You may read that title & think how can that be possible? There is a common misconception that people who travel a lot must also have a lot of money. Spoiler alert! In this blog we are going to bust this myth wide open and explain exactly how we started travelling full time with only £3,000 each in our bank accounts almost five and a half years ago.
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A brief back story of us
It would be foolish of us to dive right in without telling you a little bit more about how we got here and where it all started. After all, you wouldn’t take advice from someone you know hasn’t already done it right?
Let’s rewind to 2019, this is the year we graduated from University in the July. But a couple of months before that, we had already booked one-way tickets to Australia. As we knew that jumping into a graduate job was absolutely not what we wanted. This was pre COVID times, so flights were a lot cheaper back then. We managed to bag ourselves 2 one-way tickets from London to Melbourne for only £298, a steal we know!
Between July & October of that year we both worked multiple minimum wage jobs and managed to save £3,000 each, a combined total of £6,000. This was all the money we had, bar some smaller savings that we refused to touch. But honestly that did not scare us. This is where our full-time travel story began and it ultimately changed the course of our lives. To the extent that we are still travelling today and work solely for ourselves through our business online.
You’ll learn a bit more about the rest of our story later, for now let’s concentrate on how you can get on the right track, to do the exact same.
Choosing where to travel to
Sure, if you want to travel to destinations such as French Polynesia, UAE, Iceland or Singapore, it’s going to cost you a lot. As these countries are known for being expensive to visit. So maybe you’d be able to travel for a few weeks, but definitely not long term on a small budget.
If you have a small budget, you have to stay realistic. Which is why we chose Australia as ultimately, we could get a Working Holiday Visa. Which would allow us to pick up work as we travel, when funds inevitably got low.
Australia offers WHV’s to a lot of European citizens & others around the world. Always check the government website to make sure you are eligible to apply, find it here. The same goes for New Zealand, Canada and the UK.
If these countries haven’t made your bucket list, then South East Asia is one of the cheapest parts of the world to travel to & is a haven for budget backpackers. We’ve done our fair share of travel through this region to Indonesia, Thailand (multiple times), Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia, we can firmly say they are all budget friendly.
With £3,000 you’d likely be able to spend a couple of months comfortably in this region. When we first visited Southeast Asia in 2018, back then we spent £1,500 each in 2 months. But this still isn’t full time travel, right? Don’t worry, we will get into that next.
Working and Travelling
If you’re reading this blog thinking you’re going to find some magic formula on how you can start travelling full time with only £3,000 and there be no work involved. Then sorry you’ve come to the wrong place, there is no magic formula, but there is work! Which should be your best friend when choosing to travel full-time.
If you aren’t willing to work, then you will find yourself packing up & heading home fairly quickly. Fortunately, if you choose to travel to Australia or New Zealand (which we have experience with). Then there is no shortage of work opportunities. Just take a look at our previous blog ‘Your guide to living & working in Queenstown as a backpacker’ for more about working in New Zealand.
Whilst we travelled Australia, we also spent a few weeks, sometimes months in between travels, working in various roles. Mostly hospitality and housekeeping but also farming. We had such a laugh doing this and met some great people along the way. The best way to find jobs like this is by simply asking around and handing out your resume. Alternatively, there are many Facebook groups for backpackers looking for work.
Eventually, we grew tired of working for other people and had always dreamt of working for ourselves. We created our Instagram account to document our travels and after 10 months we decided to take it more seriously. We figured we could try to monetise it, as we saw so many others doing the same. Fast forward to present day and we make all our income through content creation. This is a blog post for another day, as it definitely wasn’t as easy as it sounds.
But if you enjoy photography and videography like us then it’s truly a rewarding industry to dive into and it will give you the freedom, you no doubt crave. However, Instagram isn’t for everyone. Luckily in our day and age we have the internet and there are millions of ways to make money online. Simply start by googling ‘Ways to make money online’ to see for yourself. Or speak with other digital nomads who are already working online. Perhaps you could even work remotely for a job you already have experience and contacts in.
Whilst travelling the world, we have met a plethora of people from all walks of life. Who are earning an income online, in many different ways. Being able to work from anywhere in the world isn’t just a luxury for the rich & famous. Believe us, we used to think this too! It’s becoming increasingly more achievable for anyone who wants to. It only takes you choosing to make that first step, to change your life.
Instagram more seriously
HOT TIP: If you find yourself in an expensive country, with no access to work and your bank balance decreasing. Instead of panicking, giving up & potentially flying back home to your comfort zone. Weigh up whether it would be worth your time and money to fly somewhere either cheaper or a country you can apply for a work visa in. We left New Zealand for Indonesia as soon as the cost of living started to rise, because we knew we couldn’t afford to stay any longer.
Sticking to a budget whilst travelling
To be a budget traveller you have to learn to be careful with where you spend. Something that has helped us over the years, is adopting the mindset of ‘the less we spend the further we can travel’.
For us, being able to travel further and for longer is the number one goal. Therefore, all money decisions boil down to that fact and it helps us make better choices with our cash. This isn’t to say we live super frugally & never treat ourselves, we just know when we can & when it’s best not to.
Having a daily budget whilst you travel is going to really help you stay on top of it. That budget may change depending on where you travel to and the cost of living. But by sticking to it, you know you are on track to travelling for longer.
For example, in Southeast Asia we would stick to a budget of roughly £25 per day for 2 people. This includes, accommodation, food & activities. Some days we would definitely go over budget, but you can factor that in, for certain days you may need to spend more. This may be on things like transport, bucket list activities or unexpected medical needs.
In Australia and New Zealand, we would budget more as the cost of living is higher. Making it roughly £50-£75 per day for 2 people. Some days we spent this and some days we came in well under budget. It’s worth noting that for a huge chunk of our time in these countries we lived in an apartment and then in a van. Meaning accommodation costs weren’t always taken into account. This budget mainly refers to when we were travelling in a van and other times when we were staying in hostels.
It is always a good idea to check back in on your budget and adjust it if you need to. What is even more crucial is putting aside some emergency funds for in case anything goes wrong. Such as vehicle breakdowns, medical expenses, travel changes, lost or stolen money. Having that buffer gives you a little more security and reassurance that if anything were to go wrong, you can afford to fix the problem.
Choosing where to sleep at night
It’s no secret that your accommodation costs are going to be one of your biggest outgoings when travelling full-time. You don’t have a permanent base, yet you definitely still need somewhere to sleep each night.
You may be the kind of traveller that enjoys 5-star hotels and all the luxuries. There’s nothing wrong with that, heck we love it too sometimes! But these types of hotels come with a hefty price tag, one that our small wallets can’t always afford, especially long term. As a budget traveller it’s time to lower your expectations and accept that you’re going to stay in some rough around the edge’s places. Maybe not all the time, but definitely sometimes.
We promise you’ll get used to it and in fact you may even grow to love it. Honestly, we prefer basic over luxury these days. One of the biggest cost saving tips is to find accommodation with a kitchen. That way you can make all your own food, and you won’t be tempted to eat out every day.
Failing that, in countries like in Southeast Asia, where a kitchen with your accommodation is a little rarer. A place that offers breakfast included is a game changer. As that is not only your accommodation covered, but one meal out of three too, winning!
HOT TIP: If you are a content creator like us, you can even offer your services in exchange for complimentary stays and sometimes paid work on top. These kinds of scenarios are a mutually beneficial way for you and the hotel to get what you want from working together.
If you are travelling through countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and pretty much any country in Europe. The best and most cost-efficient way to see the most of that country is to try VANLIFE. Our favourite travel style, as you will know if you follow us.
You will end up spending a large portion of cash to initially purchase or rent the van or vehicle you will travel in. But don’t forget, this is going to be your transport and accommodation all in one! Plus, it’s way more fun than relying on public transport for your whole trip. Again, a common misconception is that Vanlife is expensive. But the truth is, it’s as expensive as you make it, and this goes for full time travel too.
We travelled across Australia and New Zealand in a van. Our vehicle in Australia cost us AUD$4,500 (approx. £2,400) & in New Zealand NZD$3,200 (approx. £1,600). Before purchasing both vehicles we worked for a few months in advance, to be able to afford it. In total we spent 12 months living on the road, the best year of our lives. This was also the year we decided to go full time in our business. It sustained us whilst on the road in New Zealand, for 5 months before leaving for Indonesia.
Learning to be flexible with your plans
We are the biggest advocates for being flexible with your travel plans, it’s the way we choose to travel. Not only is it more fun and adventurous, but it can also save you cash,
Firstly, when searching for your flights utilise the month tool on Skyscanner or Google Flights. This will show you what time of year is the cheapest to fly. We have found some unreal deals by using this.
Secondly, try different airports as prices can vary depending on where you are flying from and in to. But make sure you take into consideration travel costs to and from airports. As this can add extra money and time to your journey. This has happened to us before, thinking we are getting a good deal, but forgetting about additional travel costs.
Avoid the common travel mistake of planning out your entire itinerary and especially if you are travelling full time. Sure, some things are worth preparing for in advance. However, on so many occasions we have found better deals when on the ground, than on the internet. Furthermore, by having no plans it gives you the freedom and flexibility to stay as long or as short as you please in any location.
HOT TIP: Our golden rule when booking hostels in particular but also other low-cost accommodation, is to only pre book one night. Why? Well, it means if we show up and don’t like it for whatever reason, we can just leave the following morning, and we haven’t lost any money. You may be thinking, but what if you do like it? Going off first impressions you can usually tell if you are going to like a place. If we decide we do, then we immediately book another night or more at the reception. Surprisingly, we haven’t encountered any issues before with somewhere being fully booked. If this does happen, you can always find somewhere else pretty easily.
It’s worth mentioning that by travelling slower you are also going to save more money, as moving around all the time costs. Think about it, if you are constantly catching flights, those savings are going to run out pretty quickly. But if you stay in a country for a few months or even years. You are taking less flights and also getting the opportunity to experience it like a local. Which makes for a much more enriching travel experience, in our opinion.
Travelling in low or shoulder season
A brilliant way to keep your budget low when travelling full-time is to choose to travel in low or shoulder seasons. For example, every time we have visited Southeast Asia we have visited during wet season, which is typically low season. You may be put off by the term ‘wet season’ and whilst some years are worse than others. Our experience has always been pleasant, and it does not rain for too long when it does.
Often you will find that everything from flights, accommodation, ground transport, activities and sometimes even food is much cheaper than in high season. Not to mention, it will be a heck of a lot quieter, and you will get to enjoy some spots totally to yourself – just how we like it.
Choosing your activities wisely
When you’re on the road full time you’ll come to realise that not every day is a holiday. You don’t have to tick off your entire bucket list all in one go. Eventually, full time travel will become your lifestyle and then it just becomes part of your daily life. You wouldn’t be bungy jumping or skydiving every day if you were back home, would you?
For us, most of the activities we choose to do, are you guessed it, FREE! Which are sometimes also the best kind. We are adventure travellers and enjoy spending most of our time outdoors, in nature. Doing activities such as hiking, going to the beach, snorkelling, you name it.
Of course, we have splurged on bucket list activities like skydiving and swimming with sea lions, and so you should! But not too often, if you want to keep that budget low. Because we have chosen to live minimally and sacrificed in other areas of life, such as staying in lower cost accommodation and making all our own food. We are usually able to pay for these activities when we want to do them.
Final thoughts
Five years ago, we had no idea that this could be what our life looks like now. Our aim is to help those of you looking to do the same, to get on the right track. We hope that you have found this short guide useful for your own journey, even if you only have as little as £3,000 in your back pocket.
If you have any questions regarding anything we have mentioned in this blog post, please don’t hesitate to contact us, we are always more than happy to answer any questions. You can find us on Instagram & TikTok, where you can find more travel tips and inspiration.
A great read guys. Maybe we will do it one day
Thank you Rach. You really should!