Numbercruncher, Perhaps if you'd carefully read ALL of it, and moderated your attitude somewhat your post would still be there.

You came off as trolling in a big way, and a couple of people commented to me that it was all over the top.

Disagreement is one thing, but the political rant / labelling wasn't on.

And "sponsored by the drug using liberal crowd"... err, no, that would be incorrect.

And mollydog gets a demerit for the chicken shit too.

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Thanks Pin! I'm not British, I'm actually Lithuanian, just living in England for the time being

Thank your for a very inspirational post. The more posts like this I read the more obvious it is I should simply leave instead of overthinking everything!

Bought a very detailed map of Africa, a tent and a sleeping bag, and did some bike repairs. I think I'm good to go

If a person doesn't want to do that type of desk job then why do it? If you, or I, want that professional meaningful job then make it happen. It doesn't matter whether you want to ride a motorcycle around the world or have a meaningful job. You have to make it happen or it won't. Nobody ever got anywhere just sitting around hoping/wondering/wishing. And if those jobs weren't meaningful to the company that offered it to you or I it wouldn't be there in the first place.

Sounds like you are going through a mid-life crisis but you are awfully young to do that. I hope you are able to ride to your heart's content. I do wonder about all those folks that just seem to sell of everything and hit the road. How do they ever reintegrate into society? They may not be materialistic and not want to own a house, a car, or have high speed internet but then they'll have to go back to a subsistence lifestyle.

Here in the states I laugh at all the people who are anti-material item, anti-wealth and anti-just-about-everything-else-in-life-you-have-to-work-for. They are the ones who are always looking for help. Help which is a euphemism for money which of course they despise and won't work for but ask others for it all the time.

I can pretty much do what I want financially and the last thing I EVER do is HELP someone who has chosen to just take it easy and just kinda get by in life. Riding a motorcycle around at 25? Go for it! But since I was working my butt off in life at 25 don't expect me to share any of my wealth with you. I made sacrifices to get where I am if don't get to share in that adventure I won't pay for it.

I'll see if this post gets banned like my last one did.

NC

If people ask me how I can afford traveling I allways ask them how they can afford not to travel. To rent a house and pay for heating during winter in Europa is waaaaay more expensive then to travel with your tent in warm countrys.

As you said its so easy: just lower your livestyle and use your head. Live is not about worrying about a CV gap or consuming something and wasting your limited lifetime in an office to pay for the rates of the newest iPhone or "coolest" BMW. Therefore intelligent people just buy used phones and bikes etc. so they dont become a slave of the bank. Politics at home are wasting tax money anyway to make war and pay their own pension so no i dont want to sponser this too.

Doing so you can travel the world only working/bloging or programming a few months per year as a digital nomad and be free. Thats what is really cool: Motorcycling around the world - 50.000km across Africa

Africa isnt more dangerous then europa. In fact i got more money robbet by the police in Europa then by criminals in any african country. To earn money in a third world country is much harder then back home because of the low income so better chose a Job that can be done using the internet or do it the old fashion way: Work during summer in Europa to spend autum, winter and spring in Africa. It only took me 5000 Euro for two years http://reisemotorrad.eu

There is no single answer to this question that suits everyone. To each their own. I went on my first big trip when I was single, no kids, no dog, no house, age 28, had never done any real adventures. I realized that if I saved all my money, acted like an "adult", waited until my house was paid for and had a lot of money, I would never travel except for tours or go to resort locations where I would mingle with like minded Americans for a few weeks at a time. Wisely, I sold everything I owned and hit the road-came back dead broke. No one gave me any money. I have never had a middle age crisis when I would realize what I had missed. I have a lot of friends who woke up one day and realized they had let their life pass them by. When I travel I try to eat where locals eat, stay where locals stay. IMO no one can predict the future, know what their financial situation/health/family ties will be tomorrow. Even if you only go a little way and have to turn back, you will have more of an adventure/experience than someone who just plans for a future that may never come. I would rather have memories than money, or worst, neither.

I think the title is very wordy. For most people things need to be simplified. It was clear in my mind that I wanted to travel to live. I worked 16 to 18 hours a day 7 days a week for 6 to 12 weeks in a year. It worked great for me for 10 years.

I took an early retirement with no saving. Got rid of everything. Our motorcycle carry all our belongings. We travel on peanuts. We don't rush. We cook, we eatout we do some volunteering. We want to do that as long as our health will allow it, may be 10 hopefully 15 years.

My wife and I have been on our RTW trip since June 2014. Leading up to our departure we spent 10 years saving, paying off all debts (OK we only had a mortgage) and not buying loads of crap we didn't need. To make trips like this happen you have to be pretty determined and really want to do it. If it's "just an idea" you will always make excuses as to why you can't go.

Anyway, having spent that 10 years preparing financially we now rent our house for a good sum each month (we're from the UK) and travel 2-up on our Tiger 800. We have more money than when we left home but that's entirely down to planning and good fortune with excellent tenants. By the way, I'm 55 and my wife 51.

So that's how we afford it. For what it costs, I've created detailed expense reports for each country we've visited. We're currently in Colombia and there will be an expense report for here when we leave. If interested, you can find the reports here Expense Reports Archives - Two Brits and a Triumph Tiger 800 Round The World

We have an Access database for recording the data and a spreadsheet for data analysis and reporting. Now the database and reporting is set up it only takes a couple of minutes every day to record the data. Reporting takes a few seconds. Our on the road expenses are for two people. We don't travel on a really tight budget, nor is it extravagant, take a look for yourself.

Any questions, just shout :-)

Saludos
Steve and Janette
Tiger 800 RTW - Two Brits and a Triumph Tiger 800 Round The World

That is brilliant Steve and Janette

Thanks for posting

A round the world trip for several years or without ending takes a different approach than a shorter trip like a year or something like that.

When we were 26/27 we were able to do a trip of one year (including buying an old Landcruiser and stuff) after my girlfriend finished her study, and I had been working for two years as a software engineer with a normal starting salary. My girlfriend was also working next to hear study saving money, and we had a cheap rental apartment.
Friends who didn't understand how we could pull this off were also saying that we became boring for not going out with them in the weekends (for the period up to the trip). I guess they didn't always get it.

After that, we have been working again like everybody else. Now we are going to do our new trip. Half a year, so manageable in terms of saving.
But we have also come into a position where we can rent out our house with some profit. For the times that we are travelling cheap (only costs being diesel and food) it is already sufficient to keep on travelling.

In the end, this is what you want. A steady income to fulfill your needs (whether at home not working, or travelling)
But when it comes to travelling, it is impossible to determine a generic level of costs. Having long visas or visa-free travelling, travelling slow in areas where food is cheap, fuel is reasonable and you camp everywhere for free, you can keep travelling for ages with little savings.
But yeah, you can also travel in a different style. Much more hotels, visiting national parks (for example in Africa it is expensive), a lot of shipping, or just travelling fast (more fuel and visa cost)

I see people with a huge 4x4 truck with quad and bikes, shipping that huge thing everywhere, visiting several areas twice. Good for them, I think they have an awesome time. But I won't be surprised if that costs like $50k or even 80k per year?
Then you have young people living in a simple van, who barely go out for dinner even though it is cheap. So many different styles of travelling.
Having a pushbike and a tent and a small stove is probably the cheapest way of travelling.

I'll throw my two pence worth in here as i get closer to my intended travel plan and find myself browsing HU more and more often looking for tips and prompts...!!
Basically if you keep one eye on the OP and its sub heading then you only have to focus on one solitary thing..... SAVING YOUR MONEY folks...!! You need a substantial amount to launch the trip. I haven't read in full all the links in this thread but i will go back and browse them.

How you earn enough money to facilitate a healthy savings rate can be a reflection of your pre-trip life and what you put into it from the start of your working life. That's not a slant on anyone by the way, I kicked off as a humble tradesperson and stuck with it to date although what i have ended up doing within my trade is a million miles away from the early days. Everyone will have to save like mad and time scales will vary immensely.

There has been some mixed feelings and comments within this thread also, It bottoms out with some very basic beliefs from individuals but i think you can't get away from one brutal and simplistic point of view, "You only get out of life what you put in" and if your wants, desires or dreams involve travel by motorcycle then you are going to need a wedge of cash to start the ball rolling and to get that involves HARD WORK and DEDICATION.

One final comment here, I don't agree or share the free view of total abandonment when setting off. Ok sell up if you have NO kids or ties with your homeland but at least have some 'Plan B' for your return whether that's a chunk of money or a promise by friends or family of somewhere to live upon arrival. That's just my view by the way.

Anyhow, I look forward to any other threads that are a positive influence as my time comes closer....

YES .. YES .. YES.

No finer example for your kids & grandkids.

YES Again. Your trip-of-a-lifetime trip will end .. eventually. And you need somewhere, something to come back to.

Coping with old age [for example] in second-hand caravan in the corner of someone else's field is no-way to end your days. Not good enough for me anyway.

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Right Way Round ...

Hello Evergreen! I know exactly how you feel, I call it PTM (post travel melancholy). I recently returned home from south america after two years of travel and it is like a syndrome: i always catch myself reminiscing about my trip and I am planning the next one: AFRICA!
Africa or bust! I am hoping to start either by early to summer of 2019. im so excited!! Are you traveling already or where are you now?

Ta-rider, when did you do the african trip? I am planning something similar and i wanna plans details, especially with finances! Any addtional info you wanna contribute about your african trip??
thank you!

Keith, I wonder if I know you, have spent well over 20 years living in many places all over Cornwall, many of them years in a caravan in the corner of someone's field...!!!!

Back in bricks & mortar now albeit way up North...

Emmet .. er non-emmet?

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Right Way Round ...