A guest post by Natalie Frizza, looking at some of the tricks to travel the world on a small budget as a solo female traveller.
When it comes to long-term travel, people usually find ways to prolong turning their daydreams into a reality, allowing them to crumple and disappear as the clock ticks side to side. This eventually leaves them at a time in their life when they are “too busy with work”, or now have prior commitments like kids, mortgages or future optimistic business opportunities that are bound to take off any minute. Their fond idealistic thoughts of leaving behind all their belongings and going forth, “Into the Wild”, with nothing but a backpack on their back and the road in front of them, ready to climb every mountain that stands in their way, turns into exactly that… A distant thought of what once could have been.
We’ve all heard it all before, from one time or another.
“I wish I had the courage to do what you do.”
“I wish I could just pick up and leave everything behind.”
“Well… once I pay off my debt from school/my car/house/etc,etc… I’ll go travel.”
“I’ll work for one more year (even though we all know you have more than enough money to pick up and leave for months right now) and then I’ll quit my job and travel.”
Time is, quite literally of the essence. And your time is NOW.
STOP with the excuses, stop being lazy, get up and live your life!
I have spent the past four years since finishing high school flying across the world, with almost nothing in my pocket, and I have always made it. I have always been fine, better than fine!
From a Schoolies trip in Bali, that I spent mostly blind drunk or hungover by a pool, to eating sushi in Kyoto, from running through the streets of Melbourne, comparing the cities vibrant air to NoCals San Francisco, to spending a miserable winter in Vancouver, and now a magical winter throughout Europe. I have always left Australia with a ridiculously low amount of money, and most importantly, a fire in my heart, to make my way through this Earth, creating my life to what I want it to be as I go.
These have been my wanderlust endeavours over the past 4 years:
December 2010: Bali, Indonesia-3 weeks
December/January 2010/2011: New Zealand-3 weeks
September/October 2011: Japan-4 weeks
January 2012-June 2013: USA/Canada-18 months
September-October 2013: Thailand/Cambodia-5 weeks
August 2014-Current day: USA/Mexico/UK/Europe-5 months almost to the day, and counting!
This is only international, over the past four years I have made multiple trips from where I was living in Australia from my home town in Sydney up through Byron Bay, NSW and down to Melbourne, Victoria.
Travelling on a budget is a completely different experience to travelling with loads of money. Here are my top tips to travelling almost penniless from continent to continent:
Table of Contents
- 1. Don’t be picky
- 2. Hitchhike
- 3. When Travelling, the Internet is your friend
- 4. Set a Budget for the Day/Week/Month
- 5. Eat the Food People offer you!
- 6. The Best Things in Life are free
- 7. Take up some Hobbies
- 8. Be an Au Pair for a while
- 9. Travel to Places where you have Friends
1. Don’t be picky
You are after all, a backpacker right? Who needs a private room with their own bathroom, in a hotel that has absolutely no character. That shit is for our parents wanting a vacation from us, or a family on a trip to Disneyland. Immerse yourself in hostels, eat local, CHEAP food, don’t settle for the first expensive restaurant you walk into, walk and ask around. It can make such a difference between spending $5 or $12 on a meal.
2. Hitchhike
Hitchhiking is a fast and effective way to get around and save money! As long as you have your wits about you and you don’t lack common sense, hitchhiking is easy! Getting from one place to another is a pretty boring and unadventurous task anyway, there’s no fun in sitting on a bus for 8 hours going cross country. Try your luck and see how far you get! You’ll be surprised.
3. When Travelling, the Internet is your friend
Social media is forever rapidly growing around us. We are all guilty of sitting on our Facebook page scrolling down our news feed seeing what everyone back home is doing, or what those travellers who asked you to join them are now doing on another some-what more appealing destination. I am just as guilty of this as the next person. BUT, when using social media outlets in moderation and accordance whilst travelling, a range of connections can be made that can help save money and guarantee an entirely unique experience.
Some examples
Couchsurfing: A website that allows us to connect to other travellers or hosts in the existing area you are in, in search of a (free) place to crash or a friend to gain. I have met some INCREDIBLE people from couch surfing, people who have literally taken me off the street, hosted me in their wonderful homes, and helped me experience their town, city, country, in a truly distinct and of course, local way. A way I would never have been able to see if I had stayed in a hotel or even a hostel! There are so many benefits of couch surfing, try it on for size next time you’re trotting around the globe.
Rideshare: Ok I get that hitchhiking isn’t for everyone. So take it slow and ease your way into cheap ways of getting from A to B. Ride share is a great way to do this. It’s safe and super easy! Throw in a bit of cash for gas, get some snacks for the road, and be prepared to talk about your adventures and future endeavours when you get in the car for the long ride. There are many websites for this kind of travel, in Europe you can use BlaBlaCar, and in the USA you have Craigslist as well as ridester.com. In Australia and the UK/Ireland you can use Gumtree.com.
It’s a great way to see the land and how far your stretch is from one place to the other, if you come to a nice view-point, your driver might even stop and let you take photos! Try getting that kind of service on a bus or a plane.
Wwoofing and Workaway: When I left Australia 5 months ago, I wanted to get my hands dirty. I wanted to learn how to be able to provide for myself, and learn more about how mother nature really works. I want to be able to live a life with minimal surroundings, create my own meals where I can taste the pure love and energy that’s placed into it and really learn about my connection, as a human, with the Earth. I set out in search or like-minded humans, in search or the same, and what I found did not disappoint.
Wwoofing in the US and Mexico was life changing. I learned SO MUCH, yet so little and there is still so much more to learn! It is a great way to travel, you connect not only with people, but deeply with yourself, as well as the earth beneath your feet. And! You get to eat amazing food, and you have a place accommodating you in exchange for a few hours of honest work a day. I believe that this is what our lives should be, an honest exchange from one another, helping each other out as we enjoy our surroundings.
Workaway is similar to Wwoofing but broadens your horizons further from just working on farms, to working in home stays and other similar arrangements in exchange for a few hours work a day, you receive a place to sleep and food.
Tinder: Yep, I have Tinder, as most of you reading this do (whether you want to admit it or not), and I use it to my advantage just like the rest of you do too. Except my advantage is perhaps a little different to society’s “direct” if you will, main purpose of Tinder.
Now I agree that it is silly that this social media dating app has taken the world by storm, and has now become a regular way for girls and guys to communicate with each other. What happened to the days when you could just walk up to a guy and say, “Hey, I’m attracted to you, let’s go on an adventure.”
Now it’s like, “Hey, you look like a good one night stand.”, and that’s portraying Tinder discreetly, we’ve all had way more forward Tinder matches than that…
But I learned to use Tinder my own way, adventurously, and oh! the adventures I have had from the people I have met on Tinder! I have climbed some of San Francisco’s greatest, most hidden peaks, with Tinder matches, places I never would have known to go to unless these people had showed me. I have found myself in exclusively alternative hole-in-the-wall bars and pubs throughout Arizona, New Mexico, Amsterdam, and all over, that alone I wouldn’t have known to step into without these Tinder matches.
One time, one of my Tinder dates, walking into a tattoo parlour to meet me for the first time, paid for my tattoo within 5 minutes of meeting me (having only realised after I was tattooed that this parlour was ‘Cash Only’)… I of course paid him back, but this guy hardly knew me, I could have flown back to Australia the next day for all he knew.
Multiple and most of the Tinder matches I have met up with have been people who, yeah sure, I thought to be attractive at the start, but in the end have turned into big brothers or best friends for me.
When travelling Tinder can be a saviour, and I use it in the same way I use couch surfing. If you’re tired of walking around, introducing yourself to every second person you meet, hanging out with them for an hour or two then finding yourself alone again, try out Tinder, you might just end up meeting someone cool, who you really connect with.
For those of you reading this with an utmost disgusted expression on your face, all I can say is, get over yourself. I meet people without even trying, in the streets, in pubs, in parks, crossing the roads and through striking up conversations with strangers almost everywhere I go. But Tinder is fun, a new way of meeting people. I don’t think it’s necessary to use it religiously, but why not let yourself loose on the app once in a while and find some like-minded people you can relate to.
Blogs: Travel blogs are a great way of finding out about places to visit, some of the places I’ve visited have been based on blog posts I have read from blogs I follow, of girls and guys of all ages that travel the world.
Never under-estimate a good blog! I first really started getting into researching and finding good travel blogs to read when I got back to Australia after visiting Southeast Asia. A girl I met in Cambodia, Ashley from the USA, had been travelling off the money she makes from her blog for over 2 years. Her persistence to see the world and write about it inspired me so much to find more people through blogging that have the same passions as her and I do. I usually search for quirky and unusual blogs that stand out to my lifestyle, I then find inspiration from individual blog posts about where I want to travel to.
For example; Ashley’s blog post on “The Craziest things that happened in India” had me kicking myself for cancelling my flight to Chennai from Rome in January, and writing a bucket list of things I want to see/do/witness when entering India. Check out her dramatic yet spiritual Indian adventures.
Another example; another blog I follow, heartmybackpack.com is written by a 26 year old US/Norwegian girl named Silvia. Besides Silvia’s inspiring long luscious hair that she seems to keep immaculately beautiful throughout her travels, I am also largely inspired to now travel through Iran. After reading Silvia’s blog post on road tripping through Iran’s hills and lakes, I know that whenever I eventually get to India, it being so close, I want to experience Iran as well. A young girl solo travelling through Iran is almost unheard off, but if Silvia can do it so can I! I knew this before I read this blog post, but it is nice to read the adventures of a girl who is similar in age and from a similar background as you having succeeded in solo travelling through a Middle Eastern country.
Search the internet for some inspiration and see what surfaces, I am very thankful to the numerous creative blogs I follow, for opening me up to places I may never have bothered even thinking about to explore.
4. Set a Budget for the Day/Week/Month
I usually set a budget for each month. If I spend more than what I thought I would within that time frame, I am usually super hard on myself for about an hour, then I tend to relax and get over it. I’m only human after all!
Setting up a budget can help you immensely though. You look at what you have left and you realise that is what you need to live off for the coming weeks. Never take out any more cash from an ATM than what you need, once it’s in sight, it goes quicker then you can blink. I usually take out money from ATM’s monthly and hide what I don’t need deep in my backpack.
5. Eat the Food People offer you!
When I first started travelling, I used to hesitate to eat the food people held out for me, even when I did eat it I would pick at it, eat it slowly, and never ask for seconds. I do not have that problem anymore. These days I take what I can get, no hesitation. I’ll go for seconds, thirds and still have room for dessert. Stop hesitating and just eat! People wouldn’t offer you food, whether it be a home cooked meal or paying for your dinner, if they didn’t want to. Let them do it! They feel good for helping, you get some sustenance and everyone’s happy!
Another issue I have had with accepting food from people is my allergies. I am intolerant to gluten and dairy and I am a vegetarian. I am very serious about my food and I totally believe that you are what you eat. When I can afford it, I buy only organic and local foods.
However travelling, you kind of say goodbye to that privilege, and although I would obviously rather not eat things with gluten and dairy in them… most foods have them in some way or another. And I am in no position to pass up free food, so, most of the time I am very lenient with these things. I still will not touch any meat, chicken or fish no matter how hard anyone tries to push me to eat it, but as far as my allergies go, a little bread, if that’s all there is, won’t kill me.
6. The Best Things in Life are free
I have never really been a museum girl, modern art annoys me and the Mona Lisa is too small for me to see without my glasses. I thrive off running through fields of flowers, or jumping on the back of someone’s motorbike and witnessing a city with the wind in my face. Climbing peaks to see the view, and taking advantage of every ‘donation based’ yoga class I can find. Getting lost in cities on purpose and really learning the roots to each place by eventually finding your way back again before the sky night falls. The best things in life really are free, get creative when travelling almost penniless, you don’t really have a choice in the end anyway!
7. Take up some Hobbies
Since this most recent trip of travelling I have learnt how to make dreamcatchers and jewellery, I have learnt how to play the guitar (not well but as long as you enjoy it who cares!), how to cook some authentic dishes from different countries I have visited, and also picked up some awesome recipes from people I have met along the way, and I have read some fabulous books. I even picked up a hula hoop in Mexico and taught myself how to hula.
I have also enjoyed starting to make little films of my travels as I go, and writing down inspirational quotes I want to remember in my journal. All these little hobbies have helped me stay sane as I have waited for rides, sat on aeroplanes, waited for people to get ready or pick me up, and when I have had nothing else to do, I turn to these things. Best of all, it costs nothing to read a book or play guitar!
8. Be an Au Pair for a while
If you find an area you like and you’re hesitant to leave, why not stick around? There are many ways you can work abroad, Au Pairing is only one of them. I like Au Pairing because I of course love kids, but you can also find ways to do this with no fees from websites. Craigslist for the US and Canada is a great way to find jobs, for Europe, check aupair-world.
Au Pairing is a great way to immerse yourself into a different culture whilst getting paid a little to work an easy and enjoyable job whilst living for free. The possibilities are endless, but Au Pairing is a great place to start for working abroad, especially if it’s your first time overseas. There is something comforting about becoming a part of someone else’s family, far away from your own.
9. Travel to Places where you have Friends
The beauty about travelling so much and being open to meeting new people is that you find yourself with invitations all over the world, from Thailand to Berlin, Rome to Seattle! From people you spend only a couple of minutes with to people you spend weeks with. There is obviously a deeper connection with you and the people that invite you or you invite to come stay. It’s a wonderful thing and it is something you should learn to take advantage of.
Not only will you get to rekindle your friendship with these people, but you will get to see them in their natural habitat, and you will get to live like a local!
I have been in Berlin for a week, a destination I had desperately wanted to go to for years. Now here I am, with one of my best friends and her typical German family right in the centre of it all! They feed me, they play tour guide, they even took me to their family Christmas where I got to witness first hand a proper German Christmas, complete with presents!
On top of that, yesterday some Swedish boys I met in Cambodia messaged me saying they are also in Berlin, and so we spent the day together. You will find yourself constantly surrounded by amazing people from your past travel endeavours, popping up in your present travel endeavours! That is really something special!
So there it is! My top and most effective tips for travelling solo and travelling penniless! If I can do it you can too! Money does not make the world go around, people make the world go around.
It’s a big world out there with much to explore, don’t let something as silly as money put you in a bind or pull you down. Take some action and make your time count!
About the Author
Natalie is a 22 year old Australian girl with an EU passport and a keen eye for adventure. She has a passion for writing, talking, and inspiring. She likes to walk through the wild and listen to people speak foreign languages and also likes yoga. Check out this video of her travels:
If you liked this post, you might also want to read 6 ways to make travel buddies!
These tricks to travel the world on a small budget were originally published in December 2014.
Great article. I loved your idea about tinder. Never thought of using it that way. Also, I’d like to know more about your wwoofing and workaway experience. I have been planning a trip to Portugal for some time now but it gets difficult to manage everything out of my savings. One of my friends recommended me a website named https://hippohelp.com. It was pretty easy to use and with it’s map based system, I easily located hosts in Portugal. Have you ever used it?
I think that bit came across a bit rude too, it’s not always laziness stopping people from travelling – lots of people have commitments that they value above travelling, and need to support a family/loved ones who they put before themselves.
You are a very lucky person if you can pack up and travel without worry… remember that.
This comment is not valid. How can you call her judgmental? This blog is about traveling on a budget – there are way too many people in the world who don’t realize they really DO have to opportunity to travel and those people are get target audience. This doesn’t make her judgmental in the least bit. But your passive aggressive comments about her use of tinder is what does seem judgmental. Maybe don’t be the pot calling the kettle black.
I think you have a lot of good things to say, but I’m finding it hard to extract the good information from the judgemental tone (I doubt you mean to offend, you aren’t a bad person there’s just an issue in how it’s communicated.) If I’m going to travel a year from now because I want to make sure I have enough money when I return and have to job hunt because I find job hunting to be a traumatic experience, that doesn’t make me lazy or making excuses (I do the lazy things sometimes, I do excuses sometimes and manage to fool myself, but this is not it.) “Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something and has lost something” and there’s something beautiful in being nonjudgemental and seeing people in a positive light as fellow human beings who genuinely want to connect with people and experiences and live a deep and full life. thanks for listening!
Just an alternate perspective, Natalie.
You wrote,
“When it comes to long-term travel, people usually find ways to prolong turning their daydreams into a reality, allowing them to crumple and disappear as the clock ticks side to side.”
“Time is, quite literally of the essence. And your time is NOW.
STOP with the excuses, stop being lazy, get up and live your life!”
A positive sentiment for some, I suppose.
I have been one of your hosts.
Something you didn’t know when you partook of my hospitality, however – I have an inoperable brain tumor.
I have to have access to high-tech medical equipment, medication, and other services. So, I don’t travel much.
I am not lazy. I am dying.
I enjoy the time I spend with all my guests. I travel the world, seeing it through their eyes.
Enjoy your health, and your youth. You will miss them both when they are gone, but perhaps once they are – you will be a little less judgmental of those that don’t, “get up and get on with their lives.”
Love,
A Former Host
PS: didn’t know about your relationship with Tinder. If your hosts are loving, kind and generous to you, you might consider expressing yourself toward them them in the same manner you would toward your “Tinder Dates.”
Guess what I just emailed your link to my wife….Awesome, should I say an inspiring write up?
Wow…. That Is Realy Make Me Wanna Join To World travelling :3