5 Ways to Travel Long Term Without Being Rich

30 Nov 5 Ways to Travel Long Term Without Being Rich

Posted at 15:57h in Budget Travel, Travel Tips by Caroline Rose 0 Comments

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Have you ever caught yourself wondering how the hell that mutual friend or that person you found on instagram could afford to travel months or even a year at a time??

I used to wonder the same damn thing. Coming from a family that lived the traditional lifestyle and never traveled, I was mind blown learning how long term travel was even a thing unless you were very, very rich.

But after some research, I soon realized all the possibilities and that while travelling long term can involve some work, you don’t have to be rich to do it. Here’s how:

1. Work to save money in your daily life and then travel to low-cost countries using budget travel hacks - aka backpacking.

When following some budget travel hacks like staying in hostels, eating local food, taking public transportation, and more, travel really is not that expensive. Especially if you visit a country where your currency is worth more, a few thousand dollars can last several months.

In 2019, I backpacked through parts of Asia for almost 6 months and spent about 6k USD.

Check out blog post: What is backpacking and why do it?

2. Studying abroad, taking an internship and/or getting a scholarship opportunity in another country

I didn’t study abroad in college and it’s one of my bigger regrets! Oftentimes studying abroad for a semester is the same price as attending classes at your university. There are also tons of scholarship and internship opportunities available both during college and after graduation.

In 2016, after graduating I took an internship in South Africa for 3 months and had the time of my life. That opportunity was my first time out of the U.S and changed my life!

3. Doing a work in exchange for accommodation opportunity

Accommodation can really rack up when you’re traveling, especially long term. But there are actually loads of opportunities where you can work in exchange for a free place to stay. Here are a few:

4. Taking a job in another country

One of the most popular ways for young people to earn money in another country is head to Australia under the Holiday Work Visa. The visa stretches over a year without being extended and allows for you to apply to a multitude of jobs in the country. Because Australia’s minimum wage is higher than most, it’s popular to work here for a few months – a year, all while saving money and then backpacking through Asia afterwards.

Visa’s such as this are also available in New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Ireland.

Another popular way to earn money in another country is to take a job teaching English. There are many opportunities that do not involve experience, you just need to be an English speaker and most times have a bachelor’s degree. Some may require a certification, others will provide it. Either way, certification courses are often available online.

5. Creating a career for yourself that allows you to work from anywhere in the world!

If you love traveling so much you want it to become your lifestyle, I suggest investing into your career in a way that you can work from anywhere in the world. It’s what’s called being a digital nomad (This is what I’m working towards!)

Now, a lot of times people promoting the digital nomad lifestyle are bloggers and influencers. Which is awesome and I too hope to someday be able to make a living wage off this blog. But there are other options too!

Remote work can be anything from teaching English online, doing web design, digital marketing, data analysis, being a virtual assistant, & more.

And if you feel like your skillset doesn’t fit into a remote job, don’t give up just yet. There are loads of free resources online to teach you what you need to know.

My background in the past has been in a mental health, but I spent a few months taking digital marketing courses and leveraged my way into a remote digital marketing position for a non-profit.

I still have a ways to go in my remote career, but trust me, if you’re willing to invest your time and energy into creating the lifestyle you want, it’s possible.