das leben geht vor

Frequently asked: „How do you actually pay for all of this?“

8 Years of Being Everywhere and Nowhere

I left Germany more than six months ago and I have been traveling ever since. But am I really the one to give advice on this topic after just six months? I’d say so, because even though this is my first full-time-adventure, it is definitely not my first trip. For 8 years now, I’ve been everywhere and nowhere, barely staying in the same place for more than a few months.

5 Tips on How to Finance Traveling

I am aware that I am writing this article from a very privileged perspective. For example, I don’t have any illnesses  (yet), no family members in need of care (yet) and I receive an incredible support from my family, friends and others. Additionally, I have a German passport, no migrational background, I identify with my biological gender, etc. The fact that I have no obligations is also due to the fact that I have repeatedly decided against obligations for years. And to be honest: choosing freedom in exchange for security is not always easy.

The following five tips certainly won’t work for everyone, but I would like to encourage everyone to get creative with their own path and shape it according to their own requirements, wishes and possibilities. So here are 5 tips that might help you to finance your travels.

1. Financial plans

Financial plans have always been crucial for my money management. I’m frequently analyzing my sources of income and my bills, which I pay off straight away. How much, after all, can I save and perhaps even invest? According to this, I choose my lifestyle, at least temporarily. However, it has always been important for me to avoid abstaining wherever possible, as this is obviously no fun and not good for mental health. So I don’t usually choose between either-or-alternatives, but I set priorities and make sure I treat myself every now and then.

However, if I realize in the long run that my finances are restricting me too much or that I’m not reaching my saving goals, I use other strategies.

2. Savings

I am currently traveling with a monthly income, but also with savings. In order to build up savings, you need to save money and minimize expenses in the first place.

The majority of my expenses at home in recent years – and this is probably the case for most people – have been rent, vehicle costs, etc. There may also be individual expenses such as insurances, monthly fees or loans. A financial plan can therefore also help you to analyze your own expenses and, if possible, minimize them.

I myself have not only tried to avoid financial obligations in the past, but I have also always had a minimalist lifestyle. I generally lived in shared flats and sublet my rooms when I was traveling. I even rented out my van Fred once, when it was already converted. For this long-term journey right now, I reduced my car insurance and adapted other insurances to this trip, e. g. for health, diving, mountaineering or accidents.

While traveling, I often have to choose how I spend my money and where I can save it. Traveling on a low budget can be a lot of fun though because it often gets you in touch with other people. Some travelers I’ve met, for example, travel entirely by bike with a tent. Others have only used public transportation or hitchhiking. I don’t do this as a solo traveler, but I have also hitchhiked with friends in the past and have had many great experiences.

Hostels are usually a cheap option for a night, especially if you book directly instead of through third-party-sites, but it’s also worth taking a look at Couchsurfing. People in many cities around the world offer a place to sleep for a night for free. There is also a hangout option that allows you to network and meet up with other travelers for activities. For safety reasons, I recommend taking a closer look at the profiles and reviews of other Couchsurfing users before meeting up or staying over.

3. Work

I’ve worked for as long as I can remember and I’ve always wanted to work. Delivering newspapers, waiting tables, tutoring kids, you name it. It was partly from this money, which I put aside over the years, that I was finally able to buy my van.

After school, I decided to start studying straight away so that I would be able to travel with a higher salary after graduation and not need to work in temporary low-paid jobs, which is usually the deal for work&travel.

When I started studying German literature and social sciences, I quickly had to get used to running gags about my faculty, that we would have one main career prospect in the future, which is driving taxis. However, a few mild existential crises, internships and work experiences later, I can’t actually complain about my career prospects at the moment. For years, I have worked as a freelance editor and content writer, which I now do remotely as a digital nomad.

In my experience it makes sense to be creative with work according to your skills. Have you learned a craft or did you study anything that you can work with abroad? Can you somehow turn a creative skill into an income? But you might also feel like you know a few things well-ish, but not well enough to monetize them? Maybe this next chapter is just right for you then.

4. Volunteering

Working for food and accomodation is probably one of the best ways to travel cheaply and to get to know the country and its people. I myself made some of my best memories this year while volunteering, for example in Romania in June.

There are various platforms online for global exchange and there are some really cool opportunities like restoring sailing boats or even sailing along, working in goat stables or hostels or teaching children a language. There’s definitely something for everyone and it’s a great way to broaden your horizons and learn new skills. I myself use Workaway, but there are also other platforms such as wwoof (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) and HelpX.

5. Support

As I already mentioned, I fortunately get very strong support from family, friends and others, not only mentally but also financially. That makes my life much easier. Additionally, I received numerous grants for my studies, including German state funding and scholarships from Erasmus and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

5.1. State funding and scholarships

These funding options are rather interesting for students, not only with a German citizenship, but also for European and sometimes even worldwide nationalities in some programs. While Erasmus and Erasmus+ support study semesters and internships mostly in other European countries, the DAAD offers a wide range of fundings for all kinds of academic programs and projects. Additionally, other academic institutions with funding opportunities can be found. But there are also funded non-academic programs, such as the European Solidarity Corps for volunteer services.

While these programs are primarily intended for younger people, traveling on a sabbatical year can make longer travels possible for people who are already established in professional life, though that doesn’t fund travels. I have been lucky enough to meet some inspiring people over the last few months who are in their 50s and are now traveling the world full of curiosity and with an open mind.

In my experience there are funds or exchange programs for almost every project. But if this is not the case, there is another option: you can simply set up your own funding!

5.2. Crowdfunding

As the saying goes: Every little helps. That’s the idea behind crowdfunding. Online platforms such as GoFundMe can be used to set up projects for which donations can be made. Many small contributions can make a big difference. You can now use GoFundMe to support my travels too: With every donated Euro, I’ll get 10 kilometers further. In order to travel from Tbilisi to Ulaanbataar in Mongolia, I have set up a funding project in which I am collecting fuel money for the next 15,000 kilometers. Click here for the campaign, I am very happy about every contribution!

Nr. 6 – The inofficial one

Finally, I have one more advice that is perhaps the most important, even before setting up financial plans, saving, working, volunteering and getting support from others: courage. Every trip is preceded by a decision and everything else will happen, along the way at the latest.

„I would like to travel to Mongolia with my van.“ The first time I said this sentence out loud in front of other people, I actually wanted to hide away inside because this trip sounded so big to me. But my voice has become more confident and my posture more upright with each time I said it. And now here I am, almost halfway there.

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If you liked this post or if you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out. Additionally, I would be very happy if you shared this post with other interested people.