How to Travel the World on Very Little Money
I have very little money and I've been traveling (with some stops to live abroad and work) for most of the past 6 years. In terms of being thrifty and not spending much, here are my favorite things to do:
1. Travel to cheap countries! Whilst traveling in India and Nepal, my budget was $10 per day. Nowadays I'd make it about $12- (prices went up a little bit). Make an adventure of walking around and finding the cheapest guesthouse and the cheapest restaurants! Travel the way the locals do. 2. Couchsurfing! You can stay with cool, open-minded people...for free! Write personal requests showing that you read the hosts profile and you will find places to stay and people to hang out with all over the world. 3. Wwoofing, helpx, and workaway: Work-for-food-and-accommodation websites. You can work 15-30 hours per week or so at a hostel, on an organic farm or at an eco village, in someones house helping their kids learn English, at a resort, at a scuba diving place...etc.etc.etc. All in exchange for a place to sleep and 3 meals per day and (often) a big community of like-minded travelers.
[More resources: Worldpackers, Hostel Jobs]
4. Don't try to hit a million different destinations in a short period of time. Choose somewhere and go there for awhile instead of changing locations every 3 days. Transportation costs add up. 5. Campervan travel! Get a van, throw a mattress (ad) and a stove in the back, and get driving! You've got a free place to sleep, a place to cook your own food so that you don't have to spend money on restaurants, and the freedom to go anywhere. 6. Get a job in a foreign country! These days I teach English online. There is a huge market for that, and it doesn't take a very big investment to become qualified enough that people want to hire you. Also if you are happy to teach online, you can do it from anywhere with a decent internet connection.
[More resources: VIPKID, SkimaTalk, Dave's ESL Cafe]
Caity is a dynamic wanderer who has been traveling for almost 7 years on very little money. She writes travel stories from her adventures in 20+ countries, articles on various aspects of traveling cheaply, and the occasional satirical product complaint letter. Check out her blog here.
