How much capital do you need to do what you’re doing?

The full question: How much capital do you need to do what you’re doing? How did you obtain financial freedom to travel for a solid year? How are you financing your year of travel? How inexpensive do you go for accommodation/food/transport?

We fund our travels with our savings. Adrian has been in a pattern of work/save and travel/spend for over a decade now, he’s pretty good at making it happen! I have some investments that I was given several years ago and I’m spending them this way. We have no bills and zero debt. There are plenty of resources online about how to save money and payoff debt if you’re interested in doing that. It really comes down to priorities and how you choose to spend your money.

Our budget is more like a rough guide. We don’t keep up with every thing we spend and where we spend it because that would make me crazy and there’s just no need for it. I check in every month to make sure we’re on track and predictably we always are.

We travel comfortably. We stay in private rooms with attached bathrooms. We do the proper research in advance so that we get the best bang for our buck and ensure we get free (fast!) wi-fi and breakfast included. We eat street food (cheap) as much as possible but we try not to worry or think too much about money. We shop around, make the smartest choices we can and keep going.

Travel expenses vary greatly depending on your preferences. Somewhere between the range from $12,000 – $20,000/ per person would be sufficient to cover all of our visas, flights, buses, taxis, tuk-tuks, hotel rooms, food, drinks, snacks, tips, tours, entrance fees, gifts, souvenirs, donations, (stolen iPhones) – everything!

Thanks, Jennifer Morales Harpin and Kim Kafton. -Ashlie

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