How I Afford To Travel Full Time (& How You Can Too!)

how i afford to travel full time as a digital nomad and travel blogger

I get a lot of comments and emails asking how I afford to travel full time since 2012. So I thought it was about time I told you exactly how I afford to travel and give you some ideas about how you could afford to travel too!

After many months of saving and dreaming in 2012 I finally quit my job in the UK and left on an indefinite journey around the world.

If you want to know more about me, about why I decided to give everything up to travel full time and how I made it happen then read my last post first – My journey to a life of full time travel.

Now, I’ll tell you how I afford all this travel.

How I afford to travel the world indefinitely, how I make money on the road and how you can too!

On deserted Majorda beach in South Goa
On deserted Majorda beach in South Goa

So am I rich? How exactly can I afford to travel so much?

Let’s get this out of the way first, whilst I know that I’m really fortunate to be able to afford to travel, to be able to make my dreams of traveling the world a reality, I’m not rich. I didn’t win the lottery, I don’t have a trust fund or large inheritance, I don’t even have a ‘proper job.’

It’s a common misconception that travel has to be expensive.

Travel does not have to be expensive. Sure, if you want to stay in luxury hotels, go on tours and cruises and fly first class then traveling is expensive.

But it doesn’t have to be and, in the West, we are especially lucky because we have the propensity to save money and take our $, £ and € to countries where our money stretches really far. Most of us could afford to travel if we really, really want to – it’s all about prioritizing.

Usually, the plane ticket will be your biggest expense but the longer you go away for the more value you can get out of that expensive plane ticket, not to mention that slow, independent travel is a cheaper and infinitely more rewarding way of traveling.

Koh Rong island in Cambodia - beautiful, almost deserted and a whole lot cheaper than a flat in London!
Koh Rong island in Cambodia – beautiful, almost deserted and a whole lot cheaper than a flat in London!

Traveling can be cheaper than life at home

In fact, if you are clever about where and how you travel then traveling is actually less expensive than maintaining an apartment, car and lifestyle in the UK (or indeed many parts of the Western world)

By backpacking and traveling independently in cheap countries in Asia, Central and South America and parts of Africa your money goes a lot further and you can actually afford to travel and lead a very comfortable lifestyle from only US$15 / £10 a day!

So, in many ways I can’t afford to stop traveling!

Travel. You can always make more money, but you can't always make more memories
Travel. You can always make more money, but you can’t always make more memories

Travel in cheap countries

The secret to being able to afford to travel is choosing cheaper destinations. Check out these 22 Cheapest Countries to Travel in the World to get an idea of where you could go to enjoy life for less than $50 a day!

I’ve also listed how much it cost me to travel through India and Southeast Asia and don’t just take my word for it –  check out Price of Travel.com an excellent resource for backpacker costs which lists cities in order of price and breaks down the costs you can expect to help you save and budget for your trip.

Also, take a look at Backpacker Banter which has a really useful series about how much it costs to travel in many different countries for 1 month.  

There are many ways to travel for free and to make money while traveling

If you still think you cant afford to travel then did you know there’s also ways that you can travel for free!

Try couch surfing or house sitting, camp or hitchhike, work or volunteer in exchange for food and accommodation, there’s many ways to cut down your travel costs and to get freebies on the road. Check out 11 Ways to Travel for Free for more ideas.

Even better, you could work and earn money while traveling.

Thousands of Digital Nomads afford to travel because they take their work on the road with them and live a location independent lifestyle where all they need is their laptop and an internet connection to make money.

You could also try teaching English, get a working holiday visa for somewhere like Australia, New Zealand or Canada and work in hospitality or pick fruit.

Check out 17 Ways to Get Paid to Travel for more ideas and also check out my interviews with digital nomads and travellers who work abroad for real life stories and inspiration.

Golden Buddhas in Bangkok
Golden Buddhas in Bangkok

So, to summarise there isn’t really any big secret about how I afford to travel and how you can afford to travel too!

The secret to affording a life of constant travel, is simply deciding to make travel your priority and doing whatever it takes to make it a reality.

Once you do that you have 3 options to be able to afford to travel:

  • Save money before you travel
  • Spend less on travel
  • Earn money as you travel

Still, everyone has slightly different circumstances and different challenges and opportunities. It can be daunting to figure out how to make it work for you and have the confidence to make that leap.

For me, and for many other bloggers and nomads, it was kind of a trail and error and I tried many ways to afford to travel until I found something that worked for me and the lifestyle I wanted to lead.

Overlooking Anna overlooking the Pioneer Valley in Queensland, Australia where I worked in a pub for 6 months.
Overlooking the Pioneer Valley in Queensland, Australia where I worked in a pub for 6 months.

So, here’s my story about how I have been able to afford to travel since 2013.

As I already mentioned in my post about My Journey to a Life of Travel I made sure that I paid off my debts and had a good chunk of savings (£6000 / $10,000) behind me before I left the UK.

I realise that just by having a British passport and being able to work in the UK I am very privileged already but I didn’t have a well paid job by UK standards. I worked a soul destroying job in admin and sales for a large energy company for just over minimum wage. When I decided to make travel my priority I sacrificed everything, sold all my possessions and saved like mad for 18 months to buy my freedom.

It wasn’t easy as I worked all the hours I could doing a job I hated, moved back in with parents and seriously cut back on spending until I hardly even ate anything. But I saved every penny for my travel fund firmly keeping my eyes on the prize and keeping on dreaming of the day that I could make my escape.

saving money to travel

Work, save, travel, rinse, repeat…

Saving was probably the hardest part in my journey to a life of travel. I’m lucky that living with parents allowed me to really save big chunks of money quickly but most of the time saving money is just a matter of making travel your priority and cutting down on unnecessary spending.

Even the small things add up, for example, bringing a packed lunch to work and saving on a coffee and sandwich could save you over £100 a month which goes a long way in Asia. See here for more ideas about How to Save Money for Travel 

Most people fund their travels this way and there’s nothing wrong with that.

In fact there are many advantages of this method – with a nice chunk of money saved you can truly be free and really appreciate and enjoy your trip without worrying about money or work – you just travel!

Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer
Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer

Traveling or backpacking on a tight budget helps to make your money and your trip last as long as possible. But eventually you will run out of money and won’t be able to afford to travel anymore so you have to go back home to get a job and start saving again and coming home from traveling can really suck!

My savings lasted me for about a year as I travelled through India and Southeast Asia. My next destination was Australia, somewhere I had been dreaming about visiting for year but I knew that exploring Oz wasn’t going to be cheap. I was starting to run out of money, I coudln’t afford to travel Australia but going home was not an option – luckily a working holiday visa was!

Taking a Working Holiday in Australia

Working in an Aussie pub
Working in an Aussie pub

It took a few weeks to find a suitable job in Australia but once I did I worked in two 3 month stints in an outback pub in Queensland.

This was perfect because the job included live in accommodation in the pub and all my food. As the pub was in the middle of nowhere and all my expenses were covered I had nothing to spend my money on and I just worked every hour that I could to save as money as possible whilst also getting an amazing insight into authentic rural Australian life. Read more about How I Saved $15,000 on my Working Holiday in Australia 

If you’re thinking of going to Australia for a Working Holiday check out my FREE Working in Australia Ebook Guide with all my tips on how to find a job in Australia and save money.

After 3 months I had saved enough to buy a campervan with my boyfriend and travel around Australia. Buying a campervan was another amazing way to travel on the cheap that also gave us the ultimate freedom to explore Oz.

Plus, when we left Australia we sold the camper which effectively meant that we had free accommodation and transport for our time in Australia making our trip in this expensive country very affordable. See my Ultimate Guide to Buying a Campervan in Australia 

Driving through the Australian Outback in our very own campervan
Driving through the Australian Outback in our very own campervan

With the money from selling the campervan and another 3 month stint at the pub I saved enough money to afford to travel more in Southeast Asia and then Eastern Europe.

But Europe has a habit of draining your money so after a few months I was back in the UK with no money and had to take on a temp office job for a few months to top up my savings.

After being away for 2 and a half years it sucked to be tied down to one place and I realised that I really needed to find a way of making money from anywhere in the world so that I could really afford to travel indefinitely.

How I earn money working on the road

Anna conducting a hotel review and blogging from Planet Hollywood Resort in Goa
Conducting a hotel review and blogging from Planet Hollywood Resort in Goa

I have been writing this travel blog since my travels began but at first it was just a way to record my experiences and update my family and friends but as I wrote more and gained more readers I started to realise that perhaps I could make money out of my travel blog. Wouldn’t that be the dream!

So I attended events like TBEX and signed up for courses like Travel Blog Success and spent many, many hours writing posts, editing photos, promoting my blog on social media, developing my website, learning about SEO and figuring out how I could monetise my travel blog while still remaining authentic and sharing useful travel tips.

Out of the hundred of thousands of bloggers there are out there I am one of the lucky ones that makes an income from my travel blog through advertising, sponsored posts, affiliate marketing and partnerships with travel companies and tourism boards but it took years of working for nothing.

As well as this I’ve also been fortunate to go on some amazing tours for free because of my travel blog like meeting unique tribal people in North East India, an experience I would not have had if it wasn’t for my travel blog.

With the headhunter tribes in Nagaland, North East India
With the headhunter tribes in Nagaland, North East India

But being a travel blogger is not as easy as it might look…

However, many people seem to think that being a travel blogger is an easy ticket to free travel and making money on the road. But, to be honest, there are much better ways to fund your travels than with travel blogging alone.

When I think about the amount of time and money I’ve spent on it I would have been better off working in McDonalds and the income can be quite irregular.

How I make money online as a digital nomad

Luckily there are other, more reliable ways to make money online. Developing my travel blog has been worth it because the skills that I have learned from doing this have enabled me to build a location independent career online as a freelance writer, social media and SEO consultant and website designer.

Finally, after years of work and trial and error, I have found a way that enables me to afford a base in a place I love (Goa, India) to afford to travel frequently and more importantly to avoid getting stuck spending the best years of my life in an office.

Digital Nomads do a huge variety of things, most capitalise on their existing professions and skills and work remotely or a freelance capacity but if you decide that you want to lead a location independent lifestyle you can learn the skills you need.

The sort of work that digital nomads do could be anything really that you can do online including:

  • Start a business that you can run remotely
  • Build websites
  • Develop an App
  • Graphic design
  • Freelance writing, SEO writing, copywriting
  • Translating or online language tutor
  • Working as a virtual assistant
  • Drop shipping / E-commerce
  • Social media management
  • SEO and digital marketing consultant
  • Developing a product that you can sell online like an E-Book or online course
  • Affiliate marketing
Working from a hotel in Thailand
Working from a hotel in Thailand

In fact the list is endless, anything that you can do online you could do remotely, freelance or self employed and many digital nomads combine a few of these methods to make a flexible work and travel lifestyle work for them.

One of the first places that freelancer and digital nomads go to to make money is Upwork but the bidding system means that may can be very low. You can also try

And there are loads more places to find freelance work depending on what type of work you want to do. There are also many bloggers who blog mostly about how to make living online that you can loads of tips from and also check out Nomad List which tells you the best locations to live and work as a digital nomad.

Also, don’t be disheartened if the jobs on these kind of sites have low pay, I find that it’s best to pitch directly to companies who I feel might be in need of my skills and services and often they are travel related companies so it combines nicely with the work I do with my travel blog.

Working remotely as a digital nomad

If you’re not so good with a computer there are still ways you can earn money by being a nomadic yoga teacher, tattoo artist, DJ, musician, bar tender, hair dresser, artist, guitar teacher, surf instructor, jewellery maker or by selling things on the markets.

The truth about the digital nomad lifestyle

I’m still far from rich in monetary terms but that’s not what matters to me.  I’ve experienced more than I could ever put a monetary value on, I finally feel like I’m making the most of my short and precious time on earth and I’ve spent less each month than I was spending in the UK just to afford to live and leading an unhappy and fulfilling life.

I’ve learnt a lot about myself and about the world, made new friends, wonderful memories and completely changed my life which I would never have been able to do if I was still spending 40 hours a week doing a job I hate just to buy material possessions! For me, it’s well worth it for the adventure of a lifetime and my only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.

Ironically, now that I work online and earn money while traveling I find that I don’t have so much time for pure travel and that I need to travel a lot slower – it’s certainly not a constant holiday and the life of a freelancer/ digital nomad/ travel blogger is far from easy.

It would be easier and more profitable to work a 9-5 but for me it’s not an option and as long as I can do work that interests me, be location independent and free to live the lifestyle that I want and afford to travel as and when I want then I’m happy.

In Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
In Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

I don’t own a house, have children, savings, healthcare or a pension, I have no idea what will happen in the future or where I will be and sometimes that’s scary.

But I’m making the most of the present moment and I trust the universe that whatever happens will work out for the best. I’m free to live my life on my terms and too see the world. This kind of lifestyle is not for everyone but, for me, it’s well worth it for the adventure of a lifetime and my only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.

So, do you still want to give up everything and travel full time?

Let me know in the comments below … 

Want More? Check out how these other travel bloggers and nomads afford their travel lifestyle:

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How I Afford to Travel(and how you can too) (1)

 

Do you Live to Travel, or Travel to Live?

  the greatest risk of all quote 

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25 comments

bella July 28, 2016 at 12:45 pm

It’s very useful article, And Thanks for sharing this post we are impressed about that.

Reply
Pooja pandya July 29, 2016 at 2:42 pm

Gud artical

Reply
Anna July 31, 2016 at 11:49 pm

Thanks

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Matthew November 21, 2016 at 5:58 pm

Thanks for all the tips Anna. I’m presently in Goa, only for a few days, but loving it. And loving my first experience in India. The goal is to sustain my travels, and your article (and advice) is helping to make it happen. Keep on keepin’ on!

Reply
Kunal Parihar November 22, 2016 at 11:07 am

Add the fact that you’re good at SEO. This must be bringing in loads of traffic. Another source of income. Now i see how leaving the job is working out so well for you! Cheers

Reply
Anna November 24, 2016 at 8:49 pm

Thanks, yes learning SEO is really important for getting traffic to your blog or website. I earn less money now but I don’t regret leaving the job for a life of adventure! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Reply
Eva December 24, 2016 at 1:40 am

Hi Anna! Wow, so reading all about your story and your life has been very inspiring for me! I am about to quit my corporate job (in 4 months) and start a life of travel too! I’m not totally sure how I’m going to support myself yet, and I don’t have as much saved up as you did, but this is just something I feel that I must do. I have a perfectly fine life here in NYC, and I’d say I’m pretty happy, but putting in 40 hours a week at a job that I don’t like anymore is really sucking the life out of me. I’ve always wanted to travel the world and I just can’t put it off any longer! I’ve been diving into this digital nomad stuff, and trying to figure out which of my skill I can to turn into a freelance/location independent career. I, too, trust that the universe will provide a path for me! Thank you again for your beautiful website!

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Anna December 27, 2016 at 10:00 am

Hi Eva!

Great to hear from you and I’m really glad that you liked my story – thanks so much for getting in touch to tell me – it means alot 🙂

It’s exciting to hear that you are making the leap – it’s not always easy but I’m sure you will find a way to make things work for you and support yourself on the road. I have loads of interviews with people who are working jobs abroad or traveling as digital nomads – maybe you can pick up some tips from them also! http://www.global-gallivanting.com/category/interviews/

Good luck and happy travels – the best is yet to come 🙂

Reply
Anna February 3, 2017 at 5:04 pm

Hi Eva

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your story – it’s really exciting to hear that you feel inspired by my blog and that you are taking the leap to quit your job and see the world – I felt very much the same as you and didn’t regret it. There’s loads of ways you can earn money while traveling – maybe check out some of my interviews with people who are doing it and sharing their tips – maybe it will help you too 🙂 http://www.global-gallivanting.com/category/working-abroad/

Happy Travels! Have an amazing time! 🙂

Reply
Indian Eagle June 12, 2017 at 10:39 am

When someone writes a blog or an article or any sort of content, that has to be written in such a way that it should generate interest to progress further in the path asked to be followed. This is one such posts that has motivated us to a great extent. Keep doing the good work.

Reply
Anna June 13, 2017 at 12:28 pm

Thanks! Gald you found it useful

Reply
Isabel June 21, 2017 at 3:48 am

Inspiring! Also thanks for sharing all the resources you’ve got. Definitely helps me plan my route to location independence much easier!

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Anna June 23, 2017 at 2:24 pm

Great! Glad you liked it and hope you are location independent soon! You might also like the working abroad interviews as well for more inspiration about the different jobs you can do while traveling http://www.global-gallivanting.com/home/ways-work-and-travel-tips-interviews-people-really/

Reply
Ralph Quito October 11, 2017 at 8:00 am

I find myself unable to leave your blog! I can’t stop reading it! I must say you have a very unique voice in writing, which I personally appreciate. Thanks again Anna!

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Ansie December 15, 2017 at 12:16 pm

Hi there Anna!!

I am also Anna but known as Ansie:) I would just like to let you know that i really resonate with your words and you. I’ve always been and I am a free spirit but i”ve been a bit confused as i am mostly (i am a pisces/aries )hehehe… and ive tried to fit into society coz i thought that would be living responsibly but in fact thats just not who I am, Anywaya My Mother has passed away very recently so with her passing i suppose i’ve come to remember again how precious and valuable this life truly is and what important is, and its definetely not the security that this life made us belief it is, altho it is comforting to have i wont disagree this either but, like yourself i do fully trust in a higher power and i trust and belief that I will, and all will be ok…. I also belief that it was by no chance that i came to your blog, the east has always been pulling magnetically on my soul and the pull has over time became stronger and stronger and now after reading your blog aswell as my internal compass my mind’s been made up and i can no longer put this of to a later stage in my life once I’ve made a better life for myself, hmmm… This is what makes sense for me to do right now and 2018 will be dedicated for planning and saving lets just say my new year”s resolution!! hehe:) I am not an experienced traveler at all so you will occasionally receive some queries from me especially in regards to visas and work, im a South African so for me its really really difficult to arrange visas always. So I would just like to Thank you for your inspiration and im looking forward to connect with yoiu. i will always in the end go where i feel i need to and let my life just unfold….in trust. love Ansie

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Anna August 27, 2018 at 9:58 pm

Hi Ansie

So sorry I only just saw your comment 🙁 It’s so nice to hear your story – thanks for sharing. I’m so sorry to hear about your mother but I feel she would be proud that you making the most of your life and exploring the world and following your dreams and passions. Sorry I don’t have any experience of applying for visas as a South African as I’m British but let me know if I can help you with anything else. I’m so happy to hear that my blog has been inspirational for you. Best of luck with your travels! 🙂 xxx

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Irina May 29, 2018 at 3:38 pm

Thank you, Anna! What a great and genuine article.
I also had that point in my life when I suddenly understood that life is just too short to waste it on meaningless jobs. I found my vocation (quite unexpectedly) in helping people with hypnosis (to use their minds to heal instead of drugs).
As you said, it is far from easy to be a freelancer. But anyhow, now I want to travel and see the world. Bali raised my interest with its spiritual uniqueness. I will check out other articles, as well, because as I see our interests are quite similar.
Thank you once again! Keep inspiring people, you probably don’t know how much that means to us!

Reply
Anna June 26, 2018 at 9:10 am

Hi Irina! Wow thanks! So glad to hear my story has been inspirational. Our paths sound quite similar and it sounds amazing what you are doing with the hypnosis! Happy travels to you too 🙂

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Jenny November 8, 2018 at 6:49 pm

You have a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes! 🙂

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Anna November 10, 2018 at 10:02 pm

Sorry about that but thanks for letting me know. I write alot and I’m really busy – no one is perfect!

Reply
Cameron January 16, 2019 at 3:40 pm

I’ve always said to people that, if you can think that every time you waste $25, you just wasted a day in south east Asia.

When you can put it into such basic terms like that, people find money to travel pretty fast….

Reply
Anna March 4, 2019 at 12:23 pm

Yes totally! I feel the same way 🙂

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Zachary Stafford March 8, 2019 at 10:10 am

Thanks for the detailed list of how to make money while traveling full time!

I was lucky in that I was already a freelance consultant doing paid search/social and SEO for clients, and had built up a lot of connections before leaving Minneapolis.

Anyway, thanks again for sharing and putting this whole thing together. I’m a blogger too, and I can see how much work you put into this!

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Anna April 21, 2019 at 2:16 pm

Thanks so much Zachary! Glad you liked the article, yes it does take a long time to write and format blog posts like this! Smart that you already had an income that you could travel with! Keep on enjoying life and Happy Travels 🙂

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Arne from Norway November 11, 2019 at 1:34 pm

Great that you give some insight about what it really means to be a digital nomad. I met a couple of those when I was traveling in Vietnam with a friend. And just what you says: it takes a lot of work and some days are definitely better than other days.

However, when you browse around different “digital nomad” websites, most of them give the impression that it is “easy work” and that you can “chill by the pool while money is pouring in”.

As of now I am stuck in an office job, but my side income (SEO/affiliate) earns me enough to take a year in India or another South East Asian country….its a bit tempting after reading your blog to be honest.

Reply

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