Travel Longer

Budget for long-term travel with these tips.

Have a Number

Without a goal to achieve, saving money for a longer trip will always seem impossible. Look up flights, hostels, cost of food, travelers insurance, transportation fees for sightseeing and any other expenses you can predict. Now add it all up, multiply it by 1.98 and divide it by R. Not really! But, this is always going to be a rough estimate and will probably continue to fluctuate while you’re traveling, but at least you have something to shoot for.

Don’t Freak Out

This might be an intimidating number, but that’s where a plan comes in. Select the timeframe you want to be traveling and break it down into weeks. Divide your number by the amount of weeks you have to get an idea of how much from each paycheck you need to save.

Be realistic

If you’re working on a 20-something’s budget and barely have enough for noodles and beer, look at cost-cutting programs like Workaway or WWOOFing that offer room and board in exchange for a short day’s work.

Make the Budget

This is when you compare how much you’re already saving per week/month to the number you need to be saving for your dream trip. Adjust your weekly spending to match, set up a savings account and watch your trip fund materialize each week. If you’re still having trouble . . .

Start the Trip Now

Give yourself a weekly allowance and try to look at everyday as a trip of its own. What free things are in your city that you just didn’t know about? Is there a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that’s cheap and awesome? The travel lifestyle will bleed over into your daily life, making an extended trip seem that much more feasible.