’t speak a word of english. I think it’s just the people that have to deal with primarely tourists all day that get annoyed I think cuz they aren’t really getting the full cultural experience but some watered down version. I get how some tourists wouldn’t want to go off the beaten track cuz in these cases i found people were either really nice or really rude. It makes me gratefull to live in Canada where I think were pretty consistantly nice as ive heard from many tourists. back to my point; 5000 was a tight budget and i lived free with family 5 of those months and another free week with a lovely french couple. Im one of those people that likes nice things and part of bieng on a holiday for me is buying nice things from that culture. mainly clothing. Even my trip a province over this year i spent 800 on a bunch of clothes. Im not into budget travel so i don’t travel that often. Solution: make more money. I like nice things and this is where most of my money goes presently aside from my truck and videogames, but reading some of your articles makes me want to travel again, Id like to go back to Italy for perhaps a month with ten grand. Did you know u can get some of the cheepest best wine in the world in Italy. I haven’t worked out the price with duty and everything but last time i brought a suit case full of wine averaging 5 dollars a bottle and were talking good wine.
I know this blog is about travelling in general, but bicycle touring has some benefits which can drastically cut costs.
I’ve come across several, but this lady’s cycling blog is one of the best blog of any type I’ve ever seen: http://en.universewithme.com/
At the end of each entry, she will show a map with the route she has cycled, and the expact breakdown of her expenses for that month. It’s usually between $500-$1000 USD.
Now it’s true, as Mary, above says, that those who are cute and in their 20’s will receive more online money and get more invites to stay overnight, and Jin falls into this category. But she often simply camps, and I’m sure you’ll agree she’s really delightful and honest.
As for myself, I have to do it the old fashioned way and save money.
Yeah, biking and camping are great ways to save money, though they have plenty of challenges of their own. It can also take quite a bit longer, which means the trips usually have to be longer…which is fine, but not if you have to come back to a job. So the people who are on tighter schedules have a pretty good incentive to take a train instead of a bike, so they can experience more of a trip. There’s certainly nothing wrong with bike and camp trips, but it’s difficult to expect they’d be for everyone.
Have read and digested all of the above comments, not sure if I will make any contribution beyond my own experience, but here goes anyway!.
I am currently 53 years old, have no mortgage (we rent) but both both my partner and I have well-paid jobs.
I truly believe that regardless of income, circumstance and age , the will to travel by whatever means, and the doggedness to make it happen, are the foremost requirements.
I offer no easy solutions, or quick fixes, but ,as in most aspects of life, if you have a vision or dream you’ll find a way.
It may not be the best,quickest or easiest way, but hold fast.
Regardless of budget,work experience and countless other restrictions, if you want it enough you’ll find a way – eventually.
Determined effort is all that is required, luck is good but unreliable, money makes it easier but doesn’t come easily to most.
Don’t set the bar too high but don’t practise limbo either, be content in whatever you achieve, if you’ve done your utmost to attain your goal, then you’ve done as much as you are able, no one could ask for more, especially you.
Happy travels
Addendum to previous post.
Don’t be put off by cultural differences, be accepting but necessarily wary of friendly advances, learn the language-‘Please’ and ‘Thankyou’ is acceptable but can be supplemented- it doesn’t require much effort ,don’t impose your values on other people(see first point ).
Don’t get uptight about any of the above, it just doesn’t help.
Although it’s well out-of-date now, and thus won’t likely be seen, here’s how I did it:
I went to South Korea to teach English. This requires a B.A., and if you want to do it well, a teaching credential. But, a B.A. is the minimum. As an English teacher in Korea, you don’t make a fantastic salary, but your apartment is paid for. The salary is generally 1.9 million won(about 1800 dollars) per month after taxes. In addition, your employer will pay your airfare to and from your country.
Most people save about a grand a month. By depriving myself of the weekly drinks with the expat community, never travelling during the terms of my contract(1 year), living minimalist, and taking on a short-term morning job in addition to my regular one, I saved $1400 a month, or $17,000 for the year. In addition, all people working in Korea get a month’s salary bonus for working a full year. This brought my earnings to $19,000.
After putting a quarter of this aside for retirement and student loan payments, and another $4,000 as a buffer to live on after returning home, I had about $9,000 to travel with. Then, when I finished, I stayed put for a few months to prepare for doing it again. Whatever I didn’t spend, I saved.
So, in a nutshell, I found a job that allowed me to save(via the free apartment) and paid for my airfare. It was also possible to quit this job–something that is very difficult to do without serious career repercussions as a regular Joe in one’s own country. And, finally, I worked very hard, and often suffered from frugality. Although many friends and family members argue that I wasted potential travel experience in Korea itself, I can say without shame that Korea is not my favorite place. It was like telling someone who doesn’t like fish that they don’t know what they’re missing. But, my feelings about Korea worked to my advantage–by spending nothing there, I was able to save my money for places and activities I really wanted to see and experience.
That’s a great way to do it, and it’s no surprise that it became rather popular, especially around the 2008 economic crisis. Or at least, I heard more and more stories like that here and there.
But man…Korean food. I love it. If you weren’t splurging on it all the time, that makes me sad. But oh well. To each their own.
Interesting article. I know I am extremely late and my comment may not be seen, but here goes anyways:
At the end of the day, people have to live within there means. Whether or not being able to afford travel fits into this equation is an individual judgment call. In your article, you state “what if that person has ridiculous medical bills”. This is where common sense kicks in. If you have huge medical bills due to health issues, should you really be travelling long term? Again, I am in no position to tell someone what they should do- its an individual judgment call.
I love to travel and see the world, in fact its my number one passion in life. I would love to be able to quit my full time desk job to go travelling around the globe, but I also know I have to be realistic about things. I figure I am lucky enough to have a decent paying job, so rather than foolishly quitting, I use my 3 weeks of vacation every year to explore a new country. Yes, yes, I know its not ideal and its not the same as travelling long term. But sometimes in life, you gotta compromise, and find a way to achieve your dreams and goals within the reality and framework of your life circumstances. Its also worthwhile remembering that travelling is a luxury (yes, luxury!) not afforded to the majority of people on the planet. I am not saying we should compare ourselves to others, but the mere fact that we can consider the possibility means that we are luckier than most of the near 7 billion people in the world.
So that’s my take on the issue. But my number one advice to people is don’t give up on your dreams. If you want to travel and see the world, keep working toward that goal, whatever that might entail. Sure it may not happen right away and there are times when it may seem really out of reach because of the realities of life, but when you have a goal in life and try to make a plan for it to happen, it will come true.
I agree that we’re luckier in more highly developed countries, and have plenty of opportunities we shouldn’t take for granted. Not everyone in those countries do, of course, and it’s more of a challenge to get out there. But it’s worth it, at least at some point in life, to see what’s out there.
Every time I am on your site I find new and informative items to read. I love this article, because you are right. Many articles I have read talk about cheap travel, and quitting their jobs but not how they sustain it. Even many podcasts don’t go into depth, mostly talk about hitch hiking from place to place or meeting people on the road to sleep on their couch and eat their food. As a single woman I don’t feel comfortable with on a regular basis, I always have to have a back up plan.
As a Generation Xer I have one question about long term travelers I have never received an answer to. I’ve asked on other posts or podcasts and my question has been unanswered. I’ve often wondered for the people who seem to earn just enough money on the road to keep traveling, do they also save for retirement or did they save enough before leaving their 9 to 5 that they are letting that money to continue to compound so that they have money to sustain themselves to live in retirement and healthcare costs at that time. For me that is why I keep my full time job and travel throughout the year. Knowing I can retire with a pension at age 50 and still have many years left to continue to travel with healthcare paid for and steady income. I accumulate one month of travel a year that I spread out to about 2-3 international trips a year plus some 4 day weekends (since I work for a company that is 24/7) where I can do short domestic trips without using vacation time.
I think what you’re doing makes more sense than the people who throw caution to the wind. I’ve met both types of people though, so I think it’s mixed. Some people want to save up enough money to travel AND have emergency backup savings, and others just figure that money comes and goes. But money has a way of going a lot faster than it arrives, so it’s never a bad idea to be careful.