Tips 0121-0140
Tip 0121 How can I stop working
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Yes, how can you? It's all about living your lifestyle. At the moment you probably work "say" 9 to 5 and need the cash flow to support your lifestyle of a home (accommodation), food and acquiring possessions.
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We are a race of squirrels. We need a roof over our heads and then we fill it up with "Stuff."
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You can either own your own home or rent, it's all the same, just bricks and mortar and somewhere to live.
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We actually don't really own anything, we are all just temporary custodians of what we have at this present time. When you realise this you can then begin to evaluate worth as either being possessions and wealth, against experiences and a very short life span. Only then you can start to break down the evolutionary life style we have made for ourselves and work to change our understandings of what we are all really here for and for sure, we don't believe it's work till you drop.
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Of course when we travel we need accommodation, sustenance and experiences and in actual fact they are closely related but with a main difference of costs. We all look at travel as a very costly item on our bucket list. Usually when you go on vacation, apart from the cost of the trip which could be many thousands, you still have to pay for mortgage/rent back home and all the bills associated with, including the up keep and even the extra insurances for cars etc, the list can be mind boggling.
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Think about what all the money you earn is going on.
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Basically apart from the work aspect of it all and this is a big one because this is how we afford to live/exist, there actually is no reason why we can't all just travel and experience the world in all its glory.
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So our main tip here is, we all tie ourselves to our home and present location. Whether you have a home or not, there is nothing stopping you being mobile....... either by working as you travel and/or using your own home as a vehicle to supplement your travels.
Tip 0122 Break the cycle
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We seriously are all working too much and it is not hard to break the cycle.
Just sit down and give it some thought as to what you want from your life. It is not rocket science, if you are really wanting a different way of life, there is really not much difference between changing your life forever as to changing jobs for another career.
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Our life quite simply evolves without much direction and not many of us out there are where we are today because we've planned it and because we gravitate to current societies structure, we inevitably find ourselves in this working life cycle.
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Top tip here, it is relatively easy to break the cycle if we have time to sit down and assess our individual situation. By this we don't mean procrastinate even more but seriously believe it is possible to do anything you really want and that there is always a way if you really want it.
Tip 0123 When is enough enough?
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How much would each of you really like? Yes of course we would all like to win the lottery but the probabilities as we all know aren't great. So when is enough really enough?
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Again this is all relative but do we plan to save until we can travel in style, 5 star all the way or be a little more realistic and just travel like in normal life and enjoy what the world has to offer in a practical way.
The truth is there is never enough. Whatever we get we are never satisfied and the more we get the more we want and there continues the cycle. Sadly this is the main reason why most of the population never get around to doing what they want, they mostly work to try and get somewhere they never reach.
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When I retired way back when, I remember lots of friends asking me, how do I know now is the time to pack it all in? To be honest I never really had an answer to give out but I knew life is not all about working and certainly retiring when I will be too old to enjoy down time was not an option at the time. I since however can hand on heart say I have at least the answer for me.
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My tip here is Life is so really short, try not to wait too long before you reach a few goals at least.
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Obviously the older you get, you become more aware of the people around you and the hardships, trials and tribulations that are common place for most people and this can happen at any age. Having worked a fair amount of time in hospitals and in particular children's hospitals and Paediatric wards, it wasn't too hard to see that life can be cruel and all too short.
Tip 0124 Midlife crisis or realisation
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Is a transition of identity a midlife crisis or the sudden realisation that we are missing something in life that we haven't had or done yet?
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Let's face it, travelling the world isn't something that everyone does, or in fact that everyone wants to do and can be likened to a midlife crisis but why should you feel guilty about doing it or even feel that this can only be done or should be saved for retirement only.
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Is life all about work, work, work?
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Top tip here is don't let anyone tell you that changing your lifestyle when you realise it is time for change, is a midlife crisis. 99% of the time it will be out of jealousy, envy or just because they haven't the gumption to go do what you are and yes, we will say "brave" enough to go do. They will not have your best interests in mind.
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Brave! Yes it is brave to completely change your life, break from the norm or give up possibly a certain level of lifestyle, even if only for a short time. It's that old step out of the box syndrome which may be why you are ready to do exactly that from your very first travel adventure. So many people won't take that first step.
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Last tip in this section is quite simply "Getoutgotravel!"
Tip 0125 Budget
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Working out a budget is very difficult when you have no experience. It's a bit like preparing a business plan or cash flow forecast for your first bank loan. Firstly we recommend small steps which we cover later in this section.
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Top tip, the more you travel the more you can begin to see exactly how much or how little travelling can be and you need obviously to take everything into account, from travelling, accommodation, travel insurances, sustenance like food and drink. In fact every little detail needs to be considered down to your communication and power or fuel, dependant on how you intend travelling.
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You will most probably budget for a 3 month to a year scenario and then fine tune down to a cost per day, where you can see the practicalities and longevity of travelling for your comfort and tastes.
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There are plenty of people already doing the life of "Getoutgotravel" who are more than happy to share their information on what they've achieved and for how much.
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Another top tip, look at low cost countries to travel where the living and travelling costs can be as much as 80% less than where you live at the moment.
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We are also hoping that our forum will be a "go to place" for useful information on these subjects. So please feel free to contribute.
Tip 0126 Dip your toe in the water first
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Top tip here and this is closely related to the last tip. Take small steps.
Travelling for long periods of time or indefinitely is completely different to an annual vacation or even many small trips per year.
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There are lots of things to consider, like if you become unwell, occasions back home like birthdays, weddings or births and deaths. The longer you travel the more likely that things can happen and by this we do not necessarily mean go wrong.
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To get you used to travelling farther and longer, try the following first off.
Try planning medium travel itineraries to coincide with happenings local to you.
Go on long travel itineraries closer to home, in case something happens and you need to return.
Tip 0127 Evolve into it
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Once you have a few long travel adventures under your belt you will start to understand some of the issues you will be coming up against and be better prepared or it will feel less daunting when something happens out of your control.
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You are more likely to enjoy and stay travelling if you have evolved into it instead of forcing the issue.
Tip 0128 Too much of a good thing
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Like anything, too much of a good thing can become boring and tedious.
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Remember to break up your travel, even when travelling on a single adventure. Flying all over the world and staying in hotels, soon becomes very samey indeed and most people soon get home sick and feel this is not what they expected.
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Maybe pick a week of hiking followed by a relaxing cruise the next. Pick a third world country to immerse yourselves in the culture then hit the beaches on a Caribbean Island. Take a kayaking/camping trip followed by a house sit inland. Spend a week or two trekking the jungle and then a private location for pampering.
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Planning and research is always the key and spread everything out to suit. If you have no end date to your travel, try to make purpose of where and what you want to achieve.
Tip 0129 Don't burn your bridges yet.
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Not wanting to put any negatives to travelling, there may be times that you're over it. You may also just come to the realisation that it's not for you, or that you've done your bit and want to get onto the next section of your life and this was never an end plan anyway.
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Top tip here is, unless you've really got the bug and see this as the only life you want,
try not to burn all your bridges of a life in one place as an end plan. By this we basically mean, do not sell up and get rid of everything before you've even set off.
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What seems like a good idea at the time, often isn't a good idea later. You may not like it long term, or you feel you miss home after a certain length of time.
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You might need to sell up or down size to pay for that dream Winnebago with all the accessories you might ever need but we strongly recommend you take a couple of longish travel adventures first.
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From our experience travel is wonderful all the time but even we lose that all adrenaline first few months of high excitement where everything is wonderful, magical and awe-inspiring. Now don't get us wrong, by this we don't mean that every single waterfall, canyon, gorge or ruin we come across isn't any less spectacular, it's just the old, meal out every night syndrome.
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Our tip for longevity of travel is mixing it up whilst travelling. You really do not have to be on the go all the time. You may find a beautiful spot somewhere and decide to stay for 6 months to a year or so. This is the beauty of travelling forever.
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Top tip. There's no rush for anything and this is why we also say "don't plan too far ahead". Imagine an itinerary where you find the perfect place to stay and soak up the atmosphere, culture and views, only to find your itinerary doesn't allow you the time and you have to jump on the next plane out of there!
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Remember what you are travelling for! There are of course varying reasons for travel. Some will be wanting to see new places, experience new cultures where as others will be looking for new adventures or even escaping from their birth place which may not be ideal for them.
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Another good tip to remember always is, there are 196 countries around the world, all with at least a year needed to soak up the culture and explore. It's not rocket science to know that unless you really fall in love with somewhere, the chances are you will not be going back to the same place very often. So make the most of every visit.
Tip 0130 It's cheaper to travel slowly than fast
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Well Tip 0129 brings us nicely to this invaluable tip. The slower you travel the more economical travel becomes.
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We also direct you to Tip 0159 It is often cheaper to live day by day travelling the world than sitting on your sofa all day at home! Tip 0159 Cheaper to travel
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As previously mentioned on this website, a weeks accommodation anywhere is usually more affordable than a nights stop over and this is true in most aspects of travel. Often it is less expensive to travel further than short distance. Apart from this, travelling for long periods gives you more flexibility to plan, research, wait for the next bargain and pick the right times to go on to the next adventure.
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Top tip here. Try not to think with your present set of circumstances. When you are travelling full time or for long periods, you will have an enormous amount of time on your hands. Unless you still need to work as you go, you are in affect retired already! You will have a lot more time on your hands to research and plan and basically do whatever you want.
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Planning and research we say so often on this website is the key to more affordable travel. Try and look at getting from "A to B" as more like getting from "A to Z." The travel and adventure are the in-betweens. If you want to head off to say Florida from say Colombia, where we might add the flights are really expensive, why not plan prior to take a month or so getting there instead of flying direct. This will save you money getting to all the in-between countries at a later date.
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Top tip here, Zig Zag travel is expensive. You will undoubtedly have priorities on your bucket list but if you stick rigidly to your order of bullet points, this will cost you dearly. Plan to link your travel as you go.
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Of course there may be reasons to be in a place at a certain time but this is the same world over. Very rarely do you get occasions, events or natural occurrences happening all at the same time around the world. If you do need to be somewhere for such an occasion, try and work out the cost of going now or waiting until next year.
Tip 0131 Why rent when you can travel
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Okay this one is for the non property owners and is probably a great time for you to getoutgotravel.
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If you are or have ever wanted to getoutgotravelling, then there is no better time for you. You have one big advantage over the rest of us and that is, "No major restrictions."
You don't have to sell up, down size, probably have less "Stuff" to store or streamline and generally be in a position to just getoutgotravel already. You also won't have whilst travelling, a mortgage to pay, rates bills and all that jazz.
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Maybe you are in the "can afford too" or the "will need to work as I go" bracket. Either way, travel is totally doable. Wherever you are, the circumstances of us all needing accommodation and supply of food and drink to survive on are the same, so where does it say that you have to do it all where you live now?
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If your circumstances are that you have adequate savings, a passive income or can work as you travel, then there really is nothing stopping you.
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With the "I will need to work" category, obviously you will need an income of some sort and of course you can work as you travel. Many companies offer board and lodgings in with your salary and there are many jobs out there which offer the same.
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You may have a profession that is highly sort after in some areas of the world or that is mobile or internet based. A particular set of skills that allow you to acquire a salary, for example a Chef, Trainer, Teacher, Coach, Mentor, you name it, the list is endless.
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Have you thought about your next job being somewhere more than just commutable? The only reason we work locally is because of where we live. Have you scanned the world for possible jobs for the future.
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Another way to go, is to sublet your existing rental property whilst you are travelling, subject to of course your rental agreement or terms of contract.
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Basically if you really would like a life of travel, the only limitation is you.
Tip 0132 Make your property work for you
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There are of course many ways of making your property work for you and we are not advising here, just pointing out possibilities and various means of tapping into the way you can utilise your home.
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So many people have positive equity in their property and haven't really thought about unlocking it's potential.
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Obviously you can just sell up and travel and so many of you do just this. The Grey Nomads are in full force all over the world and are breaking into Asia right now.
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Of course this is drastic changes to life style and we wouldn't recommend doing this unless you are positive a life of travel is for you, for a long time if not forever.
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Most people wouldn't dream of re mortgaging, especially at a late age or nearing retirement but why not? As an alternative to getting a loan for a shiny new Winnebago, releasing some of the positive equity or adding a bit more on the mortgage is definitely a far better option than some of the payback rates on credit elsewhere.
Tip 0133 Before selling up consider the following.
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Again closely related to Tip 0132. Before thinking about selling up and possibly gambling that you will for a fair amount of your life if not all, be travelling the globe, think about other possibilities.
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Renting out your property gives you a modest income and has the advantage of initially not putting all your eggs in one basket. It eliminates the worries associated with being sure this is what you want in life and helps with the transition from owning your own home to owning no assets and becoming liquid rich.
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Downsizing is another great option as most people later in life might already be thinking along these lines and can plan on getting the right home that suits a life style of travelling, for example purchasing a low maintenance property that needs little attention whilst travelling. Smaller garden, maybe pot planting or predominantly paved areas. A smaller dwelling that needs less cleaning or a newer property that needs little or no maintenance. Maybe a rentable property that gives a good return whilst travelling.
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Diversifying can also be a great option whereby you sell one big property and purchase two. Both could return a better rental value or rent one permanently and the other whilst you come and go on your travels. The good thing with this option is you don't necessarily need to find storage for your own "Stuff," or need to completely streamline to a couple of suitcases.
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Put quite simply there are so many variables to chose from and we are sure one could be just the thing that allows you to getoutgotravel.
Tip 0134 Being in holiday mode isn't living there.
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Well we are all big girls and boys and we don't have to state the obvious but you'd be surprised the amount of people get caught in this trap.
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How many times have you thought when on vacation or travelling, "we'd love to live here!"
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There are a load of people that have for example emigrated to a once travelled location only to return very promptly indeed. We have a whole section on Migration within this website and direct you there if that is also on your mind.
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The same goes for travel. When on vacation there is a distinct difference and this should not be ignored. Another reason why we differentiate between the tourist and the traveller.
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Top tip here is, if you ever get the feeling this is the place to settle down for an extended period of time, try and be objective about the location. Sounds silly but the amount of people we know that live right on the sea shore and want to relocate because of the salt that gets into everything.
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You never know what you miss until you've left it for a while.
Tip 0135 Try taking little steps!
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And by this we mean in every aspect of travel. As the tip," try taking little steps,"
suggests, one thing age and experience (wisdom) should have taught you, you didn't run before you could walk at most stages of your life to date, so why start now.
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Seriously think and put into practice your pending new life style. Be one hundred percent sure this is for you.
Tip 0136 Sample before you buy
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Again we highly recommend you sampling before buying into the travel forever realms.
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By this we mean doing a fair few long term travel adventures.
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This has a two fold benefit. Not only are you entering into something new but also you are forcing yourself into a type of retirement that you are also not familiar with.
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A life of travel is a big commitment and probably the best way to achieve your goal is to evolve into it.
Tip 0137 Streamlining
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Now here we talk about those of you that have already sampled and enjoyed to the max travel. This is for you and you can't wait to either try it again or continue travelling as long as you can and are trying to make the pennies count also.
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You have come to the realisation that this is genuinely what is now for you and the need to streamline is on the cards. You have travelling down to a fine art and you still have surplus to contend with.
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There are various areas to contend with. Firstly we look at your immediate needs, your luggage.
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You really do not need everything you originally thought you might and need a better solution to lugging big bags and weighty objects all over the world. Storing luggage here and there in lockers are not an option and are costing money doing so.
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Top tip here is try condensing your travelling "Stuff" to one backpack and a day pack per person. We talk more about packing within this website and direct you there also.
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With regards to streamlining back home, this is a slightly different matter and can also vary on the individual. We recommend this is more a gradual transition rather than an immediate purge.
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We realise that it is difficult to get rid of so many personal possessions and it can also be quite overwhelming but it is a progression and should be taken one step at a time. You will surprise yourselves as you continue to down size until eventually you should be able to gradually reduce down to a few boxes, mainly legal documents and other items of sentimental value.
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Most of you will not be able to really streamline until you have lived a life of travel and come to understand the true value of lacking in possessions. The transition at the end of your progression will make you so light in possession and rich in time that you will be light on shoulder and ready to embark on the next leg of your journey.
Tip 0138 Always have an end game.
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Please think long and hard about a life of travel. So with planning and research please also take into consideration and remember the end game.
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Now we don't mean the bitter end, although this also must be a consideration. We mean a possible exit strategy. Let's face it as we get older, things change, goal posts move and options become limited. It is a good idea to think about "what happens when?" Hopefully you would have had quite a few years fulfilling your bucket lists and may be content with some quite frankly "do nothing" time.
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You may want to just sit and reminisce in the comfort of your new home. Maybe take a hobby of painting all the places you've travelled to or you've just had enough and want a less mobile life.
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Travel forever is very possible but you must bear in mind everything and in this we mean health also. It is one thing travelling in good health, a completely different story travelling when unwell or with limitations.
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With all this in mind, your exit strategy can also change but end game you must seriously think about.
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Before setting off, you may think a manageable home on return or an nice little retirement village is the way to go. Possibly you'll be thinking I never want to return back to where I started and look for the perfect place to end up whilst travelling. These are all exit strategies and can change as you go. Let's face it, your life/s will probably change dramatically from all the travelling you have done and opinions will change too.
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It would be remiss of us not to mention retirement and pensions. We will try and tackle this as best we can but all countries have their own schemes and this should be taken into consideration as individual cases when planning.
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Make sure you realise your circumstances when travelling outside the country of origin or where your citizenship is held. Being away from you're home country can and does affect your retirement and you should be clear of the consequences. For those with dual or multi citizenship, this matter becomes even more complicated. Do not automatically assume that you are entitled to government schemes. Please also keep up to date with country of origin governmental changes, as policies change on a regular basis.
Tips 0121-0140
Tip 0139 Opinions change
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Undoubtedly you're opinions will change after a prolonged life or time in travelling and this is closely related to the previous Tip 0138 End game or exit strategies.
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When you set off, you will or should be planning to end up somewhere at the end of it all.
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Top tip here is, know that you will almost certainly change your mind over time. There is nothing wrong with changing your mind, in fact it's perfectly normal as you have experienced a different lifestyle and a new set of parameters.
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The key is to realise this and be open for the changes that will inevitably occur. If your fixed on the end result, you limit yourselves to an end game that you may later no longer require.
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If you find that your end game may be a little daunting or way out there, if anything travelling would have taught you is, look at it as another new adventure ready to be embarked upon.
Tip 0140 Take a second camera
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The chances are, you may never or rarely return to a destination, especially if you intend seeing as much of the world as possible.
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Your pictures are an important diary and memory jogger. Can you imagine being somewhere and not being able to catch the moment because either your cameras battery has run out or even worse, it breaks or malfunctions!
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This has happened to us on more than one occassion and is very frustrating.
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Our top tip here is always have at least two cameras with you. We always have a pocket underwater camera with us which is both handy to catch that elusive shot and doubles up as a great camera to have in the rain or when near, or in water.
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