Traveling the world is everybody’s dream and never more so than in current times where social media is to the fore and we see countless images of idyllic locations just waiting to be discovered. For many school leavers, the gap year is a rite of passage before university where children become adults and learn to stand on their own two feet. But what about later in life? Well, it needn’t be a scary or an impossible idea as it is perfectly possible to up sticks as an adult, whether you have children or not, and travel the world for a year or even longer.
Many people would be nervous at making such a move, but a year away can be liberating and can help you find yourself and your true personality away from the hustle and bustle of the modern hectic lifestyle. If you have thought about traveling the world, then read on, as we are going to take a look at how to do so on a budget.
Decide What is Important to You
The first step to planning your world trip is to work out what is important to you and what you want to achieve from your trip, as this will dictate the sort of traveling you can afford. Do you mind staying in hostel accommodation or would you rather stay in a hotel? Hotels will be beyond the reach of most people and furthermore, they are not the most social places. Much better would be to stay in a hostel or even a campsite, where you will be best placed to make new travel buddies, and will also be able to escape into the countryside at the drop of a hat, which, after all, is the reason that you are traveling in the first place. Some people like to travel light which will allow them access to much cheaper means of transport, whereas others prefer to have a dress for every occasion and every gadget going. If you follow this route, then everything will suddenly become more costly and you will lose the valuable experience of traveling on a budget which will broaden your horizons forever.
How Will You Travel?
There are many different means of transport that you can use to travel the world. Airplanes are the most obvious choice, but they can be expensive, even if you take advantage of rewards programs. An alternative is to go with the RV approach, which gives you complete freedom. Experts from https://www.thewanderingrv.com/ recommend that you rent an RV that gives you the ability to travel the entire length of the Americas, and will allow you to economize as you won’t have expensive hotel bills to pay. You can cook and wash in your RV, and your only real worry is your fuel costs. If you want to go further afield then you could take a cabin on a commercial ship at a very low cost, and then rent another RV in Europe with which you can easily travel to Asia, and Africa. Suddenly the world seems a much smaller place as your RV will allow you to explore every corner of the globe without breaking the bank.
Earn Money Whilst Away
Whilst you are traveling it is worth thinking about how you can make money from your life back at home. For example, if you own your own property, you could rent it out for a year and this income can be used to fund your travels. You may be worried that your home won’t be yours when you return, but this is a minor quibble considering you are going to be having the time of your life! Maybe your job skills are transferable so that you can actually earn money whilst traveling? You might not be a journalist, but if you have a good grasp of English then you could become a freelance writer and spend a couple of hours a day writing articles or even your own blog so that those pennies keep coming in. Your idea may be to get away from your professional life, but if you want to travel the world on a budget, then every penny of extra income will allow you to explore the world in more depth and will further enrich your experiences.
Be Flexible
When you are away from home for a long period of time, the worst thing that you can do is have rigid plans. The nature of traveling is unpredictable and you want to be able to relax and have a stress-free time, so when unexpected things happen you should embrace them. Yes, ideally you’d like to spend a month in every country, but if there is the option of a dirt-cheap flight or sailing that leaves next week, then be impulsive and take it. You never know what is around the corner and you may end up meeting people and doing things that weren’t initially planned.
On the other hand, you may have picked up some work fruit picking and the season lasts a month longer, so you may decide to stay put and earn enough funds to see you through an extra three months of traveling. All of this depends on you being flexible and not having plans that are set in stone. Obviously, there will be a few dates that you will have to work towards, but when you can, relax and go with the flow and you will find that your experience becomes all the richer for it.
As we have discovered traveling on a budget is perfectly possible as long as you plan in advance how you will physically travel and then you take advantage of unexpected events whilst you are traveling. Think about your transport and consider an RV as this will cover your travel expenses and accommodation at the same time. Decide what is important to you early on and see if you can earn whilst you are away by using your previous employment skills to do some freelance work or take advantage of seasonal labor needs to do some fruit or vegetable picking. If you follow this guide you will have the time of your life on a shoestring budget.
