How do you do it
 

How do you jack it all in and travel?
Where does the cash come from, how do you live without an income,? how is it feasable?
What do you have to do in advance before feking off on the TRIP??

Can you be too old too old do it at 44,? How do you explain to them all that your off??

How do I live on the road??

This is a very good question that comes up every now and then. If you do a search you'll find previous discussion. It breaks down into four areas:

1) Retirement: The rider is retired and is living off of investments, a pension, etc. and no longer needs to work to finance their costs. I read one estimate on ADVrider that this probably accounts for 80% of the trip reports on that site.

2) Between jobs: Sometimes the rider has been laid off with a severance package, or has simply quit their job and is not eager to return to work.

3) Save, save, save: The rider scrimps and saves for a long time (years) while planning ahead for the trip.

4) Good fortune: There is also the occasional journeyer who has won a lottery, a legal settlement, had a huge payoff from an investment, etc.

Not very encouraging I know. Most of us are not going to meet (1) or (4) any time soon. With today's economy the thought of deliberately quitting a job (2) without a new one to go to right away doesn't seem very smart. Family obligations, mortgage payments, etc. it can be very difficult to meet (3). Hell, a couple of weeks ago I was thinking I had $1000 to spare for a short motorcycle trip next month... and then my car broke down, costing me about $950.

Yeah, I don't know what to say. Keep saving, keep putting money towards retirement, and keep buying lottery tickets.
:confused1:

The issue has been extensively discussed on this thread: How does one afford this lifestyle?

I guess it's all down to a case of prioritising what you want out of life ..

.. :confused1:

.

How?
 

Scrimp, scrimp sacrifice. When you run out of money come back and scrimp again . I intend to set off soon to Africa, leaving behind my temp' min wage job and a rented room in a shared house.
At 47 I have no future in this country anyway (u.k) and when , if, I come back I will be homeless and unemployed, again. But I think to live in such an intense fashion, even for a relatively short time is probably worth it. Oh yeah, no one will understand and everyone will think you are crazy. 44 too old? I think not.

If it is not too personal a question, how much money are you taking with you?

@tenere99 exactly...
I´m 33 years old,and i´ve got my working visa for canada,so i leave germany behind me again...to try it far away from home.
I need some help with the shipping of my bike because i think 2000US from one company, or 1395 Brit Pound from another are verry deer...
Always good travel greety andy

?
 

I,m afraid that is too personal a question.

Sorry - did not mean to pry; just interested in how much money people hit the road with.

Andy - be aware that you cannot import your European bike into Canada unless it is more than 15 or 20 years old. You can keep it there for one year only after which time you need to remove it. If you are planning to be there for more than one year, suggest sell the bike in Germany and buy another in USA and import into Canada.

Paranoia
 

No need to apologise chief just my paranoia. The correct answer is not enough I guess.:thumbup1:
As a final thought you need to think about your perceptions changing to the point of never fitting in when (if) you come back. In 2010 I was nearly killed in the Chilean earthquake. Then you get back and people tell you about their latest 'phone upgrade and how drunk they were last weekend, and how many numbers they got on the lottery, and what's happening on Big brother.
I am in no way trying to be elitist and I do not regard myself in any way special but there is more to life than that shit! Surely?

I hear ya brother. I've nearly been killed a couple of times, once pretty close and pretty violently and it sure does change you; I actually like to think it made me a better person, but on the flip side I also don't have a lot of time for the usual suspects and all their sh1t.

Ride on.

Exactly!! And you don't have to be caught in an earthquake for that to happen. Life is never the same after an extended visit outside the western world.
A plus side, I no longer care about 'convention' nor what 'others' think of what I do or say, and that itself can be a journey into the unknown.
It leads you to somewhere new but I don't know where yet.

They say before you leave you should look at your luggage and take only half of it, look at your cash and take twice the amount.
But I now say - look at how far you plan to travel per week/month, take a BIG knife to it and divide it by four.

And be prepared to find your outlook on life when you return is completely different to all those around you.

In our case, save for four years - sell the car and scrimp on every thing. While away try and stick to a daily budget and keep an eye on all spending.
Have all your affairs registered at an address of a good friend, banking,passport,bike doc's etc. Inform the Inland revenue and sorn the bike.
At 44 you are not old even at 65 if you have the will to do it and the health to match you are not to old. Years ago when I was 30 and back packing in Cambodia a 20 year old dread locked kid told me I was to old to be packing - the fact that I could fold him in half and post him home to his mum didn't occur to him. If you have the will to leave home and the funds to stay at it then get on with it, if you don't you could miss the chance.

Paul

I was asking the exact same question about a year ago. And now I'm living in a truck parked up in Morocco and shipping to south america in July.

I'm also 44, and I quit my job. I'm not going into personal finance but some stuff is easy to work out. There has been quite a few threads on it, but the way I figured it, was a budget of just under $100 per day covers everything. Some days we spend less than $10, but then we have to allow for heavy stuff like shipping, insurance etc. Then take a look at what you can put together and are willing to put into a trip, and that will decide how long you can go for.

The more shipping, or big mileage days adds up the cost - diesel is out largest bill. For a bike, it's different, but then we dont have any hotel bills. We've spent exactly 1 night in a hotel since we set off last year, and that was just so we could stay there with friends.

We cook all the time, buy local, only have a drink once a week or so. We eat out maybe once per week. Sounds awful, but actually it's nice!

I was in a job where I could take a nice holiday every year, and could pay into my mortgage as fast as I could. As soon as the house was paid for, life changed a lot as there were no more nooses around my neck. I was never a rich guy, but always careful with money.

now, I have the house rented out and 90% of the rental income comes into my bank account, and that goes a long way to keeping us going.

Hope this helps someone else to make the jump, we're not sorry!

Merv.

Yup, that'd be difficult for some folks :rolleyes2:

Balance and compromise.

Apply these terms to be able to stay more or less within the boundaries of this society, but living your life the way you like it (applicable to traveling, riding or chasing butterflies in Guyana).

Some places, such as India or Vietnam, are much cheaper than other areas. You can rent a small 125-150cc bike in Asia for maybe $15/day. On the other hand, you could easily spend $15 for lunch in a Western country.

If you look at some of the other threads, the daily cost estimates for lengthy RTW tours ranged from $50 US to $100 US per day. That doesn't include the cost of air transport or shipping motorcycles. At the $50 end riders were tenting it every day, doing most of their own cooking, having to make hard choices as to paying park entry fees, extra-curricular activities, etc. The folks spending $100/day, on the other hand, were staying in cheap hotels, eating local food, and able to afford extra fun activities.

The longest trip I have ever done was a month touring in Australia. My costs were about $100/day to rent a motorcycle plus fuel/oil, another $1500 for a round-trip plane ticket, and then maybe $50/day for food, camping, etc. I camped out most days but was reasonably comfortable, and had money to enter parks and take tours.

I guess just make an estimate of what you think you will spend, and start saving... :|

It depends on how much you want to do it ....

You can have a new car and a conservatory :cool4: or spend the same amount on a year and half tour around the world :scooter:

Dazzer

How do you do it
 

Well 44 is a youngster

I am 63 and just about to leave for a four month solo Morocco, turkey trip. Last year did 21000 km through Europe, followed by a 2000km mountain bike ride in Laos , Vietnam and Cambodia.

I am no superman - far from it - but I just take it easy, have rest days , sniff the roses and try and eat well and enjoy a beer. I schedule an hour a day for myself when I walk, ride my bike or go for a swim.

I spent 40 years in the corporate world and this is now my time. My wife fully endorses my travels and joins me at different locations. We are not wealthy but we have established our priorities and leaving money to highly educated and comfortable family is not a prime motivator.

As an aside I am a volunteer fireman/paramedic in my community. In the last week I have attended two fatal heart attacks - both younger than me and that provides all the motivation I need to get out and do it. Rather kark it in the saddle than on the Lazyboy

Moral: You are never too old - but also you don't know what is on the slate for you

We decided to take a break in our careers, go traveling and come back and start afresh. As many as said, enjoying one's life is more impt. than sticking in a job that you dislike and aiming to go when you retire. On average, we found it cheaper to live on the road than it was living at home - we lived in Vancouver, not the cheapest city to live in. Again it comes down to priorities, save, save, save and take some time off. Your career will always be there or you will find a new passion when you return. :scooter:

Actually it's quite simple: you save up and leave your job. :thumbup1:

Everything else is just details. If you're not prepared to make this commitment, don't go.

Matt

PS - You don't even have to save up. I paid for half my big trip in 2006 on a credit card and worked it off when I got home. Just make sure you get a good deal on interest rates! ;)

I have come to the maybe cynical realisation that there really isn't anything worth seriously working towards, career and job wise in the U.K now. Everything seems to be very fragile and shallow. It's impossible for me to buy property or start a business in my position.

So I just work whatever job I can find for 1-2 years then leave and travel again for as long as possible. Pretty much, until my savings run out and I only have enough left to fly home.

I'm lucky as I have family spare room to live in while home and a large workshop/garage built onto the side of the house. My living costs at home are very low indeed.

I see many people slave and work themselves to death for years and years in a soulless job with absolutely nothing to show for it apart from spiralling debts and increasing living costs.

Make the world your home.... Your neighbours will definitely be friendlier bier

I think you are actually luckier than many, since you can live reasonably in peacewith your family and they still accept your commitment to travelling.

In some cases, you would say "no way" to live with them or they would say "go way" to live that way with them, so that's a positive thing, more than many others.

Sound reasoning indeed, though sad, that a motivated and intelligent chap such as yourself feels there is no future in the UK. With your background, Ted, could you not start a motorcycle dealership for a niche market, scooters and other fuel efficient bikes, perhaps?

That's still a potential plan..

But around me, all the bike shops are closing... Not opening. The motorcycle industry is struggling right now...


My biggest hurdle will be financing and commiting to such a venture. I'd really just find myself off on holiday instead of working for myself. Id be the nightmare employee doh

It's no good thing to be living 'at home' in your 30's.... trust me !! I'm just also lucky that my misses has her own place too so I'm not quite living as a teenager lol.

It's a mutual relationship though. I do all the maintenance, gardening and most the chores (which is a lot) for part of my 'keep'...

At my family home that is :cool4:

The 2 off us both work, one persons salary covers all our out goings while in the UK (morgage, food, bills etc) and the other persons salary is saved.
After 2 years of that there is always a friend who need a house to rent for a year and disco we're off on our travels.
Simple as really, the only things we buy during the saving period is gear we worn out/broken on the last trip and full rebuild of the bikes which I do myself.

Cheers
Pete