When you don’t have much money, travel seems only a nice fantasy. When you have debts, loans, or a crummy job; sleep on your friend’s couch; or can barely afford McDonald’s, it seems that traveling is a pipe dream that will probably never come true, something you’re going to have to put off until you have money.
But I don’t think that’s the case! I think being broke is the best reason to start traveling.
When you have the fewest options is when you really have the most options. When you’re at the bottom, you have little to lose but everything to gain.
As Janis Joplin said, freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
When you don’t have any money or a great job, there’s little downside to picking up, saying goodbye, and going off to travel. You’ll ride out the storm, maybe find something you really love, and gain life experience and those soft interpersonal skills that employers today find valuable!
The world is full of opportunities (and jobs), so if you’ve exhausted those in your area, why not try a new one? If you’re willing to go out and grab life by the horns, you’ll find plenty of opportunities out there to earn money, travel, and find what you love.
Open yourself up to new possibilities and experiences. Don’t suffer in that crummy job that barely pays the bills. Move somewhere. Pick up and start over. It’s what our ancestors used to do. They moved to where the opportunity was and they thrived because of it. Where would we be if they didn’t constantly try to seek a better life but instead sat and watched Netflix?
I know picking up and leaving when you’re struggling can seem scary. We often leave a situation only when we are the most secure. When you’re struggling, your thoughts are more likely to be “if I can just get ahead a little, then I’ll be ready to go.”
However, there’s no perfect time to travel. There’s no right moment. If you’re in a bad situation, find opportunities and go try them. Which is scarier: failing and coming back to exactly where you started or continuing down a path that will probably drag you down for the rest of your life?
Unless you seize the moment, that temp job you’re in just until you find something new is more likely to be the job you still have years from now.
If you’re in a place you don’t like, are working a job you hate, or have debt, there’s no better time to say fuck it, move overseas, find work, and travel. Or volunteer with the Peace Corps, work on a farm, train dogs, or start a blog. My friend Mark Manson started his blog when he was sleeping on his friend’s couch counting pennies to afford McDonald’s because he figured what else did he have to lose?! (He’s now a New York Times best-selling author!)
One of my favorite scenes in one of my favorite movies, Up in the Air, is when George Clooney’s character fires J. K. Simmons’ character Bob. Bob is obviously upset — he has kids (one with asthma) and he feels like a failure. Instead of being sympathetic, George Clooney tells him he is a failure and reads Bob’s résumé: he went to the French culinary institute to study cooking and worked in a fancy French restaurant. To quote:
“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.”
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 — because he has nothing left to lose.
If you were faced with such an opportunity to change — to use a setback or constrained circumstances to instead actually do something different — would you take it?
It’s super hard to go against the current. Life gets away from us as the days tick by. But eventually one must say, “not today, not anymore.”
Use the Internet (you can find a lot of work online via websites like Gumroad, UpWork, or Craigslist) and open yourself up to the world and all the jobs and opportunities in it.
There are ways to earn extra money via sharing-economy 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. (Bonus: you can do this before and after you’re overseas!!!)
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.
If I was broke, young, or in a job I didn’t like, I would first try to teach English overseas. You don’t need to be a teacher to do this — just a native English speaker (though having a degree will help if you want a better-paying job). There are a ton of schools out there that even pay for your flight to and from the country.
If I wasn’t a native English speaker, I would use websites like iTalki and teach people my language! You get paid to be someone’s language partner. There’s nothing like getting paid to have a conversation in the language you speak every day. These sites are hugely popular — and you don’t need to be a teacher.
Find something that moves you forward — even if it’s only a little bit. Then take the next step. Then the next. Then another.
Maybe along the way, you may find yourself with a new passion or in a new situation where you happen to feel at home.
But while you’re trying something new, you’ll at least be able to pay off some of your debt, have some cool adventures, and gain some life experience.
The world can be your oyster if you truly grab it! Whether you make minimum wage, are wheelchair bound, have to work on boats, or come from a developing country, you can make it happen. When you expand your worldview, you increase your possibilities.
Don’t make excuses as to why you can’t — find all the ways you can.
Stretch yourself. Piece a few things together. Use the web. Break out of your immediate circle.
The world can be your oyster if you let it.
What do you have to lose?
Addie
that’s a good philosophy if you’re single, but not so much for those who have a family…. still trying to save up every scrap penny to take all 6 of us to China one day… 🙂
NomadicMatt
Yes, I agree that this would be really hard if you had a family of 6!
Elaine Barnes
They will grow up quickly enough… I am just finding my travel wings now at 54…. for this reason. Your time will come
Seth
Save your money or set your sights on somewhere nice!
Lucas Rodrigues
When you are at the bottom you have little (to) lose – typo
NomadicMatt
Fixed! Thanks!
Lucas Rodrigues
Great post! I’m not broke (yet!) but if I were that’s exactly what I would do: risk it all which is nothing 😀 very inspirational, continue the awesome work Matt 😉
Dorothee
I was not broken, when I moved to another country for the first time, but I didn’t have children either. I was 57 when I moved on to another country for a job, because I was unemployed at home and got angry, that nobody would employ me anymore and my kids were all grown up. I think, kids are worth it to care about. It has to be planned carefully if braking up and not just to leave. None can take kids with her/him and e.g. go woofing or just trying to get money for the day. None should/can go to another place often, when having children. On this point I disagree with you, but for the people, who don’t have kids I strongly agree with you.
TF
I was in the Peace Corps, and it was the best thing I ever did. Not only did I get to travel and have great experiences but it permanently reset my priorities. But also, since I went to a middling state university for lack of funds, not SAT scores, to go to a top school, it opened doors to an international career I never could have had otherwise.
When my family has left the nest, I might sign up again.
P
Well, it is a horrible suggestion as only the elite few get in. University degree is needed and then most still do not get in. They want the Harvard elite at the moment not peasants (otherwise known as most of the people in the world) . There are several NGOs that do accept less extraordinary people.
A.B
I have a 7 years old boy and I’m doing this, all set for January 2017, I must say that I am really scared, when you have kids life isn’t easy but I try to be positive every single day about this big change, thanks for the post. Xxxx
Ray
For those who say “that’s great advice if you are single and all, but if you have children …” Why are you only thinking of overseas travel? Why not consider moving to another part of your country instead where job prospects might be potentially better for your career? Anything outside of your city would still be considered “travel” would it not?
NomadicMatt
That’s definitely an option too and I wasn’t implying it wasn’t….but I think overseas travel is a better option!
Elaine Barnes
I did not travel with my children but if I had my time again I would follow the example of friends of mine. Four months after the birth of their premature daughter they went travelling for a year…. seven year later they returned with a seven year old and a four year old… she gave birth to the second whilst travelling in Nepal … everything is possible
Leah
This is so inspirational and I 100% agree! It’s so important to realize that there is no perfect time to travel and to just go for it anyway!
Venkat Ganesh
Perfectly sums up what I think. There’s no right time to do the right things and one has to keep oneself open to new possibilities.
What I also believe is people need change their mindsets and think how they can solve a problem or fulfill their dreams instead of making excuses about why something can’t be done. As you said being broke (or losing your job) is the best time to go out there and give your dreams you best shot because there’s nothing left to lose.
Eric
I just want to say that the title to this article is absolutely fantastic. It made me click pretty much immediately, and the advice is good too, all a matter of perspective 🙂
Mebah
So inspirational. Keep up the good job Matt to encourage people who are going through difficult situations. This keeps our minds healthy for there is still hope to take another step in life when things seems so unrealistic.
Deena
We are in the middle of a 10 month RTW trip with our 2 teenagers. Don’t use children as an excuse to not travel.
JP
Matt, as always a great piece of writing; however, please note that Kris Kristifferson wrote “…freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose…” from the song ‘Me and Bobby McGee’. Janis Joplin did a very good cover version (Pink!’s version is the best IMHO). Keep up the great writing.
NomadicMatt
Noted.
John
And, for the record, George Clooney in that film was a self-serving sociopath.
A charming one, true.
Mack Sperling
I had to fact check that Kris Kristofferson wrote that song. And he did! Thanks.
Beance'
Try an “AuPair”. This past summer I was an AuPair in madrid…..basically you live with a host family that have children, and you tutor the kids and maybe light household duties in exchange for living and eating there,. Every week they paid me 80 € which stretched far in Europe, i was able to take mini vacation every single weekend with 80€, even to Paris and Morocco. They provide all meals, and families make you feel like a family member. I made the kids bed in the morning and helped them get ready for school, free throughout the day, than when they came home I tutored the children with work from school for about an hour, we played, i cooked very simple dinners for just the children that the parents recommended, and that’s about it . It was Amazing!
Efrutik
Hey, could you recommend an AuPair company, please? Perhaps the one you found your position with. Thanks
Dameisha
Love it!
Victoria
So true! Sometimes it is the easiest time to travel when you are broke and have no responsibility. That’s how I survived in Australia for a year-picking up jobs and working my way around.
Cara
Always a good read! So inspiring.
Cynthia Lewis
That\’s really a great advice for everyone!! It perfectly sums up, there is no perfect time for doing perfect things and one should always keep oneself open to new opportunities and ideas and explore the world.
chanelle
Thank you for this, I always find your posts so inspirational. You are right, only we can make it happen for ourselves, living this right now!
Nathanily
I just love this quotes of yours “When you have the fewest options is when you really have the most options.” Wow! this so inspiring. After all, you might even see a bigger picture when you go through something. Thanks for your sharing this.
Lydia
This is quite an interesting perspective. haha..i don’t know if everyone I know will see it the same way 😉
But nice post
Shelby
While I think it’s a beautiful sentiment, and I do in part agree with the idea behind this post, I find it unfortunate that this post comes from such an extreme place of privilege. As someone already mentioned, some people have families, children, perhaps even elderly parents or relatives to care for. Some people may sit so deep in a cycle of poverty that it isn’t actually possible for them to “pad their wallets” to buy a plane ticket. When people have already moved to a different city for a new start, live in a closet of an apartment that they still can hardly afford, and actively choose between paying for electricity and paying for food, all while already working perhaps 2 or 3 jobs, they can’t just pack up and leave. Let’s also not forget that, as American citizens, we have access to a lot of countries that people from other countries may not have access to. Work and travel visas are only available to people of certain ages. And visas tend to be incredibly expensive to begin with. Applying for a visa also means having the time and transportation to be able to get to an embassy or consulate, which people reliant on the majority of the US’s terrible public transportation systems may not be able to feasibly achieve. So yes, people who have the opportunity and resources to do so should leave everything to go travel. I’m all for that. I was lucky enough to do that, too. But let’s not pretend that this opportunity is available to everyone.
NomadicMatt
You’re right. This advice is not for everyone and travel is a privilege. I’ve written about it before: https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/travel-privilege/
And I’ve also written about how many people can’t travel for all the reasons you’ve listed. I’m with you.
Not everything I write will appeal to 100% of the people 100% of the time…but that doesn’t mean this can’t work for someone.
Kenneth
Awesome post Matt. Fortunately I’m not in that situation, but its inspiring none the less. Thanks for the consistent great articles and all the advice and entertainment you give us!
Melina
I totaly agree with those who have said it’s a great idea otherwise, but not when you have children… It’s not right towards them to just drop everything they have grown up with and grown to love, make them lose it forever! Those who say you should do so are very selfish. Kids do need a home to live in, plus school if they are of that age. I have myself dropped everything twice, first time not having kids yet, and the second time with a 3 year old (easier with a small one, as it was before school age). So I definitely know what I’m talking about, and while I would love to just go, I just can’t do that to my kids, not now. To call that an “excuse” is superbly selfish.
Deveny
I’m in high school and my parents dropped everything to take us around the world and I could not be happier. My parents are definitely not selfish they are giving us an education we would never receive in a public school. I have not lost my home or my school they will be there when I get back, but until then I homeschool. My parents do not consider me an “excuse” to travel, I am the reason we’re traveling.
Addie
you are very lucky to be able to do this – and still have a home to “go home to” – in order for my husband and I (and our 4 small kids) to afford the kind of trip you are on, we would have to sell our home (which we both already work 2-3 jobs and our house is our only debt)…. I would love to travel as a family (definitely my dream) but for most, it just isn’t an option… at least not for now (and at this point in their lives, it would most definitely disrupt our kids – they would love it for about 2 weeks and then they would be ready to be home, they thrive on consistency)… so maybe when they are older like you are!)… enjoy your trip for all of those who wish we were with you!
NomadicMatt
See my comment to Shelby on this subject.
Charlie Marchant
It’s so difficult to make that leap outside of your comfort zone, and especially so when you’re broke. I found that deciding to travel really propelled me forward in looking for remote work and also into becoming a house sitter to make sure I was able to keep travelling and didn’t end up completely broke. 3 years later and I’m still travelling, so I guess taking the risk worked out!
Bayley
As someone who will be graduating college in a year, this post gives me the inspirationI need to travel after school! But while all of these tips are helpful, they seem to shy away from getting the money to actually go to wherever you want to-unless you get lucky and find a job that will pay for your travels.
Shevy
Best advice for single people. Im not broke but currently planning my next trip. 🙂
Blair
Matt, I agree with your point of view on this. It’s about shifting your thinking.
My wife & I both lost our jobs during the recession a few years ago and decided to hit the reset button. We traveled SE Asia for 2 months . . . and ended up staying for 8 months. What do you really have to lose? It was one of the best decisions we ever made.
Isabella Biava
Hey Matt! hello again! i found this blog both interesting and very true. Paradoxically it is the opposite situation that makes it difficult for you (me in this case) to leave everything and travel. I have a (supposedly) great job and good money but I feel stuck in my routine and I am not enjoying it anymore. I am longing for (and at the seam time fearing) the feeling of living a nomadic life and seeing the world, but I am also torn about the thought that it might be stupid to leave everything behind. Even though I know it ‘s not, but there is always that voice in the back of my mind telling me that I am crazy if I do it .. tough!! and the fear that as soon as something goes wrong that same voice would say, ” told you so”!!
Vinita
Hello Matt 🙂
This is reality travel is the best cure for broken person. Nowadays its common to us and best part of this is that we return back with great memories.:-)
Keep Travelling & happy Travellingv
Liz
The best and most memorable trips for us have often been the least expensive. We recently took a road trip to Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado, which cost less than $300 for a full week of adventure. Thanks for all of your writing!
Jen
I love this!
For some reason I always have more money when traveling then when I’m at home maintaining an apartment.
Now after finding a cheap place for a home base in AZ, I’m trying to do both.
I was thinking I should pay some things off before my next trip but this post reminded me that life is short and there’s no time to travel like now. Thanks!
Rob
This is a great guide. I remember one great article you did in 2012 on the types of jobs one can find around the world to help you travel. Traveling when broke is sensible as you can work and use that money to pay through your travels. You would however need to spend quite some time in each place to earn enough to move on. Bar tender jobs are most appealing to me as you have fun while working and meeting new people… and being the occasional shrink..
Mary
The right time or place to travel is different for everyone. I am an oldster, just back from a month in Thailand, 68, female and I travel alone. My daughter has limited time and resources, (widowed, teacher) yet she travels with her boys. As a widowed teacher her funds are far from large. So, she gets a national parks pass, totes a tent trailer and takes her boys to national parks for the summer. As she says besides the pass her sole extra expense is gasoline. These boys are fishing, hiking and seeing the good old USA the way young boys should, with nature, fishing poles in hand and seeing wildlife across the United States. They have seen wonderful places like the Grand Canyon.and the red woods. Kids can be a good reason to travel and travel does not need to be beyond US borders. With a little inventiveness and perhaps saving up vacation weeks in country travel can be very valuable. Camping is glorious fun for kids and moms and dads at that age can easily handle setting up camp and building a campfire. These boys will have more travel experiences than many their age, even tho it is in country. Stretch beyond and GO! You are never too young or too old, GO!
Mima Isono
I’m on board with your point of view here. I was broke when travelling solo to South Africa in 2008. It was a turning point in my life. Looking back, I’m so glad I took such a bold decision regardless the limited resources at hand.
— from Tokyo
Trupti
Great post Matt, inspiring me to set out on that much awaited trip and fulfill my bucket list.
Candy
Have been in a bit of a rut.. that I put myself in, but have been fortunate to travel to a few places this year. This really helped lift my spirits and give me a positive outlook. Thanks for that! 🙂
Tim
“We often leave a situation only when we are the most secure. ” – This is the most inspirational statement that I gathered from your essay. I completely agree with you that you have nothing to lose when you are broke. If one is willing to take the risk, he or she will definitely find a way out. Thanks for the beautiful essay that you have written. It has propelled me to travel more in the new year.
Ashok
“When you have the fewest options is when you really have the most options”. This statement carries a deep thought. There are many thing in life which we abandon just because of insecurities. But when you’ve nothing, you really don’t care what if how it’s going to turn out. I’m an internet marketer and since past 6 months I haven’t stepped out much just because of work. But after reading this, I’m more determined to change the scenario in 2017!
Hannah
You are so right there is no perfect time to start traveling.
Josh
Great post Matt. I also find that traveling tends to be rewarding an enjoyable when you’re on a budget. When you have money, you stay in hotels and typically do touristy things. However, when you’re broke as can be, those things tend to be expensive 😉 Instead, you stay with locals using CouchSurfing or sleep in a dorm in a hostel, where you meet people from all walks of life. That, more often than not, is where the joy from traveling comes from- the people you meet, the things they show you, and the memories you share together 🙂
meryam
Thanks for this post, Matt. I also think that you don’t have to go very far to travel. You can stay within your state (for those in the U.S.) or go a town over. It might be less exotic but with the right mindset, it can scratch the travel itch. I love pulling up Google Maps and browsing around my city to see what would new for me.
Burcu Basar
Great post. Some of us are so much invested in classical ways of earning money (lawyering, doctors etc.) that we lose the sights of things and ignore potentially other ways where you can still earn some money to carry on your life. I need to be open to more alternatives as well and new ways of earning money also when traveling.
Al Kadam
I quit job 18 months ago to go backpacking around Asia, now I am about to file for bankruptcy being grounded on debt. I wanna travel some more but I will have to book my flight tickets using again my credit card. Do you advice me to proceed? 🙂
Mike
Interesting, it is like a new perspective. Many people i know say no money to travel, but here i am reading, no money go travel. No matter how broke you are, you still need some money in your bank account, what was your most budget travel experience? How did you manage hack it through?
Talha
Helpful and inspiring.
Thank you.
Looking forward to find something and take the next steps.
emy
This is a good one Mike! Although i am not so keen on travelling now, i can share this to my relatives and friends…
Really inspiring for people with no idea on how to move on….
Gustavo Woltmann
Thank you for the good idea. Travelling can give you a peace of mind and refill your energy to get back on work again.
-gustavo woltmann
Tamara
Appreciate this and many of your other articles! We have some debt and a family of 6, but we are selling our house, cars, and furniture to start traveling in June. We can’t wait!! Looking forward to finding our way and ways to help us move forward and travel longer.
Let's Fly Travel
I just want to say that the title to this article is absolutely fantastic. It made me click pretty much immediately, and the advice is good too, all a matter of perspective ?