How to Travel the World When You Don’t Have Money

So you would love to travel but you can’t afford it.

Guess what – you are not alone!

Most of us have been there…

The good news is that you don’t have to be rich to travel.

There are a few simple but effective strategies that can make your travel dreams a reality.

The key is to prioritise and be consistent.

When You Have a Job

Keep your travel funds apart so that you don't spend it on something else (Venice, Italy) — Keep your travel funds apart so that you don’t spend it on something else (Venice, Italy)

The advantage of a regular income is that it’s easier to save money.

It’s crucial to put some money aside straight after you get paid.

Don’t wait till the end of the month to see if there is anything left because it will never happen.

There will always be other expenses, you will keep postponing your dream and you will lose focus and motivation.

It’s a good idea to keep the travel funds apart, otherwise you might spend them on something else.

Open a separate savings account and get the saving process automated.

Arrange a direct debit, which means that your bank will transfer the particular amount of money to your savings account every month.

When Your Income Is Not Regular

Try to travel off season to keep the costs down (Cayo Largo, Cuba)

If you are a freelancer or have your own business, it might be harder to save money because your earnings are probably irregular.

Try to put a small part of your income aside as soon as you receive it.

You can start with as little as one percent of your income and see how it goes.

When you see the money accumulating and your travel dream becoming more realistic, you will feel more motivated.

In comparison with people who have jobs that pay regularly, you might be more flexible timewise.

If possible, try to avoid travelling during the busiest times (holidays, weekends, events, etc.) and travel will cost you less.

Every Little Bit Helps

Start with putting a small amount of money aside every month (Great Otway National Park, Victoria, Australia)

Just think about it – if you manage to put aside just 10 euro/dollars each month, this will become 120 euro/dollars at the end of the year.

You could have a nice weekend break for this amount of money.

You might just stay in your country and drive, or travel by train or bus.

If you manage to get cheap flights to an inexpensive place, you might even be able to travel abroad.

We recommend checking Airbnb for local accommodation ideas.

You can get the free credit of 35 EUR (39 USD) for your first booking here.

Related Post: Airbnb for First-Timers

If you could put aside 50 euro/dollars per month, you will have 600 euro/dollars at the end of the year.

This could be enough for a cheap one-week holiday.

If you manage to save 100 euro/dollars each month, you will end up with 1,200 euro/dollars, which will give you even more options.

Manage Your Expenses

Find out if you could lower some of your expenses (Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand)

If you think that you can’t spare any money at all, analyse your expenses to see if you could cut back on some of them.

You can save 10 euro/dollars just by skipping a few coffees at a coffee shop or a lunch at a restaurant…

Are you still sure that you can’t do this?

The following tips should help you to lower your expenses.

Many of them worked for us:

Prepare your meals at home (check some recipes online to learn how to cook quickly, cheaply and healthily) – we like the Tasty app
Use shopping lists when buying groceries, try the cheaper brands of your favourite products
Don’t shop for food when you are hungry (you will buy much more than you need)
Create a weekly or monthly budget and plan how much you want to spend on groceries, hobbies, going out, etc.
Get loyalty cards at your supermarket, petrol station, etc. for various rewards and discounts
Check if you could lower your regular bills for car insurance, TV, internet, phone, bank fees, etc. (sometimes all you need to do is to give the provider a call and ask them)
Sign up for a credit card that offers free airline miles or other incentives (available especially in the USA, UK and Canada)
Pay your credit cards on time to avoid paying interest
Pay off any debts before they accumulate and become harder to manage
If you drive to work, find out if you could share the ride with somebody
Get a job closer to your home to reduce the time and money spent on commuting
Optimise your taxes
Move into a cheaper house or apartment
Refinance your mortgage
Consider if you really need a car
Drink less alcohol
Stop smoking or smoke less

Increase Your Income

Get creative and try to get an extra income (Cannes, France)

There are many ways to increase your income depending on how much time you can spare and what skills you have.

Think about it and get creative. The following ideas might inspire you:

Rent out your house, apartment, room or bed on Airbnb
Offer your parking space for rent
Sell the stuff you don’t need
Teach your native language or help students with any other subject you are good at
Start an online or local business
Offer your skills or services (for example, on Craiglist, Upwork, etc.)
Ask for a pay raise or find another job with a higher salary

Travel Cheaper

Travel doesn’t have to be expensive.

There is so much free stuff everywhere – from free local accommodation on Couchsurfing to free tours in many cities worldwide.

Do research online to see what is on offer in the destination you would like to travel to.

Start with trips in your own country, pick a destination with low costs of living or travel off season to keep the costs down.

Related Post: The Secret to Finding Cheap Flights

Your job can help you travel too.

People working in the travel industry (in airlines, travel agencies, hotels, etc.) can usually avail of special deals on flights and hotels.

If you are really flexible, you can also consider working abroad (teaching languages, working on a cruise or a farm, as a tour guide, instructor, babysitter, etc.)