Until now that is ;)

:thumbdown: Eeeek, i now hate you all!!!! I was planning a full rtw 2 year trip on 16k, seems like that was being overly overly optimistic. So what should i budget for it?? and am i going to have to try and flog my mother on ebay to raise it?
:confused1:

2 years, RTW... 16k does seem a little optimistic. Is that USD ???

Just save what you can, stay in the cheap countries and come back when you run out of cash !

nope gbp, although my understanding of exchange rates is at best dismal so not sure what it'd be in usd. Although read the tip about changing currency between Colombia and Venezuela, anyone know if that still works, or am i gonna have to revert back to the old stripping to raise funds??

Yer not going around the world without gaining some basic insight into exchange rates first, are you? Have a look: XE - Universal Currency Converter Plug your 16k pounds into the left side, click on US dollars on the right, hit "go."

16k GBP might just stretch to cover a two year trip if you're frugal and smart about it. Supplemented with stripper's wages, well....

Enjoy,

Mark

i figured i'd just call my really clever mate while he's sat in front of some exchange website. Stripping wages hopefully shall give enough for added hotel?

Depends where you are going ??? Have you got a route in mind ?

Forget Hotels.. It will eat into your budget faster than the Taxman through your earnings..

Stay in hostels & campsites for 4-5 nights then treat yourself to a hotel the other days to clean your clothes, have a hot bath, relax in a warm bed etc.

"Make dam sure your wife is in with all this It will do you no good paying off credit cards at the same rate she is charging them up."

DLBiten, tut, tut. can't believe you said that. And I was going to applaud you on the selling in S. America story too. Still will in private email. ;-)

I'm on the LOW end of the scale. I average under $1000 a month in Latin America, and have been doing so for three plus years. Even when I was paying $150 a month rent living 100 meters from the Pacific Ocean in Costa Rica...

Lorraine

Shadowraven,
Hi,
Wow!! Travel around the world at your age I think is possibly one of the greatest things that could happen to you, it would magnificantly broaden your horizons to employment and future opportunities.

A comparison of your situation and mine is light years apart. Your youth versus my experience your financial position versus mine and so we go on and there is much that you have not yet experienced, sounds cryptic but where you are I have been . It all seems hard, kind’a catch 22 situation, to sell the house to keep it to have my cake and eat it too.

Well it’s all about knowledge and how to make things work and how hard you are prepared to work to achieve your goals.

Trying to replace a home (investment) when you return wont be easy, looking at this from a mortgage brokers view, do you have any equity in your property and if so how much, also how it the property financed is it principal and interest, interest only variable or fixed term, if you were to make your loan interest only and if there is enough equity in your property to consolidate your student loan into the property then the results of this should be considered,

The next step is to consider renting the property and can the rental payments meet the mortgage…...break even or be a little positively geared, once positively geared this introduces passive income into your equation, money that you don’t work for.

Always when renting your property take into account land lord insurance to cover loss of income and any damage to your property by the tenants as well as all other insurance, fire flood etc.

I am a mortgage broker and have what is called a passive income from trail this is money paid to me to keep in touch with my clients and service accounts and provide a service to my clients, remember their birthdays, send a greeting card at Christmas; Passive income can be gained from all sorts of industries… worth considering.

Then there is the future and the investment cycle I believe that shortly we will see a massive upswing of residential property all around the globe this will increase the value of property and rental income will increase, consider what you will be able to do with more passive income.

Me I was like you wanting to do everything now and being impatient to get started I was always trying to make that elusive dollar so I could do all, recently my friend introduced me to HU and I was thrilled to read of people traveling all over the world . Thrilled but challenged, so challenged I went and got my licence and bought a DRZ 250 (licencing restrictions) now have bought a 1977 Suzuki GS 750 which is a classic and will use for a weekend rides to cafes and wherever lots of bike riders go> I will meet interesting people and enjoy my self while I learn to ride. I am planning my first trip which will be done with my passive income; BTW I’m 64yo and looking forward to it.

If I can help anyone with a plan please contact me I have gained personal experience in property and am willing to pass on my knowledge so that you can gain your own personal freedom and adventure, hope to meet some of you along the track , or if you are in Australia please take up my offer to visit me.
Kind Regards
Champ

Well,
Just listed the house to be a bit more free!!!

58 New Ireland Rd, Montville, ME, 04941 - MLS #951117 - Single Family Home real estate - REALTOR.com®

Freedom
 

Hi again
:clap:.....Freedom!.. Freedom!!... Freedom!!.... Good luck keep,us informed of your travels....

Regards
Champ

Dual-national here, juris solis USA and juris sanguis Costa Rica. Having a second citizenship doesn't allow you to break US law just because you are traveling under another nation's passport. Right now if I go to Cuba with my Costa Rica passport I can still be prosecuted when I get back to the US. BTW, Cuba doesn't stamp passports. Nevertheless, all US administrations have prosecuted US citizens for traveling to Cuba since the Kennedy ban, unless prior clearance was obtained. It's yet to be seen what the current administration will do since it has only lifted the general travel ban for those with relatives in Cuba.

I've lived in several countries around the world, and have been solo traveling since I was a 15-yr old. I am now 52. I think your characterization of the USA and of US citizens is incorrect although I will say US citizens are 1) overdrawn, (2) overheard, (3) overweight, and (4) overdosed. Europe is following suit as well.

However, perhaps you need to get out in the world and see for yourself a comparison of the US and other countries. If you started with perhaps countries like Angola and Nigeria (two places where I spend a hell of a lot of time) and do some business and living there, then your view of the US might not be so negative. Or start with Latin America even. Not just ride through them on a motorcycle or a jeep.

Good luck with your adventures.

Z

I have some american friends and discussed the traveling issue that americans have.

Im from belgium and on top of that im lucky with what work i do. i get 40 paid vacation days a year (22 is standard in belgium i believe) , so when i travel i get paid by my company. I dont believe that is something you will get when your in america.

On top of that you get "vacation money" in belgium, a little bit extra for the travels or whatever you want to spend on.

That is why i can travel for 6 weeks in a row and dont have to worry about expences when i travel (aslong as i do normal and ceep it cheap)

But how good or bad your situation regarding to traveling is, its never enough, i dream of trips that take over 3 months, but i dont believe my boss would like that idea:stormy:

I feel almost guilty to say that I get 10-12 weeks paid holiday per year.
I will take them all together and with 3 months long service leave and some other leave can probably take around 7 months at full pay and still have my job when I return. :clap:

Let me guess? Teacher?