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I have been on the road for nine months straight as I write, and I have slowly noticed how I changed my budget habits overtime. Initially, I had a big plan, quite a small budget, and an indicative daily expense limit that would make most people laugh – or faint. I was mostly successful in keeping expenses between 5 and 10 $ a day by travelling in a very cheap region – the … Read more »
I stayed away from frequent flyer credit cards for a long time, because I wanted to avoid debt. The other reason was that since I lived in Asia, flights were relatively cheap anyway. Looking back, there were a lot of missed opportunities to earn air miles. Now that I’m back in the States, my situation has changed. Getting outside of North America can easily cost over $1,000. As a result, I researched into travel rewards … Read more »
Savvy travelers probably know these things, but I know some who are still behind the curve and going abroad soon. So here’s an update: Though many report having no problems at all using their US mag-stripe cards and ordinary ATM cards abroad, make sure your credit or debit card has a smart chip. The global standard is … Read more »
What would you rather have: a million dollars or a million frequent-flyer miles? Airline miles have almost become a new currency. They can be exchanged for hotel stays, car rentals, gift cards, and merchandise. The movie “Up in the Air” with George Clooney brought mainstream attention to “travel hacking.” This is how people use their ingenuity to build up as many frequent flyer miles as possible.
The Los Angeles Times had an article titled Read more »
Considering costs is a vital part of planning your entry into expat life. Neglecting budgeting can abruptly cut short a stay. On the other hand, a little financial planning can pay off in a longer and more enriching lifestyle than you dreamed possible.
A great web-based tool for this is Numbeo. Just type in the name of a city or select a country from the drop-down list. … Read more »
Hitchiking, working our way around the world or couchsurfing are all good ways to save some money on the road, but being able to travel without spending anything has always seemed impossible to me. As Anna recently posted, we may get free flights with credit cards’ air miles; however, as far as I know, travelling without spending a single cent is a dream. And believe me, I am one who really … Read more »
A common lament I hear is, “I’d love to travel. But it’s just too expensive.” How much money do you really need to travel year-round? Would you need $50,000 year? Maybe $100,000?
Nora Dunn from The Professional Hobo answered that question in her classic article: Travel full-time for less than $14,000. In many first-world cities, that money wouldn’t even cover … Read more »
Slow and steady wins the race, but sometimes it’s the hare that gets the best travel deals. The great productivity website Lifehacker had this article on the virtues of being late: How to plan an awesome, last-minute vacation on the cheap.
The article covers everything from choosing the destination to booking a flight to finding a place to stay. Flights are often the … Read more »
It’s the dream of many backpackers: to express our creativity through stories and photos on our travel blogs, and make enough money to keep traveling. Nomadic Matt is one of the more notable examples of people who have achieved this goal. In a recent post, he reveals the details: How I make money and afford to travel.
Throughout the piece, Matt addresses head-on how a … Read more »
After living and working abroad for a significant time one will have to face the annoying task of moving not only all of their belongings but also moving all of their finances. It can be a puzzle to figure out the best way to move one’s entire savings from one country to the next. Which way is ultimately the best? How can one do this without losing a depressing sum in conversion or banking fees? … Read more »