How I Afford to Travel Long-Term: 14 Practical Tips

In 2019, I embarked on my first long-term travel adventure, backpacking through Southeast Asia for four months. During that time, I visited seven countries, had countless adventures, and fell completely in love with the full-time travel lifestyle. What was supposed to be a short trip before I started a “real job” turned into five years of non-stop traveling—and I’m still going!

One of the most common questions I get asked is: How do you afford to travel long-term?

I guess it makes sense why people are curious about this. Traveling for months, or even years, can seem financially out of reach. But here’s the secret that my fellow long-term travelers know: It’s more affordable than you think.

In this guide, I’ll share the steps I took to make long-term travel possible and how I continue to fund my adventures.

Disclaimer: I recognize I was extremely lucky to have circumstances allowing me to begin traveling long-term. No debts, no dependents, nothing tying me down to any one place. But I met lots of travelers from all walks of life who, despite setbacks, managed to realize their dreams of long-term travel. You’re a lot more capable than you might think to realize your own dreams.

1. Save Up for a Year

The first step to afford long-term travel is to save aggressively.

Work a job—any job—and save as much as possible for set period of time—I’d recommend one year. Spend as little as you can during that time, and if possible, start looking for ways to earn income online.

My experience: Before I took off on my first big trip, I had a busy routine. I worked at an internship in the morning, worked on my digital nomad projects in the afternoon, and held a cleaning job in the evening. I cut out unnecessary spending, buying only essentials, and stopped going out and drinking (which also saved me money once I started traveling too).

And you don’t have to work as a digital nomad once you start traveling either. I met lots of people who would work for a few months in their home country, go traveling for a few months, and then return home to save up more money to keep traveling. Some have been doing this for years, and they’re some of the happiest people I’ve ever met.

It’s not an easy or stable life. But it’s a really, really good one for the most part. So start by making enough money for

How much money do you need to travel full-time?

That’s an important question, as it will determine how long you need to work and save up before traveling long-term, but it also depends on how long you want to travel and where you’ll go.

If you’re interested in what I did the first time (4 months in Southeast Asia), I’d say USD $6000 would be minimum. I spent roughly $1000 a month (do the math for however many months you’re looking at), and I’d budget an extra $2000 for flights, travel insurance and an emergency fund.

If you’re looking to do a Working Holiday Visa in Australia like I did (more on this later), it’s a requirement to have at least AUD $5000 in your bank account and enough money for a return flight to be approved for the visa.

Do the research on how much accommodation, food, transportation and activities cost where you’ll be traveling, multiply by how many months you’re planning on traveling and add a few thousand dollars to account for expenses you didn’t account for (like visa fees, flights, insurance and emergencies).

2. Cut Down on Living Expenses

One of the biggest expenses that can prevent people from traveling is rent.

If you’re serious about long-term travel, consider cutting down on your living costs. I personally moved back in with my parents to save money on rent.

Here’s something most people might find shocking: I lived off of less money per month traveling in Asia (for all expenses: transportation, accommodation, food, tours, etc.) than one month’s rent for an apartment in Chicago would cost.

If moving in with family isn’t an option for you, consider downsizing, getting a roommate, or subletting your apartment when you’re away.

Ultimately, you have to ask yourself: Would I rather live in comfort now but not travel, or live in not ideal conditions when saving up but be able to continue traveling? I choose the latter.

3. Find Remote Work or Passive Income

I also experimented with working remotely so I could still make money while traveling (and not go through all my savings). I’m glad I did, because working remotely or generating passive income is one of the best ways to sustain long-term travel.

Here’s what worked for me:

• Travel Blog: I started this blog, Voyage Scribe (hi, welcome!), and began earning money through affiliate marketing, which means I get commission at no cost to my readers if they click one of my affiliate links and makes a purchase. So you if you booked a tour or bought an item I recommended, thank you! I also sell travel journals and am experimenting with other passive income streams.
• Freelancing: I started doing freelance work while traveling full-time. I start designed blog logos for other bloggers and then freelanced as a proofreader and editor on Fiverr. While starting off on platforms like Fiverr and Upwork are great, you have less control over working with your clients and the platforms take a hefty fee. Therefore, I’ve since moved off those platforms and find clients through marketing myself. You’re not limited to graphic design and proofreading, though. The opportunities for freelancing are endless, as almost any skill you have you can sell.
• Teaching English: In preparation for traveling long-term again after Covid, I started online English teaching. It was such a great idea because this experience offered me the opportunity to work in-person in almost any country around the world.

4. Travel to Budget-Friendly Destinations

When planning your trip, start with cheap travel destinations like Southeast Asia, South America, or Eastern Europe.

Let me give you an idea of how affordable budget long-term travel can be. In Southeast Asia, I spent around $1,000 per month on everything—accommodation, food, transportation, and activities.

And I could have done it on less, but I decided to splurge every once in a while—on an expensive tour, a “Western” meal, the occasional hotel. And I usually chose to pay a bit more for a nicer hostel, which often meant free breakfast, a pool, social activities and near perfect review ratings.

Overall, I was shocked at quality I got for a $5/night hostel, especially compared to the $20/night hostels in Europe. Psst… read about my favorite hostels from my SE Asia trip here!

Once I got a more stable location-independent income, I traveled to more expensive places (but I still budget travel, i.e. staying in hostels, long-term rentals, traveling in a van), but I’d recommend starting off in cheaper countries.

5. Embrace a Simple Lifestyle and Rustic Conditions

Keep in mind long-term budget travel isn’t luxurious.

Expect long nights on buses driving on bumpy roads with too-small seats. Dorm beds with questionable cleanliness and in rooms shared with lots of (sometimes smelly) strangers. Stressful days trying to research the cheapest options possible.

Don’t let social media fool you: long-term budget travel isn’t glamorous.

But it’s all part of the adventure, and you’ll quickly adapt to the more basic lifestyle.

In fact, when I treated myself to a luxury hotel after a few months, it felt weird and even comfortable: too sterile, lonely and boring. I was happy to return to a cozy hostel filled with other people traveling long-term.

6. Meet Fellow Travelers to Split Costs

“Even though we travel solo, we’re hardly ever actually alone.” This is a common phrase among solo travelers, and it’s true. The best thing about solo travel and staying at hostels is meeting others doing the same thing as you. It offers someone to share experiences with, help you make travel planning decisions, give you a sense of security and take pictures of you.

But most importantly, even if you really don’t like being around people, you should find a travel buddy to help share costs and make long-term travel affordable.

You can share rides, tours and even private rooms in areas without hostels to reduce expenses.

For example, I shared a taxi with fellow travelers in Indonesia, splitting the fare and paying only $7 each for a three-hour ride! I’ve also haggled down prices for tours when coming with a big group (i.e. more customers).

7. Eat Local and Street Food or Cook Yourself

To save money on food, eat like a local. Street food in places like Southeast Asia and South America is not only cheap but also a great way to experience the local culture.

Keep in mind that while eating local food might have an exciting allure, here’s what it meant in Southeast Asia: rice or noodles. Sure, there may be other options occasionally, like a local soup. But after traveling long-term on a budget in Asia, I couldn’t eat rice for over a year.

Do some research on where to get cheap food. When I first arrived in Asia, I thought $5 for dinner was a great deal, but by the end of my trip, I was eating meals for $1-2 from local street vendors and would cringe at the thought of handing over $5 for just one meal.

When it comes to choosing a place to eat, go where the locals go. That might mean using Google Translate or pointing at pictures because there’s no English menu or buy from street vendors, but it’s a good way to save money while traveling.

Also, when I traveled to more expensive places like Europe or Australia and New Zealand, I would cook as much as possible, always making sure I had accommodation with a kitchen. If a kitchen wasn’t available, I would buy ready-made meals from grocery stores, avoiding restaurants whenever possible.

8. Always look for a cheaper option

Whether it’s transportation, accommodation or activities, there’s almost always a cheaper option if you take the time to look for it. I often opted for overnight buses to save on accommodation and transportation costs. (I’d recommend a cheap massage and nap on the beach after!)

Also, make sure you haggle for cheaper prices wherever possible. Not only is it possible, but it’s also culturally expected in places like Southeast Asia and Turkey.

I also research discounts and deals. For example, I traveled across the U.S. by train with the Amtrak Rail Pass for just $300.

And I hardly ever stay in hotels. Hostels, homestays, camping and long-term rentals are usually significantly cheaper options.

9. Book cheap flights

Okay, you might think. The actual traveling in Asia or South America part is really cheap. But getting there is expensive.

And yes, the initial flight to your destination can be expensive. But if you use flight search engines like Skyscanner and Google Flights, you can find great deals. I’ve flown from Chicago to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for $350, to Cartagena, Colombia for $125, and to Europe for $550 roundtrip.

(Aim for round trip flights if you can, as they’re often cheaper. Admittedly I usually fly one-way though, as I suck at long-term planning.)

10. Get a Travel Credit Card

Sign up for a travel credit card to earn points and benefits.

That flight to Cartagena I mentioned? It was free, curtesy of the $200 I got for signing up for the Chase Freedom Unlimited card.

My personal favorite credit card is my Chase Sapphire Preferred card. With it, I earned enough points to book lots of free travel. It’s $95 annual fee but I bought a flight to Australia with the bonus points ($750 when redeemed on travel) I got for opening the account. You also get annual $50 Chase Travel hotel credit, earn 2x points on travel or 5x points if buying through Chase Travel and your points are worth 25% more if you redeem them through Chase Travel. AND you get complimentary travel protection benefits, i.e. if you book a car rental with the card, you won’t have to pay extra for insurance. All in all, it’s worth getting this card and I’m really happy with it.

You get even more travel benefits with Chase Sapphire Reserve (like more more travel credit, 50% more travel value, airport lounge access and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee reimbursement). The annual fee is $550 for that card though (but worth it if you’re spending a lot on travel!)

11. Volunteer

Volunteering in exchange for accommodation and even food is an excellent way to travel long-term as you can essentially live for free anywhere in the world. It’s also a great way to integrate into the local culture and meet awesome people.

For example, I met a lot of people working in hostels I stayed at. They got to live there for free in exchange for a few hours of work each day.

The most popular platform is Workaway, and the amount of opportunities you can find on this platform are endless! I’ve seen ads from people looking for all types of volunteer work, from farm work to carpentry to teaching English to painting art murals to childcare to community projects.

Another popular platform is WWOOF, which is primarily volunteer farm work. I used it in New Zealand, where I worked on a lavender and sage farm with a view of the beautiful Taranaki. In exchange for a few hours weeding and looking after the family’s kids during dinner prep and cleanup, I got a private room and bathroom and three meals a day. In my free time, I explored the area’s many hiking opportunites.

12. Housesit

Housesitting is another excellent option for free accommodation.

It’s an especially amazing way to afford to travel long-term because you experience life in the residential areas tourists don’t get a chance to stay in (I even made local friends with the neighbors), have much more comfort than in a hostel or even hotel AND get to hang out with animals!

If you’re not an animal lover or don’t feel comfortable with the responsibility of caring for a beloved pet, I have seen ads for housesits without animals. It’s usually for taking care of houseplants and gardens, but those are more rare.

A popular option is Trusted Housesitters, which is great because you pay a small membership fee and then get access to housesit ads all over the world. However, I personally used websites local to the country I was in, as I think the competition was lower. In Australia I used Aussie House Sitters and in New Zealand I used Kiwi House Sitters.

13. Apply for a Working Holiday Visa

If you’re under 30 (or 35 for some countries) and looking for a way to afford long-term travel in more expensive places like Australia, New Zealand or Canada, I’d recommend a Working Holiday Visa.

Depending on what country you’re from, several countries offer visas for young travelers to work in order to fund their travels in that country. For example, I did a Working Holiday in Australia and New Zealand. I did a variety of jobs, like teaching English, hospitality and customer service.

In this way, I was able to fund my travels snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, skydiving over the Whitsundays, roadtripping through the Outback and East Coast of Australia and traveling around New Zealand by van.

14. Travel Insurance & Medical Insurance for Digital Nomads

Finally, make sure you’re covered with travel insurance and health insurance.

One of the things I was most worried about when starting off as a digital nomad traveling long-term was insurance for things going wrong. Because I’m American and didn’t have an employer working as a freelancer and contractor, I didn’t have medical insurance, which was stressful to say the least.

But luckily, I found a great company called Safety Wing, which offers affordable travel insurance (Nomad Insurance) and even non-emergency medical insurance (Nomad Health) for long-term travelers.

A serious medical emergency can put long-term travel to an end with lots of debt. That’s why I never travel without at least getting Nomad Insurance from Safety Wing.

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So, that’s how I afford to travel long-term! And it’s how I’ll keep living a life of long-term, full-time travel until I get tired of it…which I hope will be never.

You really don’t need a lot of money to see the world, and so many opportunities for funding travel or even traveling for free exist, whether you’re saving up, working remotely or volunteering.

If you have any questions or other tips for funding your adventures, leave them in the comments below!

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