I wrote my first article about this in 2012, but now I feel the need to bring this up again and clarify some things. How do I travel?
I’m 27 and have few responsibilities. I think this is the best explanation! First of all, I don’t pay rent (I have to thank my parents for this), so I have a big advantage. I don’t have any kids or mortgage. I’m in charge and the only one responsible for my budget and future.
Prioritizing
I love to travel! I love the adventure, the thrill, the tiredness that come with it. So I’ll keep my expenses under control as to be able to travel as much as I want! Not many things matter aside from this.
I don’t buy expensive clothes
I don’t go out in expensive places
I’ll give you an example: Sri Lanka. I bought my ticket on 19 January. I get my paycheck on the 5th. So for about two weeks I had 300 lei (~65 Euros) left and just like anyone else who doesn’t earn that much, I managed to survive and so can you. If you don’t have money, you can’t spend any. And I always stay away from loaning money. The thing with loaning is that it’s a vicious circle: you never have money because you constantly have to give it back.
Travel budget
This is another interesting topic. I know people who keep a tight budget while travelling in Asia: 10 dollars/day for two people for example. You need to figure out how much you can afford and stick to the plan, it’s best to do a little bit of research about the local prices before you leave.
I try to keep the expenses I make for the most basic stuff at a minimum. Accommodation: as long as it’s clean, I’m fine with it. Too little, to big, too hot or too cold, I don’t really care. If it’s not that clean, I use a special „sleeping bag”. I try to adapt to different situations and I don’t waste any money if I don’t think it’s really necessary. In most of the cases, I spend little time in the room anyway, so..
I like to spoil myself sometimes, but it really depends on the type of trip and situation I’m in.
Food and restaurants: It’s often too much for me, and I keep wasting a lot. So I like to share any kind of food, I hate wasting food in general. I like to try street food and I love the places where the locals eat, however unsanitary they may seem, because if the place is always packed, at least you can assume that the food is always fresh.
Transportation: I prefer using the local buses, I don’t need taxis or any other special kind of transportation. This way I can better feel the vibe of the place I’m in, I can observe the local people going on with their daily lives. It’s a fun thing to do.
This is what makes me feel good, this is my vice. I love seeing people and places, tasting exotic flavors, letting myself carried away, trying to understand and tolerate customs and principles that are different from mine, learning not to judge because who is truly capable of deciding upon the „right” way of doing things?
So how can I not put so much energy into it and make it happen? Why would I let mental barriers stop me? I’m free to see the world, nothing keeps me from doing it, so why not ?
You see, for me, this travel budget thing is just a moment in my mind. The moment when I decide is worth it and I make it happen in spite of everything else!
Oh, the number of times I was asked to „explain” myself for travelling „too much” and how I afford it. Your article really sums it all up – we just spend more money on travel and less on material things. I guess people still think that travelling has to be this expensive thing, but with little planning, it can get really affordable 🙂
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Oh, the number of times I was asked to „explain” myself for travelling „too much” and how I afford it. Your article really sums it all up – we just spend more money on travel and less on material things. I guess people still think that travelling has to be this expensive thing, but with little planning, it can get really affordable 🙂
Exactly! And you have A LOT of ways to do it (or at least try).