My wife and I have been on our RTW trip since June 2014. Leading up to our departure we spent 10 years saving, paying off all debts (OK we only had a mortgage) and not buying loads of crap we didn't need. To make trips like this happen you have to be pretty determined and really want to do it. If it's "just an idea" you will always make excuses as to why you can't go.

Anyway, having spent that 10 years preparing financially we now rent our house for a good sum each month (we're from the UK) and travel 2-up on our Tiger 800. We have more money than when we left home but that's entirely down to planning and good fortune with excellent tenants. By the way, I'm 55 and my wife 51.

So that's how we afford it. For what it costs, I've created detailed expense reports for each country we've visited. We're currently in Colombia and there will be an expense report for here when we leave. If interested, you can find the reports here Expense Reports Archives - Two Brits and a Triumph Tiger 800 Round The World

We have an Access database for recording the data and a spreadsheet for data analysis and reporting. Now the database and reporting is set up it only takes a couple of minutes every day to record the data. Reporting takes a few seconds. Our on the road expenses are for two people. We don't travel on a really tight budget, nor is it extravagant, take a look for yourself.

Any questions, just shout :-)

Saludos
Steve and Janette
Tiger 800 RTW - Two Brits and a Triumph Tiger 800 Round The World

That is brilliant Steve and Janette

Thanks for posting

A round the world trip for several years or without ending takes a different approach than a shorter trip like a year or something like that.

When we were 26/27 we were able to do a trip of one year (including buying an old Landcruiser and stuff) after my girlfriend finished her study, and I had been working for two years as a software engineer with a normal starting salary. My girlfriend was also working next to hear study saving money, and we had a cheap rental apartment.
Friends who didn't understand how we could pull this off were also saying that we became boring for not going out with them in the weekends (for the period up to the trip). I guess they didn't always get it.

After that, we have been working again like everybody else. Now we are going to do our new trip. Half a year, so manageable in terms of saving.
But we have also come into a position where we can rent out our house with some profit. For the times that we are travelling cheap (only costs being diesel and food) it is already sufficient to keep on travelling.

In the end, this is what you want. A steady income to fulfill your needs (whether at home not working, or travelling)
But when it comes to travelling, it is impossible to determine a generic level of costs. Having long visas or visa-free travelling, travelling slow in areas where food is cheap, fuel is reasonable and you camp everywhere for free, you can keep travelling for ages with little savings.
But yeah, you can also travel in a different style. Much more hotels, visiting national parks (for example in Africa it is expensive), a lot of shipping, or just travelling fast (more fuel and visa cost)

I see people with a huge 4x4 truck with quad and bikes, shipping that huge thing everywhere, visiting several areas twice. Good for them, I think they have an awesome time. But I won't be surprised if that costs like $50k or even 80k per year?
Then you have young people living in a simple van, who barely go out for dinner even though it is cheap. So many different styles of travelling.
Having a pushbike and a tent and a small stove is probably the cheapest way of travelling.

I'll throw my two pence worth in here as i get closer to my intended travel plan and find myself browsing HU more and more often looking for tips and prompts...!!
Basically if you keep one eye on the OP and its sub heading then you only have to focus on one solitary thing..... SAVING YOUR MONEY folks...!! You need a substantial amount to launch the trip. I haven't read in full all the links in this thread but i will go back and browse them.

How you earn enough money to facilitate a healthy savings rate can be a reflection of your pre-trip life and what you put into it from the start of your working life. That's not a slant on anyone by the way, I kicked off as a humble tradesperson and stuck with it to date although what i have ended up doing within my trade is a million miles away from the early days. Everyone will have to save like mad and time scales will vary immensely.

There has been some mixed feelings and comments within this thread also, It bottoms out with some very basic beliefs from individuals but i think you can't get away from one brutal and simplistic point of view, "You only get out of life what you put in" and if your wants, desires or dreams involve travel by motorcycle then you are going to need a wedge of cash to start the ball rolling and to get that involves HARD WORK and DEDICATION.

One final comment here, I don't agree or share the free view of total abandonment when setting off. Ok sell up if you have NO kids or ties with your homeland but at least have some 'Plan B' for your return whether that's a chunk of money or a promise by friends or family of somewhere to live upon arrival. That's just my view by the way.

Anyhow, I look forward to any other threads that are a positive influence as my time comes closer....

YES .. YES .. YES.

No finer example for your kids & grandkids.

YES Again. Your trip-of-a-lifetime trip will end .. eventually. And you need somewhere, something to come back to.

Coping with old age [for example] in second-hand caravan in the corner of someone else's field is no-way to end your days. Not good enough for me anyway.

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Right Way Round ...

Keith, I wonder if I know you, have spent well over 20 years living in many places all over Cornwall, many of them years in a caravan in the corner of someone's field...!!!!

Back in bricks & mortar now albeit way up North...

Emmet .. er non-emmet?

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Right Way Round ...