Since I started traveling years ago, the same question is
asked of me time after time, ‘how are you affording all this travel?’ Well, let
me start by saying, no—I am not rich, no, I don’t have a trust fund, no my
parents aren’t sponsoring the trips (although my parents do help in other ways
besides giving me cash, which I will address later).
I will begin by stating that travel does not have to be
expensive—it’s not some luxury for the rich. Anyone who has a desire and a passion
to see the world can do so, but there are several things one must be willing to
give up and/or be willing to step outside one’s comfort zone. I definitely do
not travel first class, nor do I stay in hotels, or eat at fancy restaurants.
My philosophy is whichever country I am in I live as the people in that country
do. If people are eating a diet mostly of rice and beans, I do the same. If
people only bathe once a week, I do the same.
I have decided to create a list (for all those wanderlusts
out there) that are too afraid to travel with very little money:
-If at all possible, live at home with parents/family when
not traveling. This is where my parents help me out big time. Not having to pay
rent allows me to save for upcoming trips. Plus, I enjoy living with my parents
when I am home, since it allows me to spend more time with them.
-When you are not traveling, and in your home country, you
will have to learn how to also live thrifty. That new pair of jeans you just
bought could be your meals for a month in another country. When I am home, I
save money by cooking at home, not owning a car, not buying new clothes (I only
shop used), and not going out every weekend. I still enjoy life though—if I do
want to eat out, or buy a coffee, or go to a show I do it, but in moderation.
-When traveling I either use workaway, help x, or woofing to
participate in work exchange programs, which is full board and food in exchange
for a few hours of work during the week. I enjoy the experience of learning and
being a part of someone else’s day-to-day routine for a while—I love it.
-Accommodations: if I am not doing a work exchange then I
stay either in a backpacker’s hostel or I use couchsurfing.com. Hostels are
dirt cheap, I have paid $3 a night in some, and couchsurfing—well that is free.
And sometimes the host will even feed you or at least you have access to cook
at home. Plus, because you are staying with a local, they are able to tell you
all the cheap eats and places to visit. They have all the inside—and sometimes
even take you on a personal tour of their city. In addition, you make lifetime
friends all over the world.
-Food: Like I said above, I either work for food using work
exchange, or eat with my couch surfer or I buy cheap groceries and cook back
where I am staying. If I find a very cheap restaurant I will eat there, but I hardly
order a drink or anything special, usually I just eat soup or an appetizer and
not order any extras. Shopping at street markets are usually where you will
find good deals on veg and fruit. In addition, I eat heaps of street food.
Grilled corn on the cob is always my favorite, or sometimes you will find
spring rolls, pad thai, sandwiches, tacos, grilled bananas… the list really
goes on forever. Street food is usually less than a dollar—and you can really
get good, filling food.
Transportation: I usually just walk if I can. Or share a
ride. Hitchhiking is quite easy in most countries and a good way to travel and
meet new people. If you are able to rent a bicycle where you are at that is
always awesome. And taking local transport rather than ‘tourist’ transport will
save heaps of money, however most people will stare at you and the ride is
usually pretty uncomfortable.
Flights: my favorite website to find cheap flights is
skyscanner.com. It basically scans every airline that exists. The only thing is
that you have to be quite open with your availability. I usually look up flights
by the entire country and also by leaving the entire month open to travel.
Rather than exact airports and exact dates. I have found flights as low as $8,
no joke.
Tours: I never pay for ‘tourist’ tours or buy tourist
guides. I like to create my own itinerary and I enjoy exploring on my own.
Sometimes though, if I am very curious about a certain museum or place I will
just follow close behind a tour that is taking place and listen in. I have done
that in several places: Taj Mahal being the best one. Also, it is good to plan
ahead for certain shows, exhibits, etc. because some places have free days. For
instance, the last Sunday of the month the Vatican has free admission, and the
first Saturday of the month the Louvre in Paris has free admission. Its nice if
you are able to get into these places free of charge.
With all that said—what are you waiting for? Go out in the
world and explore. It is too much fun! And let me tell you, I was in Europe for
10 weeks and including my flight over to Spain and all my expenses I managed to
do it for under $1000. That is correct folks- I went to 7 different countries
in Europe under $1000 and I had the best time of my life. I went to all the
museums I wanted to go to, drank Spanish wine and Italian espresso, and had a
blast! It’s easy to do if you are willing to make some small sacrifices in your
life, but the experience is worth every one!
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