After 5 years traveling the world for less than I ever spent in the US, I learned a mindset to help me save money at home

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• I lived successful Costa Rica and traveled nan world for 5 years for little than it costs to unrecorded successful nan US.
• I didn't person a car, and doing activity exchanges kept my fixed costs a fraction of what I spent successful nan US.
• My mindset was besides different: I didn't consciousness nan request to walk money to person nosy for illustration I do astatine home.

I was a integer nomad from 2015 to 2020, pinch a location guidelines successful Costa Rica. I regularly spent hundreds — sometimes thousands — of dollars little each period than I do now that I unrecorded successful nan US. And it wasn't conscionable because I lived successful affordable places. 

While I spent a batch little successful regions for illustration Mexico and Central America, my costs of surviving was still little erstwhile I spent a fewer months walking done Europe aliases Asia.

I hardly had immoderate bills erstwhile I lived abroad, and I recovered it easier to support rent low. But nan mindset I had while surviving overseas is what really helped maine save: I didn't consciousness nan request to walk money to bask myself.

My fixed costs were 2 to 3 times little erstwhile I was traveling

When I moved backmost to nan US, to my hometown of Portland, Oregon, my fixed costs skyrocketed. I've spent anyplace from $1,000 (with a roommate) to $1,700 connected rent since moving backmost successful 2020.

I lived successful various parts of Costa Rica, wherever I paid $300 to $600 per period to rent furnished homes I recovered via connection of mouth. I recovered nan champion deals connected lodging by booking a inexpensive edifice aliases lodging for a week and waiting until I sewage to a caller spot to look for rentals successful person. 

The astir I ever spent connected lodging while walking was astir $800, nan period I traveled done Japan and Vietnam and stayed successful a operation of hostels and capsule hotels that ranged from $5 to $10 a nighttime successful Vietnam and $15 to $50 a nighttime successful Japan.

To support lodging costs low, I did a batch of what's called "slow travel." I tried to walk astatine slightest 1 period successful each spot alternatively than hopping to different locales each fewer days. You tin get amended deals by renting a furnished location aliases flat for a fewer months. Even Airbnb hosts will often connection a steep discount if you're consenting to enactment for astatine slightest 1 month, particularly successful nan off-season.

I besides had acold less bills and nary indebtedness erstwhile I was surviving abroad. Utilities and net were ever included successful nan short-term rentals I stayed in. I didn't ain a car for astir of my clip abroad, truthful that sewage free of a car costs and car insurance. I could besides spend to salary for aesculapian and dental attraction retired of pouch successful Costa Rica, truthful I opted for a cheap recreation security plan alternatively of US wellness insurance.

I did activity exchanges successful much costly areas to prevention money

I besides subsidized my lodging costs successful much costly areas by doing activity exchanges for room and committee that I recovered done Workaway International. You tin browse nan website for vetted hosts each complete nan world who are looking for "volunteers" to thief connected their farms, astatine their hotels, and more, and they'll connection a free spot to enactment and sometimes meals successful speech for part-time work.

In fact, I went down to Costa Rica to do a activity speech connected a sustainable ranch for a fewer months, but I ended up staying for 5 years. It was nan cleanable preamble to a caller state I'd considered moving to. I sewage to cognize locals, learned much of nan language, and gained a amended knowing of nan civilization earlier afloat moving in.

During nan summertime I spent walking done Europe, I offset nan costs of staying successful different cities each fewer nights by doing a activity speech for 1 of nan 3 months. I stayed and ate for free connected a vineyard successful a mini medieval municipality successful Tuscany owned by a sommelier In nan mornings, I would walk an hr aliases 2 cleaning nan owner's earthy excavation and weeding her plot and past different hr aliases 2 helping her build a website for her vino tours. 

I had afternoons, evenings, and weekends free to do my ain activity and research nan area. My costs for that period were minimal, and I learned a batch astir vino accumulation and Italian civilization done my host, who moreover taught maine a fewer family recipes.

I spent 1 summertime surviving successful New York City acknowledgment to a activity speech I recovered connected that aforesaid website. I hopped astir nan metropolis doing in-home petsitting gigs for a mates of New Yorkers who owned a petsitting business. In exchange, I sewage free places to enactment each summertime and a stipend for food, and I had plentifulness of clip to do my ain work.

I didn't consciousness nan request to walk money to bask myself erstwhile I lived abroad

I recovered it overmuch easier to capable my days pinch fun, free activities while surviving abroad. 

In nan US, I often find myself emotion nan request to bargain tickets to a show, look up upcoming events, aliases spell retired to eat retired of boredom. But erstwhile you're surviving successful a caller country, there's truthful overmuch novelty and situation successful mundane life that you seldom consciousness bored.

I could locomotion astir a caller metropolis and look astatine nan unique, unfamiliar architecture aliases hike done nan wood and marvel astatine each nan plants and wildlife I'd ne'er seen backmost location and consciousness satisfied. Basic exchanges astatine nan market shop aliases trying to fig retired which autobus to return had maine practicing a caller connection and learning caller things, and that felt for illustration intermezo enough.

Going connected roadworthy trips successful nan US pushes maine backmost into that traveler's mindset. The past mates of summers, I've gone connected monthlong roadworthy trips to various nationalist parks and cities, car camping successful free aliases low-cost spots on nan way, and I've spent little connected those trips than I do astatine home.

The traveler's mindset I had while surviving overseas encouraged maine to explore, get creative, and find nosy successful nan simplest activities. It's imaginable to person that mindset successful nan US if I push myself to attack my ain state for illustration a visitor.