the way we did it was to save like hell. we saved for a year and a half, and lived in a caravan on a farm to do it. that got rid of most of the rent, and the council tax, and the water, internet and fuel bills which were free. i worked as a secretary, Adam worked as a farmer, and we sold loads of stuff on ebay. we sold almost all our possessions, and we sold off some indian handicrafts stock we had left over from a previous life too. we saved 17,000 for the trip (for a year), and had already bought the bike. and then we left. but our budget is crazily small (20 GDP per day for two people), and we should have maybe saved for a couple of months longer to be able to afford the trip properly.

we haven't yet got work on the way- as i haven't tried i don't know how easy it is to get any, but to me as a tourist, it seems like it would be a bit hard. unless you are a qualified teacher maybe. but then who knows, maybe it's easy. it would mean staying somewhere for quite a while too- no one wants to train a worker who disappears after a few weeks.

in a few months we get to oz, and then need to work for a year again to save to carry on. not sure where we are going to carry on to yet, but we will need more money for it! going to take any job going, and live on a campsite somewhere. and eat beans. its worth it!

its all possible. but yep, again, no dependants, no house etc...

__________________
Far From Home, U.K - Oz and beyond.
http://www.globegallivanting.blogspot.com/

Question concerning Engineering...

I've noticed working as an Engineer abroad touched upon a few times around the HUBB. Does anyone have any experience doing any contracted or consulting engineering work as they travel?

I graduated with a BS in Industrial Engineering a few years ago and I have my FE certification (no PE yet). It sounds like something too good to be true. Following a dream of traveling around the world AND putting my professional skills to work in communities that don't have access to a trained engineer, all the while making money to continue traveling.

__________________
West Virginia University 2006
Beta Theta Pi - Beta Psi
Ride Report: TAT...and Beyond

This thread is getting on for six years old now ! Dare i suggest making it a sticky post ? it is such an important topic and is the one big question most of us have to deal with before we think of taking the big trip we all dream about.

Such a great thread! Spent the last 2 hours reading through the posts, very inspiring!

I first heard of this website 3 years ago when I was staying in a Melbourne backpacker. I met this guy who had traveled all the way from the Netherlands down to Australia. Anyways, today is the first time I have actually visited this website, so hi to all. I've never really ridden a bike, but it is kind of a dream for me to do so. I have traveled a bit however, and here is a short story of the past 5 years of my life, and some tips on how to make money while traveling. Should anybody need more info or any topic, feel free to email me!

5 years ago or so I was studying at college and during the summer I started leaving to western Canada to pick cherries and other kinds of fruits. I stayed in a tent, worked here and there and tried (unsuccessfully) to raise a bit of money. But the money wasn't important really, the lessons I learned and the fun I had were worth much more than anything else I could've wished for. By the way, to all those speaking of the "travel blues", I really understand you all. Coming back to Canada has been a quite hard experience to me. I can't even begin to imagine how I would feel like coming back from a RTW trip and having to come back to the "normal" routine life again...

Anyways, after going to the Okanagan valley for 3 summers in a row, doing the fruit picking business, I had the travel bug and wanted to take a year or two off between my college and my university studies, so I left to Australia without a single penny in my bank account (actually, 1000$ of debt on my credit card). I had heard fruit picking was abundant down under so I decided to head off to Melbourne, without even knowing where the hell this city might be on a map, and I ended up picking cherries, grapes, apples, pears and mandarins in Australia for the next couple of monthse. I initially had planned to stay there only for 4 to 5 months and then travel to SEA and then to Europe.

Some fruit picking is not very good money to be honest, but some other can be very decent, really depends on many factors such as weather, the seasons, your ability to work hard & quick, knowledge of good farms, etc. Anyway, when I was in Tasmania for a month doing cherries I was making an average of AU$350-400 a day or so, with my best day being 530$, which I believe is pretty damn good! But for the more usual seasons or other fruits, it would be more like anywhere between 150$ to 250$ a day.

To make a long story short, I met love in Australia and ended up staying with this beautiful Korean woman to whom I am still in love more than ever, and we traveled around Australia by car for nearly 2 years. What 2 beautiful years I have spent! I worked in warehouses in Perth and Melbourne, did some of the fruit picking stuff here and there, and made some extra money buying and selling cars on the backpacker market (sooo easy in Australia!).

Had a wonderful time, and left for Southeast Asia for 5 weeks, traveled over there and then went to live in Korea for a short while. Now here I am in Vancouver since a year, finishing my degree in just 3 terms, and daydreaming reading posts on this website. I am learning a fifth language, I have some wonderful memories that will last me forever, I have learned so much about myself and about the world, I have opened up my horizons, and I met a wonderful woman! Unfortunately, my path is a little bit different from most of you guys, as I just can't afford to leave everything behind, and my girlfriend is not too much of the bike-riding type of girl; but hey, being happy is really the most important thing isn't it? I ultimately wish to get a nice job working in an embassy and actually getting paid to travel. I especially like living in other countries for longer periods of time where you can really get to know the language, culture, people, etc.

Anyways, all this to say, to all those single guys out there wondering how you could earn money on the road, fruit picking in Canada, Australia and NZ is just one option among many others. Getting some working holiday visas and working here and there in warehouses, cafes, or else is easy and often pays decently. In Perth I was making 18.25$/h doing easy work in a furniture hiring company. Same thing in Melbourne. After a couple of months you've got enough to last for months in Asia!

By the way, looking for some nice people out here in Vancouver that would like to share a and talk about travels. Let me know if interested.

Cheers to all, have a nice winter (or summer depending on where you are), and a merry Christmas. Miss traveling more than ever!!

I'm an IT Engineer and have been working now in Switzerland (originally from Australia) for 1 year in a bid to save for the next trip.

If you want to work in disadvantaged coutries try RedR an engineering NGO like MSF but for engineering.

__________________
TurboCharger + Francois (our BMW R1200gs) '07
www.riding2up.net, blog.riding2up.net

An old thread I know but this is just as relevant if not more so than when first started in November 2004.

How many of you have changed your plans due to the current recession ie put it off because funds have slowly melted away or the house sale has not gone through? How many have gone because of the recession in the hope things might be better when you come back?

How many have come back and thought I should have stayed where I was because the old place is nothing like it was when I left.

__________________
www.frothandflames.com
2012 Kawasaki W800
1997 NX 650 Dominator

Hi, always have a word when see someone " living the dream".

This guy found a way.............

UK TRIP

Anyway I met a guy called Jamie THIS MORNING IN EASINGTON, NR LOFTUS, CLEVELAND or North Yorkshire. ts13 4XL POST OR ZIP CODE

Bicycle loaded up with camping gear. I had a chat , his job had finished and he was taking the opportunity to ride the coast of the UK. Wild camping and sounded like he was on a budget.

He started in Blackpool and done 3500 miles so far in clockwise rotation.

He ridden up and around Scotland and heading for Whitby and Filey today.

He reckoned enough cash for about 7-8 weeks. Brilliant adventure and was enjoying time out of the rat race.

His bike was a black DAWES nowt special, if you see this guy have a chat and get him a coffee.

He said his biggest and only cost was food, because of amount of calories he was burning.

Cheers

AArgh killed this thread sorry,

Any more tips or advice on " how to live the dream" ???????????

Nooo!!
I'll continue it with this:




Yes, Thanks for that, I've not seen it before.
Another 'man who would not fit in' is the Ancient Mariner in the Rime of the same name (S.T. Coleridge).

Lots of dramatic images of someone on an adventure who 'Travelled to the Beat of a Different Drum', but maybe not for the best.

I came across this poem at school and it's stayed with me ever since.

549. Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The Oxford Book of English Verse

Richard Burton's recitation is quite something to listen to.

BACK to the original question - how do you afford this lifestyle?
All I can say is a bit of hard work and luck.

But also as mentioned in a few posts here - priorities. You've got to get them right, and clear, which isn't necessarily easy.

__________________
TTR250 - London to Cape Town

THERE IS A GOOD SITE WWW.EUROPEBYCAMPER.COM or something like thjat . This couple really crunched the numbers and cost it out really well!

IMHO,

And like most here, bikes and travel have been the driving force for life since I was old enough to experience "freedom" first hand.

How I have managed to get quite a few miles on a consistant bais is to work jobs that give even time off, many oil, mining and sea going companies have on offer. Some rosters are 2 weeks on 2 weeks off up to 6 weeks on and 6 weeks off.

Ok not the obvious choice or career path for all although the positions often pay well and once you get employed on a permanant basis you will get paid in your time off. A little study and a few courses and tickets and you will find yourself in a position to start applying for the numerous positions available.

The beauty of it is you can rent the house out, or not pay rent at all, fly straight from work to your destination and bike and hit the road for 2 - 6 weeks then fly back to work.

I have managed to do this the last 17 years and have managed to keep the house payments up (just) and get plenty of miles under belt on all manner of bikes, mostly the cheap n nasty although all great fun. Keep in mind this is not entirley conducive to good savings !

I now like many before me here have decided to sell up and head for the hills on a permanant basis.

Best of luck to you all in finding your way forward

The best explanation I heard for affording Adventure Travel,is this metaphor. If you want a house or new car you save for it anyway you can. It is the same for RTW travel. If it is a priority for you then you will find a way to afford it.

Karl

I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of you responses to this issue of How to make it happen financially. I have been researching and obsessively studying how one could make a very long distance or RTW trip happen at a younger age without many assets or income to lean on. Im immensely curious as to how you would be able to create an outside funded trip; meaning a trip supported by sponsorship, writing, photography, non profits etc... This method is extremely attractive to me as I am a 27 year old, hard working American a decent wage with bills out the wazoo. I spent every last dime to buy a late model KTM 990 Adventure with low miles, ready to explore the great beyond. But knowingly spending every last dime and letting bills run late to aquire this dream machine makes it hard to depart for the coveted dream trip. Obviously patience and penny pinching is the way to reach any wild goal; but what Im asking you all is how you could possibly do it using unorthodox methods of finance and support I.E sponsorship, Writing, photography etc...

I am at the extreme point in my life where selling all my possessions and abandoning debts seem like the way to depart and pursue the dream in the short term view; knowing that it is the irresponsible and reckless way to go about it.

Selling possessions is rarely reckless unless you are selling the tools of your trade, sentimental keep sakes or long term investments...

Don't let your possessions own you. If you can sell your car for $1000 then be certain you can buy another one for $800 if needed in the future.

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Liammons
i think you may be married to / living with my wifes soul mate by the sound of your finances Have to say if i didnt have bought lots of naughty new sports bikes i would have lots more cash in the bank but then on the other hand i have owned the bikes most people droll over and would give their right arm for so i cant complain Saving is posible if you dont stretch your self toooooo much but as you say in the west its all about beating the joneses . I have lots of friends who have sodding great big 5 bed houses , but are relaying on them for their pensions

Slightly off thread - Touring Ted have you seen the thread about the job with Motorworks BMW ? No idea where the Wirral is mate but we are going to have to meet up for a jar midway some time me thinks - as long as the chaps are left behind