In 2018, I left Toronto with the inclination that I would leave for about a year, with some vague idea of the places I would go. I ended up spending most of the year in East Asia, but spent the summer months in Europe meeting up with family (and a few friends).
A few times I’ve mentioned this journey to people, they wonder how I managed to do this. For the average person it seems that taking a year to travel is impossible because they either don’t have the time, or the money (or both!). But I believe there are a lot of opportunities that life presents to us that would be a great opportunity to make something like this happen.
In terms of finding the time, I would say between jobs, or different years of study, are great opportunities. Of course though, if you have a house, family etc., this becomes a lot more complicated, but still not impossible. But, I’m not here to solve the problem of making time for it. Today I’m here to prove to you how I managed to spend only $10,000 Canadian dollars on a years worth of travel in Asia and Europe, including all my flights!
If you prefer to watch instead, remember you can always check out my Youtube video!
1. Workaway
If I could pick only one solution to travelling long term cheaply, this would be the one to suggest to you 1000%.
Workaway was something I used in nearly every country I visited throughout my year of travel and it did two very important things to affect my travels in a positive way.
First, it helped cut down my travel costs immensely (obviously which is why I am mentioning it in this blog). Essentially, on the website, people either join as a host (someone looking for help) or as a volunteer (someone who would be providing the help). The host would designate what is expected of you, as well as what you would receive in return for your work, which is usually free accommodation, and sometimes food.
There is a seemingly infinite number of different projects and types of work available, in virtually every country on the globe which is amazing! From working in the tourism sector, to education, to farming, there are many things to choose from, which makes finding something that suits your interests fairly easy.
Another website that works similarly is HelpX. HelpX is basically set up the same way in terms of hosts and volunteers, but has a slightly different fee to use it. I haven’t used HelpX before but would suggest either to anyone looking for a unique volunteer experience (not one tied to a large organization) to help save them money to extend their travels.
Besides the fact that using Workaway saved me thousands of dollars in that year, it also allowed me to experience a lot of places that otherwise would have been very hard to reach.
A lot of places where you would normally be able to book a stay in a hotel or hostel, are generally places where tourists go. And even in places that aren’t necessarily geared towards tourists, you won’t have a lot of options to choose from. With Workaway, I had the opportunity to stay in locations which would literally be impossible to stay in unless I had some kind of connection with a local. I’ve stayed in a tiny village in Nepal, and in the highlands of Borneo, where the nearest hotel or guesthouse is a long drive away. But because I connected with locals through Workaway, I was able to arrange a stay there.
In a nutshell, if you’re looking to reach the unbeaten path, and get to know a culture and locals more deeply, using something like Workaway or HelpX is a great way to do that.
2. Couchsurfing
I didn’t actually use Couchsurfing THAT much, but I did use it a few times, and do think it’s something to consider if travelling long term. For me I’d say it was most useful in Europe, as that is where my accommodation costs were the highest. In Asia, if I was spending ten dollars on a night’s stay, that was expensive. While in Europe if I was spending thirty dollars on a night’s stay that was cheap.
For those unfamiliar, Couchsurfing is an app where people can meet up with locals in a given area, and potentially stay with those willing to host you. There is no volunteer component of it like Workaway. But similar to Workaway, it would also give you a great opportunity to get to know locals and learn more about the culture, which again I think is very special.
Though this is a more literal version of couchsurfing, I would also reach out to any family or friends you know overseas near to where you are travelling. Reconnecting with friends and family in itself a very good reason to travel. While I was in Europe I spent a good chunk of my time with relatives and friends, and to be honest, it was the main reason I was in Europe in the first place.
A lot of people have safety concerns when it comes to using things like Couchsurfing and Workaway, and I understand it can seem like a scary thing to do. But, what I will say is this:
Do your research thoroughly, read lots of reviews of any person’s profile and communicate with them lots before confirming anything. Keep in mind, just as you are meeting and staying with a ‘stranger’, they too are meeting and letting a ‘stranger’ stay in their home. I believe that for the most part, the world is filled with good people, who have good intentions. But still, be thorough, trust your instincts, and be smart.
3. Cheaper Transit Options
FLIGHTS:
It’s common knowledge that the cheaper flight options are often those with multiple connections. I know in our present world, connecting flights could potentially be a logistical nightmare (with COVID restrictions), but chances are there will still be a few options for you to choose cheaper (less convenient) options for flights.
For my year of travel, I flew to Asia, to Europe, back to Asia, and finally home to Toronto at the end of the year. For each of these longer flight journeys, I arranged my plans so that I could pick the cheaper options. For example, choosing a flight back to Toronto from Bangkok as opposed to from Malaysia (where I was planning to end my journey). So make sure when looking up flights, always look for nearby cities (if it would be feasible for you to go there), different connection options, and different airlines.
GROUND TRANSPORT:
I could probably count on my hands how many times I took a taxi during that whole year I spent overseas. I think there were some countries I visited that I never once stepped into a cab. Maybe this sounds crazy to you. But it’s the truth.
The truth is that I kind of hate taxis while travelling. For starters, it’s not cost effective, so during a year abroad on a budget, I’m not too keen on using them. Secondly, and especially in developing countries I find it less safe than taking public transit. The truth is that, that the small number of times I took a taxi while abroad, I only did it when I had someone else with me.
For me, taking a taxi almost always involves being alone in a vehicle, with a man, and potentially bartering about the price of the ride. This could potentially develop into an uncomfortable situation, which I prefer to avoid, especially if I am alone, which of course was the majority of the time. I’d much rather spend my time on a public bus where A) I will be surrounded by other people and other women and B) I won’t have to barter because the price is always set. Of course in a lot of countries designated marked taxis will rarely be an issue, but in a lot of countries this isn’t the case.
My solution is taking public transport as far as possible, and walking the rest to where I’m going (if possible). It does mean that I am usually coordinating bus and flight arrivals during the day (I would suggest doing this for safety reasons regardless), so that I can catch regular hours of public transport. Though I think it’s difficult to really sum up how much I saved opting to rarely take taxis, I’d say over a year long period, it definitely made a significant impact.
4. Eating Local/Cooking my Own Meals
EATING LOCAL:
This is something I would suggest across the board. While in Asia, you can easily tell which places are geared towards tourists (English menus and signs evident), as opposed to the locals ones (which may be lacking signs or prices all together). Though ordering at a local place may involve some communication and translation difficulties, it will generally save you money.
Here’s my tip about eating local: if you see other locals eating there it will mean that one, the price is good or at least reasonable for their standards, and second that the food is good! Because if the food there is no good, you wouldn’t see locals digging in to it—you’d only see tourists there eating there for the first time!
COOKING YOUR OWN FOOD:
To be perfectly honest, even though I did do this sometimes, I wouldn’t really suggest cooking your own food in places where local street meals are so inexpensive. The reality was that the times where I bought my own groceries and cooked for myself in Asia, it was usually because I wanted to make something specific, or to have my own snacks on hand. Buying a meal for a few dollars (if that sometimes) it just more convenient and cheap.
On the contrary, when travelling to first world countries, or where a meal in a restaurant is much higher, I would definitely suggest making your own food. I almost ALWAYS did this while I was in Europe, and it definitely saved me BIG TIME. Of course this means that you’d want to stay somewhere you have access to a kitchen or at least some kind of kitchenette. Which really isn’t so hard to be honest. Most hostels and guesthouses have a communal kitchen for use, and a lot of AirBnB hosts give some access to kitchens as well.
5. Saving my BIG Spending for Things I REALLY wanted
This is kind of a strange thing to say, but I do believe it made a difference in how I was able to go a whole year with spending so little.
Not only do I believe there would be not enough time to do this, but it would be ridiculous to stop and spend money on a tour of a given place, or on an entrance ticket to every sight I passed by. You can’t possibly experience every single thing that crosses your path.
It was important for me to keep in mind the things I really wanted to do, as well as what were the things I really needed to spend money on.
For example, I’m a big sucker for wildlife, and a good jungle trek, which generally this involves spending money on a guide (because trekking through a national park in some areas is dangerous…and illegal). This is one of the things I save my big spending for, because it is something I know I really want to do, and that it will have to cost me money.
Contrary to this, there are a lot of things you can spend money on, but don’t necessarily need to. There are many tours and organized groups which will take you on certain hikes, or to see certain sights, but you can still see them on your own as a single tourist. For me this is where I saved a lot.
If I could do something on my own cheaper, then I would do it that way. I would very selectively choose what interested me most, and choose which experiences I wanted to spend money on.
Friendly reminder: when choosing tours, try to pick ones that are locally run and those that employ locals. Think responsibly and sustainably for the locals as much as you can 🙂
That’s a wrap on today’s tips, and my secrets to how I travelled a year on 10k! I hope that you found this information helpful, and if you did, please share with a friend. Travel is not so far out of your reach if you plan well, and budget yourself well. Anything is possible!
If you have any questions about anything I have mentioned in this blog please reach out to me, either by the comments or by email or through social media. I’m always happy to chat!
Wishing you all safe and fun adventures this year!
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