Let’s get right into it! Money is real and we all need it in some form or fashion to live. Winter 2023 I made a pretty scary leap to quit my job and live abroad for two months to study Thai Massage abroad in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The very first question on my heart and mind when deciding to take this trip was how in the heck was I going to afford it?! Here’s how I really afforded to travel and live abroad for two months.
Save, Save, Save
There’s no way around this. You must save – A LOT and do so months beforehand. I began saving for my trip to Thailand about one year before departing. I calculated all my bills, then averaged how much I needed to save monthly in-order to meet my goals. Discipline is everything here because saving money is hard work. An added perk, each month after meeting my savings goals I treated myself to something nice; like a good bottle of wine or a nice meal.
Buy Beforehand
Thinking ahead is what will save you money in the long run. Having said this, brainstorm all the things you may need during your time abroad. For me, this included my accommodations, food budget and daily travel expenses. I started by researching all these expenses and created a separate budget for them as well.
Plan to Live Frugal
Begin by researching how much it will cost to live in your destination of choice daily. For example it costs between $30-$50 USD to live in Thailand comfortably. I chose to stick to the lower end of the spectrum and planned to spend no more than $30 USD daily. Once I landed in Thailand I stuck to this budget religiously to make my money last and stretch throughout my time abroad. Many days I spent less than $30 USD which was incredible!
Additionally I made sure to have separate bank accounts: one for travel spending, the other for bills back home. This greatly helped me stay on budget and prevented overspending while abroad.
These tips maybe simple, but they’ve worked wonders for me. Saving and thinking ahead allowed me to afford living abroad for two months, all while staying current on my bills back home in the states simultaneously; all of it without working or having side income to rely on. Hopefully these tips help you do the same. Cheers to your next journey abroad.
One response to “THIS Is How I Really Afforded to Travel & Live Abroad for Months”
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