Practicality!
 

What is practical about nagging and complaining, as characterized by many of the posts here?

You want practical, here is practical.

There are basically 3 ways to earn money. And I assume by practical it is meant here as stated in the title of this thread!

1. Buy products and sell them for more than you paid for them. The difference once overhead has been deducted is your profit or money earned.

2. Provide a needed and wanted service that people are willing to pay for.

3. Manipulate the currency - sometimes called investing. This is the bailiwick of Wall Street. Purchase "shares" or into some financial instrument that returns to you more money than you have "invested." Also, one can buy and sell currencies - as witnessed on many street corners of some major foreign cities. Buy X currency with Y currency and then sell the X currency for more - calculating the split between value of X and Y currency as related to the US dollar.

Now, we all have met the "trustafarians" the Trust Babies living off funds earned previously by "others" who have contributed funds for their care and feeding. I don't hold much stock in these folks - most have no clue what it means to earn a dollar or to earn admiration and respect. These abilities come with the struggle and the winning.

And of course there are the criminals who believe in getting something for nothing in return. This is a good definition of criminality - getting something with no exchange. Some trustafarians are by definition criminals, I have met them, they are criminal in their attitude - believing the world owes them a living.

So there you have it the 3 major ways to earn money and the defined examples of trustafarians and criminals.

Practical enough?

xfiltrate

Yup, that just about sums it up. :thumbup1:

My first few trip (with and without motorbike) were all ill-conceived and unprepared. Just set into the sunset and let things happen. They were most definitely fun but at some point the fun wears off and you start to see the similarities in conversations, events, etc. Then in my case I set an broad objectives but the same occurred and resulted in frustration of other people’s knowledge and objectives. So more detailed objectives became the solution which requires detailed planning. That’s what happened in my case. Dunno about others.

Financial Plan
 

Well said, now if perhaps by chance someone reading here has determined to earn some money as outlined with my last post, I would be negligent if I did not provide a practical Financial Plan so the money could be handled responsibly.

First, money is like a river , it flows, it flows in to you and it flows out depending on how you spend it.

A good financial plan follows. The percentages might be tailored to your specific needs, but all is accounted for in this simple, practical Financial Plan.

In order to have money - for an RTW motorcycle trip, to buy a motorcycle, or just relieve yourself of financial worry, each dollar - actually each cent you inflow - read you earn - should be flowed out through your Financial Plan.

So imagine flowing your money into these separate accounts and only spending money from each account as described. You can use envelopes for each account and eventually have separate bank accounts for each account. With a high enough deposit and balance the bank accounts will be free.


EMERGENCY RESERVE: 10%
Money to buy yourself out of any games you don't want to play anymore. Only to be spent for EMERGENCIES.

LONG TERM SAVINGS: 10%
Money saved for the RTW or some capital expenditure like a motorcycle or home. Also could be money put into a Certificate of Deposit with interest.

PROMOTION:. 10 %
Money used to promote the products you buy and sell, the services you provide, or your financial/currency endeavors. Most business fail because of lack of promotion. Haircuts and business clothes also come out of promotion as does any courses, education that will improve your performance. No, not that performance :)!

FIXED EXPENSES: 45 -50%
Money for payment of all fixed expenses ie, rent/mortgage, all insurances, utilities, auto/moto loans + maintenance/gas, FOOD, communications etc.
NOTE: If your fixed expenses exceed 50% of your inflow of cash on a monthly/yearly basis, you are living above your means and you need to earn more money, or reduce your lifestyle NOW.

PAST DEBTS/PLAY MONEY: 20 - 25%
Money to pay past debts, student loans, credit card debt, personal loans. etc
And, what is left is your PLAY MONEY - money you can spend anyway you like - movies, dates, stuff. As your debt is reduced more of this money becomes PLAY Money.

There you have it, I will answer any questions you might have. This plan has worked very well for me and you will be amazed if you flow every dollar - even dollars you find on the street, through this financial plan how quickly your debts will be paid and your time will be more your own.

xfiltrate

Well I'm gonna chime in here, if I may.

@ xfiltrate, CalDriver, mollydog, Tony LEE, tmotten, mcguyver .. et al.

You are all right guys! Yep, every one of you is bang-on the money (for want of a better expression!) in your very own personal way.

See, back in 2005, when I had turned 50-yo the year before, it dawned on me that I had reached - and had gotten there really far too fast - the beginning of my 'third age' ..

.. and I still had the burning ambition to see what was 'over the horizon'. Now I know you'all know exactly what I mean by that. If you don't, then WTF are you doing here on this forum?

Back then (at age 51), I started seriously asking people, anyone and everyone who I came across that was travelling at the time, and travelling by any means, "How does one afford this lifestyle?" .. which, coincidentally, is the title of this particular thread.

One ageing couple in their late 60s, who I stumbled across by accident, were exploring my neighbourhood in an old beaten-up VW camper-van - [her] a not-too-rich former client of mine; and [him] a recently discharged bankrupt, and self-confessed unsuccessful businessman (obviously!) - said 'just go for it Keith' .. 'you can realise enough money to do it, surely?' .. 'when you get back home, be happy to eat bread and jam, but just GO FOR IT!'

I've never forgotten those words, '.. just go for it!'

A year after that chance encounter with her and him, I had a massive argument with my boss. I told him, in no uncertain terms, that he was a greedy useless w@nker, absolutely crap at his job .. and worst of all, a dishonest b@stard into the bargain.

Career over! With no chance of any sort of decent reference, after that untimely (or do I mean very 'timely'?) confrontation.

I had a few quid in the bank - not enough to retire on, but enough to see me through the next 5-6 years.

F**k it. Let's just go for it! - And so off I went to see what was really 'over the horizon'. I'll eat bread and jam if needs be when I get back home.

10 years .. and 200,000+ RTW kilometres later.

My travels have given, and continue to give me complete peace of mind. I have no more travel ambitions left to accomplish. And I'm saying, for the record; you can't have peace of mind, if you still have lifetime ambitions to fulfil .. which I now don't. THAT's what it's all about my friends. That's what we're all chasing.

How did I fund it all? Well I can tell you:

• I didn't sell or re-mortgage my home. I didn't need to. I still own it outright
• I'm definitely not monetarily 'rich', but I still have some money in the bank. Certainly 'enough' to help me get by comfortably, with dignity
• I'm working again, albeit part-time .. but on MY terms. And I love what I do. I'll carry-on doing what I do for as long as I can .. because I'm a real fan of work. Work really is a good and decent activity. A privilege (especially if you enjoy doing what you do.)

And Nowadays:

• I don't eat bread & jam .. because I don't have to
• I DO eat a lot of steak
• I drink beer and wine whenever I feel like it.

Life is pretty darn good, actually.

I won't go into the details of how I made it all happen, financially-wise. Suffice it to say, if you are of just average intelligence (and have a little bit of 'nouse') you can usually work it all out as you go along.

It generally ALWAYS works out .. at the end of the day.

Summary: If you have the wanderlust - Just go for it!

thanks

Keith

Well put. I’m getting that now. I used to very angsty about it. Had to get another mad trip in. The madder the better. Don't think I pushed it as far as I wanted, but far enough for me now. Lucky I did all that in my 20’s. No way would I do that now. I’m hoping I can keep my travel fatigue at bay on my upcoming trip but doing so was another reason I’ve put so much planning in.

As for affording it. You can do it on a shoe string or you can do it more comfortable. If you can’t save a good % of your salary in a year then you should think about what you can give up or how you can invest in yourself to get more senior and better paying jobs. In some cases it’s a pipe dream too. There are other cool things you can do in your life to give fulfillment. Motorcycle travel isn’t the be all and end all. I think I’m done with it after this one.

Practical or Play?
 

After reading several complaints criticizing posts on this thread, I posted #361
a very practical analysis of three ways to earn money, with the inclusion of a definition of "trustafarians" and criminals.

Then, realizing that earning money is not enough to "afford this Lifestyle" I posted #364 this thread with a Financial Plan explaining that money was like a flow and it flowed in and flowed out and then I provided a plan of how to outflow the money you earn so you will be able to afford this lifestyle.

To my dismay, no one had any questions, no yeahs or nays , no nothing, so I now understand that it is not a practical application that those who criticize here are demanding, it is just a playing field for criticism they seek.
And, that is fine with me if they really want to play and not just take pot shots and vanish.


Eat, Drink and if you want to afford this lifestyle, have a financial plan.

xfiltrate

Why were you expecting questions or comments?

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I don't think it's about affording the life style but more about having the need for it and the determination to pursue it. Money can be earned but if you don't make the step, the affording part just becomes meaningless.

I started planning my next trip at the beginning of last year, roughly 1,5 years before the start. All so that I could get everything done - prep the vehicle, improve language skills, gather the budget and to have even the slimmest chance of finding a friend to join me on the 4 month trip.

I remember that about 15 months before the start date someone told me that he would really love to do it, but he doesn't have the money. There's like 15 months to gather it! As I understood that finding anyone to join me on the entire trip was hopeless, I sat down and started the dreadful budgeting and calculations. The resulting numbers pretty much have defined my life since that moment. I worked on the verge of burnout for a year and only last month eased off the workload. Now I just need to get the car done in two months. But that is a bit of a challenge as it is a rust bucket. Pretty much every mechanic has said that the car should be scrapped instead of fixing it. But I'm stubborn. I just hope I make it in time.

Affording the travelling life style is a fairly big part of the picture but not the defining one. You may have all the money in the world, but if you are afraid to go ...

Comments?
 

tmotten, considering your history of comments, I mistakenly inferred that you might notice the difference between practical and non practical posts and
acknowledge that this thread has recently drenched itself with practicality - perhaps to the point that the armchair observers - disclaiming same - like you perhaps, might actually note the difference in a comment.

I actually enjoyed reading the depiction of struggle and minor victories described so well in formet's post. Here is reality, here is an independent observation that yes, agreeing that being able to afford it is important, but the dream more important, for without the dream financing has no direction - an I agree whole heartedly.

You know who creates the destinies of corporations, of governments, of humanity, it is not the "bean counters," it is not the profiteers, it is not the elected political leaders, it is not the dictators, it is the dreamers, the artists... and when their dreams go dark we have chaos. Without the dreamers, survival potential is reduced. New products, new programs, new lifestyles are the balliwick of the dreamers. The Beginners, the Starters, the Changes, the implementers make it happen, and the Stoppers halt it - but when the stoppers gain control we are all in trouble.

Armies and Police are stoppers and their job is to stop things from happening, while stopping criminals is important.... all too often, the demented political leaders control the armies and the police and they try to stop everything. The first to be stopped are the dreamers - and when the dreamers are exterminated, the changers begin to follow the lead of the Stoppers. This is the demise of every civilization that has been.

Comments? xfiltrate

You lost me with the philosophical stuff mate. Don't rely engage in that. Always giggled at the conversations that I overheard about collective conscious by guys with blond dreads wearing Thai fisherman pants and that on all my travels too. I'm a bit more practical in my approach to things​.
Though your practical financial post was good. Didn't need a comment I though.

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make end meets
 

One needs to know what he wants most in life. For me travelling on motorcycle was a dream since I was a little boy. I found a job I could work 15 hours a day that no one would do when I was 16 years old. I worked one full year to buy the first motorcycle, then left work the following day I got my driver's license. After that I worked 2 to 3 months then go on a trip 3 to 4 months and I returned to do the work no one would do for another 2 to 3 months. I repeated that for 10 years.

I put a hold to this lifestyle to raise the family. Now that the kids are grownup, I retired 2 years ago and I'm back to travel full time this time.

I sold the house, got rid of everything and bought 2 new 300 cc motorcycle, one for Canada, one for Latin America.

I ride in Canada during the summer, and the rest of the year i ride the back country of south america on a chineese dual sport.

I I don't pay rent, I camp yearound for which I rarely pay for. I live the life I have always dream to live.


When my kids can visit me, I rent a small studio on the beach. I cannot be happier.

That's a pretty good blue print for would be travelers to follow! :scooter:
Curious what the work was that "no one else would do"?

Here in California we have 2 to 3 million Mexicanos doing the work "no one would do". Most don't end up having money left over for travel! doh

Sounds like your on a roll exploring S. America. I hope you taking good notes to share with us here!

Please do a ride report for us and do talk about how the Chinese Moto is working out. Lots of riders looking at that option. (including me!)

How's your Spanish? I spent 7 years down there and mine is still terrible.

Good luck! Please chime in once in a while!

In those years I was working on underground works, and most specially water and sewer fixing up **** ups in sewer manhole. I had to break the cement in bottom of the manhole with a jack hammer, and redo the cement job. Very dusty, horibly loud, and very hard physically. It is impossible to do this kind yearound, but doing that 12 to 15 hours a day 8 to 10 weeks twice a year provided me enough money and time to ride 2 long trips a year.

Most mexicans do the jobs most people wont do, but these are not good paying job. But most people working in water and sewer work 12 hours a day and the pay is good.

work in a mine in Canada or Australia and wait for it to close or work summer in wild fire management or fire fighting than you are guarantied a warm winter if you choose the tropics 6 and 6