You both seem to have your priorities in life figured out, and have set a budget it accordingly and that is one of the first steps towards being successful. Clay, I think I heard you were doing the Pacific Coast bike ride with Derek, and if your budgeting as allowed you to take the time to do that, you have obviously done a pretty good job with it!

Joel, You are right on that last point, it does matter where you are traveling to specifically as each country has their own requirements. Thanks for pointing that out. I am also looking forward to reading more from you on your blog.

On another note, the only thing i disagree with in your above post is the idea of being able to afford where you are going and the rest take care of it self. This will of course depend on where you are going the length of stay and the countries requirements, as some require you to provide proof of funds to be able to leave at the end of your stay or such.

I guess it helps that I’m not particularly picky about where I go (so I don’t end up in super-expensive tourist traps usually), but I’ve got my lifestyle down to the point where I really don’t need much money to survive nicely. This includes traveling in other countries, as well as making a home in the USA. I don’t consider myself to be making sacrifices in saving money, either — everything I’m avoiding are luxuries I don’t need.

I don’t make a ton of money or have a ton saved up, but because of the way I spend (and avoid spending), $1 to me is worth about $5 to most other people. In other words, I can live off of $20,000 like the average person lives off of $100,000. A $500 plane ticket very well could end up saving me thousands of dollars, simply because where that ticket takes me, everything costs way less. At the same time, I’m traveling the world. Not a bad deal. ($20,000 will last me just short of two years, at the rate I’m going now.)

Save up an initial lump sum, live with just your needs and minimize everything, and you’ll rarely have to worry about money. Bonus tip: also be from the United States, help cause a worldwide economic downturn, and take advantage of a temporarily super-strengthened dollar in other struggling countries. That helps too.

I’m a big fan of being an LIP http://www.locationindependent.com but chose Koh Mak to do mainly offline work. There are lots of great alternatives, though. Check out http://www.travelfish.org the most up-to-date travel guidebook on the web for SE Asia.

My book’s called The Paper Apprentice and it’ll be published by ThingsAsian Press next year (depends on writing time) http://www.thingsasianpress.com

The book’s about my quest through Thailand, Laos & Vietnam, to learn how make paper from the masters. I get covered in green paper pulp and get lectured and talk to people who make it from elephant dung and tree bark and bamboo; hilltribes who use it as spirit money during rituals or as clothing for the dead; and a memorable shaman who interrupted the construction of his house to talk to me about his sacred books, made of handmade and cement-bag paper.

Ok, time for a Chinese lesson. It’s great to hear about your plans, and keep up the great work on your blog!

How far along are you with your book? What is it about?

After I finished school I saved up & spent a summer in Liverpool and landed a couple of informal internships in my field (art – one at a gallery & the other at a local arts center in a tough area of Liverpool). It was more expensive than SE Asia for example, but the US$ was doing better (relative to the pound) than it is these days. I had to quit smoking while there, as a pack of cigarettes cost more than three meals from the supermarket.

Friends in Liverpool would often say, “Oh you must be rich to travel like that!” No, you’ve just got to be resourceful & flexible. Determined. Save up around three months’ living expenses in the country you’re thinking of living in, in addition to the expense of getting there. There are plenty of sites and expats who can help you on that front. The first month is usually the most expensive – that’s when you’re figuring out where the deals are on food/drink, and how to find affordable accommodation. After that, it gets much easier.

["Geoarbitrage" isn't just for different countries; it's also done by people who move to the suburbs/small towns for the lower cost of living and quieter lifestyle.]

In a place like Thailand the cost can vary enormously. Rents in Bangkok can be reasonable or compare with those in first world capitals; or there are some fantastic deals on bungalows, especially during the off season. If you stay in a place long-term, you can get a very reasonable rate.

Recently I spent 11 days in a bungalow in eastern Thailand, while working on illustrations for my book:
http://elizabethbriel.blogspot.com/2009/06/sand-in-my-laptop.html
A beachfront coconut-wood bungalow was only US$5/night. It was fantastic.

Currently I’m spending 2 months in the beautiful town of Lijiang, China, learning Chinese & finishing those illustrations, staying in a traditional wood Naxi home (local minority culture) around a 200-year-old courtyard in the Old Town. Rent here is under US$300/month, thanks to a nice Taiwanese couple I met in a coffee shop on my first day here. They’re fluent in Mandarin, so were able to ask around for different places for me.

Am having problems w/blocked websites (including Blogspot/twitter/FB) so was happy to be able to read your post.

Feel free to email w/any questions; I’ve lived, studied, & worked in France, England, Italy, Korea, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Australia, and have travelled extensively (got married too!) in Thailand.

@Brandy, For travel I would love to go sail in the Caribbean and see some more of Latin America (Belize, Costa Rica, Panama). If I were going to do more of a long term move I think I would head to Thailand. Australia and New Zealand would also be incredible as well, but you are right, they would definitely not be cheap! I got to spend one day in Buenos Aires in February and it was a really cool town, I would love to spend more time there. If you make it to Brazil, and Rio in particular, let me know! I have lots of thoughts, and if you look back in the archives there are some Brazil posts (actually a new one is coming today as well).

I love the topic of this post. People seem to place such an importance on the amount of money you earn or how much you have in the bank. I know that it is important to have some money for the essentials, but I like to view money just as a means to an end. I have automated my money as much as possible in order to focus on things that are more important. The idea of location independence and global arbitrage are very interesting to me and I have been thinking seriously of trying out a bit of my own. I agree with you that money is used often as a reason not to do something, but it should not get in the way of our dreams. Sometimes having too much money is worse than not having enough, because when you have too little money you are forced to be more creative than if you have too much.