How To Start Travelling Full Time With As Little As £3,000

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 & explain exactly how we started travelling full time with only £3,000 each, in our bank accounts when we first started, almost 4 years ago.

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 & 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. Now, 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 £298 , a steal I know!

Between July & October of that year we both worked multiple minimum wage jobs & managed to save £3,000 each, a combined total of £6,000. This was all the money we had in the world, 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 & it ultimately changed the course of our lives. To the extent that we are still travelling today (although with a UK base) & 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 the Maldives, French Polynesia, UAE 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 & 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, Vietnam, Cambodia & 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 SE Asia in 2018, 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 & travelling

If you’re reading this blog thinking you’re going to find some magic formula on how you can travel full time with only £3,000 & 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 hit the road.

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 but also farming. We had such a laugh doing this & met some great people along the way. The best way to find jobs like this is by simply asking around & handing out your resume. Alternatively, there are many Facebook groups for backpackers looking for work.

Eventually, we grew tired of working for other people & had always dreamt of working for ourselves. We created our Instagram account to document our travels & 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 now & we make all our income through content creation. This is a blog post for a later date, as it definitely wasn’t as easy as it sounds.

But if you enjoy photography/videography like us then it’s truly a life hack, & will give you the freedom you no doubt crave. However, Instagram isn’t for everyone. Luckily in our day & age we have the internet & there are millions of ways to make money online. Simply start by googling ‘Ways to make money online’ to see for yourself. Or ask others who you know already are. Perhaps you could even work remotely for a job you already have experience & contacts in.

Whilst being on the road we have met a plethora of people from all walks of life. Who are earning an income online, through many different methods. 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, all it takes, is you choosing to make that first step to change your life.

HOT TIP: If you find yourself in an expensive country, with no access to work & 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 & 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

To be a small 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’.

To us, being able to travel further & for longer is the number one goal, so all money decisions boil down to that fact. & it helps us make better choices with our cash. This isn’t to say we live super rigidly & never treat ourselves, we just know when we can & when its 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 & the cost of living. But by sticking to it you know you are on track to longer travels.

For example, In South East 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 factor in that on certain days you will need to spend more. On things like, transport, bucket list activities or unexpected medical needs.

In Australia/New Zealand, we would budget more as the cost of living is higher so roughly £50 per day for 2 people. Some days we spent this & 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 a flat & then in a van, so accommodation costs weren’t always taken into account. This budget mainly refers to when we were travelling in a van & other times when we were staying in hostels.

It is always a good idea to check back in on your budget & 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 & 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 & all the luxuries. There’s nothing wrong with that, heck we love it too sometimes! But these kind of places come with a hefty price tag, one that our small wallets can’t always afford. Being a small budget traveller it’s time to lower your expectations. & accept that you’re going to stay in some rough around the edges places.

We promise you’ll get used to it & 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 & you won’t be tempted to eat out every day.

Failing that, in countries like in South East 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 FREE stays & sometimes paid work on top. These kind of scenarios are a win win for you & the hotel you are working with.

If you are travelling through countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA & pretty much any country in Europe. The best & 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 the van or vehicle you will travel in. But don’t forget, this is going to be your transport & accommodation all in one! & it is often much cheaper to travel in your own vehicle, in these countries than use public transport. Plus it’s way more fun. Again, a common misconception is that Vanlife is expensive. But the truth is, it’s as expensive as you make it & this goes for full time travel too.

We travelled across both Australia & New Zealand in a van & are planning to do Europe this year. 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.

Being flexible with your travel plans

We are the biggest advocates for spontaneous travel, it’s the way we choose to travel. Not only is it more fun & adventurous but it also saves us pennies time & time again.

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 & in to. But make sure you take into consideration travel costs to & from airports. As this can add extra money & 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 & especially if you are travelling full time. Sure, some things are worth preparing 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 & 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 & don’t like it for whatever reason we can just leave the following morning & 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’re taking less flights & also getting the opportunity to experience it like a local. Which makes more a much more enriching travel experience, in our opinion.

Travelling in low-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 South East Asia we have visited during wet season, which is typically low season. You may be put off by the term ‘wet season’, & whilst some years are worse than others. Our experience has always been pleasant & it does not rain for too long when it does.

Often you will find that everything from flights, accommodation, ground transport, activities & sometimes food are much cheaper than in high season. Not to mention it will be a heck of a lot quieter & 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 & 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 & 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 & swimming with sea lions, & so you should! But not too often, if you want to keep that budget low. Because we have chosen to live minimally & sacrificed in other areas of life, such as staying in rougher accommodation & making all our own food. We are usually able to pay for these activities when we want to do them.

So there we have it, if we can do it we know you can too! By implementing everything we have mentioned above, you will be on track to being able to travel full time. Even if you only have as little as £3,000 in your back pocket. Remember, the less you spend daily the further you can travel.

If you have any questions regarding anything we have mentioned in this blog post, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below, we are always more than happy to answer any questions. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram & TikTok if you don’t already. To keep up to date with our adventures but also future blog posts.

Happy Travelling 🙂