YOUR GUIDE TO TRAVELING THE WORLD(even if you don't have money)

When you ask someone what's on their bucket list, or what they want to do before they die, there’s like a 99% chance they will say something that has to do with traveling the world! It’s crazy, so many people want to travel the world, but so few people actually go out and do it. Instead we spend our time thinking about how we don’t have enough time, or money to travel now. But! It’s not actually as hard as you think, and anyone can do it if you really want to. I made this little guide to get you started on learning how to travel affordably, so you can start planning your next new adventure!

Probably the main concern people have when thinking about traveling is the cost. Traveling is thought to be super expensive, and between the flights, hotels, food, it really can add up! However, there’s also so many ways you can plan a trip and have it be suuuper cheap. Like, maybe $700 cheap.

#1: FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS:

The first expense I think of when planning travel is flights. Flights can seem costly, but there's so many ways to find cheaper flights! Definitely use Google Flights! They always show the cheapest flights, and even have charts and graphs of when flights will be the cheapest. I always use Google Flights when I’m looking for a place to travel. You can also look at some of the bargain flight companies. For example, Airasia is an amazing cheap flight company! You can even make an account with them and save up points to redeem free flights later. They’re the best cheap flight company to use when you want to travel around Asia.. Also, always when planning flights it’s important to research and figure out what the cheapest option is. Use different websites, and keep track of the prices on each. Often, I’ll also search for flights that could connect that could be cheaper. For example, if I wanted to fly from Boise, Idaho to Nagoya, Japan, I would search for flights from Boise to Honolulu, Honolulu to Osaka, and then take a bus from Osaka to Nagoya. Do as much research as you can, and keep track of how much each option is so you can get the cost of traveling down as much as possible. But, I will say, you do get what you pay for when you fly cheap. Most of the time you’ll have a small seat on a crowded plane, no free drinks or snacks, and so many long layovers. But, it is what it is, and it’s definitely worth it in the end!

#2: FIND A CHEAP PLACE TO STAY:

The next big cost for travel is hotels! The hotels you’ll find when you google search “Hotel in Thailand” will be pretty expensive. However, the places you’ll find when you search “Thailand” on Airbnb will be

so much cheaper! I definitely recommend using Airbnb, it’s so much easier to find nice, and cheap places to stay. You can also make an account, and receive different discounts and earn credits for free stays. Use this link to make your airbnb account, and receive $60 off your first trip! https://www.airbnb.com/c/paigen1870?referral_share_id=8c792b3b-a911-4ba7-a98c-2243184513dc

Also, when traveling somewhere new I recommend you stay in Hostels! These are rooms that you share with a few other travelers, it’s really cheap and a great way to meet new people.

I also always like to think about how when I’m going to travel somewhere, I won’t be spending a lot of time in my room, I’ll mostly be out and seeing where I’m traveling, so the place I’m spending the night doesn’t need to be extremely luxurious or anything too fancy! This helps me be able to keep the price down and affordable!

#3: FOOD&DRINK/ACTIVITIES:

The main thing I spend money on when traveling is food hehe. It’s an essential! But, there are still ways to bring down this cost! Like, bringing your own snacks, or looking for an Airbnb with a kitchen so you can cook some food in the hotel room, or share meals with your partner. It’s the little things that make a

the best fluffy pancakes ever!!!!! in japan!

difference. And with drinks, just don’t go out to a club or bar and spend all your money in one night. Make a budget of how much money you can spend on food every day at the beginning of your trip, and stick to it!

And then there’s activities, which is pretty simple. Don’t spend a ton of money on doing activities. There’s so many free/cheap alternatives to many activities. Don’t get wrapped into a package deal of activities that they charge a ton of money for. Take the time to research where you’re going, what you really want to do, and how you can budget. Maybe choose one or two activities that you will pay for, and do the rest for free. Make it work for you!

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

There’s also some things you can do before you actually decide to travel somewhere to help you in the future. These are little, but important things you can work on everyday that will help you when you decide you want to go on a trip later on.

#1: SAVING:

Start saving your money now! Keep a separate spot for your money you want to save up for a trip. Whether it’s a jar of money in your drawer or a separate bank account. Work hard! And actually save your money! You can save so much by figuring out what you really need, and what you’re willing to sacrifice for what you really want. Don’t spend your paycheck on a new, cute outfit, or going out with your friends all weekend, or going out to eat when you don’t feel like cooking.

Hike in Japan! Look closely to see Mount Fuji;)

Think smart with your money! If traveling is something you really want to do, you might have to make some sacrifices and changes in your lifestyle. But, if you really want to do it, you’ll do it! And it makes it a lot easier when you have your goals in mind.

#2: DO YOUR RESEARCH:

Start researching where you want to travel now. Look at all the things you want to do, and kind of start planning. When the time gets closer to when you want to go on a trip, you’ll already have lots of ideas, and you know exactly what to look for. This can help you figure out what you really want to do, and will have you start thinking of ways you can plan your trip to be as affordable as possible. You can also research some ways you can travel for (almost) free. There’s organizations that are literally made for helping you travel cheap, like Workaway, WWOOF, or Couchsurfing. With these organizations you can get a free place to stay and food in exchange for working, which could be helping teach English, working on their farm, or helping take care of a hostel. all you really have to worry about is flights and what else you wanna spend money on. I really encourage you to check these out! Look them up and see what you think.

#3: MAKE MONEY ONLINE:

If you end up wanting to travel constantly, it’s important to start building an online presence, and figuring out how you can get a stable income by working online. There’s a lot of resources out there that you can use to figure out how to make money online. Do your research, and start working on it as soon as possible! Once you can make enough money to support yourself you can travel forever! There’s nothing really stopping you from picking up and going across the world when you can pull out your laptop and work wherever/whenever you want.

As you can see, there’s so many ways that you can travel now! Go ahead, start planning your dream trip, and get ready to go. Being able to travel affordably really comes down to doing your research. Look up everything you can think of, and plan out your trip before you go. This will help you be prepared for whatever could happen, and know exactly how much money you need, and when you’ll be spending it. If you budget and plan, you’ll be able to plan the perfect trip, at an affordable cost.

I really think travel is one of the best things you can put your money towards. You learn so much, that you can’t learn in school, or anywhere else. I’ve learned so much about the world, and myself through travel, and I think it’s so important that everyone travel and learn as much as possible. It’s something you’ll never regret putting time and money into.