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IN 2010, RON Tipan left his job as a building technician in Chicago to set off on a 12-country, two-year trip through Central and South America and Asia, looking for opportunities to volunteer and help communities in need.
He did it all on $12,000 (€10,603).
“It took me about ten years to save that much money,” he says.
He explains that he kept himself from touching the money unless it was an emergency, although he did have a few that necessitated a raid on the account, into which he also put a portion of his tax refund.
“A year before I left for my travel, I decided to cut down on bills,” Tipan says.
“I sold my car, since I lived in the city, and paid off my all my credit cards. I ended up only having one credit card — American Express, which you have to pay all right away — and a bank card.”
He also did a little fundraising for an organization in Peru he planned to visit.
“I started in Argentina, then I would visit nearby countries such as Uruguay, Chile, then Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru,” he says.
Then from there, I jumped to Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Nepal, Malaysia, and then I went to visit friend that I met in Peru in Belgium. I would generally stay for about a month or longer per country, depending on what I planned to do there. The longest that I stayed in one country was nine months, in Peru, because I volunteered for two different organizations there.
I still surprise myself that I was able to make my money last that long,” Tipan says. Largely, he did it by Couchsurfing, cooking his meals at home, and passing up expensive side trips that would drain his budget. When asked about his best advice for others who want to travel without spending a fortune, Tipan provides the following list, in his own words:
Tipan has spent the last year in in Panajachel, Guatemala, where he currently works as a database and website coordinator for Mayan Families. “I feel like living in different countries, even if I would only earn enough to get by, would be great just so I can have plenty of time to explore,” he says.
I can’t find a job that would let me travel, so why not just live there and be a part of it?
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Sounds like the longest holiday ever with absolutely no craic
You mean crack
so journal when you say travel the world you mean 12 countries.
I met people abroad before who proudly stated how much they managed to live off in a day while travelling. After a while you’d get to realise that most of them were spongers, living at the cost of the locals, or cleverly using their friendliness to get people to buy drinks for them, and not be seen when it was time for them to buy one back.
I saw this too. Better 3 months travelling and living up properly than a year scrapping in my opinion. Met people in hostels on about how much they hated home yet they never left the hostel or the free computer for the week and probably every other week telling their friends at home what a great time they were having. These type of “backpackers” are very annoying. Their only away so they can tell people they are away
This boy has practically seen the world for less than €11,000 and also helped people along the way. I salute you young man
Eh, he travelled thru 12 countries, considering there’s approx 200 I don’t think think you could say he’s seen the world. Fair dues to him though, I’m jealous!
Number one tip…,,,,,,leave wife and visa at home
but leave them separately.
Most people who go on holidays waste ridiculous amounts of money. A pint in The Algarve varies from 80c to €4. A meal with wine in a tourist street from say €50 pp to €8 in a local restaurant. It costs nothing to walk along a 5Km beach but €20 to rent a sun bed. Fly Wednesday to Wednesday costs half Saturday to Saturday. Off season rent an apartment after haggling for a quarter the cost in August. A local wine can be a tenth an imported wine. Etc….
I’d rather work another year or two and actually have a bit of a life as I travel.
slow clap for mastering a budget
Americans pay more taxes and generally have less money
That’s not true. VAT here is 23% The equivalent in the US is maybe 8% Far less tax on fuel, cars, liqueur etc.. No BIK. Etc…….
ten years to save $12000 crikey that’s about $20 a week or $40 biweekly. he certainly used the holiday funds a lot at home. He was well short of $200 biweekly saving target. have to admire him though.
Not for me
I dunno man . I emigrated and had some money saved. We stayed in hotels when we first landed and I’ve always regretted missing out on the Craic in the cheap hostels. I know it’s a little different with this guy but next time I travel I’ll be slumming it for sure. Just to try it… !
Hold on I thought a lot of people do this? At least my generation did (college in the 90′s). Save for a year or two and then go travelling for 6-18 months? Those who stayed away longer would have found local work. A third of my friends have done this, some never came back. I did my trip for €7k in initial savings (after flight was bought), travelled intimately thru 8 countries ( including 2 big ones: India and Australia which are really continents). I managed to stay away for 13 months as I was able to find work in SE Asia. I could have stayed away longer except I didn’t bother looking for work in Oz.
I backpacked around the world for almost 3 years. I worked for a few months in Oz and Nz to keep going but left Ireland with only €2000.
How did you manage that financially?
Ffs ‘craic ‘ – it’s crack, it has always been crack until the faux Gaels decided to appropriate it.
Ffs people splitting heirs. Whatever. You must be wild “crack” at a party.
I stayed in hostels all over Canada a couple of cities in the USA. All over Australia. A few different European country’s and one in galway ; ) I stayed in one for 3 months.
cool save up 21K and then go around the wor-…… 12 countries hope you had a good time and getting the money for this click bait article
Peace
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