Traveling The World On A Budget
By: William Moody
Tags: Travel, Budget Travel, Travel Tips, Tourism, Traveling

How To Travel On A Budget

What is the most common thing people want to do, fail to do, and regret not doing later? Traveling the world. Most of us have a blurry vision of wanting to go see all the places in the world. Some desire this more than others. Yet I believe we all crave to see what this world has to offer us on some level. What’s biggest barrier preventing us from achieving this goal? The lack of funds. So many of us work a 9–5 job, just to put food on the table. We feel trapped by our lack of disposable income. We feel like doing things like traveling is only an available option after we have grown old and retired. You can start traveling on a budget and start seeing the world and all it has to offer.

That said, I put a question before you. Does it have to be this way? Do you absolutely have no option but to work yourself to death? To work to put food on the table without being able to enjoy life? I think the fact that this way of thinking is so common is sad. This mindset is so untrue. By the time most figure that out though, they are old and retired. Their body aches and they struggle to really get out and enjoy life because they hurt. Then they don’t want to travel.

This should scare you. Most people don’t actively think about how they are thinking and why it can hurt them. They just continue to do the same thing they have been doing. Until, they wake up one day and realize they haven’t lived their lives the way they always wanted to. Don’t be like that. Start making the changes you need to make so you live with as few regrets as possible. Traveling on a budget is incredibly easy to do if you know how to go about it.

How To Start Making Changes

We tend to do the things we are used to, even when we want more out of life. It is difficult to start making any changes to our lives that are outside our normal routines. The first step to fixing a problem in our lives is realizing there is one. Cliché? Yes, but it is also true. So if you are ready to start fixing the root of this problem, read on and I will discuss how to start traveling on a budget.

1. Traveling on a Budget- Mindset

Change Your Thinking

The first step to traveling on a budget frequently is to change how you think of traveling. We all dream of traveling first class and staying in 5 star hotels for a week or two and then flying back home. Stop thinking like this. This is how you spend thousands of dollars and reinforce the notion that you can’t afford to travel. Instead, you need to realize that traveling shouldn’t be about how you get to a place, but what you do when you are there. The planes and hotels are nice add-ons, but they shouldn’t prevent you from seeing the world.

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t look for nice flights and hotels. Just keep in mind that they should be secondary to seeing the place you want to go to. In the next step, I will discuss strategies for actually finding places to go to while traveling on a budget. Just keep in mind that people generally have not experienced a large portion of the world. Your “dream” destination may be something you should save for and go all out on. I am talking about seeing as much of the world as possible and finding strategies to do so on a budget. Do not be fixated on going to a place you think would be nice even though you have never been. Travel to as many places as possible, find all the hidden gems, and then go back in luxury if that is your desire.

Also, stop thinking that traveling has to be done for a week or more. It certainly can take a week, but it doesn’t have to be. When your desire is to see the world and you are working full time, you have to be reasonable with your time management. In step 2, find a weekend you are free and put those dates in. Then just go. You won’t regret it. Traveling is far more enjoyable than staying at home and watching Netflix on your days off.

For Those Who Love Traveling

If you are serious about traveling and seeing the world, read my other article here for info on how to live internationally. It is much easier than people think and in many cases cheaper. My wife and I currently live in Germany, and will be living in Spain as soon as the rest of her enlistment is up. There are several reasons we made this decision, but here are the two main reasons:

A country like Spain has a low cost of living. You need about $2000 every month to live comfortably there. That is significantly cheaper than most other places. This is why many people retire in Spain. Their money goes farther. It is a great idea to live internationally if you are an investor/entrepreneur because you cut your living expenses. That extra money can go back into your business and you grow your net worth much quicker. By living in Spain, my wife and I will be able to travel at a cheaper cost than flying internationally. Instead of paying $800 for a round-trip international flight, I will usually pay around $25. This means that I can travel every single weekend for less than one international flight. Not to mention that the hotels are also cheaper.

For ideas on places to live, I would recommend looking at YouTube videos that discuss cheapest countries to live in or to retire in. This will give you an idea of what other people do with their money and why. Many retirees live internationally because their money goes further in different countries. I am fond of that mindset. Living internationally isn’t for everyone, but if you love to travel and see the world, I can’t think of a better solution.

2. Traveling on a Budget- Finding An Itinerary

Skyscanner

The first step in traveling on a budget is finding a place to go that fits your budget. First, go to websites like skyscanner.com to find traveling packages that are affordable. If you live in USA, know that traveling internationally is going to be on the expensive side of things. If you start putting some money aside every month into a high-interest bearing savings account like Ally bank, within one to four months you will be able to start traveling and the money you save will earn interest instead of just sitting in a savings account.

International Flights

Also keep in mind that you can get better deals on international flights with different companies. I wouldn’t use skyscanner for getting to the EU for example. Check out different options and go with the cheapest one. Do not restrict your ability to travel based on the airline. The flight should be a low priority next to traveling. For whatever reason, this is not how most people think. Traveling on a budget internationally can be challenging, but it is doable if you do your research.

Picking Spacious Flights

For those concerned with the size of the seat (I am 6'4" so I totally relate) I would look at airlines like Jet Blue. In a recent article they had the most space per seat compared to other popular airlines. I’ll link the article here so you can check it out if your are interested. I recently took a flight through Delta and it was so uncomfortable. I grew up on Delta and I have always appreciated their customer service but their seats are awful. They are also expensive, so I’d recommend going with someone else. I will not go back to Delta until they stop restricting their seating space.

My Strategy When Using Skyscanner

Find Your Next Destination

So my strategy for traveling is to use skyscanner to find a place to travel for me. I will put in my closest airport (Frankfurt) and put in a weekend that I am free, and I do not put in a destination. Just look at what is available. It will pull up a list of roundtrip flights, some under $50, a few under $20. Here are some recent screenshots for a weekend a month in advance of me:

As you can see, these are incredibly cheap, roundtrip flights to different countries for very affordable prices. For these prices, I personally don’t care how the flight feels or looks. If I can get to Italy and back for a weekend for roughly $70 (I would take my wife and son with me), the memories I will make with them will outweigh any discomfort I may feel for an hour or two while flying.

The hotels are also cheap! check out the next pic I took!

Here you can see that for a single person, I can get a hotel room for a weekend in Rome for $76, or £55. That is fantastic! In the US, it is more expensive to stay in a hotel for one night than a weekend in Rome. You may have noticed that the flight is more expensive than the promised £17. This is because there is a whole list of destinations in Italy where you can go. The cheapest one is £17. I’ve been to Rome so it is something that stuck out to me.

I loved it, and would definitely recommend trying it out. It is breathtaking seeing the colosseums and ancient Roman ruins. When you travel you walk on the cobblestones and see architecture that has been around for thousands of years, it is beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed traveling Rome and Venice. They were absolutely gorgeous and it was a lifechanging experience for me. It is why I love seeing new things. Those were the first international destinations I had ever been to. My wife and I had an absolute blast visiting all the shops and stores we could, getting gelato from authentic Italian shops, and looking at the glass-blowing places in Venice. The fact you can do this for like $200 is insane. Go travel. There is no excuse not to.

Conclusion

Traveling

If traveling is something you are passionate about, there is no excuse for wasting every month of your life by not doing everything you can to see the world. Of course every person is in a different financial place, and there are limits to how much we can spend on travel. However, there are some budget-friendly options for those who care enough to look for them. Try out different places. Find a cheap destination to visit and then go. Just travel. Don’t take your nagging relatives or annoying friends. If you want to travel, take only the people who will enrich your experience if you want to. If you want to go by yourself then do it. Just go. It isn’t hard. There is no secret formula for traveling. Just look up affordable travel plans, pick one, and visit. It will change your life.

On Covid Restricitons

Granted, with the Covid-related travel restrictions in place, it is difficult to travel now. However, this is also a perfect opportunity for those with limited funds to start saving for traveling. Put aside some money every month in a high-interest bearing savings account. Keep doing that until the Covid restrictions go away. You will find that you have plenty of money to travel by that time, and will be happy you invested in yourself.

Make Happiness In Your Life

In this life we are only given the opportunity to make ourselves happy. If you are passionate about traveling, then find ways to do it. You will be a miserable wreck if you cannot meet this need in your life to experience the world. You will feel chained down and unhappy with life if you don’t travel. No one is going to swoop in and make your life enjoyable. You have to take the responsibility for your happiness or you will never find it.

I know that feeling well. I spent years of my life feeling like a hermit. My life was going to work, then going back home. Then I woke up and did it again. I lived in a small town that offered very few sources of entertainment. My coworkers were my only friends, and they were all as miserable as I was. I dreamed of living abroad. Of living on a beach somewhere. Of waking up to the sounds of waves crashing on the beach. I had a vision for my life that went above and beyond what my current station was. So I took responsibility for it and just made it happen. It was the best decision of my life.

You can do this too, if you dare to reach for more. Don’t stand in your way. Don’t hold yourself back. Anyone can travel, even on a budget. If you are making no money where you live, then move. If you don’t have the resources to move, then find ways of making additional streams of income so you can move. Don’t give yourself excuses to not live life to the fullest.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you were able to gain another perspective on life. I hope you learned something that you can apply to your life that will enrich it and help you on your journey to personal happiness and financial freedom.

God Bless,

Will Moody

The Roaming Investor