Originally posted to The Wanderlust Rose, reprinted here with permission.

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15 new countries, 3 continents and 12 new states in one year is a lot of travel.

That’s not even counting the repeat trips to Italy, Germany and Texas. Or that in some countries I stayed over a month. 

SO THE MOST COMMON QUESTION I GET THESE DAYS IS HOW CAN I AFFORD TO TRAVEL SO MUCH?

TRAVELING FULL TIME

Aside from plane tickets (which are definitely the most expensive part!) I have found it can actually be cheaper to travel full time than to live and pay rent, electricity, car insurance, internet, and all the other bills that come from living in one set location.

The first 6 months of my travels I was paying rent at a really nice apartment in Minneapolis. I loved the place but was not home enough to enjoy it. Paying rent on something that was little more than an over-glorified storage locker was killing my budget.

LIVING LIFE ON THE ROAD

So in June of 2018 I sold some things and put the rest into storage.  Now my home would be villas in Bali, sailing ships in Indonesia, Nile River boats, campsites in Germany or Airbnb’s in Italy.

I stopped placing such high value on material things and started valuing my own happiness, bringing joy to others and living the life I wanted to live.

While I know this isn’t a life path many would choose, I love waking up on the Venice canal, going to catch the sunrise over the Pyramids of Egypt or seeing a dazzle of zebras outside my villa in Africa.

Now I understand not everyone will sell their home and embark on a year long journey around the world. But for those of you wanting to travel (and still keep one foot on the ground) I can suggest these mindsets!

PRIORITIZE TRAVEL

So people keep asking, “How can you afford to travel so much?”

My response, “Because I make it a priority!”

Now if I had a dollar every time someone asked me that question, THAT’S how I would fund my travels  

I prioritize travel the same way some people make dressing in designer clothing, driving a nice car, owning a home, or buying Starbucks coffee their priority. What we decide to spend our money on is what we are deciding to ultimately value.

It’s easy to say, “I’ll travel when I have the time.” Well if you start prioritizing it, you will MAKE the time.

It’s easy to say, “I’ll travel when I save up a little more money.” But that’s often a slippery slope of continuing to put off traveling.

It’s easy to say, “I’ll travel when I’m older.” But we aren’t guaranteed any amount of time of this earth. So I’m a huge advocate of living the life you desire today. Especially while you are young and have your health!

TRAVEL TO COUNTRIES WHERE YOUR CURRENCY IS STRONG

If you want to start traveling but don’t have a lot to spend, pick destinations where your currency is strong.

When I traveled to Egypt, I spent under $400 to book a 10 day tour. That price included accommodation, food, private guides, a Nile cruise and airport transfers. We opted to do every one of the optional upgrades and it still wasn’t an expensive trip! Egypt is incredibly cheap. But so is Indonesia. And so many other places around the world! 

VOLUNTEER IN EXCHANGE FOR ACCOMMODATION

After plane tickets, the next biggest cost of travel is typically accommodation and food.

I have personally volunteered with Diverbo in exchange for awesome housing and tons of delicious German food and beer! You can read my blog post about it here.

You can also do WOOFing or Workaway. Both of these offer accommodation in exchange for volunteering a few hours a day!

And be sure to check out my post 10 Ways to Start Traveling Now.

GET INSPIRED, SET GOALS AND GO FILL YOUR PASSPORT!

Taking the leap and going on a big trip can be scary. Especially if you’ve never really traveled before.  But I promise it’s easier than it seems. Decide where you want to go and start getting inspired! There are endless resources online.

Makes goals, set a deadline and start filling up your passport!

If you’re wanting to travel but don’t think it’s possible right now, please feel free to reach out! I try to answer everyone and am happy to give some guidance and inspiration whenever needed  

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Thank you to The Wanderlust Rose for permission to repost this. Please check out her blog for more of her travels.