{"id":44988,"date":"2016-12-05T09:38:47","date_gmt":"2016-12-05T14:38:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/?p=44988"},"modified":"2025-12-25T23:17:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T04:17:08","slug":"no-money-go-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/travel-blogs\/no-money-go-travel\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Being Broke is the Best Time to Travel"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Nomadic<\/p>\n

When you don\u2019t have much money, travel seems like a fantasy. When you have debts, loans, or a crummy job; sleep on your friend\u2019s couch; or can barely afford McDonald’s, traveling is a pipe dream that will probably never come true.<\/p>\n

It’s something you\u2019ll to have to put off until you have money<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Or so everyone says.<\/p>\n

But after over ten years of traveling the world<\/a>, I don\u2019t think that\u2019s the case. I think being broke is the best<\/em> reason to start traveling.<\/p>\n

When you have the fewest options is when you really have the most<\/em> options. When you\u2019re at the bottom, you can only go up.<\/p>\n

As Janis Joplin said, freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.<\/p>\n

When you don\u2019t have any money or a great job, there\u2019s little downside to picking up, saying goodbye, and going off to travel. You\u2019ll ride out the storm, maybe find something you really love to do, and gain life experience and the soft interpersonal skills employers today find valuable.<\/p>\n

The world is full of opportunities (and jobs), so if you\u2019ve exhausted those in your area, why not try a new one? If you\u2019re willing to go out and grab life by the horns, you\u2019ll find plenty of opportunities out there to earn money<\/a>, travel, and find what you love.<\/p>\n

Open yourself up to new possibilities and experiences. Don\u2019t suffer in that crummy job that barely pays the bills. Move somewhere. Pick up and start over. It\u2019s what our ancestors used to do. They moved to where the opportunity was and they thrived because of it. <\/p>\n

Where would we be if they didn\u2019t constantly try to seek a better life but instead sat and watched Netflix?<\/p>\n

I know picking up and leaving when you\u2019re struggling can seem scary. We often leave a situation only when we are the most secure. When you\u2019re struggling, your thoughts are more likely to be, \u201cif I can just get ahead a little, then I\u2019ll be ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, there\u2019s no perfect time to travel<\/a>. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s no right moment. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re in a bad situation, look for new opportunities. Once you’ve tracked them down, try them out. If you fail, you simply come back to exactly where you started. If you ask me, that’s a much better option than the alternative: continuing down a path that leaves you unhappy \u2014 and that will probably drag you down for the rest of your life\/<\/p>\n

Unless you seize the moment, that temp job you\u2019re in just until you find something new is more likely to be the job you still have years from now.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re in a place you don\u2019t like, are working a job you hate, or have debt, there\u2019s no better time to say fuck it, move overseas<\/a> and either find work or travel (or both). <\/p>\n

You can volunteer<\/a>, work in a restaurant or bar, do farm work<\/a>, busk, be an aupair<\/a>, be a tour guide, or start a blog<\/a>. <\/p>\n

My friend Mark Manson started his blog<\/a> when he was sleeping on his friend\u2019s couch counting pennies to afford McDonald\u2019s because he figured what else did he have to lose?! (He\u2019s now a New York Times <\/em>best-selling author!)<\/p>\n

One of my favorite scenes in one of my favorite movies<\/a>, Up in the Air<\/a><\/em>, is when George Clooney\u2019s character fires J. K. Simmons\u2019 character Bob. <\/p>\n

Bob is obviously upset \u2014 he has kids (one with asthma) and he feels like a failure. Instead of being sympathetic, George Clooney tells him he is<\/em> a failure and reads Bob\u2019s r\u00e9sum\u00e9: he went to the French culinary institute to study cooking and worked in a fancy French restaurant. To quote the film:<\/p>\n

I see guys who work at the same company for their entire lives, guys exactly like you. They clock in, they clock out, and they never have a moment of happiness. You have an opportunity here, Bob. This is a rebirth. If not for you, do it for your children.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What George is telling Bob is that now he has a chance to follow his dreams: to work with food instead of a job that saps his soul \u2014 because he has nothing left to lose.<\/p>\n

If you were faced with such an opportunity to change \u2014 to use a setback or constrained circumstances to instead actually do something different \u2014 would you take it?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s super hard to go against the current. Life gets away from us as the days tick by. But eventually one must say, \u201cnot today, not anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Use the websites like Worldpackers<\/a> or Trusted Housesitters<\/a> to find new work or accommodation opportunities. <\/p>\n

With a little research you can open yourself up to the world and all the jobs and opportunities in it.<\/p>\n

There are ways to earn extra money via sharing-economy<\/a> websites like Uber, Lyft, EatWith, TaskRabbit, and a plethora of other random side jobs from the sites listed in the previous paragraph to pad your wallet. <\/p>\n

Once you find yourself overseas, you can get a working holiday visa, use job boards and local expat stomping grounds to find jobs, or take freelance work via a website like Upwork.<\/p>\n

If I was broke, young, or in a job I didn\u2019t like, I would first try to teach English overseas<\/a>. You don\u2019t need to be a teacher to do this \u2014 just a native English speaker (though having a degree will help if you want a better-paying job). There are tons of TEFL courses out there that can help you get started<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Best of all, many schools abroad will even pay for your flight to and from the country!<\/p>\n

If I wasn\u2019t a native English speaker, I would use websites like iTalki<\/a> or Cambly<\/a> and teach people my language! <\/p>\n

You get paid to be someone\u2019s language partner. There\u2019s nothing like getting paid to have a conversation in the language you speak every day. These sites are hugely popular \u2014 and you don\u2019t need to be a teacher.<\/p>\n

Find something that moves you forward \u2014 even if it\u2019s only a little bit. Then take the next step. Then the next. Then another.<\/p>\n

Maybe along the way, you may find yourself with a new passion or in a new situation where you happen to feel at home.<\/p>\n

But while you\u2019re trying something new, you\u2019ll at least be able to pay off some of your debt<\/a>, have some cool adventures, and gain some life experience.<\/p>\n

The world can be your oyster if you truly grab it! Whether you make minimum wage<\/a>, are in a wheelchair<\/a>, or come from a developing country<\/a>, you can make it happen. <\/p>\n

When you expand your worldview, you increase your possibilities.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t make excuses as to why you can\u2019t \u2014 find all the ways you can<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Stretch yourself. Piece a few things together. Use the web. Break out of your immediate circle.<\/p>\n

The world can be your oyster if you let it.
\n 
\n

How to Travel the World on $75 a Day<\/span><\/h3>
\"How<\/div>

My New York Times<\/em> best-selling book to travel will teach you how to master the art of travel so that you\u2019ll get off save money, always find deals, and have a deeper travel experience. It\u2019s your A to Z planning guide that the BBC called the \u201cbible for budget travelers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Click here to learn more and start reading it today!<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n

\n

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks<\/h4>\n

Book Your Flight<\/strong>
\nFind a cheap flight by using Skyscanner<\/a>. It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned. <\/p>\n

Book Your Accommodation<\/strong>
\nYou can book your hostel with Hostelworld<\/a>. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com<\/a> as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels. <\/p>\n

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance<\/strong>
\nTravel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:<\/p>\n