I have income now, that has often not been the case. If I had no money I would still travel. Perhaps even by motorcycle.

I rarely think about money. Instead, I seek to live a better quality life with less effort. In small ways, but focusing on those small things every day will add up over time. As close as I've ever come to thinking about money is to focus on how to make what I have in the bank last as long as possible. I used to use what I called the "three question budget": Would I rather spend this money or travel longer? Am I suffering because I am not spending money on luxuries? Is this luxury more important to me than travel? This probably makes it sound like I think about money a lot more than I actually do. My focus has always been to travel, not how I find money to travel.

A story you might find interesting: Kindness One (Leon Logothetis). Riding a motorcycle around the world with no money.

https://chrisguillebeau.com/leon-logothetis/

Accommodation is not free? I have been invited into more people's homes than I can count. Wild camping is limited? I wild camped only once, but setup my tent often on farms, parks, or yards; or spread out my sleeping bag on the floor of someone's house. Food costs money? In some countries, I have been offered so much free food that I rarely paid for a meal. The USA was one of those countries. Motorcycle repairs? I always have a skill I could trade for a part I need. Or a story I can share. Sometimes a bit of entertainment is more valuable to a person than money.

A big one: If a motorcycle sounds too expensive to maintain during travel, try hitchhiking instead. It is a lot of fun and no less of an adventure than traveling by motorcycle.

In the modern world we tend to view money as a necessity for survival yet this is artificial. Money is a convenience, not a necessity.

That seems reductive, to say the least.

The one important thing you forget or you suppress in your statement of a modern world is that you are only able to travel your way because you personally benefit from money or financial power of your hosts.

So money will always be a necessity and drive hosts and their hospitality and as well all travelers equal how old the world is. Sometimes for shure less your money and more often money of others you run into and who are hospitable and generous to share their personal purchasing power with you as a traveller.

And btw when I travel I like of course to recieve and to enjoy hospitality but I also like to be remembered as a guest, as a representative of my country who spends with a smile and fun his own money to demonstrate respect and thankfullness to hospitable people I met. So in my view money is still a necessity for traveling.

:wink3:

In my experience, the most welcoming and helpful hosts have the least money. I don't know what you mean by the "modern world", but I have never traveled because of the "financial power" of a host. We exchange things of value. At times that involves money, other times it does not.

Believe me or not as you like. I only share my own experience from travel.

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Perhaps the real truth is something more along the lines of "There is always money involved." We can all probably think of people who traveled without money (or with very, very little): I've met people in Africa who traveled remarkable distances across multiple borders and cultural boundaries while absolutely penniless, and this was not uncommon just a few decades ago in the USA. This is generally made possible, however, by those who do possess either money or items of equivalent value--clothing, transport, food, shelter from inclement weather, etc.

There is room to debate the obligation of those of us with access to relative wealth--that's you, me, and probably everyone else on this thread--to those we encounter who lack such access. The debate seems particularly acute when we're accepting food, lodging, transport, entertainment, or goods from those others.

Personally, I feel strongly obligated to give back in the forms available to me but not to them, and rather often this means money--not my stories or friendship, not rides on my bike for their children or photos of their families, and not even their own belief in the eternal rewards which accrue to those who help travelers.

This is in part because it is largely by exploiting those others that my country and culture have made it possible for me to travel in the first place; that's where, in the final analysis, much of "my" money and power come from. Even if I never leave home, I owe them. I believe this holds true for all of us.

Mark

Yes, often people who don't have much are proud to extend their hospitality to others. If anyone is intentionally targeting them as a means to extend their travels for free, I would say it's exploitative.

Now I'm wondering how many mobile phone providers take payment in barter.

You are right. That type of behavior is despicable and unforgivable. However, consider that there can be other types of interactions than exploitation.



A better question: why do you need a mobile phone? I traveled for years without one. Even now, I often have no sim card. No sim card, no provider, no problem!

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Hello

Bottom line, you can travel on your own money or sponging off others.

It is also a mind-set, I travel to feel freedom, doesn't work for me if I have to look everyday for the next poor guy I can sponge off.

Usually a backpacker thing, saw a lot of them while travelling, but have never connected with them and their mind-set.
To be honest, they disgusted me.

sushi

Yes, there are too many backpackers who "sponge off of others." Irritating people. I am not advocating this. Work for what you receive. Use money. Volunteer. Play a musical instrument. Fix things. Teach skills. Whatever you want, be creative! Receiving a meal for your effort is no different than receiving money for the same action, it just cuts out the middleman (money). There are more ways of interacting with people than money or freeloading.

Clearly this forum has no interest in the perspective of real travel experience and only wants to misinterpret unexpected perspectives. So I shall bother all of you no more and return to my world wanderings.

Enjoy your travels!

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What did you mean with "modern world"?
I picked your own words from #31

Correct but I wanted to make clear that we as travellers couldn`t state that money isn`t an essential for travel.

Often we as travellers benefit from a hospitaly and help of a foreign cultural behavior which is given to us from hosts despite their financial and life difficulties. These peoples only share and show the best and proud moments of their lives with us. Due to the traditional rituals of hospitality they never burden us with their every day problems - often they hide them carefully!

I have this always in my mind and I try to be sensible and prudent in my perception of the given circumstances. Thats why I like to forget some money under the pillow or why I buy things for school or food or just toys for the kids.

I like to give back in thankfulness with respect and a smile, to honor hospitaly as an ambassador of my country, to value the moments and insights given to me as a traveller suddenly jumping in other lives. It is a privilege and not a duty to give equal if you are host or traveller. And therfor money is always needed as a necessity from both sides.

For me are two points often completely not named, for those longterm with less cash travellers. I`m NOT adress that to someone in that thread, too othalan seems to have to have a way to handle his trip at least for the cashflow.

Hospitality

Personally I did always feel guilty, if people in the 2nd/3rd world did offer me free food - and I wasnt able to give something valuable back.

They provide food for us travelers and are not able to travel themselves. Because they work to survive and pursue their modest goals.

I dont feel comfortable to receyve, as someone who has so much more, as someone who can really earn cash at home.

Selfishness

If people are proud to travel longterm with less cash they are always a bit selfish for me, if he is between 25 and 65 years and is travelling longtherm.

We in the 1st world have a pension system, we have health care, are proud of our social system for the disadvantaged.

If you travel longterm, you dont spent cash for others, not for your own pension, not for your local health care.

At age you arent able to pay your bills with your pension, you will need social assistance.

if you get serous sick your health care has to pay cash, where you never give something back.

Here I mean travelling from 3years upwards, where it starts to really hurt at our pension income at age.

Alternatives

Many did save bucks, travel with a bit cash, and are able to give the local economy something back like: visiting Restaurants, Hotels, Activities, Tours, Sightseeing from time to time. Are travelling with considering their whole lifespan, travelling 2-3 years.

Others already have a plan B.) have calculated their pension and plan to live at age at the 2nd world.

Others have a Plan C.) and will start a business out of their journey later, writing a book, offering tours and so on.

Not to use a Smartphone and Tec during a journey looks a bit like a stone age advice. Currently I did watch a overlander girl, who lives out of their Social Media Income while travelling the world by 4x4. Guess she earns more than me and most of us here.

Guess that Girl shows us, how we "travel hungry" should manage it. Personally I would always love to Vlog, but it was too much work (or too less travelling). Today, when looking back - I`m not shure, if that classification was the best one. Because it must be a dream to be able to travel anywhere as a kind of a own business. Even if it is really hard work.

Surfy

It would be interesting to know which device you write your postings with? And who provides you with data or wifi to surf and post on the internet along the road? Or do ask random people you meet otr to use their phones and data?

Also it would be interesting to know how you get free fuel along the road, not to talk about tyres and chain/sprockets? Is it really so that if you just have a good story or some skills to share you can obtain such nececceties along the road? It must be some decent stories and or impressive skills…

By all means - I also got hosted by some extremely friendly people for free during my RTW trip, especially in «western» countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Usa and Canada - places where decent accomodation would have taken a huge impact in my daily and monthly budget. And also I was given many a free meals - but I could never base my travel upon such freebies. I always have tried to give something back - buying a chocolate cake or something similar - and those few places I didnt get to do that I still feel a bit ashamed.

Its all about take and give I guess, and if money isnt directly involved its certainly indirectly involved.

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. I’ve just had confirmation that I won’t be getting VR, pretty gutted as I reckon I would’ve gone travelling early 2023. I’ve spoken to my gaffer and asked about the chances of a 12 month sabbatical. He said he can’t see it being a problem, so I revert to plan B!

Best of luck with plan B, Once there is a plan....

I loved this thread, it's pretty deep! As to the original question, to go or not go, I think your at the most difficult stage, making the decision to go, Thats the hardest part of any trip, making that decision as so many things appear to be huge issues. Once you decide to go, all those huge issues get downgraded to logistical problems to solve or just go around. Once you do decide to go, everything else changes to a "how" question, How do I ship here, How do I ask for Petrol in Spanish etc.

Sarah and I decided to roll in 2011 (at a Hubb meeting in Enskillen), and we were on a ferry and rolling by the end of 2011. We lived on the road in a 4x4 camper till mid 2014 when we decided to call it quits for a while. We went back to Ireland. We were in late 40's at that stage, and got working again, and are currently saving + planning for the next trip. Bloody Covid makes it very hard to plan anything.

We're not wondering if we can afford to go again, we're wondering HOW we can afford to go again. Our financial plan involves what we did with our garage at our house, we had a double garage which we converted into a little apartment, and we plan that this will be our future home base while we come and go on our travels, and we will rent out our house as our travel income. We got this plan from others that we met on the road, and it's going to work out well. The wee apartment is is done, and rented out to help our savings fund build up. It's a weird having a neighbour in our garage, but it's working out just fine. Just means I've to keep the bike in a shed :-)

Brilliant! Where there's a will there's a way. Good luck in the next chapter.

I've put a fair bit of thought into the situation I've been in recently and realistically we will not be able to go travelling until the beginning of 2025 after I turn 50, I'll get a wedge of my pension from a previous employer and I'll be in a much better place financially whereas we should be able to rent out the house which like you will put coffers in the kitty while we're away on the road.

Some great comments and advice from the good folks on here. :thumbup1: