Is borrowing money to travel a bad idea ????
 

You know when you just can't wait !

I really really want to do a RTW. But I can't afford it. It will take me probably two years to afford it properly. I don't want to wait. I've got stuff to do in life and I can't do both..

I don't want to do it a bit at a time.. I want to go away for a year... And I want to go away THIS year and will only have £5000 saved up.


I took a £7000, Five year loan out to travel in 2007 and it was a major pain in the ass having that bill every month. I'd always have to be working and make sure I could pay it. I said "NEVER AGAIN"....

But now I'm nearly 34 and I feel like this could be my last chance for a fair few years to do this kind of scale trip. I've got some career plans coming together and I need to get this yearning for a RTW trip out of my system..


Opinions please ??? I have perfect credit and get get a loan no problem. Do I want that around my neck for the next five years though ??

I am totally phobic to debt and would not enjoy a trip knowing that some or all of it was on tic so would have to wait until I had enough money before departing.

Ha! you think that will get it out of your system, think again.

Go for it. you'll do the trip and say I'll never get a loan again. If you don't do it you may spend the rest of your life saying I should have done a RTW.

Having worked in debt collection, I am very much against taking credit, however if you are fairly certain of your future career, then I would say do it. You only live once and you only get older.

I didn't do a RTW trip, but I did travel for a long time and have never once regretted it. I saved before hand but was fortunate in terms of income and opportunities (pre-'crash'). It was by far and away the best thing I have ever done, my only worry is that I'll probably never match it, let alone exceed it.

Do it. Just don't kid yourself that you'll not get urges afterwards to travel again - they just get worse.

I would also say "do it"! When Roynie and I did our first RTW trip in 2001, it was partially paid for with R's pension commutation but, by the time we left, we realised we had massively under-budgeted. We also had good credit, so were able to get a huge temporary spending limit raise on our (joint) credit card. Thank goodness we did, because on top of the planned spending (accommodation, transport, food, fuel, etc.) we also had a couple of mishaps. The result was that we came back we had accumulated a 5 figure debt between the two of us. We didn't have the career prospects that you appear to. I had been an IT administrator and had just turned 40 and R was recently retired after 30 years in the police. We both had to find alternative employment ... and quickly!

But although we had a few scary moments in the months that followed our return - not least our replacement bank cards being stolen in the post and used - we never, for a single moment, regretted doing that trip. It changed our whole outlook on life and gave us the travel bug. We paid off the credit card over about 2 years and have been on several memorable extended trips since.

I think people who are drawn to travel tend to be naturally resourceful. I won't lie and say that toting around for a completely new career was easy for either of us, but it was amazing how many interviewers were keen to talk about our trip!

It is your life.

I wouldn't do it. But that is me. Do factor in that you may need emergency funds - so you need to be able to get those funds even if you don't have them in the bank - that is you have to borrow them ... above what you already have.

Tha alternatives? A cheaper shorter trip .. only doing hte cheaper cpountries?

That right there is some funny stuff.

You understand the choice you're making: do I borrow to go right away, thereby insuring that I won't be able to go again anytime soon (because I'll first be struggling to pay back my loan along with fees, interest, possible penalties, etc. etc. etc., then struggling again to save enough to leave on my next trip), or do I wait until I can afford it?

Your choice. Easy credit supported Euro, British and Norteamericano economies for a long time before it all crashed. Easy credit can send you on a fun trip if that's what you want. But don't delude yourself into thinking you're going to do this once and get it out of your system; get real, then base your choices on what's real.

Oh, and don't forget that establishment and strengthening of the neural pathways by which we defer gratification is considered one of the more difficult developmental tasks….of late adolescence and early adulthood. You and I (and many on this site) are already late-bloomers.

Mark

You already know how you practically handle debt, you've paid it off instead if drowning in it. Sure it's not pleasant but it's a means to your ends which you are itching for.

We thankfully saved enough for our RTW but we were always willing to turn to debt before coming back before we were ready. Like you, we knew we could handle it. The rest is time & effort.

Travel on credit
 

I'm with Mark Manley on this one.
You do not finance consumption with credit.
End of story.
Especially an open-end project like RTW - unless you are not coming back!
In my family we have a couple of tragic eksamples of inability to face reality, where conspicious consumption is more important than fiscal reality.

Enough said.

Peter, in Oslo, rain and slush instead of winter

My thought is that from the moment you borrow the money you are paying interest. How do you make those payments? Perhaps from the money you have saved. So immediately you are depleting you real cash until you need the loan money. It make take a year before needing the loan money so you've wasted all those payments.
Other method is line of credit style. Where you get preapproved or get an overdraft setup. But what happens if you get far away from home and find out through some glitch they have rescinded the agreed credit?
We humans are terrible for instant gratification, I fight the same demon, it's too in your face nowadays, fun now, pay later.
I heard an ad on the radio last year telling people to buy this item for MothersDay and don't pay for 13 months! That means another MothersDay will come around and you still haven't paid for the last one? I saw "the man" wants us in debt. Keep em' scared, hungry and under control.
Just another thought.
Oh, and good for you for already saving that amount of money. That's great.
Cheers! :)

Bad Idea, IMO
 

Paying off that bastard loan is tough. I hate debt too ... but I do fully get your longing to get gone. But settle down and think it through ...:unsure:

Is £5000 enough for your proposed UK to Magadan trip?
Why not take a month or two and ride out there? Maybe sell off the bike at trips end if you can get a good price? Fly or Bus it home. Just a thought.

I have no idea how you could walk away from your job and then expect to be re-hired after a year ... by anyone. :helpsmilie: Time gaps in your resume don't look good to potential employers.

34 years of age? Oh my God! The End Is Near! :smartass:
All washed up eh! :rofl: That is funny!

Seriously, I'd guess you've got maybe 30 years of work in you yet? .. and hopefully even more years of bike travel as well. Stay healthy and fit ... you just might make it! :mchappy: (remember that old grumdgeon Gandolphi?)

Like others have said ... the travel bug you've got now probably won't go away. Can be a life long affliction for some. :clap: For now, I'd focus on career and getting very good at what you do, become established to the point where your boss figures the operation can't go on without you. Until that time ... you're expendable and you could be ... here today ... gone tomorrow. :oops2:

It would be nice to be able to get a month or more off and do some shorter trips ... but some jobs don't allow that. A shorter trip is better than none and may not require "cashing in all your chips".

Best keep your nose to the grindstone until a "natural" break comes along and gives you the time to travel ... and hopefully you'll have saved enough money as well, so no debilitating loans and no walking away from a decent job.

I wouldn't do a RTW now. I've seem most of the world and have strong feelings about places that are worth re-visiting and places I'm not fond of. Don't waste time traveling in places you'll not enjoy. Focus on areas you do enjoy and go there. You can see and do a lot in a month. Well planned month or two rides can be great and you may not have to "cut all ties" in order to do them.
bier

Been there done that. Don't do it .. the boss won't let you go .. even for 4 weeks .. no you cannot go ... In the end you quit. Leaves bad blood behind. You want to be replaceable, or at least seasonal .. so there is the possibility of 'disappearing' for a while and not leaving them missing you too much. Or be in a high demand job .. but anyone with the experience can do it. Accountant, nurse, bricklayer, plumber etc.

I would not do a credit based extended trip. Save more bucks :-) Credits are expensive - you burn a lot of money with it, who will shorten other trips/travels/rtw`s or other plans in your life later.

The life in not over with 40-50.

I dream of an RTW by car since i`m 16 years old. Did several short trips with rentals in Laos, Thailand, Cuba, Europe.

With 38 i was able to buy that car i dreamed about, was able to test the setup through africa.

Now i`m 40, still saving bucks each month. Still looking for the right timeframe to start for such an trip. The car is there, equipped - now i just top up by budget.

Each month i`m able to save bucks, to extend my trip :thumbup1:

Surfy

Great replies.... Nice one :thumbup1:

I know that 34 is not the end of my life haha.

And I know that one big trip is not going to quench the lust for adventure. It will probably just make it worse.

There are a few reasons why I can't wait another two years.

1) I can't settle in my job..... It pays the bills and allows me to save but I'm losing my will to live and spirit to travel. All I do is think about where I'd rather be. I haven't been away since 2012 and that was cut short by a moaning girlfriend.

2) Elderly parent... In another 2-3 years, my mum could be an invalid. It's like the reverse of some people waiting for their kids to grow up... I might not be able to disappear on a long trip with a clear conscience if I wait.

3) Business/Career opportunity. I have an exciting new self-employed venture on the horizon. Not something I would want to just drop for 12 months. It's not feasible. You can't save for travelling when you're starting up a business.


I have no delusion that another long trip will be my last but I think as there are a lot of places I have really wanted to visit that will 'checked off' after a RTW, I will much happier... After that I will be happy with just 2 months a year over the winter. I've just always always wanted to do a long , long trip...


I am no stranger to debt. I have had plenty of loans and credit cards and I ALWAYS pay.

The loan I am looking at is £10,000 with a payment of £190 a month for five years. A lot if you're not working but nothing I can't manage.

Like I say, I'm not one of those who blindly borrows money without really thinking it through.

So... hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm:blink:

That's a good deal :thumbup1::thumbup1:

For what it's worth; I wouldn't have done it.

There has to be some university somewhere in the UK doing a course in eco travelling or overland sustainable tourism or something. Sign up and get yourself a student loan. That'll fix the finances as you'll never have to pay it back. :thumbup1: :rofl:

Back in the real world it's hard to give advice as it's a problem I've kicked around for decades without coming to a definitive conclusion. The only thing I would say is that, although I've never met you, (although I did see you once in the bar at a rally surrounded by fawning female acolytes kneeling at your feet!) I get the feeling that it's a serious issue for you.

Something like that is only going to get worse as the years pass. Not because you're going to be too old and too knackered by 35 but because it becomes increasingly difficult to dump everything you've achieved in other areas of your life. Weighing up doing the trip vs having to start virtually from scratch when you come back has the scales tipping more and more towards the stay side as the years pass. Even at the age you are now many men have wives, children, houses, lifestyle and "career progression" to consider. Dumping some or all of those to travel may be beyond what is possible.

Even if you don't tick many of those boxes atm you may wonder how vanishing for a year or two will impact on them in the future. I don't think it's an coincidence that a lot of long term travelling is done by people in their 20's with nothing to lose and people in their 60's (post retirement) with everything to gain.

On a more philosophical bent have you wondered why you want to do this? I don't want to start spouting psychobabble but there's usually some underlying motivation for people wanting to do anything unusual that goes beyond the obvious. This forum probably isn't the right place to bare your soul but you ought to be aware of your own motivations. Back in 2008 I cancelled a trip to Africa - something I'd spent a year planning - about a week before departure for a reason I've never told anyone but which goes right to the core of my life experience.

So, bottom line, do it or don't do it, but weigh up the consequenses of each option and decide which takes you further in the direction you want to go. Heart may be saying go now and sort the mess out when I get back but head, looking at the world of finance, employment and long term prospects, may have different ideas. If you're hoping people on here may come up with an angle you haven't considered, well, don't hold your breath, we all look to you for answers. doh

My own philosophy: NEVER EVER travel on debt.

Here is a thought: You have £5000. Just leave. Now. Get jobs along the way. Work in bars. Work on a cruise ship. Work on farms. And Volunteer a lot in return for food and a place to sleep. Hitchhike from place to place. Cook your own food. Couchsurf. I've met people who left with $1000 USD in the bank and traveled for years. End result compared to saving money ahead of time? I couldn't tell a difference talking to them....

Nearly 34 eh.
I didn't know people as young as that were allowed to join this forum.

I think you have to put to one side the elderly parents potential problem as your parents could easily be around for many many years so that is always, hopefully, going to be a factor.

I don't know how much you expect to need in total for this trip but you will effectively lose £2,280 of your £10,000 loan as that is how much you need to pay back while you are away.
So that leaves £7,720 to add to your £5,000 but you'll probably need a little more from the loan as you'll need funds when you get back to find a job, and digs, and you won't get paid in your new job for a month.
But you know all of that.
So probably need to assume you'll only have £7,000 of your loan as "available" money.
I'm making the assumption here that you won't be earning while you're travelling.

I wouldn't go for the loan myself, but good luck in whatever you decide although my 50P says you'll take the money and run.

Lot of good answers here.

I do not comment if you should take the money and run or not.
But, when you get stuck to a career, you will suddenly wake up one morning and wonder where all those years have gone.
I have noticed that older I get, faster the time is running…

One parent... She's 72. And already disabled. She lives in a big house with big gardens which I have to maintain. I don't have to be there 24/7 but I need to be 'around' if you know what I mean..

I'm an impatient person. I'm restless. I get bored easy and frustrated with being stagnant. Although I've already done a lot of cool stuff which I am grateful for, I don't want to be looking back in a few years regretting not doing it.

I also think people are more judgemental when you borrow money for travel. People don't seem to think twice about buying a car on finance, taking out a mortgage or taking student loans... Do you know ANYONE truly debt free ?? I'm the only person I know completely in the black.. Hmmmmm again.

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Hi Ted,

well my answer would be, you've got the health to do such a trip, so do it before it stops you!

Me, I'm in a low paid, crappy job, that I've just had to reduce my hours by half to look after my mum (who's suffered a series of strokes). My credit history's naff (due to previous releationships which have cost me thousands and left me in serious debt), combined with having a previous job where my wages were alomst haved, before the position wa closed. I'm 51 years old and can honestly say that my chance of any future travels are nil.

So even if it leaves you in debt, do it, life is far to short and unpredictable not to take chances.

Regards

Reggie

I'm sure you've pondered this many times but how about a shorter trip ?
No need for a loan at all that way, no worries about leaving Mum for too long although I know you've done shorter trips in the past and possibly won't feel satisfied unless it's going to be a long trip.

I think you're worrying too much about looking back with regrets as in my book you've got with many, many travel years ahead of you.

And yes I'm debt free but when you get older you ideally have to be as you don't have the income to pay loans back, and I suspect banks and the like don't like giving loans to the old folk.

God knows I really don't want to offer advice as, based on my record of my decision making over the years, you'd probably be better off doing exactly the opposite of anything I suggest, but ...

Maybe, if you really have the characteristics you mention above, just twirling spanners day after day with little variety might have some part to play in your unease. Ok you're working with bikes which is one tick in the plus box but take a look at your fellow workers - what motivates them to turn up every day? For the owners, building a business and achieving something maybe. For your co workers - perhaps their family is paramount and having a regular income is what matters. Or maybe not. Any of them planning an RTW or something similar where the job is just a means to an end for a while?

My daughter is working on the checkouts in Sainsbury's atm to finance a trip to the far east for the summer, then uni. She's not planning a career in retail management but others in the shop are. At 18 though there's very little to lose when she quits. I don't want to suggest a career move will be the answer but I wonder if the RTW idea is your way of dealing with a lifestyle you see going nowhere.

What I'm trying to get round to is that personalities are complex constructs. If you're like me there is no way you'll get through life without regrets and the older you get the more there are (and I'm a lot older). No matter what you do you're going to be looking back eventually regretting something because many alternatives are mutually exclusive and the best you can do is minimise the damage. What if I'd done engineering rather than life sciences at uni, what if I'd married her rather than her, been more pushy, taken more chances etc.

The money side may seem like a mountain at the moment but in the long run, if it's peace of mind you're after, it's almost an irrelevance. Just make sure you're spending it on the right thing. Maybe you should have joined the army!

Is this the way you want to be?

Go for it
 

Hi Ted,
Surprise surprise. So you want it all, and you want it now. You could write a song about that. Bugger saving up for it, get it on the never never.
Availability to credit certainly has changed how people live. My parents scraped and saved merely to get a roof over our heads. For my generation, I'm 61, it was a bit easier, I had to be on friendly terms with the bank manager in order to get a house mortgage. But for my kids, the bank computer says "Sure, how much do you want?".
Last year I met an English chap, 78 years old, and he never had a mortgage in his life. When he was in his 20s, he came out to Australia with a mate for a look see. After 4 years working in various jobs including a stint at Mt. Isa mines he returned to England and paid cash for a house and a bit of land. Times have changed I suppose.
So, you want to travel on credit. Well I think that is entirely in keeping with our times. Just pay the piper on your return.
Cheers,
Mark

I am who I am... Many a woman have tried to change me hah.



Yes.. My job and where I live does have a lot to do with wanting to up and leave. Its a normal feeling. Unlike many around me though, I don't/won't put up for it. I'm very very conscious that life is an hourglass and no one is going to turn it over and start again once its empty.

A new, more independent and varied career is on the horizon but that will take a while to become established. Hence again for my eagerness to get in the road sooner rather than later...

Tried... And the RAF,Navy, fire service, paramedics etc.

I'm red/green colour blind. Only slightly but they don't distinguish..

So.. I'd be limited to a driver or handing out uniforms to cadets. Not my idea of fun.

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You say you are afraid of regretting things when you get old(er), are you not afraid of regretting that you are impatient, restless, bored etc? Don't you think feelings like that takes away joy from travel and life in general?

Well, I guess this is not helpful. I'll go and play in the snow (with my EXC). :cool4:

Reminds me of the old joke about the vicar advising a bride to be how to remember what's going to happen during the ceremony - you'll walk in, meet me at the front and then we'll do some singing". On the day she comes in whispering repeatedly "aisle, altar, hymn". :clap:

Many a true word etc ...

Yeah.. I'd love to be content. I often look at people who are very happy with very little or with very boring lives and envy them.


Or are they just simple ???? Maybe they don't know any better ??

Does one envy a lamb sunbathing in a field without a care in the world.. Even though it will be on a plate by the end of the summer.

I don't see how I can change my personality. Bar some hypnotism or maybe a partial lobotomy :innocent:

I've had a few people suggest that I might be ADHD and Dyslexic (you've seen my spelling)... I'm a restless person and a little bit obsessive. A rattle or whir on a bike will drive me insane.. MUST FIX IT.. :P I think that's how I got into mechanics...

Anyway.. Too deep. :eek3:

I`m not in the same situation, but too i cant really tell why i want to go. To go soon.

I recently try to write down my feelings into an article, hope that the readers can follow my thoughts. There is too an Translate-Button on the right side.

Wieso zieht es euch in der Ferne?

Like i wrote before i`m 40 now, had done some travels by car - but the dream of an extended trip always gets bigger.

I love my girlfriend, have a good circle of friends, love too my job, my career could have develope much worse.

While my friends are saving money for buying their own house or flat or are renting their luxurary flat, are married and trying to start a famillie with kids -I am just dreaming about travelling extended.

I dont even know if I will like to travelling extended - look like i have to try it.

To starting now has some benefits against to start with 30. I was able to buildup a fun-car beyond reason (powerful but with bad fuel usage and it was expensiv) and i should be able to travel to 1to2 years - without to focus be too much about saving money during the trip.

Disadvantages are for shure, that i dont know what the impact will be to my career, but i should be able to find work again in my profession. And for shure, i dont know what experience i have missed, because i didnt start with the age of 25 and with less bucks.

It may be easier after the trip, when you can entry the working level with no money - and on a higher career level -- as starting with paying an credit and to enter again on less well payed level.

But who know where such a trip ends, maybe you will teach yoga in a hat in india, or you will earning money as a fighter in thailand... :mchappy:

If a dream is strong, it will be still there in some years. But you never know what happens - maybe your girlfriend get pregnant and you had no time for travelling - anymore..

Some questions we only can answer by yourself. And sometimes we have to try it out - without to have an answer.

Maybe one point is important, I read about in many blogs of travellers: if you try to run away from yourself, from something in your life - you are mostly not fast enough.

Surfy

Debt is a bad idea IMHO. OK, for something you need to survive or makes a better deal fair enough, the endless drudge to pay it off is worthwhile but for anything else it really is a constant PITA. The other thing is it's addictive. I've seen so many people get a couple of grand to buy a second hand runabout to get to their better job. Give the loan providers a few years and people have new cars with the best gizmos but are renting the things on mileage limits with huge payments at the end if you don't take another deal. Run that car 'till it dies and save for the new one and you get all the benefits after the first rung of the ladder.

It's rotten to point it out but you only get one chance with elderly relatives. You can work your **** off and go on your RTW aged 45 with no debt having had all the time you like with people who by then won't be here.

I wouldn't worry about the job thing. If you do something well you can always come back to it in three or even five years. I'm struggling to find a job I'll take right now because the ****ers won't believe I don't want to rule their *****y corporate world and be the next Bill Gates. Burning a few bridges to ditch one suit only makes another one think you must be the dogs doodahs if you can jump ship like that. Talking yourself into a job you can do is easy.

Wait and save IMHO

Andy

:thumbup1:

If you are replaceable then you don't have much value in the market. Hence my comment about "getting good at what you do". I doubt Ted is at full journeyman BMW certified mechanic level yet. He should get there as that means he could find employment anywhere, worldwide. But if he hates the job so much ... then maybe not. :stormy:
But your idea of working seasonally is a good one ... let the boss know you only want to work Seasonally.

He could work through the busy months in the UK (May to October?) then could bugger off to Bumfookistan for the rest of the year. Could work.

Seasonal work is really the best (IMO) ... and it's why I liked working in TV. Work 7 months out of the year ... do what you want the other 5 months.

Hang in there Ted ;-)
 

Start looking for a job offshore as previously discussed ;-)

Don't borrow money it's like a noose around your neck!

some controversial food for thought...
 

The fear of debt is usually worse than the debt itself and there seems to be a lot of credit hysteria on this thread - probably a product of our current political class - but there's no need to become sick with a hallucinatory debt fever.

Properly managed debt and responsible credit doesn't have to mean the end of the world. Virtually everything we see around us was built on a system of credit and debt. Indeed most nations are built on this. Britain has been in debt for almost its entire history:

Being in debt does not mean you are morally or fiscally bankrupt. The best time to borrow is now, during a recession, when interest rates are low and financial institutes are giving it away. If it helps think of it as your civic duty to borrow and spend to stimulate the economy, LOL.

Seriously, we all use credit everyday and the sky hasn't fallen in - we are, by and large, more responsible then the ass hats that played high stakes poker in a rigged system, gambling away our money causing the 2008 crash. It's irrational for an individual to rack up debt when you're already in the red, but you're not and your credit rating reflects this.

Life is short, we don't know what's round the corner. This isn't a dress rehearsal, this is the only life we get so we may as well live it now and live it to it's fullest. Carpe Diem Comrade. Not seizing the day may be worse than the phantasms conjured by debt hysteria.

If you do decide to take out some credit do your research, there is usually more than one way to skin a cat. Shop around for the best deals and do not borrow more than you need or more than you can manage.

bier

I don't want to be a BMW master tech... Or be anyone else's bitch for that matter. Doing all the work and getting none of the cash.. Or even reward. Our managers and receptionists get all the flowers, wine and chocolates at Christmas. They are the front but we do all the work. I've worked in a few different dealerships in Sales, workshop, customer services etc. I've seen it from all sides.

Technicians are always the highest trained, hardest working, least paid and the only one's accountable to a time card. And they're the only ones who need to spend thousands on their own tools and forced to 'test ride' dangerous bikes in all weathers... Who'd be a techy ???

I've been with BMW for a year now and it's sooo fecking boring. There are only really four bikes to work on. 1200 boxers, K series four & 6 cylinders and the Rotax singles. They always have the same problems and fixes. I dream of those days where I get something a bit different. They are few and far between..
Bolt on some crappy Touratech engine guards, Code some locks for a pannier case, do a 6000 mile service on a GS, build a bike out of a crate zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. I'd love for someone to let me make a custom exhaust or tune their engine etc. But it would never happen. It's non-efficient. oil changes and warranty work pay the shareholders. Not romantic engineering.

Most of the time I already know what's wrong with them before I turn a spanner. R1200 Fuel sensors and RWD bearings, K1600 Switch gears etc etc.


I want to be my own boss.. That is my ultimate goal and I'm putting everything in place to do that. I may go into partnership with someone or base myself at their place. However, I don't want to start that without scratching this major itch I've got for an extended trip to the few places that I've REALLY wanted to go to.

It's 'unfinished business' if you get my drift. I'm quite happy to say I'll only do 2 month trips in the future but having never done anything longer than 7 months, I don't know .....

5 years ago I wouldn't of thought twice. I'd of got the cash and booked a flight. Not even thought twice. As one gets older, uncertainty creeps in. Doors close and people judge you differently. O think you lose that 'bullet proof' mentality. And I think more is expected of you.

I haven't been on an adventure since 2012 when I took a canoe down the Yukon. That was only two months and I was sick to come home.

I had promised myself that I would of achieved A LOT more by my mid 30's. doh

Hence my haste to just throw caution to the wind, take the loan and sod the consequences...

:cool2:

Very well said......

The saddest and most depressed people I know are the ones who take solace in the fact that they have money in the bank.. They always say "I never borrow money" , "I always live within my means"... What they SHOULD say is:
"I'll die dressed in grey and have nothing to show for life apart from the money that I'll leave some ungrateful relative.. Who will spend it on a new car and a RTW trip" ;)

Money doesn't make you happy.... Spending it does.... Just don't spend what you can't responsibly pay back.

Taking a £100,000 loan from a Colombian loan shark is one thing. A manageable debt from a bank that you can pay back early without penalty is another.

Pack it in!
 

Come to Oz mate, you have a home to come to and great paying jobs a plenty or set up shop in the shed ;-)

That might happen one day.... I have decided. I'm out of here at the end of the year... If I take a loan and keep going I'm not so sure.

To where.. Probably back to South America to start with. Then who knows.

:cool4:

This is one hell of a thought-provoking thread. One of the best reads on the HUBB.

Like others here, Ted, I don't think I can give any advice at all. In a way, wouldn't want to. From what I can judge, my life has been as different to yours as is possible, so there's nothing I can say.

But here are some bits of advice, writings and ideas that have influenced me. Something may be of use.

This first one may speak to you, it has to me. It was written by an organiser/leader of a Scottish expedition to the Himalayas in 1951, 2 years before Everest was conquered.
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back.
Concerning all acts of initiative, there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:- that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.
Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”

It's been said here, if you're running away from something, you'll never run fast enough. But it doesn't seem to me, reading all the stuff you write on the HUBB, as though you're doing that. Only you know.

Also, if you're looking for happiness, there's only one place you'll ever find it - inside yourself.
Only you can decide about that.

If ever you wonder about people who ask why you want to do this or that journey, this might help - "there are those who can feel the reason inside them - and they don't ask."
(Wally Herbert, Arctic explorer)

When it comes to parents, I don't know anything about your situation other than what you've written about your Mum.
This is what happened in my family, in case it helps.
My Dad died first, and it was forecasted by doctors many months beforehand. Turned out, it was likely to happen while my brother was away in Australia on a trip he'd booked a year before.
Our Dad, and our Mum, both insisted on him going. But Dad died while he was away.
That was very sad for my brother but he returned for the funeral, and we all survived and still agree (my brother and I, and our Mum at the time) it was the right thing to do.

Much later I started spending the winters somewhere warm, on either a Honda Dominator, an Aprilia or my bicycle. My Mum, then in her 80s, told me never to stop travelling on her account. In the summers I'd visit a couple of Moto GP and WSB meetings.

For the WSB in 2002 I went to Misano Italy, mid June, with two close mates. I was on my Aprilia. We arrived the Wednesday before. My daughter planned to fly over on the Friday. I picked her up from the airport, to hear the news my Mum had died the day before, Thursday. Friday was my birthday.
With 2 good mates and my daughter with me, and my brother back home and history 'sort-of' repeating itself, we all agreed we would stay, enjoy the event, put my daughter on her plane on the Monday and ride home, maybe a little faster than we might otherwise have done. Exactly as my Mum would have wanted. And it came to pass that we all survived, and were probably closer for it.
Maybe something there will chime with your situation with your Mum. Maybe keep a cash reserve in case you need to fly home, for whatever reason.

Can't think of anything else that hasn't been said.
Whatever you do - keep writing about it.

Ken

I didn't realise we were more or less the same age! You seem wise beyond your years!

What I've realised as I approach 40 is that what I thought my life would be like at this age, and what the reality has turned out to be, are two VERY different things. There's nothing wrong with having dreams, life would be dull without them, but you can put too much pressure on yourself to be something you thought you should be, rather than accepting things as they are, and being the happier for it. This is meant as a generalisation, and not specific to your circumstances.

Personally, I am quite content in my profession. I should, when I retire, get a lump sum along with my pension, and this is what I will use to set off into the bright blue yonder. I'm also lucky enough to be able to travel a fair amount during the year, if not quite as far as I might like. Personally, I don't want to sell everything / take loans and just go. I like the security my job brings, and I am planning (dreaming) well in advance to take a very leisurely trip in the future; the trick is remaining healthy enough to do so when the time comes!

As with all things in life, we are all unique and make the best decisions for us. What I want probably is the polar opposite of the desires of others, and vice versa.

I've enjoyed reading the above posts, and hope you have a great trip, however it's funded; all the best! :thumbup1:

I should keep my mouth shut, but I've never been very good at that.
My concern would be borrowing a ton of money, then having a wreck or something and being a wage slave the rest of my life. I can see selling everything I own, including the 401K and then Bugger off, but borrowing to do it is like selling your soul.
An old man's perspective

Ted,

Plenty of good comments about whether one should borrow from the future to pay for one's dreams now so not much to add there. Have fun with whatever you finally decide.

Having said that, there is a pretty big gap when you mention what you are planning to do when you come back.

If you are serious about starting a new business, unless you are one in a hundred, most new businesses require start up capital, take a while to be profitable, take even longer to be cash flow positive, and take even longer than that to be profitable enough to match the wages you would earn working in a regular job.

The first stage of your plan doesn't mesh with the next stage I am afraid. If you are serious about it, you will need every bit of capital to start and succeed at your new business. If it isn't required to pay for getting things going, then it will be needed to pay for you living expenses while you wait for things to take off, or it will be needed for the never ending list of things required to grow your business to the next level.

There is an opportunity cost of taking on debt now. You are using it for short term consumption as opposed to investment in a longer term income generating asset down the road. Certainly not the end of the world to do so, but be very aware of the pros and cons and include those in your calculation.

Ride safe.

My two cents...
 

TT, i am 52 years old and have plenty of regrets and plenty of satisfaction with my decisions over the years. Few regrets for what I did do, more for what I didn't. One thing I've learned over the years is that we all know what we want to do, the ones in therapy are trying to get someone else to tell them they should do it. You already know what you want/need to do. Best of luck! I wishing was 34 and footloose. I know where I'd be...

Seize the day
 

I am with the go now, don't sell hour soul to the bank crowd. I was 28, came into some money. I was advised to put a down on a place and be sensible. I looked into the crystal ball, saw marriage, kids, house or I could go on a trip on a bike. Bought the bike, when the money ran out worked in Lima teaching English. When I was ready to leave I sold the bike, hitchhiked around the US. If I had not gone then, I would never gone ever. If you don't go now, you may not be able to go later. If you Mom needs you, you can always go home. Eric

This is the only reason I haven't got the loan already.. I don't want to be broke and in debt whilst trying to start fresh after a trip....

Hard to weigh up the now and the later isn't it... !!

I started my own company after I had been on the road for 12 months. I even had a small loan (for my apartment).
Luckily I didn't need a lot of money to start the company but it was still hard. It was impossible to get credit/loan for the company when I started because I couldn't document an income. Cashflow the first months was a problem and I had a dip after a year.
This is more then 10 years ago, and the company is still running strong!

The good thing about my new business idea is that I already have most of the tools and equipment to do so.

I've been buying them over the last two years and they've cost me about £7000. Mig/Tig welders, cutting equipment, tools, etc etc. The list goes on... I still need a lot of practice and experience with them... I'm really struggling to find the time to get stuck into some proper projects after doing a 50 hour week at work and then having a load of gardening, DIY and my own bike restorations at the weekend. I can't seem to get a break.

It's the reason why I don't have a lump sum to go travelling now. I thought I could do a mundane 9-6 for two years to pay for the equipment and a good trip afterwards.. But barely a year in, I'm going a bit nuts !!

That's good, then you need a workshop, "products", and paying clients.

I have no idea how this works in England, but isn't it far cheaper to let your company buy this stuff?
If I buy something (new) for my company I pay less then 40% compared to if I buy it private. (I don't pay VAT and I don't have to pay taxes on the money I invest in the company). If I buy something used it's still 40% cheaper.
Maybe it's possible to get at least some of the VAT/tax-money back?

Maybe all the contributers to this thread should get together and set up a therapy group because bit by bit we seem to be teasing out what's actually going on in your life. Just lie back on the couch Ted, relax, and tell us about your childhood ...

Some of what you've been saying does strike a chord with me as I had similar issues at a similar age. Different circumstances but similar choices to be made. I'd just split up with my wife, I was working in a downmarket job with only dead mens shoes promotion in front of me and a feeling that time was moving on. I had a ten year plan from my early 20's and I'd achieved none of the items on the list. Looking back it was the second worst time of my life. I seriously considered an extended trip, just to give me some time to think and just shake everything up. I got to the point of doing a lot of the prep work.

It wasn't one big thing that stopped me, rather lots of little things. One of them was that I started a business - a part time paying hobby to begin with which gradually took up more and more of my time and supplied more and more of my income. There was never a point at which I made a formal start - went to the bank with a cash flow projection, that kind of thing as I never saw it as a long term career move. I still don't and I've been doing it 30 yrs! It's only now I'm starting to feel the same kind of unease with it that I felt with the old job back then.

I get the impression that at the root of your "distress" are a number of things -

1. A feeling that you're worth more (and I don't mean money) and should be doing better than the current job.
2. That you've served life's apprenticeship and if you're going to do something significant now is the age to do it.
3. There's not much else going on in other areas to distract you from, or compensate for, the situation you're in.
4. You have some ideas on how to improve things but so far all you've done is spend money on your business idea but it's not brought much, or any, in.
5. (This is the pop psychology bit) A long trip would be like taking time out from it all. Maybe things would happen en route or I'd come back with a different mindset.Perhaps I could even wipe the slate clean and start again.

Going on the trip would be like taking control of your life again. You'd be in charge of your own destiny and making your own decisions. What worried me (and one of the factors that stopped me going) was that the problems you'd (I'd) face on the trip were different. They were essentially linear problems, with linear solutions - turn left or right?, do I have the correct paperwork for this border?, pizza or pasta tonight? The issues I wanted to resolve though were multifactorial and complex and subject to all sorts of internal pressures that I knew the bike trip wouldn't fix - the sort of baggage you take with you rather than leave behind at Dover. You're obviously different so your solution will be different but if you do decide to go down the trip route make sure you do it with your eyes open and know what you want from it.

I've often wondered whether all our paths through life are just a continual sequence of cocking things up and trying to find a fix. A fair bit of mine has been like that anyway.

Well, I was born at a very young age............................................... .................................................. ..........


:smartass:





What I need to do is stop whining and do something about it. That something is going to have to be DRASTIC though. Bridges will be burned, tears will be shed and things are going to get scary. Like I said earlier in a post, I've lost my momentum with hanging around and making very little progress in life...

http://thereviewsarein.files.wordpre...ng?w=604&h=444

We are masters of our own destiny. It's all too easy to sit back and blame A, B and C... Not enough cash, not enough this, not enough that.

I might just have to roll the dice of fate...

phew that was intense !
 

Just sat and read the whole lot phew pretty deep stuff Ted!

As I am slightly older and more experienced in "life years" I feel able to comment............having done some of what you mention.
My thoughts have been pretty much expressed by others already but here it is anyway.

If you REALLY ARE serious about starting a business do that first. !!!
You must get things in the right order and get that business up and running ! It's very very important !!!

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..
Any way enjoy your trip dood ! :thumbup1: :mchappy: :Beach: :clap:

Well, I'm always glad when you start a thread as we're pretty much the same when I read your thoughts. I'm 32, bored as hell at work, started my own thing 10 years ago as a sidekick and made some money out of it. So working a full time job and combined this with a side income has been good for us the last two years.

We've been on a few multiple month trips, but it still eats me away. I come back to work just to find nothing has changed except the cleaning lady cleaned my desk... And the same boring job is waiting for me with the same people that I dislike and have no respect whatsoever that I want to see the world. Because in their time "it was not done". Aaaaaaargh!

So we are also in the same situation, except that I don't need to borrow money. We've sold everything, including the bike (:confused1:) and we'll go for another round of traveling from June on (incl the HUBB) but in a 4WD this time.
Why? Because first of all we can sleep inside the car, it has some advantages over the bike and we haven't done it before in a car. Always the bikes! Second and more important actually is that I 'needed' this kind of car for our future plans and business.

After the trip, we will emigrate to Tenerife and start our own business there. Is this a financial sensible thing to do? Hell no. But this is what we want, this has grown out of traveling the world that we can do with less money and stuff if we're happy every day with our life. We're not happy every day in Belgium in our pointless, boring and frustrating jobs. At least (and this sounds maybe strange) you have work. I come everyday to my work only to find myself sitting at my desk with my laptop doing nothing just waiting that I can go home. Believe me, I've never been more unhappy and frustrated in my life than right now. And you know what? I get paid a lot more than I used to before, when I actually had to work. The world is a strange place...

I consider myself lucky compared to you; as I found the joy of traveling after I started making some money and being able to save up. I've never traveled like most just after school/uni. Went straight to work but after a few years we decided to get married, she wanted a beach, I wanted to visit Australia so we went for 10 weeks, got married on Fraser Island and the addiction began... Damn Ozzies! :thumbup1:

We never ever borrowed money for traveling, and I remember the discussions I had with my wife on one of your previous threads about more or less the same. We would never do it, as we both prefer to burn the money we have than to return with debt. But it's just a point of view and no advice whatsoever, who am I to give advice...

I have read, re-read and digested all of the fantastic advice and experiences from this thread...

I have decided that borrowing money is merely painting over the cracks of life instead if fixing the foundations. Debt is a shackle. It limits freedom of movement and that's exactly what I don't want.

I think borrowing money puts you outside of reality.. It makes you believe you can afford things that you can not.

I shall travel within my means.

Adapt, innovate and improvise....

Thanks all :)

Ted

And with your experience and means, you can make it to Magadan on your 5k budget. We spend 6000€ for two people and two bikes to go from BE to UK and then to Mongolia and Central Asia on 4 months. So you should be fine to do it on let's say 6 months and 5000GBP alone.

And wise decision, honestly.
Spending money you don't have makes you poorer, not richer...

Wow there's a thing! I would have bet ............well.......... bet 10K you would have taken the money and gone.

For what its worth there is no " right decision" but I reckon you made the best decision. And don't forget as well as "within my means travel" you have the excitement of starting a new venture, that might truly be life changing anyway.........

Although I don't really agree with the approach, could try crowd-funding to make up some of the funds....

There's an RTW Ive been following atm which has done that

I am all in favour of Crowd Funding to support disaster relief, charity and good causes etc.

But to ask for donations to pay for my jolly's around the world, in my eyes, is more like begging !

Half the joy of travelling is knowing that you earned it. :thumbup1:

Of course it's up to you but for thought provocation. It's impossible to calculate an interest rate or consider value until you know for certain the date you will begin earning money to pay the loan payments. Because in the interm you are paying your payments with borrowed money so that would be added to your cost of borrowing. Do a rough calculation and I'll bet it'll make your hair stand in end the true cost of that loan in the end.
Cheers!

Noooooooooooooooo
 

Dude I have seen the state of you when you have been back a couple of weeks from your previous trips. Depressed as hell that you are no longer somewhere nicer than the UK and suicidal when the bills start coming in. You will want to go somewhere else not long after you have come back and the wait of five years to pay off your existing debts before you can set off again will have you in a looney bin with rubber walls and a straight jacket.

It's bad enough coming back to nothing, it must be even worse knowing you will be paying for your last jolly for the next five years. I know there will be some who will say do it now don't wait because you could get run over by a bus just waiting around. Every time I have EVER got into debt the feckin bus was late and the bills still came through the door! The fact you are still walking around and have not had to be scraped off the tire treads of the No 42 New Brighton to Liverpool bus is testament to that logic.

That's just my opinion of course but you did ask for thoughts, in the meantime go and chop some trees down you will feel better:rofl:

I'm gobsmacked that any private individual would give money to someone else so they can go off on holiday on a motorcycle. I also feel that if I were to ask strangers to finance my m/c holiday, they'd just laugh at me and if I ask friends, I very quickly wouldn't have many left.

Not long to go now till the start of the charity season and then you'll see lots of people being "sponsored" to do stuff they'd self finance otherwise. There are times in the summer when you have to queue up at the start line to do a charity LEJOG event.

I'm sure Ted's a resourceful kind of bloke and if he could come up with a good angle, one where people would feel they were getting something for their (say) £5 investment the money would flood in. All he'd have to do is stay one step ahead of the police. :rofl:

I might end up selling myself to a rich old man as a chaperone BMW tech.. I'll cry myself to sleep as I wash his riding socks by moonlight..

Really not a half bad idea there Ted. You'd be amazed at the kind of absurd money some American BMW riders here have. Off the frickin' scale. I'm sure some would be happy to hire a ride along mechanic, expert guide, linguist, Valet, Documentarian and boot polisher. :smartass:

There are guys here that make Ewan and Charlie look like paupers. Seriously.
And a lot are YOUNG guys, mostly Dot.Com Zillionares. And they'll pay good money for those with the right skills. And again ... we can thank Ewan and Charlie for bringing this Super elite group into our small ADV Travel world ... which now seems to have been co-opted into Pop Culture. doh

Maybe an idea... Being someone's butler doesn't really appeal though. I'd end up burying them in the desert.

And you'd never know where the line is... Before you know it he's demanding that I wear latex gloves and a gimp mask and do things with WD40 that shouldn't be mentioned on a Motorcycle travel forum... :eek3:


:innocent:

It's been proven that many forum readers (myself included) have given support to those on the road. ADV Rider is full of such stories. Some sell books, DVD's or T-Shirts, some put your name on their tank, some give you a hearty handshake! :D A few get into trouble and use the forums to solicit "emergency" funds. Some of these pleas have backfired when discovered to be less than truthful. ?c?

Successful rider/travelers have a few qualities that seem to endear them to readers and inspire others to SEND MONEY:
1. Most are good writers and Photogs, post great stories on Forums and stay active with followers. They all seem to have good salesmanship skills as well. :cool4:
2. Some offer something in return, others are sponsored by charities and offer goods for money. Some give only a hearty hand-shake and show up at a rally that you have to PAY to enter and hear their presentation and buy their do dads. Like it or not, that's our reality at present. Support it, or not. :innocent:

You could argue that reading forums about MC travel beats watching TV or going shopping. (reference Simon Gandolphi!) And why not support someone you feel connected to ... if you can afford a few bucks? Am I a sucker for doing so?

I've given money to several riders on the road. One is Jammin' Jay, who spent 3 years going RTW on his Suzuki DR650. I bought a T-Shirt. Jay has now parleyed his celebrity into running a tour company:
Jammin Global Adventure Travel (this was my idea, submitted 2 years ago!)

Many have done the same, long list including Charlie Boorman, Tiffany Coates, Nick Sanders and more! Others do the rally circuit peddling bits & bobs and doing slide shows and talks.

You can read Jay's Ride Report on ADV Rider:
Jammin thru the Global South - ADVrider

:oops2: the voice of experience......and you know this how? Do tell!!
Err.... no, maybe best to claim the 5th!

Marketing
 

Just throwing this in the ring... My daughters each have small online businesses and are looking at ways to market...they are studying this guys methods:
Funnel Experts

If your thinking of marketing yourself or creating a product, some of the points this guy makes my be helpfull.

It may seem way out there, but something in it may just help with the process of getting $$$ :thumbup1:

Agreed....what I dislike more about this particular individual is that it is all being done under the concept that funds are being raised by the ride for charities :/

Makes me feel like Im saving my ass off to do my RTW while some people can just do this

Sometimes it's better not to ask ;)

Hahaha

Blimey
i dealt with few jobs like that...................still they did it for nothing , so getting paid doesnt seem so bad an idea :D Ted will always be ok for cash as he is now an unofficial Harley Pin Up in certain bars located in Brighton and San Francisco :thumbup1:

Overland travel is all about improvising....

I wonder if Touratech sell an Overlanders 'Drag-queen pole dancing make up set'

And if they don't... Why not !!

Kin ell Ted - thats a step too far :eek3: Backless chaps and a harley mate thats all a drag queen about town needs

personally i wouldnt take the loan . With the skills you appear to have i would imagine you could find cash in hand work pretty much anywhere - its amazing how job opportunities come your way when your arent looking for them .
I tend to be pragmatic in the job i do given that i see so many people pass away at very young ages , whilst the ones that take drugs and drink like fish last till they are 70+ .
I would just go and get it out of your system - sell the hi fi / tv / clothing etc to make up the shortfall . If it all goes wrong you can come back and do some spannering as thats a skill that is always needed ( wish i had it ) .
And without wanting to sound like a heartless txxt dont worry about your mum - if you asked her what she thought my guess is she d tell you to do it and not worry about her , doesnt help you feeling like you are letting her down but she wont thank you otherwise - trust me have seen it alot , no offence intended .
Failing all above its chaps time :funmeteryes:

Ted- you're bad!
I'll never be able to look at another can of WD40 now...:eek3: It's a good job I mostly use ACF50 though!
....and now you'll no doubt tell me that's reserved for customers paying for 'extra's...doh
I am sooooo not coming to ****** bmw!

p.s. solution to your troubles
It's called knuckle down for 30 years and save hard- then quit and travel.
Borrowing money is like having a mistress- exciting to have instantly but you'll (really) end up paying for it forever! + a few years!

Ain't that the truth.....

ACF50....Good choice. That stuff stays oily and greasy for months. Our workshop floor is a testament to that. It's an ice rink :thumbdown:

Work 30 years... ARE YOU MAD !!!! I was planning on retiring at 40... :smartass:

Bimey, this one must have taken some finding in the archives :rofl:

However, as its been brought up again, I both agree and disagree depending on who I'm answering. I don't think it's stupid to borrow money to travel - depending on your circumstances. People borrow money for all sorts of reasons - houses, cars / bikes, furniture, education, weddings, holidays and many more. Why should travel be worse than any of those. Yes of course it's not the best of ideas to borrow a huge amount, blow half of it on women + booze and waste the rest but many people can find the gap between their income and liabilities. If you have a travel plan that you can finance by short term borrowing and can convince the lender they'll be able to get their money back then go for it - in my humble opinion of course. All that assumes you're not able to earn while you travel - renting out houses, working, or even selling your soul on line, etc

People do get incensed by the thought of other people's irresponsible travel. You might remember some years back when a group of university students got some faculty money for their final year project and shortly afterwards posted up pictures of them blowing it all on a beach in (I think) Spain. The university (and the press) were outraged and threatened to withhold their degrees until they explained the pictures were fake and their real purpose was to investigate the response. So, travelling on your gran's pension money might not be looked upon favourably if she has to starve as a consequence but other than that don't wait until you retire. If nothing else you'll then be spending all your budget on insurance.

This is not Toby, Ta-rider, back under a new identity to enlighten us with his wisdom is it?

As a general rule I wouldn't borrow money for a trip but I do find that I often underestimate costs and end up dipping into my line of credit as a result. So I do inadvertently borrow after the trip has started at times. I never regret it.

Whether it's a good idea or not is very dependent on the individual and her personal situation. A once in a lifetime opportunity comes up and a secure, high paying job is lined up upon return? and you have plenty of working years left? You also know that your working life will not allow extended travel for many years to come afterwards? Probably a debt worth taking on for some. Many people are paying monthly for consumer goods they don't really need, so why not pay for a trip of a lifetime instead of accumulating soon to be obsolete consumer junk?

You're in your early 60's, lost your job, have no cash, mortgage not paid off? have limited employment prospects upon return? Probably a bad idea.

I dont read the whole old thread to be honest, but want to give some thoughts...

I did save money for extended travelling, was near 40 as I was able to start.

It has some (sometimes hidden) opportunity costs doing it that way:
- familly planning (most of us have kids at this age, if they want)
- career (important age for stepping up)
- Important age for paying into the local pension system)
- you earn a lot at this age (what you not earn during travelling)
- to leave what you "have achieved - hurt more
- you spend more during your trip, because you can (kayaking, diving and so on)

Some of this has no value you can calculate into money, some has!

Not to earn money for a year cost you more at a age of 40, than with 20.

Get money from family to start such a trip in younger age - seens in my eyes like a way who can cost less at the end.

That is no advise to do it this way - at youger age my trips would may have look very differtent - probably more partying related than really exploring too myself in very remote areas. But looking more differently to all aspects - can`t hurt. At 2014 I did also wrote here in that thread - nice to compare.

If I will have kids (very lately like mentioned ^^) , I will spent them some cash for travelling at young age...

Surfy

Blast from the past :rofl:

My 2c worth. Borrowing money to travel is the same as borrowing money for just about anything else. You should always assume it'll have to be paid back and know exactly how you're going to do it. Never, ever borrow thinking "I'll sort it out later" because it will come back to bite you, with interest.

As such you could certainly argue that borrowing to travel now and paying back over [x] years isn't that different from saving up for [x] years before travelling later.

In my case I'm coming to it late, in my 60s, because I spent years doing the family, career and home thing. On the minus side I have missed a lot of opportunities that will probably never come again, but on the plus side I know I have a home and family to come back to :)

Weird that this thread is revived after 6 years....

Borrowing money and paying someone interest is bad enough for something that you need: a mortgage for your home, a vehicle for tranportation, etc. It strikes me as somewhat foolhardy to borrow money for something as non-essential as travel.

But hey, it's your money. Do what you like with it.

This thread was "revived" by a spammer whose post is now gone. When you see a short, marginally-relevant post by a brand new member (one post, perhaps 2 at the most) on an old, inactive thread, it's often a spammer testing the waters. Sometimes there is a more or less hidden link in the post, which sometimes takes the form of a query: "Has anyone tried Xyz Imports for replacement parts? I hear they're great!"

It's hard to be certain with the clever ones, therefore a good thing most are not very creative. A good general policy: don't put a massive amount of effort into answering these posts, at least until their authors show signs of being real people with an actual interest in the topic at hand. And if you spot those commercial links--obvious or subtle--please feel absolutely free to report them.

Mark

In case anyone was wondering, I didn't take the loan.

So I didn't do the trip.

And now six years later, I totally regret it.

Now I can comfortably afford the trip.. But I now have a career, workshops and responsibilities. I have the means but not the time nor the freedom.

It's funny what can happen in six years.

In hindsight, I could have afforded the loan payment. It would have been annoying, but I'd have paid it. I've probably spend the same money on utter crap to fill the boredom since.

It's a great reminder to seize the moment.

Who knows when I'll next have the opportunity to take a year out of my life. The good lady in my life wants a house and baby Teds.


Crikey..doh

Welcome to the club.

There is good news. You'll enjoy some of the other stuff. The short trips you can still take are fun. It doesn't mean never.

My other stuff is now reaching a point I may get out of the UK on a bike. First time in eight years. It is true the next time I might conceivably get months rather than weeks is going to be in the 2030's, but that's just a wait and see.

Do try to avoid buying **** though.

Andy

Thanks for your open words!

As you could see, my answer today is too different to my answer at 2014 did also change over the years and growing experience.

These opportunity costs are getting bigger with age...

But i suggest not to regret. Not to spend money for crap. Save it!

Founding a family is a own advenure...

What is about travelling in some years togehter with family and a Van/4x4?

Also the little teds will grow up and leave your house, opens another window for travelling.

Shorter Adventures are always an option between :mchappy:

To find the right girl for a live - and to come together - live together - congrats!

Surfy

That's what's happened to me. Both my (now grown up) kids have become big travellers. Not necessarily on bikes but by a mix of methods - trains, planes and automobiles etc. One of them now lives abroad and is collecting passports like store loyalty cards.

Depends on the paper round I guess ;)

Funny how plans change... I had always planned to retire at 55, but it looks more and more like I'm going to push that back to 58 or 60. Costs are going up, and my plans to retire overseas are pretty much out the window with COVID...

Quote *Touring Ted*
Work 30 years... ARE YOU MAD !!!! I was planning on retiring at 40...

I retired at 40 (well, 39 actually). Also at 53. Not to mention 45, and even 21. Retiring doesn't mean you'll never work again; it might mean a change of career, a return to schooling, or just a couple of years farting around, with or without world travel included.

I've now been un-retired for almost 10 years, which is a looonnnnng time. Good thing I like my current work, as has been true most of my life. COVID has me restless, however, and it's made me think about my eventual mortality and what I'd like to do between now and then. There may be another "retirement" in store, who knows?

Thinking in terms of rigid, narrow categories--you work, then retire, and that's that--hasn't really served my purposes. Various accidents of birth which I did nothing whatsoever to earn (e.g., white, American, male, boomer) have combined to make that ok.

And that is the truth.

At home, I'm just an average kind of guy living comfortably.

But when I start crossing borders I find that I'm rich- wealthy beyond the dreams of the people I'm meeting. I have powerful motorcycles and can travel anywhere I want, whenever I want, on a whim. I don't worry about working.
The cost of hotels and restaurants does not faze me at all. I can go for months and never worry about money.

It's not really in my emotional make-up to see myself as rich- but I must if I'm to have an honest relationship with other people in the world.

Am I off topic? Forgot what we were talking about...:innocent:

..........shu

I feel for you.

I am one of those who came back from a trip with debt and it took me 2 years to become debt free after the trip.

I have been debt-free for a little while and now I am battling consumerism demons (wanting a new car and a new bike etc..)

So far I am resisting and the money is piling up in the bank account.

By my estimation by the time travel becomes sane again I'll have just enough money set aside for another year off on a bike.

For a lot of us, these long trips take a lot of planning, financial planning yes but equaly important is planning the unplugging from your regular life. Plenty of people have the monetary means to travel long temr but they cannot (or often will not)shut down their life to leave and travel.

If you are still wanting to do a long trip the best time to start planning for it is now.

Every penny spent on that trip was worth it's weight in gold and then some.

I am at that age where the generation above mine is starting to retire, get sick and some are leaving this earth. I am noticing that for a lot of people in their '60s and '70s money is not a problem but they dont have the health or the will to do anyhting interesting with the funds they have.

Do I dream of being 65, retired and buying a brand new 60k fancy pick up truck so I can look at it from kitchen window? Not me.

O.M.G :rofl:
(private joke- Ted knows!)

I missed that part :blushing: