How You Can Afford To Travel Long Term? We Did It & You Can Too

What is the cheapest way to travel for a long period of time? The question on everyone’s lips. Here we list our 7 cheapest ways to travel long-term. And give you our top tips to help you save enough money before you go –  so, you too can travel the world like us.

Firstly, I have a very important question for you and please be honest. If you won ‎$15,000 tomorrow would you:

A) Buy a fancy car (or other luxury item)

B) Put it into a savings account or invest it

C) Travel the world

The answer is obvious to me. The reason I said ‎$15,000 is because I know that it’s possible to take an unforgettable gap year with just ‎$15,000 to your name. Because that’s exactly what we did!

That amount sounds like a lot doesn’t it, but think of your yearly expenses right now –  including rent, food, car, insurance, bills, etc.  I’m sure the total comes pretty close to $15,000.

Continue reading | The top five excuses people use not to go traveling

How much should I save for long-term travel?

I recommend having a minimum of $15,000 saved if you want to travel for a year.

Now, I’m not saying you need to have ‎$15,000 in the bank at this moment in time. I’m gonna break it down for you –  ‎$15,000 over 12 months equals about ‎$40 per day. So, say you wanted to travel for only 3 months then I say you need a maximum ‎of $5,000 to do so. That includes flights, visas, and travel insurance.

Obviously, ‎$40 a day is barely going to buy you a breakfast in countries like Australia or New Zealand. So, use your common sense – I’m only referring to the countries I’ve backpacked in. Countries like Italy, Mexico, El Salvador, Vietnam, Cambodia & Bali.

Doing a working holiday visa in countries like Australia, Canada and New Zealand is another great way to travel long-term. As that way you can work for a couple of months and then travel around these ‘more expensive’ destinations with the extra money you’ve saved from working.

Without further ado here are our top tips for the cheapest ways to travel long-term – 

Step 1: Set a strict daily budget

$40 per day doesn’t sound like a lot does it? But in some parts of the world it goes a very long way, take Vietnam for example I stayed in some really nice hotels for a maximum of ‎$15 per night. In Mexico and Belize, it was a lot harder to find reasonable hotels so we increased our budget to $30 and scrapped the nice hotels instead of staying in wooden cabins in the jungle or at a cabana on the beach.

Sounds like a pretty great (cheap) way to travel, right?!

Step 2: Eat at street food stalls or cheap restaurants

Our favorite restaurants in Vietnam were probably the cheapest we’ve ever eaten at. We found this tiny restaurant down a back street in Hanoi that felt like you were eating in someone’s house. But, it was run by a finalist on Masterchef Vietnam and was so tasty.

In countries like Mexico where accommodation is more expensive we ate at little taco stalls to save money. In Belize, we ate at barbecues run by locals on the beach because most of the restaurants were too expensive for our budget.

Shop around, use TripAdvisor, take out your Lonely Planet book, ask fellow backpackers and I guarantee you will come up with a list of the length of your arm of cheap and yummy places to eat. If you want to travel for a year and for example eat only steak or fancy Italian food then ‎$15,000 probably isn’t going to last you for a whole year. But then I’m guessing those people would have selected option A above and so haven’t read this far.

So, if you’re willing to stay in small 1 or 2-star hotels and only eat where the locals eat, then yes you can afford to travel long-term.

Step 3: Do your research to get a great deal for an activity

Going on tours however, takes a lot more budget planning. Basically, we spent less in the days leading up to the tour. We stayed in cheaper hotels and ate at street vendors for next to nothing. So, if you’re willing to scrimp a little for a few days to go on a once-in-a-lifetime tour to somewhere like Halong Bay or the ATM Caves in Belize – then yes you can afford to travel long-term.

Step 4: Get the bus instead of a taxi or private transfer

Are you a good bus passenger? If you’re willing to take buses everywhere. Yes, that means some 12-hour bus journeys on a sleeper bus with no toilets. And you won’t be tempted to blow a week’s budget on a plane journey to the next city. Then, yes you can afford to travel long-term.

Step 5: Resist the urge to buy souvenirs

Can you resist buying tacky souvenirs that you will probably end up throwing out before your flight home? Then yes you can afford to travel.

On that note, can you stop yourself from buying all non-essential clothing for a whole year? Then yes, you can afford to travel long-term.

Step 6: Opt for the local beer 

Are you willing to swap your G&T’s or glasses of rosé for local beer? Local beer is super cheap and most of the time tastes pretty good. You will become a beer connoisseur by the end of your trip, I promise you that. No lie I’ve probably tried about 30 new beers because I gave up my G&T’s. Sound good? Then yes, you can afford to travel long-term.

Step 7: Try to earn some money while traveling

Another great option if you don’t have a bucket load of savings in the bank is to work while you travel. Some popular and easy ways to do this is by Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), becoming an Au Pair or, working in a bar or Cafe. If you have a unique skill, say, you can surf or ski then you could get a job teaching other travelers.

In countries like Australia, fruit picking or farm work is a popular way that tourists can make a decent amount of money in a short space of time.

In fact, I’d go so far as to say that if you want to travel long-term in countries like Australia and New Zealand then you will need to work as you go. And to do that you’ll need a working holiday visa.

The cheapest way to travel doesn’t need to be the worst way to travel

YES, you can afford to travel long-term. If you want it you will find a way if not, you will find an excuse. It’s as simple as that. We’re all running out of time, if you want to travel just bloody do it don’t keep saying you want to and then never do it. You will end up living with the regret. Let me leave you with this final thought.

Through traveling you make unforgettable memories. Think of it this way, when you’re old and grey and looking back on your life you don’t want to be thinking about that time you bought a nice pair of skinny jeans. Or remember the time you blew your entire paycheck on makeup.

Luxury travel is great but ‘cheap travel’ can be more authentic

You want to be remembering that time you slept in a wooden cabin in the jungles of  Mexico or the time you hiked an active volcano in El Salvador or the time you swam with sharks in Belize or the time you ate the best pizza of your life in a tiny town in Italy.

I’ll say it again and again, you will never again be as young as you are at this moment, embrace it – travel the world, and see as much of it as you possibly can because when you’re sitting in your rocking chair at 80 you’re going to wish you had.

Your travel experience doesn’t need to be luxurious to enjoy it! Tell me – what did you think of our top tips for the cheapest way to travel? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section!

Some of my other most popular blog posts include –

How to Spend 5 Days in San Francisco

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Last Updated on July 19, 2024 by snaphappytravel