I travel. A lot. The last few years I make anywhere from 7 to 10 international trips a year.
I get a lot of people asking me how I manage to do it; no, I'm not rich, and yes, I fund my own travel. So how do I do it? The answer is multi-faceted, but REALLY SIMPLE: I have made travel a lifestyle and create opportunties to see the world using my abilities and resources.
I've decided to do a post resuming just how I can afford to travel so much and compiled some information that can hopefully help you to do the same.
Timing and planning are SO important for me. I try to book my train/plane tickets way in advance while seats still tend to be cheaper. I avoid travelling during peak periods when I can, but since I am a teacher with fixed time off (during peak periods) this is often difficult. Instead, I use the inflexibility of my schedule to my advantage: since I know exactly when I'll be on vacation, if I find cheap tickets, I just book them right away. No way I'm missing out on a deal!
When travelling in Europe and Asia I have used a variety of budget airlines and search engines to book my trips. I have listed a few below.
Asia: Air Asia, Dragon Air, Royal Brunei, Jet Star, Tiger Airways, Zuji
Europe: RyanAir, Easy Jet, Sky Europe, Edreams, Swoodoo
Some examples of deals I've gotten:
I've flown between
for 16 GBP including taxes on RyanAir. I've snagged train tickets from London to
for 69 GBP return. I only paid $600 USD for my ticket from
to
last summer.
- Financial matters/ management
There's no secret or gimmick: I am good with my money. In order to have enough money to travel I operate on a few basic principles:
a) I don't buy anything I can't afford to pay for in cash.
b) I rarely use my credit card; when I do, I pay the balance in full.
c) I pay all my bills first! After paying my fixed expenses (rent, phone bill etc) I put a set amount of money into a saving account and don't touch it.
d) After putting money into my savings account after every paycheck, I take out a set amount of cash that I'll use as spending money between paychecks. I try to use only this cash for my entertainment, transportation, food, and miscellaneous items. I like using cash for everything because it's easy to monitor how much I'm spending. Doing things this way also means that I don't use my credit/debit cards very often.
e) I budget budget budget, and budget realistically! The last 7 months I haven't been working so it was crucial that I was smart with my money. I did a rough plan of how much I wanted to spend per month (about $1200 USD) and tried not to stray from that.
I don't drink or smoke so I save a lot of money because of that. I cut down on transportation costs because I've lived in cities where I don't need a car. I walk places when I can, which means that I save on bus and cab fare -- my two feet are free! Apart from my camera, laptop, and iPod, I don't own any fancy electronics. When I lived in Hong Kong and owned a TV,I only had basic cable. I am the queen of the pay as you go phone, and use
to call friends and family abroad: I can call a land line in Canada or the States for as little as $0.02 a minute. I spend a lot of money on clothes and am a bit of a clotheshorse, but tend to shop at affordable places like
. I don't mind spending, say, $400 on a leather jacket, because it is a classic, good quality piece that will last me for a long time. The same goes for shoes. I spend more on footwear, but they are comfortable, timeless, and last long. I eat out quite a bit, but cut corners here and there by skipping appetizer and dessert and ordering tap water.<
- Career path and work abroad opportunities
People, in particular my newest readers, often think that I travel all the time, but I have a day job that gives me a lot of time off to travel. I'm a high school teacher who has taught English literature and French in
around the world. I chose this career path in part because I always knew I wanted to live abroad and have enough time to travel during my holidays, which are numerous. So far, I've taught in
,
, and
, and always extensively travel the regions that I temporarily call home. I now teach at a high school here in
, and have been taking advantage of my prime location in Europe to explore the rest of the continent.
To teach in an international school, you need a specialized degree/certificate that allows you to teach in public elementary and/or secondary schools in your home country. In Canada, this teaching degree is called a
Bachelor of Education, which is an 8-month to 2 year program typically done after completing a 4-year university degree. In the UK, this degree is known as the
PGCE, and in Hong Kong it is known as the
PGDE. These programs can certify one to teach basically any subject that is taught in schools, like Math, or Science, or Art. One can get a generalist certification to teach primary grades or kindergarten. I've always loved languages so I am certified to teach Grade 7 to 12 English lit and French.
Teaching English as a Second (or Foreign) Language is also a great option to go abroad. There are lots of jobs in Asia, in particular, and many programs granting a
TEFL or TESL designation that certifies you to teach English as a foreign language.
Dave's ESL Cafe is a good start for info and job postings for ESL/EFL teaching.
If you are a university student, you can also teach English in France; I did this back in 2006. Click this link for more information.
*I did a video a few months back explaining the difference between teaching English as a foreign language and teaching any K-12 subject in an international school... check it out!
Not into teaching? Why not see if your country allows you to apply for a working holiday visa so you can work in another field? Canadians under 35, for instance, can get a visa to work in France for up to a year. I have a working holiday visa for the UK, which allows me to work here for up to two years. For Americans, who get the short end of the stick when it comes to work visas for foreign countries, there are a number of programs run by BUNAC and AIESEC that help American nationals find work in different career fields abroad.
While I've chosen to focus on paid work opportunities, a number of volunteer and study abroad opportunities exist. A simple Google search will reveal them in their entirety.
With a few adjustments and considerations it's possible to travel frequently. The secret to living out your travel dreams lies in two words: research and discipline.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.