Are you still a student, or simply looking for a solution to go far and explore the world for a long time, except that you have very little money to afford it? Then you have come to the right place!
Know that when I was still a student, the idea for me to travel far seemed almost impossible.
All I have to do is look at my bank account to understand that I must wait until I get my first salary and one day fulfill my biggest dream: to go to Japan.
At the time, I had no experience in solo backpacking. There were still very few blogs about cheap travel.
My representation of the trip was to consider the fact that only the most well-off had the possibility of going far and for a long time.
But it took a bit of courage and a few tips to realize that even being young and with very little money, you could succeed in undertaking any trip in the world.
Travelling on a low budget is within everyone's reach, but you will have to accept to make concessions in your life and in the way you approach your trip..
So in this article, I would like to introduce my 6 steps from my own experience so that you too can Leaving for a long time, and experience what I consider to be “true freedom.”
If it worked for me, then it can work for you too!
1. Know how to live with little in your life
Adopting a simple lifestyle will allow you to live with the minimum and avoid unnecessary expenses.
By only focusing on expenses related to food, housing and a small budget for your outings, you can make a lot more money than you think.
Since I am not a big spender by nature, I managed to save around €2,000 after two years of higher education thanks to CROUS.
I was also fortunate to still live with my parents, which prevented me from paying for student housing, which in my opinion is a significant expense.
In the end, I ended up buying my first plane ticket to Japan myself.
Subsequently, it was by living with little that I managed to last 1 month and a half while having traveled extensively this magnificent country.
Even today, this state of mind is still with me in my travels. I only spend what seems good for me, the rest can wait.
2. Find a part-time job or an internship
When I was a student, I had the opportunity to work on an ad hoc basis on missions as a computer technician.
It is thanks to a student association operating as a temporary employment company that allowed me to work from time to time to make a significant additional income.
In one year of a one-off mission, I had managed to make around 1600€, which was more than enough to leave during the summer to the other side of the world for 1 month.
In addition, as part of my studies, I had to do at least 2 paid internships in a company, which also allowed me to save money and plan my future trips.
If you too have the opportunity to be able to work even a little bit to make some money, take this opportunity to save money.
Each corporate experience is a real added value, because these are skills that can then be used if you are looking for work after graduation.
By combining living with little and earning a little money alongside your studies, the chances of traveling for a long time will come more quickly.
3. Choose destinations with a low cost of living
Going to the United States for 2 months and going to Vietnam for 2 months is not the same thing based on the cost of living there.
If you want to travel with a low economy, it would be better to travel somewhere where you are sure to eat and stay for less than €20 per day.
And if you're really a rat on spending, you can even live for less than $10.
A beginner that I was, I decided to go to Japan for 1 month and a half telling myself that I could survive with my savings, that is to say 1200€.
The end result is that I ended up succeeding, but I had to deprive myself of a lot of things along the way : I only drank water and ate white rice, gave up going out with travelers due to budgetary constraints. So all the money went into visits.
It was a choice that I had taken on, but with some regret because I deprived myself of a lot of opportunities.
In my opinion, there are destinations to choose if you decide to leave for a long time while living without depriving yourself, and taking road trips in several countries.
Here is my ranking of countries that I would recommend if you are traveling with little money:
- vietnam
- laos
- cambodia
- indonesia
- Thailand
- Taiwan
You can opt for Latin America, which at the same time also has a low cost of living.
It all depends on your desires, but you are spoilt for choice in terms of destination and itinerary.
Only the plane ticket can be a bit expensive. But when you are a student, you have time in front of you because you will have more school vacations.
You can then opt for flights with several stops in this case. Of course you will get what you pay for, but don't expect a very high quality of service.
4. Opt for the cheapest services while traveling
You saved a lot by working alongside your studies while living a frugal lifestyle, and you made your choice of destinations.
Now it's time to analyze ways to save money on travel, housing, and food while traveling.
Take public transport throughout your trip
The first thing is not to Take only public transport. It's cheap, and it allows you to really immerse yourself in the daily life of the locals. Only use a taxi if you are lost or if you feel scorched where you are.
If you are going to Asia, you can use the Klook site to define your travel routes and book your bus tickets in advance for the same price as if you were buying there.
Book your bus tickets on the Klook website
Stay in guesthouses or youth hostels
Afterwards, Opt for accommodations such as guesthouses or youth hostels. It's really cheap depending on the country, and it's an opportunity to be able to rub shoulders with travelers from all over the world.
There is a site entirely dedicated to housing of this type, you can take a look at Hostelworld. To that you can look from the side of Booking.com to compare rates and choose the cheaper of the two.
Book your next accommodation on Hostelworld or else upon Booking.com
Make your own food or eat local
As for food, that's good because Many guesthouses and youth hostels offer a shared kitchen where you can make yourself some food.
And if you are lazy, you can always Eat at a local restaurant for three times nothing. Do not hesitate to ask around you for recommendations of restaurants that are very popular with the population.
Unlike traditional vacations, you will have to get out of your comfort zone and accept living like a traveller. And don't worry, because over time, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it!
5. Spend more time in each city you visit
In my opinion, this point is fundamental to allow you to optimize your expenses.
The reason is simple: you will find that what costs you the most when traveling is not necessarily accommodation, but it is all the successive trips that you will make during each of your visits.
By dint of wanting to visit again and again, you will both spend a lot, but also miss opportunities to take full advantage of a place.
Travel should not be seen as a race against time. On the contrary, it is an opportunity to land in one place and better discover a city from different perspectives.
Stroll through the streets to soak up the ambiance. Get off the beaten path by doing things that no tourists do. Take the time to sample local flavors in a street restaurant. Talk to travelers to find travel companions.
By adopting a travel mode such as”Slow Travel”, you will find that it is the simplest things that are often what give you the most joy.
“The important thing is not the destination, but the path taken.”
6. Offer to volunteer
If you are going to stay in a country for a long time and you are staying in guesthouses or youth hostels, then Volunteering is a very good solution to get free housing.
You should know that quite a few of them offer to do it in exchange for a few hours of work. Overall, the tasks are quite simple: household chores and sometimes receptionist.
Just ask the staff members if it is possible to get free accommodation in exchange for a helping hand.
Otherwise, to facilitate your research, you can look at the site of Workaway, Worldpackers or else HelpX.
Not only do you pay nothing for accommodation, but you can also meet new people every day. It is an opportunity to develop your contact network if one day you have to visit other countries.
Conclusion
If you have followed these 6 steps, you will then be in a position to be able to leave where you want, even with a budget constraint.
In the end, it all depends on how you use your money in daily life.
Because if you are not a big spender like me, then leaving on a low budget like I did is within everyone's reach.
Don't put a barrier to entry by telling yourself that you can't travel that far and for long.
I met a lot of solo travelers along the way, all with different profiles.
Some travelers leave on a good budget, others travel with almost nothing.
In particular, there was one person who impressed me a lot. A 24-year-old French man went to Japan for 1 year under a WHV with a budget of only €10,000. However, it is not the cheapest country.
Since then, he has returned safely to France, having made a lot of encounters and discoveries, and intends to leave there again to live there permanently.
I think that everything happens in the head, and that anyone can manage to travel even with less than €500 per month.
The only difficulty is to gather at least a minimum amount of money in the preparation of your future trip, as this takes time.
But with ambition and a desire to live your dream of traveling around the world, anything is possible.
Now it's your turn to play!
