I spent $34,563.38 to journey the world for 18 months and tracked each cent: My funds breakdown

In 2022, I give up my job to satisfy my longtime dream of touring the world full-time for a 12 months and a half. My journey by 12 international locations in Asia and 6 in South America price precisely $34,563.38.

I stayed meticulous about one factor from starting to finish: I tracked each penny I spent, from a $600 flight to a 50-cent journey to the lavatory.

I spent a median of about $1,920 per 30 days, which is about my typical month-to-month funds residing very frugally in LA and beforehand, in NYC. To make ends meet and save for my journey, I rented in uncool components of city and lived with roommates in small areas for 5 years. I ate out a pair occasions every week and solely made espresso at residence, except I used to be working from a café.

Here is every thing I spent throughout my 18 months in South America and Asia, damaged down by class.

This class contains the survival necessities I stocked up on earlier than the journey, reminiscent of a suitcase, packing cubes, cargo pants, climbing footwear, and water footwear. 

On reflection, I ought to’ve targeted on packing gadgets that may’t simply be discovered elsewhere, like my favourite model of mosquito repellent, as a substitute of things I might simply purchase overseas. I regretted, for instance, being burdened by the useless weight of too many garments I needed to lug on vehicles and planes everywhere in the world. 

I might have spent as little as $5 to $15 for a mattress in a hostel, however I craved the consolation of my very own area on the finish of an extended day exploring. On common, I spent $20 to $25 per night time for my very own room in a cushty mid-range lodge, often with breakfast. 

Stays I thought-about nice worth at that worth level included Chandi Resort in Bali, Indonesia; Hoianian Central Villa in Hoi An, Vietnam; and S2 Residence in Krabi, Thailand. 

There have been outliers too. For instance, I paid simply $9 per night time for a lodge of comparable high quality a block from the seashore, in Da Nang, Vietnam.

Comparable high quality accommodations price nearer to $50 to $100 per night time within the main hubs of Brazil, China, Korea, Japan, and Singapore. Fortunately, my mother or husband joined me in all these locations besides Brazil, and we cut up the invoice.   

Flights: $4,885.14

Floor transport: $3,189.53

I took 40 flights throughout my journey, in economic system class with checked baggage. There have been many alternatives to take an in a single day bus for one-quarter to half the value. However I hated the concept of sleeping on a bus, utilizing bus restrooms, or driving slender winding roads in the dead of night. 

Flights inside international locations usually price between $50 to $100, and twice that to fly throughout very massive international locations like China or Brazil. Flights between neighboring international locations price me $100 to $200. Flights between non-neighboring international locations price me from $100 to $300. The farthest distance I traveled was from Osaka, Japan, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and it set me again $140.28. 

I additionally used about 200,000 bank card miles to cowl a few of my flights.

Once I did not fly, I took buses, vans or bullet trains. Three-to-seven-hour bus and van journeys price me $10 to $20. The bullet practice throughout about 860 miles from Xian to Shanghai in China price me $94. A two-week limitless bullet practice move in Japan price me $224. 

I used quite a lot of rideshare providers, which regularly price simply $1 or $2 for a two or three-mile journey by bike.

Espresso: $411.05

Alcohol: $557.95

All the things else: $6,109.36

Apart from a pair salads I made in Japan, I by no means ready my very own meals. Half the time, breakfast was included at my lodge. In any other case, I often ate at charming or fashionable mid-range eating places in addition to vibrant night time markets. 

My favourite go-to spots included Temple Espresso in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Milu by Nook in Bali. I often paid $7 to $10 for an entrée and non-alcoholic drink. Meals at no-frills spots or night time markets the place many locals eat usually price me $2.50 to $6. Evening market treats price about $1 per serving. 

I attempted fantastic eating a pair occasions, paying simply $12 for lunch and $22 for dinner for beautiful multi-course meals in Bolivia.  

I usually ordered fancy lattes at fashionable cafés for about $2. I used to be stunned to study that my iced latte behavior solely added as much as $411 in 18 months. 

I drank alcohol about as soon as every week, paying round $5 at mid-range eating places and bars, and $10 to $12 on the most high-end venues. 

I spent $1,263.72 for traveler’s medical health insurance, which might cowl as much as $100,000 in bills in case of an accident or sickness. That insurance coverage got here in helpful after I had one case of meals poisoning and one very dangerous case of Covid. 

I paid $563 for journey vaccines, together with for yellow fever, typhoid, hepatitis A, and Japanese Encephalitis. The latter would have price $400 to $500 within the U.S., in line with my analysis, however I paid simply $58 in Bangkok. 

After I misplaced my retainers in Vietnam, I had them remade in Korea for about $150.

Garments: $1,048.24

Souvenirs: $216.86

Items: $661.91

I largely shopped at hole-in-the-wall boutiques or distributors arrange on the road, the place there aren’t any worth tags and it is all about bargaining. To keep away from overpaying, I held off on shopping for instantly and stored in thoughts that competitors was usually on my aspect. 

I inquired about pricing with a number of distributors. That course of helped me work out the bottom acceptable fee, or the final worth I used to be supplied earlier than distributors let me stroll away. 

That is how I knew I used to be getting a superb deal on custom-made Vietnamese silk clothes in Hoi An. After inquiring round, I ended up paying $34 per costume and left Vietnam with 14. 

Generally I purchased issues on the spot after I felt the value appeared very cheap. I did not thoughts if the seller earned a couple of further {dollars}, as a result of I nonetheless felt it was a terrific deal and the cash would imply extra to them than it did to me. 

For essentially the most half, as an American citizen, I did not want a visa or paid for visas on arrival. These usually price about $30 to $40. 

There have been outliers, although. The visa for China price me $205 in software and printing charges and the visa for Bolivia price $160. I used to be stunned to study of that requirement two hours earlier than we reached the border from Peru and scrambled to assemble the required paperwork earlier than arrival. 

I often indulged in luxuries I virtually by no means spend cash on within the U.S., the place I usually really feel I can not justify the associated fee. I acquired gel manicures for about $15 and massages for $5 to $10. I took yoga and meditation lessons in stunning services in Bali, which price $10 every. Haircuts price about $8. I additionally recurrently stocked up on toiletries, sunscreen, and mosquito repellent.

This encompasses enjoyable actions for the sake of escapism that do not depend as sightseeing or cultural experiences. That features entry charges to the few nightclubs I visited, arcade video games, a Spotify music subscription, and hookah with buddies.

I am stunned at how little I really spent on escapism. You’ll be able to get together arduous very affordably with different vacationers in Southeast Asia and South America, particularly when staying at hostels. In my early to mid-20s, I’d have jumped on the alternative, however in my early 30s, I did not really feel drawn to it. 

Overseas, I lived extraordinarily comfortably on about $1,920 a month — extra so than the typical backpacker I met. I by no means cooked for myself, ordered fancy iced lattes regularly, and splurged on 14 {custom} made silk clothes in a single week.

I had change into very jaded residing in costly coastal American cities, feeling like I might by no means afford a home or youngsters and continuously evaluating myself to individuals who have greater than me. I felt poor, like I by no means had sufficient and was by no means doing sufficient. 

Monitoring my spending confirmed me that I’ve huge buying energy in many of the world. I am not a helpless sufferer of inflation and the hovering price of residing within the U.S. Truly, I am extraordinarily privileged and fortunate. 

The expertise helped me to shift from a mentality of shortage and helplessness to one in all abundance and gratitude. It jogged my memory of how wealthy I’m and the way a lot I’ve to be grateful for. It helped me understand I’ve — and am — greater than sufficient. 

Helen Zhao is a former video producer and author at CNBC. Earlier than becoming a member of CNBC as a information affiliate, she lined residential actual property for the LA Enterprise Journal. She’s a California native and a proud USC Trojan and UCLA Bruin. 

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