How Do You Afford To Travel?

This seems to be the age old question. I get it all of the time. People email me and send me DMs and ask, “How do you afford to travel?” And I really don’t like to talk about money, but I’ve got to be able to direct people to a post.

I think my biggest issue with this question is that it seems as if people assume that I don’t work. I work. I work while I’m not traveling and I spend a good portion of my time on the road, logging on to my computer and clocking in work hours. Sacrificing some time while I’m traveling to work during the day makes more sense to me than spending my life in a cubicle.

I’ve also eliminated monthly expenses from my life. I also don’t really go out when I’m at home – it may sound depressing, but I don’t really have that big of a social life in Florida because I don’t know many people. And that’s okay. For me. What works for me may not work for you! So, here it is…

How Do You Afford To Travel?

Sell Everything

It’s really simple actually. I sold almost all of my belongings and I try not to buy any new ones unless I really need them. I kept my car at my Dad’s house when I lived in Italy for the year. And I didn’t know at the time that I would want to continue traveling when I returned so it ended up sitting in my Dad’s garage, not being driven for almost a year. This ended up giving me a whole lot of problems with my car. And it was already a money pit. So, when I decided that I would go to Thailand to teach English and then travel indefinitely, I decided to sell my car. I unfortunately couldn’t get a great price on Craigslist, so I ended up selling it to Carmax and actually made more than I thought I would..

Cut Costs

I have no monthly bills. I’m really lucky because my cell phone is on my Dad’s office plan, and my Mom let’s me live with her in Florida while I’m not traveling. She has a huge garage and she lets me store all of my belongings there. I do  contribute to groceries and pick up the bill sometimes when we go out, but those costs aren’t as high as rent would be.

Work Remotely

I do have a job people. I write remotely for Bustle.com (and I also own a small business). It’s a really great job for me because I can literally do it from anywhere that I have an internet connection. There are so many options out there for people who want to work remotely. If you know CS and how to code, you can easily find a job designing websites. If you’re good at social media, pitch a company and do some consulting. Also, If you’re looking for some freelance opportunities, check out Upwork.com (the pay isn’t great when you’re first starting out, but I’ve gotten a few good ones).

Look For Other Ways To Make Money

There are so many other ways to make money! I sell a lot of my gently worn clothes on Poshmark. I have also been very lucky to start making some money here and there from this site. I’ve finally started making money from affiliate links (I actually just took this amazing online course where you can learn how Michelle went from $0 in affiliate income to over $50,000 in a month). I have only made a few hundred dollars at this point, but that money will allow me to do some more activities during my travels.

Travel Affordably

You can travel so affordably these days. There are so many ways to find different travel hacks (like finding super cheap flights or great deals on accommodations) and you can really save a lot from them. I use websites like Skyscanner, booking.com, and apps like hopper to find cheap deals.

You can also stay in hostels while you travel. They aren’t scary and you can actually have an amazing time meeting and interacting with other people in your destination. It also gives you people to do activities with if you’re traveling solo!

So, now it’s your turn, how do you afford to travel?

Disclosure: some of the links in this post are affiliates which earns me a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting #travelcolorfully!

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