I funded largest trip to date, an 18-country marathon that lasted from July 24 until October 11, with just $3,450. To break that down for you, I boarded, fed and transported myself within 12 countries for 76 days on a total daily budget of just $45.39.
How did I do I travel for less than $50 per day — and, more importantly, how can you do it? Read on, grasshopper.
Do I Want It or Need It?
Wasting money is always infinitely wasteful.
Just as would in your “normal” life, you must constantly weigh the extent to which prospective purchases constitute “want” or “need” as you travel.
On the first day of my big trip (in Saigon, Vietnam), I spent 200,000 dong (about $10) of a discretionary nature — money that didn’t explicitly relate to food, shelter or transportation. Now, that might not sound like a lot of money, but keep in mind that if I had spent 10 “extra” dollars each day for the rest of my trip, I’d have tacked on an additional $750 to my bottom line. In case you were curious, the two items in question were a Vietnamese SIM card and a kitschy “I Love Pho” t-shirt.
A good way to assess whether or not an item is necessary is to ask yourself for how long it will be useful and then divide out its cost-per-day. My SIM card, for example, allowed me to make (almost) free local calls for 15 days, or a cost of 33 cents per day. I never once wore my t-shirt, however, and if you’re a fan of calculus and the concept of limits as I am, you’ll realize that any number divided by zero (the number of days my shirt was useful) gives you a value approaching infinity – in other words, the cost of that shirt was without bound. Wasting money is always infinitely wasteful.
Convenience and Comfort
The old rule is the same on the road as it is when you sleep in your own bed: time is money and money is time.
When it comes to convenience spending, my line of thinking is simple: Do I have the time to do without the convenience?
If, for example, I find myself in Hong Kong late at night, a mile from my hotel and the weather’s nice, I’ll probably ignore the honks of the passing taxis and save myself the cash. On the other hand, if I have to be at a given airport in less time than it will take me to wait for the subway and transfer stations twice, I’ll cough up the dough.
The old rule is the same on the road as it is when you sleep in your own bed: Time is money and money is time. When it doubt, determine which of these you have in greater abundance — and spend it all before you even think about sacrificing the other. This is also true on a larger scale: the longer you spend on the road, the less even pricey items like plane tickets and electronics replacements will affect your average daily bottom line.
You should generally use the same ruthlessness when it comes to comfort-based purchases, although there is an important exception of which I’d like to remind you: Pamper yourself when you’re sick, as I was when I booked a lie-flat bed on a 13-hour train from Vientiane, Laos to Bangkok. In general, whenever health is concerned, choose the most comfortable option without your usual regard to cost.
Staying With Friends
It's almost impossible to travel without receiving a little bit of assistance.
One thing you’ll learn very quickly upon hitting the road is that it’s almost impossible to travel without receiving (and, to be fair, giving) a little bit of assistance.
Kind strangers come and go — and you’ll likely transact with at least a few of them — but what about the people you already know, even if only via Facebook, whether from college, an earlier trip or through a mutual friend? Out of the countless people I’ve asked for a couch (or, in some cases, a bed) to sleep on during my travels, only one has ever refused me.
This is not to say that you’ll even have to make cold calls. Conservatively, I’d say at least half the people I’ve stayed with had previously offered me a place to stay should I ever visit their part of the world without my even asking.
Staying with a friend has advantages above and beyond free lodging. If you’re staying at someone’s family home, for example, you’ll likely get at least breakfast, and maybe other meals as well. Additionally, you’ll have a companion, guide and translator, all in one.
And the benefits don’t just extend to you: When I stayed with my friend Anna in Beijing last June, she frequently remarked that having a first-time visitor to show around town motivated her to see historical sites in Beijing she’d never bothered visiting in the years she’d lived there up to that point. As a matter of courtesy, you should make perfectly clear to your host or hostess that you’ll be happy to reciprocate and, when that time finally does come, honor your word.
Stick to Your Travel Budget
If you keep a level head, you'll become better and better at on-the-go budgeting as your trip progresses.
Above all, remain consistent both in the way you spend and the way you assess your spending.
No particular train of thought is necessarily better than another, but you must apply the same one to every destination and situation. Otherwise, you’ll rationalize frivolous purchased based on regional factors (such as cost of living, the company you’re keeping and even how much you like a place) rather than using any of the tactics above, which work well no matter where you are.
Of course, if you do happen to make an irresponsible splurge, don’t panic. Instead, consider it a learning experience you can keep in the back of your mind for the next time you’re in a similar situation. If you keep a level head, you’ll become better and better at on-the-go budgeting as your trip progresses. Then, spending money only on things you need or that offer you a comfort or convenience benefit you simply can’t do without will become a best practice you can employ even after arriving back home.
About The Author
Robert Schrader is the author of 255 posts on Leave Your Daily Hell.
Robert founded Leave Your Daily Hell in 2010 so that other travelers would have an entertaining, reliable source of information, advice and inspiration at their fingertips. Robert has traveled to more than 36 countries since he got his first passport stamp in 2005. Want to travel more often? Subscribe to email updates today!
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