While it is possible to get free lodging, transportation and even meals, there will always be certain expenses that you will have to incur. Eventually, buying things as simple as personal hygiene items or laundry will be necessary. Still, for this, I have included a section at the end of the article that deals with the topic of how to earn money while traveling.
Since I started traveling the world in 2014 with no return date, there is a question that I receive at least once a day: "How do you pay for all your trips?"
The answer is quite simple: the money I earn from my blog, it's my business.
After hearing this response, most people remain silent and, to a certain extent, disappointed; since not being able to feel identified with "my blog" or not knowing exactly what that response involves, they believe that traveling is limited for people with a lot of money or with one of those works" of the new generations, "such as a blog.
But nothing further from reality. Travel the world is possible for anyone regardless of their current situation, but only if you set your mind to it and have the determination to carry it out.
I am aware that each person's situation is different. It will always be easier said than done, especially if at this moment you read me your wallet and bank account are empty, but this is exactly what this article is about, to show you all the options in lodging, transportation, activities, and meals. More so, you can travel the world without money.
Basics of Personal Finance for Travelers.
If you want to travel the world without money, you must first understand some basic concepts, so before fully exploring how to travel without money, you must understand what money is.
Money is not an object. It is not something that you own or have. Money is just a tool that, by itself, is worthless.
I know it sounds enigmatic and even esoteric, but for you to understand me better, let's see this example:
Imagine that you want to build a table; the basic tool you need to do it is a hammer. You can store ten hammers in your house, but that will not make the table build itself faster. Instead, it will be your capacity and ability to use those hammers that will build the table.
Even if you didn't have any hammer available, if you fully understand the function of one and how to use it, you would be able to build the table improvising with what you have at your disposal to substitute the use of the hammer.
This is money; it will be your ability to understand what it is, how to make more of it and how to use it to determine what you can do with it.
But why am I telling you all this, and what does it have to do with traveling the world penniless?
The key to traveling without money is learning to replace that money with what it represents.
When you work for someone, you exchange your time, knowledge and effort for "money. " When you want to travel but don't have money, then it is necessary to exchange something, which is not money, to obtain what you want (accommodation, food, transportation...).
This exchange comes in many forms; sometimes it takes the form of inconvenience – sleeping in a train station does not cost money, but it is uncomfortable -; in others, it is time – it will take you more hours and connections to reach your destination with a cheap flight than with an expensive one -, and in others, they are just long conversations, - a smile and many stories to tell will open hundreds of doors in the world -.
This is the real reason why, although traveling the world without money is possible, many people do not. They simply are not willing to put in the necessary effort to achieve it, or in other words: they do not want to exchange their time, effort and/or comfort to make it happen.
