Overcome the 'I'm Too Poor to Travel' Mindset: Unlock Affordable Adventures
Every "would-be" traveler thinks, that his situation is special, that he cannot travel because of that or this. Well, usually it's not only about travel, but also a lot of other things or dreams in his life. People are always making excuses to explain their inability to follow their dreams.
I cannot workout because there's no any gym near my home. I tried to eat 2 instead of 3 pizzas a week, but after two weeks I realized that I did not loose any weight, so I stopped. Etc.
Well, the problem is, that we just never try and using excuses it's just much easier. But we also have to remember a very smart quote: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
Money, money..
When it comes to travel, we usually think that we have no money for that. We must pay our debts: for a house or for a car. We have to buy new bigger TV, new faster computer, microwave. We have to eat in very expensive restaurants or make any other things just for show. We have to work for others to see that we are special. But there's something wrong: we forget, that first of all you have to see yourself special. And whet it will happen, you will stop care what other people thinks of you. And then you will start to live your own life, not just the fake show.
There's one thing I learned from talking to other people: usually not money are the problem, but their mindsets.
Other travelers are lucky
Another barrier is when you think that other travelers you can find on the internet (like me) are lucky: they probably are from rich families and have money from parents or they had an idea that makes them earn a lot of money. Well, maybe sometimes it's true, but most travelers I know are not that type of guys. They work hard and make a lot of sacrifices to earn for another trip. it's not an easy way of life, but they are one of the happiest people I know. People, who are not afraid to follow their dreams. And, proudly, I'm also one of them.
People have to realize, that their circumstances are not different and everyone else who travels has money or privilege they don’t. They just have to believe and start doing something, to make their travel wishes come true. Wouldn't be nice to start doing this today, not tomorrow?
Tomorrow is always a bad idea.
Especially, that you are not poor: you just have to change your mind a bit. If you truly want to travel, you will always find a way, even if it will have to take few years. Just stop saying "I'm too poor to travel" and stop making excuses.
Roadblocks
Oh, and one more thing. Of course, there will be a lot of roadblocks. Of course, there will be people saying "You cannot travel". There will be a lot of bad things: bills, car payments, debts, family, expensive flights. All you have to do is just to sit and think how to deal with it. Trust me, the only difference between those travelers that's all the time on the road and you is that they just keep saying "yes" and struggle with anything that stands in front of them.
Not only "Yes, I can". What else can I do?
I know that to start traveling is not just about saying "Yes, I can travel like them", but it's a good and major step. It's all in our minds, trust me. Say yes and start to think how to realize your dreams. Make plans. Find occasions. Try to stop spending so much every day, think how you can save some money. Give up restaurants or Starbucks, cook your own food. Drink less alcohol. Start walking to work or use public communication instead of a car. Maybe gave up your cable? Sell your TV (there's nothing smart there, just time killers). Sell some old stuff on eBay, stop going to the cinema. Note your expenses.
There are always ways to reduce expenses, you just have to find it.
Find an extra job, maybe become a local tour guide. Have you got a car? Start working as a Uber driver or find someone to share your drives to reduce gas cost. Rent your spare room on Airbnb or find a roommate. If you studying, maybe work on a holiday in other country or on pub or restaurant during evenings after school. Small steps will build great things. Just don't stop believing and never say never.
Specify your goals, make plans
Clearly, specify your goals. If you want to go to Africa, you have to get the knowledge how much it will cost you. Find cheap accommodation, try to find as cheap car rental as you can. Start to collect data: how much food costs there, how much for a gas. How much will cost me the entrance to that place I want to visit? Build your stylesheet in Excel or OpenOffice Calc. Build you travel map. Get info about cities you want to visit. Find a number of miles you will have to drive on Google Maps. Count as much expensive as you can and take a bit more money for any unexpected expenses (trust me, there will be unexpected expenses).
I have met some people on the road who told me, that they were earning a minimum wage in their countries, but they never gave up, they were saving just small amounts of money every month. Many sacrifices later they started to be very happy following their dreams. Of course, if you have lower incomes, it will take longer to earn for a travel, but you have to realize that longer does not mean never.
Longer does not mean never.
There is a simple truth: if you won't believe you can travel, you just never will. So stop making excuses and start defining your goals and making plans. Be unstoppable and unbreakable. Be solid as a rock.Never stop believing.
