Comments on: People asking if they can travel for months with minimal savings.

By: RefrainsFromPartakin

RefrainsFromPartakin — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 00:03:24 +0000

Thank you for very clear and useful tips. I think that the choice of destinations (countries) is the initial factor to make your low-cost trip successful. Make sure that you understand the living cost there before planning to travel.

By: williAm

williAm — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 00:02:38 +0000

The people who travel super cheap come in 2 flavors (mostly):

they’re not really traveling as much as moving/living in different places. They rent a cheap condo in Chiang Mai for as little as $150/month that is -very- livable and sort of exist in a place for a while… This is a pretty good strategy, but this crowd is essentially living somewhere, not traveling, and they’re staying away from anything touristy. Once you get into petting tigers and taking elephant rides and eating in a touristy area (or just a wealthier area) your costs explode very quickly.

Hostels are full of backpackers who sit on their smartphones on the couch, wait for the communal hostel pasta dinner, and go to the local shack to buy a 40oz of cheap alcohol… and that’s what they do for week after week after week…. with only very occasional experiences that go beyond “walking around town.”

For me, the biggest disappointment of travel expense is housing. I’m in my 30s and I don’t want to sleep on dingy 20 year old hostel mattresses 6 to a room like an illegal immigrant in a local migrant house in the ghetto of NYC. It’s dirty, they rarely clear the shared bathrooms, etc.

After a day of sweating my butt off riding a motorcycle, I really appreciate a clean and pleasant room with a bathroom that is closely related to social activities/bars/clubs/restaurants. In most of the world, this doesn’t come cheap at all. Even in cheap regions like SEA, the cost is about $25-35/day. That’s not much at all – it’s great value. But if you travel for months at a time, that’s $1000/month right there.

By: Garret123

Garret123 — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 23:59:16 +0000

This is an amazing post. So many people boast about how possible it is to travel for really cheap, yet completely ignore all the things they miss out on because of being cheap.

By: patrickandrachelnard

patrickandrachelnard — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 23:56:49 +0000

I was just in Japan for a month, and having to cook instant noodles at a hostel instead of going out to Sushi and Ramen would have made it a much, much less magical experience. And those usually weren’t expensive places. $10 for Sushi or Ramen was pretty normal.

By: Мария

Мария — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 23:56:23 +0000

I can’t imagine not eating the local food (though this doesn’t have to be super expensive), going shopping (esp. if I’m in a place like Korea or Taiwan, there’s just too much stuff to pass up on), or experiencing the night life.

By: dragonakai

dragonakai — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 23:55:57 +0000

In reply to stillcantshoot. Truf! Almost got turned away at the Irish border because of this. Asked for 2 weeks in their country and was granted 1. Dude was cranky that day or something. A few years later I went back to Ireland, asked for 2 years, still didn't have proof of funds and was let right in. /shrug

By: stillcantshoot

stillcantshoot — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 23:55:08 +0000

Another thing to consider: many countries can and will ask for proof of funds at the border. If you land at Heathrow, tell the immigration officer you’re planning on staying 6 months, and only have $1,000 to your name, you’ll likely be turned away and sent home because they worry you’ll either have to work illegally or get help from charities or government social services.

By: peloquin

peloquin — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 23:53:41 +0000

The lower your budget, the closer you are to being a bum.