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How often do people travel if they are not rich?
I am not rich but I travel whenever I want. I am in my mid 40s and have traveled the world many times. Sometimes I even go to first grade.
Here’s what you can do if you like this lifestyle;
Minimize all unnecessary expenses from your life. **** Common things like money are cars, homes, any subscription services, fast food etc. You can write whole books about things that waste your money. So here are some big things; I do not have a car. This saves me $ 500 per month. I cycled almost everywhere and I was very happy. In rare cases I need a car, I take a friend’s car or use a rideshare service or rent. Houses; Real estate is a great investment, and I own rental assets. But in fact I rented the place where I live. It saves me $ 1500 per month (how much would it cost if I bought the same place). Additionally, I have the freedom to move when I want and I do not tempt to dump a bunch of solutions because I do not have it! Fast food, I usually hit any major franchise that regularly promotes their product on TV. In my opinion, these people sell nothing but garbage. I cut large national food chains from my diet 10 years ago and now I find that it saves me $ 300 per month. I also lost 40 pounds! Subscriptions (anything that bills you on a monthly basis) are some things you can not get rid of on utility bills, but anything you absolutely do not need, stay away. Also, avoid reckless financial investments such as expensive toys such as time shares and boats. Bottom line, control your spending.
Learn to invest at an early age. I started investing when I was in my late 20s. I made some terrible mistakes along the way and almost went bankrupt, but the lessons were far more valuable than the financial cost. 15 years later, the successful investments I have now made provide me with enough passive income to enjoy some freedom like travel! There are so many great investments, so choose your interest and do not be afraid to fail, when it happens, take the lesson and get up and do better a second time.
When traveling, enjoy budget-friendly places most of the time. When I go to places like Paris, Rome, etc., I spend most of my travels in budget friendly places like Mexico and Asia. You may be wondering what more affordable destinations offer for a fraction of the price of popular destinations
Remember, this is your life, so count it
Do not always travel traditionally
I arrived in Panama about 5020 miles after leaving San Diego 7 months ago. Travel does not always have to be by plane. So far I have traveled to 43 countries. 9 of whom are on this bike.
Update, July, 2020
Thanks for all the positive votes! This is unbelievable, I do not think I have ever had such a strong reaction to anything.
By reading the comments, I understood how some of you feel. By American standards, I’m not rich. I live on about $ 20k a year. The difference between me and most people is that my income from various investments is passive. Passive income is less costly than earned income, which means less taxes, fewer working hours and more often needed cars for travel are optional. Add to that how much it costs to own a car, get rid of it and suddenly 20 thousand is not so bad. Another big thing is that I have no children. This is tough business. Is Freedom of Travel Really Worth the Family? I can not answer this.
Now for 3 examples, there are far fewer wealthy people who travel freely than I do;
I have a friend in Mexico who lives on $ 2 an hour, traveling to several major North American and European destinations. He saw more Americans than most Americans and, unlike some, visited legally. He can do this because his brain is rich in energy and has a lot of resources. He spends a lot of time researching airline promotions and is ready to tackle the games that budget airlines love to play. He developed the skill of getting free housing and free food (politely, sometimes talking about luxuries), like me, he left the car and had no children. He has a job, but finds an employer who allows him to work remotely via a portable computer. I am richer than him. But he is so much more creative than me. Sleeping in tents before sleeping in hostels these days. He is the opposite, and does not care about the association of 30 other snoring bodies and those who like to talk all night.
On my bike trip, I met a Chinese guy who had nothing but a bicycle. He has ridden his bike in almost all countries of the world, some of them twice. These are places I have never dared to visit. There is news on how he was expelled from Somolia. This is the person who reduced me. I have a modern bike and GPS, enough money for basic accommodation most nights. I managed 5,000 miles and a little bit of Central America. He has a second hand bike, lying in the mud and traveling around the world!
On the same trip, I met a man from Oregon who was paralyzed from the waist down with his hands paddling to Argentina. He and his partner have very sophisticated equipment. They were well funded, but their money was raised through donations and crowdfunding. He used his story to fund his adventure and reached the southern tip of Argentina.
However, the important thing is that you do not have to be rich, you have to be creative, you have to be willing to invest time and believe that whatever your dream is it will come true. Do it inside.