The Cost of Travel

“I want to see the world! …but it’s expensive” one of the main thought that keeps an individual from taking the leap to start traveling is the expectation of the high cost of travel.

The cost of travel varies depending on where you go and what you want to do. Whether you want a structured trip or a free form backpacking adventure, the cost of travel is often less then you think and shouldn’t hold you back from seeing the world.

I’m lucky that I’m beginning my journey with no financial burdens. I don’t have rent, no car payments, no school loans, no child support, etc. but as a twenty-something year old graduate, my “life savings” is rather unimpressive. (see Travel Fund)

I’m hear to help you know what you can expect for your dollar as well as to give you ways to cut unneeded travel costs in every category of travel spending.

Transportation
- How to buy Airfare
Accommodation
- Saving more with Airbnb
Food
Vices
Misc

My personal conditions….

My plan is to travel for as long as I can, for as long as I continue to enjoy it. I want to see and experience as much as I can in my life and the farther I can stretch my wallet, the cheaper the cost of travel, the more I can experience. While I plan to travel as frugal as possible I’ve made a few rules in regards to my journey.

Absolutely No Debt – No matter what happens don’t go into debt. If I need to suspend my travels to work and earn money so be it. I’m not going to spend years of my life trying to recover from debt.
Don’t “Miss Out” on Anything – Experiences are worth more to me then money, that being said, money is used to have experiences. I don’t want to regret not doing or seeing something because it went over budget. If it’s something I really want to do, it’s okay to splurge a little.
Enjoy Myself – Sure eating rice and sleeping on the ground is cheap; but who wants to fly 9,000 miles around the world to eat rice and sleep on the ground? I want to be comfortable, safe and I’ll splurge a little if I’m feeling down.
Stay Healthy – Malnourishment and unsafe conditions are not worth saving a few bucks. I need to be healthy to enjoy the experiences along the way.
Earn Money – If I’m not earning money my reserves are shrinking. Find ways to keep the dream alive, earn money on the road. If I can keep my income greater then my cost of travel, I could travel forever!

I’m traveling as cheap as I can while enjoying myself and staying healthy. It could be done cheaper or more comfortably, but I’ll know what works for me and what I can afford.

The basic costs of traveling include accommodations, transportation, food, beverages, attractions and vices.

I’ll keep a ledger of what I spend a long the way so you can see the costs of travel, the cost of spend a day abroad, wherever I go around the world. You’ll see just what your money can buy you.