A desire to explore the world is hard to ignore, and for many travelers, as soon as that desire became too strong to be ignored, they simply packed up their backpack or suitcase and took off into the unknown. However, along with that strong desire to travel, there is something else that is needed in order to actually make it all happen. The fact is, you’ll barely make it across your home town if you don’t have at least a few dollars, pounds, euros or yen in your bank account.
So, once again, the question is:
How much money do you really need to start a life of travel?
Is it $4000, $10,000, $35,000, $100,000?
THE SECNARIO…
Perhaps some of you are familiar with this…
One random day we find ourselves spending 59 minutes of every single hour daydreaming about wandering to far-away destinations, immersing ourselves in wildly exotic cultures, dining on new and splendid foods and being able to hop from country to country on a whim. We desperately want to be out there traveling and we start to realize that time is running out for us to begin our long-awaited adventure.
Suddenly, unable to contain our desire and excitement any longer, we make a promise to ourselves that this time, we’re really going to go for it. We search for airfares and we quickly find a flight to Costa Rica that leaves next Tuesday. “I’m going to Costa Rica!” we shout around the room for all to hear, as we imagine ourselves hiking through the rainforest with a toucan on our shoulder.
And then we have a glance at our bank account, discover that we only have $682 USD to our name and that’s the end of that. In an instant, we snap out of our daydream and we simply go back to doing whatever it was we were doing before this ‘crazy’ idea of being a world traveler had popped into our head.
MY STORY…
When I boarded my flight to Bangkok back in 1999, with the goal of traveling around SE Asia for 3 months, in terms of money, all I had was $1500 USD to my name. Yes, $1500. Before booking my flight, I had determined that this amount would be sufficient for me to backpack through Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, as long as I traveled on a very tight budget.
Of course, the problem arrived when I quickly discovered (only a few days after landing in Asia) that one 3-month adventure was not going to be enough for me. I now had a new goal, one that involved living a life of constant travel. And I was fully aware that $1500 wasn’t about to get me very far at all.
I’ll admit, during the first month or so of my travels, there were more than a few moments when I questioned my decision to travel with so little money. I kept thinking that I should have spent a year working at home first, in order to have saved more before leaving for this trip.
Had I begun my travels with $20,000 USD in my bank account, I certainly wouldn’t have been so worried at the time. The pressure to start earning money would have simply been non-existent, as I could have easily traveled around the world for two straight years on those initial funds alone!
And while that thought may sound appealing at first, as I sit here today, I’m not quite sure that I would have preferred that path in the end.
Consider this for a moment…
If I began my nomadic lifestyle with $20,000, once those two years of freedom and travel were over, and the money began to dwindle, I probably would’ve found that I had lost a good deal of my work ethic and become quite lazy along the way. If I had lived with an “I don’t have to worry about money right now” mentality for so long, I just can’t imagine I would be too motivated to work hard and do whatever it takes to continue traveling. My guess is that if I was in that situation, I would have returned home, taken any job I could find and then proceeded to put the rest of my travel dreams back in the closet.
However, because I began with only $1500, the situation turned out much differently once I decided to become a permanent nomad.
Out of necessity, I was forced to open my mind wider than I’d ever opened it before, and to open my eyes even wider, in order to seek out any opportunity that could help keep me traveling. I began trying to make as many contacts as possible, talking to other long-term travelers and every local person that I encountered. I asked them endless questions and spent hours thinking about every piece of potentially useful advice that I had heard. I knew there had to be way to extend my travels and giving up was simply not an option.
Finally, while eating a plate of the worst green curry I’ve ever eaten in a small town in Thailand, all of the brainstorming and gathering of information paid off. That’s when a good friend of mine and I came up with the idea of teaching private English language classes (using some unique methods) in the city of Chiang Mai. And this endeavor worked out very well, earning me enough money to continue living overseas and in the end, easily becoming the highlight of my first visit to Asia.
A NEVER-ENDING WAVE OF OPPORTUNITIES…
From that point on, new and rewarding ideas and opportunities continued to appear before me. For example, while living in Chiang Mai, a local friend of mine offered me a chance to spend almost two months as an assistant tour guide, helping to lead groups on 3-day treks into the jungles of Thailand. Shortly after that finished, I met a fellow traveler who introduced me to the idea of working on board cruise ships. Then, while working on board cruise ships, one of the tour operators we were contracted with in the Caribbean asked me to enter into a business partnership. A couple of years later, a great friend of mine who I met while on board ships as well, demanded that I read “The 4-Hour Workweek”, a book that has helped make my current travels possible. While working on creating online income, I then met someone who opened my eyes to the world of blogging, something I knew almost nothing about until the middle of last year.
The list literally goes on and on and even this year, while living in Mexico, opportunities continued to present themselves, some of which have had an incredibly positive effect on both my bank account and the direction of my life.
And while this may all sound like too-goo-to-be-true nonsense, I’m certain that other long-term, and even short-term, travelers out there have very similar stories to share. I would be shocked if they didn’t!
THE CONCLUSION…
My point is this…had I left home way back when with $20,000 instead of $1500 in my bank account, I’m not so sure I would’ve been open to all of these life-changing experiences. As a result, I doubt that I would have achieved my goal of living a life of constant travel. (Ok, it hasn’t been a full life yet, but 11 years seems like a good start!)
On the other hand, I won’t deny that having a little extra money in the beginning doesn’t hurt. Everyone can use a bit of a cushion to fall back on if things get tough. And if a person is not fully ready to begin their travels, then by all means, continue saving some money!
But if you’re already at the point where you’re just itching to get out there and explore the world, you don’t necessarily need to wait around for another year in the hopes of turning $5,000 in savings into $10,000. I’d personally rather have that extra year of travel experiences, which will inevitably lead to the opportunities that will change and improve your life in ways you can’t yet imagine.
If my once shy, confused, young and naïve self can find a way to turn $1500 into a decade of travel, there’s nothing stopping anybody from doing the same. It doesn’t take long to discover that your open mind is far more valuable than an extra few thousand dollars in your bank account!
Do you agree or disagree that a person doesn’t need too much money to start a life of travel?
I’d be interested to hear some of your stories, whether you’ve been traveling for a while or if you’re in the planning stages for an upcoming adventure…
Back in 1999, I left home for a 3 month trip to Asia that has still yet to end.
Hey, Earl!
My name’s Amanda, I’m eighteen years old and I’m from a tiny town in Texas. I’ve had a yen to travel for YEARS now and am finally at an age where it seems like if I don’t start now, I don’t know when or if I ever will. My main question is, do/did you know any young women who have been able to travel by themselves, work and do a lot of the same type of thing that you have done and feel safe? If so, could you have them e-mail my mom? lol
Thanks! -Amanda
Hey Amanda – Haha! I know exactly what you’re talking about and I wish I had known some independent travelers back when I started as I would have loved to have them talk with my own mom
There are in fact many solo female travelers out there who are living this lifestyle…off the top of my head here are a couple:
http://www.cestchristine.com/
http://www.adventurouskate.com/
And here’s a good post to read: http://www.hostelworld.com/blog/solo-female-travel-nine-myths-and-one-truth/155970
I hope those help out!!
Hey Earl,
You’re exactly right, from my experience. I’ve been traveling continuously since 1998, living on $400-$500 (max) per month, inclusive. That’s budgeting my flights between countries, some occassional medical expenses, xmas and birthday shoppiing and all. $6000/year has been doing me fine for over 12 years. Most Americans/Canadians just don’t realize how inexpensive much of hte world it out here! Or, conversely, they just don’t realize how expensive the USA is! just lack of experience, really.
I couldn’t agree with you more about a comfortable non-ending nomadic traveling lifestyle. it’s superb! cheers, Lash
Hey Earl,
I’ve been eagerly devouring every piece you post on this site for last year or so, and after reading this particular entry for the third or fourth time I realized that I’ve never actually posted a comment.
I recently graduated from university, and I am actually working in order to save some money to start my own life of wandering. I’ve debated leaving much earlier and with little money like you did yourself but I’ve ultimately decided that a year’s worth of income would provide me with a slightly more stress-free beginning. I plan on starting by teaching English through a placement program in Korea, and hopefully place the majority of money in a place that will accrue interest but remain largely untouchable. My thinking is that I can force myself to learn to live on a budget while retaining a kind of safety net.
Anyway, I guess I don’t really have a question. I just want to say that you’ve helped inspire and motivate me to start this kind of life, so thank you.
Thanks for that comment Jon! And I think you have a good plan ahead of you. I agree that it having a little extra money at the start is a positive thing, so I think you’ve made a wise choice. The challenge is always about motivation as it is easy to work for one more year to save money and then turn that into another year and then another and so on….and eventually, those travel goals are forgotten. But if you believe that no matter what you’ll get out on the road at some point, having that extra cushion of fund will be well worth it!
I really think you hit it on the head with the concept of having too much money sucks the drive out of you. My wife and I were traveling on a tight budget and by no means luxurious, but still we had enough to last us our planned year abroad in 13 different countries. But I think now, had we used our heads like you and others we met to work creatively in places, we could easily have made our money last for years. It was a mix of not wanting it at the time and not being desperate enough. Good on ya for making it work and hope to see you abroad sometime soon!
Hey Jacob – I think most people would rather have that cushion to last them through their entire trip. I would have loved that as well, but I didn’t expect to travel for so long and when I decided to travel long-term, I just didn’t have much money left. However, I do feel lucky that it worked out this way in the end. And now I know that no matter what, I’m able to survive anywhere in the world and continue traveling. Hopefully others can see that as well so that they are not afraid to begin their trip even with little cash in the bank.
And do let me know if we’re ever in the same area. Always a good time when meeting up with other travelers in random places!
really interesting. if you’re a white American, you can make a lot of bucks as a language teacher in the developing countries… especially in Asia…even a high school diploma with an American accent would be more than enough…even if you’re not white but speak with a ‘western’ accent, you can pass off as a demi-god in this part of the world..however, as a person from one of the least developed country in Asia, i can only envy you…;)..
This blog is so inspiring Earl! I’m a 19 year old stuyding Tourism and Hotel Management in Barcelona and itching to explore the world. I’m half spanish half english and give english lessons to spanish children to earn a bit of money. The thought of living a life of constant travel and living off private English lessons like you do really excites me! It is a reality I hadn’t properly thought of. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences! I look forward to reading more!
Thanks for visiting Laura and I’m happy that the blog has given you some new ideas! Please let me know if you ever have any questions about anything on the site or about travel in general…
Earl,
I am so much in awe of you. I regularly lap up your content as that’s the next best thing to actually travel.
Now, I am from India and I did quite a bit of traveling myself. I just had to ask you something:
You say that you can live in Chiang Mai, for instance, indefinitely. What about Visa? I heard that recently the Thai government has clamped down on the freedom that we had earlier ( visa runs?).
If finding legitimate work in Thailand is almost a no entry zone for foreigners, and if tourist visa only allows you 14 – 90 days of travel, how do we figure out a way to stay at one place indefinitely?
Hey Ashwin – While the rules have changed for Thailand, there are still ways that you can stay for a long time. It does involved getting an initial 2 month visa, some trips to the immigration office for visa extensions and the occasional border run to Laos where you can apply for a new visa at the Thai consulate on the other side. So it’s still possible. As for other countries, generally, if you are able to find official work, the company or organization that hires you will be able to take care of the necessary paperwork to get you a proper long-term/work visa.
But if you just want to find informal work on your own, then you just need to figure out how to use the tourist visa system to your advantage!
I enjoy reading you. It is a source of inspiration. I am thinking of starting a life of travelling too and maybe settle for a while in a foreign country (I prefer to stay at a place for a while to really know it before moving on). However my situation is different from yours. Even though I am considered bilingual, my first language is French. With my French accent, I would not stand a chance teaching English and nobody is interested in French anymore
In addition to that, I am 52 years old… I am about to lose my job due to “restructuring” and I will have a small pension which will give me a disposable income of around 1800 US$ to 1900 US$ a month. It is a bit more than the 1000 US$ stated on your website but at my age I need a little comfort such as A/C. Are there jobs opportunity abroad for somebody my age? I am not looking for a full time job but I would like to make some money. Do you know older people doing what you are doing? I have a little money in the bank but not that much. My health is still good.
Thanks,
Richard
Hey Richard – Thanks so much for the comment and I can say that you definitely have options. First, for $1000 per month, I often have AC as well in the places I’ve stayed in and I’m quite certain that you’d find such places to be more than adequate. When I spend extended periods of time in one country, I too want a certain level of comfort as it helps me maintain my sanity and get more work done. So you’ll really have no problem at all with the amount of money you’ll have coming in.
As for teaching, there is definitely a market for French. I know people who have taught French in Chiang Mai as well as in places such as Mexico and several countries in the Middle East. You don’t need 1000 people to earn a living teaching. All you need is a handful of students to tutor and there is definitely a handful of people in almost every country that wants to learn French! Also, you’ll have far less competition and will often be the only person offering such lessons.
So I wouldn’t count teaching out at all and I think that could give you a nice supplement to your pension, allowing you to live quite well in many parts of the world.
Thanks Earl. I am glad to hear that there is still people interested in learning French. I love Chiang Mai, so I may give it a try. Do you need a work permit to teach in Thailand or is it only necessary for teaching in a school?
I am also considering creating two websites. One on cats and maybe dogs and another on creative writing and litterature. I am thinking of having blogs with some links to website such as Amazon to make money on the books I review or subjects I cover. I could put in some short stories of my own and give advices on creative writing. Is it costly to have such a website? Do you think I could make some money? My website would be in English to get a bigger audience but I may have a link for those who want some French content.
Thanks,
Richard
Hey Richard – Technically, you do need a work permit to teach. But if you apply to language schools, many of which do teach French, they will help get you the necessary paperwork and visa once they hire you. If you decide to teach independently, tutoring students on your own, then you could obviously do that with just a tourist visa. You just wouldn’t want to spread the word too much as any work on a tourist visa is not quite allowed.
As for your website ideas, you have the right idea. Just keep in mind that it takes much more time and effort than most people think, so as long as you’re in it for the long-haul and are willing to battle through the challenges that you’ll face, there are rewards to be had in the end. It’s not costly at all to have such a site as all you need to do is register a domain (about $10 US per year) and host the site, which costs around $12 – $15 US per year. Quite cheap actually
I agree completely! I have to, since I plan on doing just that very soon. haha.
Hi,
I’m an Aussie girl that got bitten by the travel many years ago and am on my second world trip. This time solo and with no plans to return home any time soon. I loved your post and just wanted to say that I too am traveling on a very tight budget and it is this that has driven some of my decisions and led to meeting new people and visiting some great places that I wouldn’t have gone had I had lots of cash. Ive found house sitting to be a great way to travel on a budget, usually its free accommodation in return for looking after pets. My one rule is always have enough put away for a flight home should something go horribly wrong.
Janis
Hey Janis – And that’s an excellent rule to have as it provides that security that makes life on the road much less worrisome. It’s great that you’re out there on your second world trip and it seems that you are experiencing the world just as you want to be doing…keep it up and safe travels!!
Hi Earl! I love your blog and have been pouring over nearly every post in it hoping to be able to do what you do; particularly how to fund my travels. Even though I’ve traveled quite a bit on my own, the tricky part now for me is that I no longer travel alone. I have 2 kids. I’ve been planning to take them around the world for a couple of years hoping to give them an unconventional education. I’ve looked into teaching English in several countries but was shot down once they found that I’m Asian. Even though my English is just as good as any other Caucasian, I’ve been told by several schools that they are specifically looking for Caucasian English speakers. My other attempt is doing online marketing/blogging but have not a clue where to start. Ironically, I’ve majored in Economics in college and worked in Finance for over 5 years and I have not a clue as to making a single cent on the internet. As traveling and writing is my passion, I now have a blog that no one reads (except for my husband). Anyway, I digress…negative thoughts aside, I would like to know how I can start generating income through websites/online marketing.
Hey Kim – I appreciate the comment and yes, that does seem to be a common issue with teaching English unfortunately. It’s still possible to find a job of course but will take a little more effort and research. As for earning money online, that’s a tough questions to answer. I would literally need to write a book as there thousands of ways to earn an online income. You could do freelance work through a website site us Elance.com or Odesk.com, you could earn money through blogging, you could write eBooks and sell them on various websites, you could earn money through affiliate marketing and on and on and on…
My recommendation is to spend a few days doing some research and then narrow it down to the one method that you would be most interested in trying to follow. Then, stick with this for a while (several months at least) and really try to make it happen. I’ve found that if you’re willing to put in the time and effort to constantly teach yourself how it works, you’ll succeed in the end. Those who don’t succeed are generally those who quit and give up once they realize earning an online income is not nearly as easy as they thought.
Hey Earl,
I’m 24 and I think it’s my time to explore! I’ve been chasing what it is I want to do with my life ever since I graduated high school, spending thousands of dollars on school and not never being ale to come to a conclusion. Just recently it dawned on me that even if I had found something I’d be stuck in the ” Rat Race” that so many people in Americans conceptually attach to. My goal is to save up around 5 to 10 thousand dollars and begin my travels next January, but like yourself I would like to be employed in whatever countries I decide to travel. So I would just like to ask, where do I start when planning this journey? Is it possible to set up employment before arriving? Could you suggest what country to start and what path from country to country?
Thanks,
Matt
Hey Matt – Those are tough questions to answer as every single person is different. When it comes to choosing a country/region to start in, you should choose the region of the world that you are most interested in exploring. You definitely want to make sure you are excited about wherever it is you are headed!
In terms of employment, unless you’re looking for official work with an NGO or with a multi-national company, chances are you won’t be able to line anything up before you arrive. However, that’s not a big deal because you certainly don’t want to sign a contract for a job before ever visiting the country. There is always the chance that you arrive and decide that you don’t like the place and want to move on. So it’s much better to start traveling and then look for work whenever you find a city or town that you want to stay in for a while.
But again, I would start off by concentrating on the part of the world that you really want to visit more than any other!
Hi Earl, these messages are such an inspiration! I am 33 and have been wanting to travel since I can remember! I am English and have been in educational since the age of five, I became a lecturer of Drama since leaving Uni! I wish I could go right now as I’m so desperate to explore our beautiful planet. I started a part time 2nd degree in Creative Writing 3 years ago and still have another 3 years to go
I love it but cannot wait to achieve my degree so I can leave rainy England, hopefully for a very long time. You have made me feel very assured that it is easy to teach English so thank you and thank you for being so inspirational 
Hey Vicky – You should have no problem at all finding jobs teaching English. Just go to a website such as EslCafe.com and you’ll see just how many opportunities are out there all over the world! And before you know it your degree will be finished and one of those opportunities will be yours
Just read your namchung (think that’s right) hotel blog and it made me cry, beautiful
I’m so inspired by your site and your life. Thank you once more!
awesome story! just what i am thinking of doing.. i am 22 and live at home with my family but would love to pack up and travel without a return date.. such a big scary move!!!
Hey Shauna – It is a scary move indeed but just think that almost nobody who makes the move ever regrets that decision! And there’s a reason for that…once you get out into the world, things start to fall into place and you realize that you do have opportunities to turn travel into a lifestyle.
Hey Earl
When I left the service I followed my dream. Fed my travel bug. I bought a motorcycle with the money I had from the service and hit the road in England. I Started with 3800 dollars in my pocket and never looked back. I worked in any job I could get from bartender to bouncer, carpenter, photographer, roofer, drafts person, the easiest to get were bouncer or bartender. Everyone wanted to hear stories from the states or green beret war stories. Sometimes it got dangerous but most times it was an awesome experience. I wish everyone did it. I hit Europe, Asia, Africa and south America. You are so right in adventures helping you make money. Keep inspiring others. You are very cool.
Thanks Michael! And that’s the thing, there are always jobs available for those who really want to make travel a reality. Glad to hear it worked out so well for you!