I'd rather travel endlessly paying $500 a month (I did for five years!) than 3 months etc etc etc. I mean sheesh, expressos are meant to last for hours while sitting in a cafe people watching, right?

I agree with Lorraine. It all seems to boil down to two choices from what I can see:-

1) Spend a fair bit, travel fast and far, have a great, but short trip
or
2)Watch your money, travel slow and really meet the locals, have a great and long trip.

With either option you should have a great time. Beats working in the office right?

I don't think they are mutually exclusive. You can travel slowly, meet the locals, and still see the sights. But you're right, these are all moot points.

...and what happens when you just can´t stop?:)

when i first got to South America I only planned to do Peru on a motorcycle as that was my budget. I stretched it out as much as I could and ended up in Ushuaia, Argentina, having travelled all over in Peru and Bolivia.

I had literally no money left when I was leaving Ushuaia, but I also had no desire to get back to the ´real world´. So I found a job, spent two months working, and now I´m good to go to Venezuela (my next SA leg - Ushuaia to Caracas).

I´m pretty sure I´ll run out of money somewhere in Northern Chile again, and it´s not going to be a comfy trip in a touristy leisury sense, but I simply prefer to stay on the road as long as I can and as long as my bike is alive:) call me crazy but after 8 months biking in South America I lost all interest in going back home and try to ´civilize´myself again :D

Hi Evergreen,

I hope to embark on a similar trip, starting Santiago in Feb/March.

What bike are you using, out of interest? :)

Hi all,

I think it's quite relative but to those of us living in the UK I don't know anyone who seems to be able to save money here any more. I think this is increasingly the case in many western countries, spiralling living costs and stagnating wages, not to mention high rents relative to income and the continual drive towards poor pay, zero-hour contracts, etc! Those who got into the property game early are pretty lucky (one might argue that the babyboomers buying up the property and charging young people a fortune is half the problem).

As a 29 year old, getting on the property market hardly seems viable, and if it was (i.e. I had a partner, parents throw in thousands for deposit), I'm not sure a 25-year mortgage is something I'd really be enthusiastic in signing up for anyway. Meanwhile, I've been travelling around since university and never stuck to a single job nor played at getting those of those things people call 'careers', and yet, the people who did play that game seem to work ungodly hours, and never have time to do anything worthwhile with their money beyond spending it on expensive, glitzy material items - and there is nothing wrong with that either, but I don't think it's something that would satisfy me. So it is the catch-22 of not working and having time, but then not having enough money.

I've been hanging around the HUBB now and take interest in peoples trip reports. It seems quite amazing to me people have the money to appear to be so well equipped with pro-level dSLR's, top-spec camping and navigation equipment and really expensive, top whack adventure bikes (and good for them too!) But I think, relatively speaking, that is as amazing to me as people find me amazing, when I tell them I've lived here and there, and done all the stuff which I've been lucky enough to have done in the past seven years since going overseas. I suppose you must work with what you have. I'm lucky in that between trips, my dad lets me stay at his place and does not charge me a penny, I think if it were not for this, it would be a lot harder to live my somewhat erratic lifestyle, yet I'm sure I could find a way if it was necessary.

Right now I am planning a trip to South America. I've been doing a lot of research and am currently scouring eBay for deals on second-hand equipment, you can find really good deals; for example, so far I've bought my stove, sleeping bag, sleep mat, etc, and saved a lot of money. All I need now is a water filter, a half-decent tent and a basic Garmin eTrex. As for my bike, it's going to be either a new or a used Honda CGL125, which retail at around 700 quid, while ones with low-mileage can be had for as low as 350/400 GBP. I also volunteered with a programme sponsored by the UN called English Opens Doors. I'll teach for six months in a Chilean highschool, and in return get to live with a host family, get the visa paid for, plus healthcare, so this will hopefully take the pressure doing everything at once, give me time to improve my Spanish and generally provide a good platform to launch my S.America trip from... I hope :)

People find my lifestyle strange, and sometimes family members ask things like 'what about a career' or weirdly, 'but where do you think you'll be in ten years time', and yet for me, the career boat has already sailed (bon voyage!), and besides, perhaps I'm still young and naive, but I believe it is essential to follow your heart, and maybe that is to buy a house, settle down, have kids, and then that's great you'll probably be happy, but if it's going solo around the world on a motorcycle, then allowing a house, career, to get in the way of that, well that probably won't bring any joy. We all seem to adopt a strange mentality that we'll get 'on top' of this business we call life, and if we just work through it, and get to the end, everything will be all right. And yet I suspect when people reach the end, all of sudden realise that all we have we ever had was the present, so to keep forsaking it for a future that never comes, well I'm not sure that can work... well, getting rather philosophical now and perhaps I have this all wrong!

Time will tell :)

The ONLY way I can save money for travel and travel equipment is to move back into the family home. I pay my rent with labour (maintaining a very large garden and decrepit house).

I was living in rented accommodation up until 3 months ago. I work a 45 hour week on a humble mechanics salary and I could save NOTHING. Everything is so incredibly expensive in the U.K. It seems being ripped off is law in the U.K.

I struggle to believe how anyone can live and save anything whilst living in the U.K unless they make over £25,000 a year.

Now I am back at 'home' I can save £700 a month. That is a decision I had to make if I wanted to travel again. And I still have to live VERY frugally to save that.

The next 15 months will be a test of my sanity. Losing all my independence and freedom for 15 months to gain it back again on the road for hopefully 12 months or longer.

Can't have the Yin without the Yang..... So they say.

Eàrning the funds
 

Well I can see there are many differnt ways, my way was, sell my 2011 Opel Insignia with all of is goodies, sell the Dethleffs RV. Now I can pay my expeces and my wife takes care of the house while I ame on my way RTW for two years. DOT is june 2014. All of my stuff is ready (collected for years)
Bjorn-rtw.net anyone want to come with??c?

saving in the UK
 

Re discovered this thread after ages. The amount I have been able to save each year has dwindled down to a mere few hundred pounds a year as my outgoings have gone up and my income has gone down in relative terms. I do not see this situation improving any time soon. Short trips to HU meetings are the best I can look forward to for now.

GM

PS not complaining just stating a fact!

It's all about prioritising.

My wife and I are not rich, we both work for the government but still we manage to save up half of our income every month. How? By prioritising... We don't smoke, we don't consume alcohol (I'm pretty sure a lot of you guys spend a fortune every month on booze...) and we watch out at to what we do spend our money. This works for us, perfectly.

So good in fact that we decided to give it all up, to quit our jobs and go for yet another ride and then "settle" again somewhere where we lost our hearts on an island in the sun. Will we make the same money than we do now? Absolutely never-ever. This means that we will 'survive' making only maybe 800€ a month but at least in a place that we like and choose and we know what it will "cost" us, but we don't care anymore... I choose the sun, the ocean and the mountains instead of a big-ass tv with surround sound!

:Beach:

I did my first big, long trip trip in 2007. I decided I was going to do it in 2005. I was earning about £700 a month.. Impossible to most..

I got rid of my car, I didn't smoke, I brewed my own ale.. I ate baked beans and pasta, I wore cheap clothes, I sold everything I could and worked any odd jobs I could.

Even then I only managed to save £200-£300 a month. It took me 2 years but I did it..

Not all, but the majority of people who claim they can't spend that on booze/fags/gigs/cinema/fashion etc etc

If you want it.. You will make it happen.. It's really is that simple.

It just depends if it's worth the sacrifice to you.

$500 a month
 

In one's youth ,, may be even for less,,, especially if you are beautiful like Lorraine. ;)

I did that for so so many years ,,
From age 19 ,, across the USA ,, Canada,, Europe ,, Most of S.America, Hawaii, Guam, Yap, Palau, Sri Lanka, India ,, Nepal ,,, learned to ski in Tehran ,, teached equestrian jumping, in Thailand and Japan.
For some 6 years. Music ,, culture,, history ,, drugs ,, travel ,, good sex ,, Had all sorts of jobs ,, few misadventures ,, jail time too ,, for I seeked out this adventure, for it was impossible to leave Korea at the time.
It was hard but I never felt discouraged or unfortunate,,

Many times ,, it was women, whom I've met on the road that gave me sweet loving, food and bed ,, and connections in next town,,
Learnt 6 languages in their beds ,, best way to learn a language.

From 80s,, due to my job, lived in London, Dusseldorf, Paris, Monaco, New York and Tokyo ,, and travelled three weeks out of month. Breakfast in London, Lunch in Paris ,, dinner in Milano ,, all over Middle East and North Africa ,, I would hire a private jet from Zurich to Tripoli,, then hitch hike a Hyundai construction company's dump truck,, speaking Korean with the driver all the way to Benghasi at 2AM ,, was my norm for some 9 years. But then it was mostly work.

In 90s and 2000s ,, having become a CEO ,, traveled and worked at my leisure ,, some 6 million air mileage points by now and numerous flights on Concord to Rio, NY - Paris, London- Barbados,, in fact just two flights before the Paris crash was my last flight, on the Concord.

My last RTW on a Harley ,, all together 3 months long (just riding time) , cost me ca $54,000
Meaning I would ride hard ,, find the best 5 star hotel, when ever possible ,, fly first class to next destination, when ever possible,, ate well ,,best wine,, went to see the local opera ,, orchestras,, massage parlors , strip bars ,, bought drinks for local bikers,,, had an escort or two in the room ,, made donations to local charities etc. While with two pairs of undies, sox, two pair of jeans, Panama,, a Zara blazer and John Galliano rain coat. (None of that BMW reiter outfit,, bare chest through most of Siberia,. Love sun too much. For Siberia, carried my own coffee and ramen pot)

Not bragging ,,
I have no qualms ,,, no guilt ,, each to his own.
Ewan did it with a million dollar production ,, Jim Rogers did it with truck load of convoy. I did it on my own.

I did my share of mooching in my youth. I would be shamed to do so at my age.

seouljoe any chance of fitting a side-cart to that Harley of yours and take me with you next time...........:innocent:

You seem to have had a very interesting life and if i wore a hat i would take it off to you :thumbup1:

Hats Off ,,
 

Well Wesley,, my hats off to you too !
Every one has their own unique experiece in life,, just different,, for that we all deserve a compliment from each other!
Be well and thanks for the kudos.

work and save
 

as i was sailing across the atlantic, hitchhiking on a boat with no money left after having bummed around europe for a couple years i decided i wanted to travel to south america with a motorcycle. i didn't know people actually did it and that it was very common. i thought i was crazy, well i still am i guess... anyway, i arrived home in LA at 23 yrs old with negative 600 dollars. I lived with my mom, worked two jobs while going to school and in a year i saved 15,000$. a year after that, after having bought all the necessary gear to travel, motorcycle, riding gear, camera equipment, etc. and having gone back to europe for a two month trip and also quitting the second job for the last 6 months, i had 21,000$ and was ready to go. I just focused, ate off people's plates at the restaurant i worked at, rode my bicycle to work when i could, researched good deals for gear, picked up any extra shift.
I set off in april 2013 and spent 8 months riding around america and canada ( i also took a spontaneous trip to europe and an island in the indian ocean with a airline hostess i met, 10percent tickets). in the 8 months I spent 7,000$, 1,500$ of that toward retrieving my stolen bike and replacing parts. I also earned $3,000 under the table working on a less than legal farm. 8 months=$4,000. $500 per month average. I'm back home a couple months working and will leave on the next leg of my journey with $20,000, with the intention of only using $10,000 in a year... we'll see how it goes. point is; i have no education or skills, i was a waiter and worked in an office. yes i lived with my mom, but if i paid rent and food, it would have taken just a few months longer or i wouldn't have traveled to europe during that time. It's possible even for people without houses to sell...
lots of little worlds