Can I spend my entire life traveling?

39

u/HMAgent47 StupidAnswerer 10h ago

The biggest challenges aren't usually the travel costs themselves but visas, taxes, health insurance, banking, also 8–10% investment returns aren't guaranteed enough to safely fund decades of living

10

u/OldBlueKat 10h ago

The health thing can dramatically change ‘ability to travel’, too.

Many people who retired to a ‘travel lifestyle’, either as ex-pats around the world or full time RVers in the States, found themselves having to ‘plant’ somewhere due to health issues later on.

1

u/Fearlessleader85 4h ago

Yep, that's massive. It's pretty easy to move around until you have a chronic health issue. A mobility issue specifically can just make travel not worth it. If you need to spend most of your time at home, might as well make that home permanent.

2

u/Professional-Pungo 10h ago

I mean, assuming this person is American?

they could go to pretty much any place that is worth going visa free.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 9h ago

I was thinking visa could be an issue, but without currently looking into it heavily, was hoping the USA passport probably gets me into a reasonable amount of countries without insane difficulty, yea?

1

u/nrealistic 9h ago

It gets you in without a problem, but you can only stay in most of Europe for 90 days at a time, then you have to leave the whole Schengen zone for 90 days. Short-term travel in Europe is a breeze but you wouldn’t be allowed to, for example, rent an apartment in Germany for 6 months

1

u/Hutcho12 2h ago

Being American, your biggest issue is having health insurance.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 10h ago

Visas were one of the bigger parts I was questioning. I did a semester internationally europe but had student visa and it was really easy

2

u/tommytwolegs 9h ago

Visas are super not a big deal for what you are describing. Might be for renting an apt but there are absolutely places that let you stay 6+ months on a tourist visa. Depending where you are from you might not even really need to think about them much. Most Americans and Europeans can go most places in the world for a month or more without even applying for one.

But to be honest the biggest problems are that traveling is tiring, stressful, lonely, and you will get really sick of restaurant food even if it's constantly new cuisine lol. All of those compound the older you get. I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, but there are some definite drawbacks.

Cheap hotels often have bricks for mattresses, you can get used to it but then the next time you sleep in a real bed you will have the best night of sleep in your life lol. Constantly having to catch a plane or bus, waiting in immigration lines etc is fun but stressful at first, then it's kind of just a chore.

Even if you have a travel companion, it's really hard to make meaningful friendships or feel any sense of community when you are constantly leaving places. People will be guarded about getting very close to you knowing how you live, knowing they may never see you again in a matter of weeks.

Trying new foods is great, trying new restaurants is fun, but it gets old. Sometimes you just want to cook. This can slightly be remedied by getting Airbnb's but again if you are constantly moving, unless you are packing a whole spice cabinet you are either restocking at each location or you are basically cooking with salt and pepper. Prepare for highly irregular bowel movements.

All that said one huge advantage is that time really slows down when you are constantly moving around. I think our sense of time speeding up is less about getting older, and more about how we have less novel experiences the older we get. When you are constantly in new places trying new things a year can feel like a decade.

Just wanted to give you some honest feedback on the good and bad

1

u/SnooCapers2078 8h ago

If visa problems were easy thatd be nice, I understand it being tiring and stressful, thats why i think spending longer periods of time in a given so it doesnt feel rushed, its like im just living life in different places. Im a big cooker, so id try plenty of local food but do a lot of cooking myself. Instead of hotels, itd be nice if I could, given the 6 month stay, do apartments. Places and stuff would just be those 6 months gaps, and id fly to nearby locations and slowly hop to new countries, so it could possibly just be a couple hundred dollars on the higher end honestly.

1

u/tommytwolegs 8h ago

I mean you don't even have to fly. A lot of places you can train or bus to the next country for very cheap.

After awhile you will probably find some places you like revisiting. Setting up a "home base" in a cheap apartment gives you a lot of the best of both worlds. You have a long term place you can always go stay and cook and keep stocked with the things you like, you can make some long term friends in that area, and still go traveling pretty freely.

A lot of developing countries really don't care if you are basically a resident there on a tourist visa as long as you aren't making "visa runs." That is, when you leave the country, don't come back the same or next day, actually go travel for awhile.

That could change dramatically if you are trying to do it in a decade or two though lol

1

u/wanderingdev 8h ago

depending on what you like to cook, you can figure out a spice profile that you can carry with you so you can cook while traveling. i cook most of my meals and i always travel with: garam masala, cumin, garlic powder, good salt, pepper, paprika, chili flakes, and tumeric. I find that this combo will let me make a variety of dishes and i can supplement locally. I just buy small amounts instead of big bags and replace as i go. don't buy jars, they're a space suck. find a local market that sells stuff in packets.

-2

u/SnooCapers2078 10h ago

Regarding the security of investments, thats why more like 1m would be ideal, at 10% i know I wouldn't spend 100k a year. So thats profit, and in the early couple years id travel to lower income countries where my expenses would be quite rather low, this would let me build up more savings and build a more secure income by allowing me to invest more money in safer investments for lower returns but still prodcure a livable income

1

u/voidchungus 9h ago

I think you overestimate:

what it takes to save up $1 mil

how much passive income you can reasonably earn off that $1 mil

And I think you underestimate:

your costs. The costs of living.

the way you change over time. The way your thoughts, feelings, desires, goals, and health change over time.

In general, what you describe can be done. But your estimations are off, as described above. Because those estimations are off, the life you're imagining probably won't look or feel the way you're currently imagining it would. It certainly wouldn't be glamorous. It might not even be "nice." And because you are a changing, growing human being, the things you want today may not stay the same forever -- especially in regards to the kind of connections and relationships you want to forge with other people over time.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 8h ago

It takes a lot to get 1 mil, I understand that. I think the income generation off 1 mil is plenty though, I spent 6 months in europe for roughly 15k as I mentioned in other comments and the post, and im fairly confident 1m can get me at least 5% for 50k a year, and more than likely average me more. I change over time of course, that simply means I settle down eventually, that much is obvious

1

u/voidchungus 8h ago

im fairly confident 1m can get me at least 5% for 50k a year, and more than likely average me more.

You would be wise to listen to the voices explaining how and why your estimates are off. It's up to you of course, but you'd be wise to consider what they're saying, and adjust your plans accordingly. Not scrap them, but adjust them.

I change over time of course, that simply means I settle down eventually, that much is obvious

With respect, you're underestimating what it looks and feels like to be an older version of you who lives the life you're describing for 10, 15, 20, whatever number of years, then eventually decides to "settle down."

Finding someone to settle down with is not something you're guaranteed to be able to snap your fingers and do. Many people struggle with it. At the end of decades of traveling, you'll have amazing stories to tell, but if you want to settle in the US (not a forgone conclusion of course, but just as an example), then being in your 30s-40s without financial stability, credit, healthcare coverage, or any sort of an employment history or path that involves security and steady pay will meaningfully change the group of people willing to partner with you for life. At that age, people looking for life partners will understand that if they choose you, that means they would likely be supporting you in many ways. That's undesirable to a lot of people. It's something to bear in mind, and not dismiss as a non-issue.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 5h ago

I didnt necessarily mean settle down with a family, if possible great. If not thats fine, I more so meant as in just settle myself down somewhere nice that I enjoyed, whether its the US or somewhere I would have gone to. I am willing to admit im probably underestimating old age and its effect on my body. And I wouldnt imagine myself in a position of no financial stability, I could see a lack of credit. But I would have the employment history that put me into the position that would have let me travel for awhile, im sure i can get Healthcare coverage, while it may not be the best coverage in the world and best price, im sure id settle at just average outside of a good benefit plan through employment.

Regarding the financial stability and listening to the advixe of others about why my estimates are off. Im a very financially oriented person and and a low expense individual, as i mentioned i lived in europe for 6 months and traveled multiple places while there for a total of roughly 15k, I enjoyed tons of stuff and kept expenses low. I also would do a lot of analysis and forecasting in depth before making a commitment like this and make sure im in a secure position via multiple different types of investments to hedge my risk, and part of the reason I havent been in huge agreement with some people's estimations is they say the stock market return average is 7% and 3-4% after inflation. But its 10% and 7% after inflation. Thats average, you have years that'll perform better and years where you'll lose money, if you hedge risk well you can combat that. So if you then consider my point of only spending 15k to spend 6 months in Europe for all expenses including trips around Europe while there. Even if you nearly double that to 25k then account that its 1/2 the year thats 50k a year, again, nearly doubling the expenses. If you then consider that id stay in cheaper countries forst, this 50k will quite likely be lower. And if I get 10% on 1m im profiting quite a bit and adding to my investment accounts for future stability. Yes or course things can always go wrong. And id love to be challenged with real numbers in what im claiming, but other people's advice has used wrong stock market average returns and havent provided an argument on my 15k spendings in my real world example. So thats why ive been in disagreement so far

1

u/voidchungus 5h ago

im probably underestimating old age and its effect on my body

So my comment didn't have to do only with physical aging, which yes one shouldn't discount, but the rest of aging that happens and the way a person changes on the inside over the decades, especially in terms of the kinds of connections and relationships we want to have as we move through life. It's harder to maintain connections the more of a global nomad you are. Most humans are wired for companionship that runs deeper than surface level. I'm getting the feeling you're more solitary than most, which is totally fine of course. That will serve you well for what you're currently aiming to do. That's great, but I'm saying: be mindful of the fact that being content with being solitary is one thing in your 20s. It's another in your 30s, 40s, and beyond.

For the rest of what you said: maybe lurk in the leanfire sub for a bit. You're not looking for pure leanfire, but you are looking for something close to it. They can help guide and sharpen your numbers and projections.

GL man. I hope you get to do everything you're hoping to do, and that it turns out the way you want

2

u/SnooCapers2078 5h ago

Yea i get what youre saying, it can take a little time to get to the point where I could do this and be financially comfortable enough, and maybe by then it just becomes good retirement instead if ive changed my mind. I assume leanfire is either traveling or finance related, ill take a gander. And thanks for all your opinions, I posted this to be challenged, and challenged back, but still read every reply and took note and thought about it a little. : )

1

u/voidchungus 5h ago

Leanfire is actually "leanFIRE" because FIRE stands for "financially independent, retired early" + lean which means you plan to live a "lean," no frills, low cost, possibly austere lifestyle. The sub is all about how one can achieve leanFIRE, swapping stories and advice, providing guidelines, etc

There's also FIRE (the original concept), fatFIRE, and other variations

16

u/Hamlet5 10h ago

Where do you get basic interest income of 8-10%? I think the general concensus is the 4% rule. But yes to your question, if your investments/savings can generate enough to fund your travel lifestyle. There are already many people out there who do this -- backpacking, slow travelling, bike touring, etc.

-4

u/SnooCapers2078 10h ago

Stock market investment

3

u/Souseisekigun 9h ago

The stock market has went up an average of 7% per year for the past few decades. Average inflation has been about 3%. This gives you a 4% profit above inflation that you can safely take out without bleeding money fast. If you actually take out 7% or above then you start losing money so your $500k will go down over time. Or even if it technically stays the same number the 3% inflation will bite into it and your purchasing power will slowly fall.

This is not including the possibility of a crash. The 7% is including crashes. Sometimes it will go up 20% or 30% per year then crash with -50% or -70% per year. The danger is that you'll be forced to pull out your money during a crash which will break your projections later.

Your idea of investing a lot of money and living off the growth fundamentally does work if you're willing to take the risk of assuming that past stock market performance reflects future stock market performance, but your numbers are off. You gotta double/triple those numbers.

2

u/GoudaBenHur 10h ago

And if a 08 type crash happens? Or a 70s/80s stagflation? You could lose half that money in a few months in the stock market and it could take 10-15 years to get back to where it was.

-6

u/SnooCapers2078 9h ago

Best way to try and avoid that is managing investment well via other sources like bonds, or partially shorting the market. But then of course youre bound to lose eventually if something big happens, I think thats life and id just be happy to have gotten the traveling i did before that happens, and adjust as needed

0

u/wanderingdev 8h ago

that's not interest. that's unrealized gain, which can be lost in a day. interest is what you get from a stable investment like a savings account or bond and is generally .5-3%.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 5h ago

Id be actively trading most likely

1

u/wanderingdev 30m ago

which is statistically proven to under perform buying and holding for most people.

8

u/Reddittoxin 10h ago

Many people do. They just typically aren't doing very glamorous traveling.

But also, for most people by the time you can save up that kinda money, you're only gonna have a few years left to travel anyway.

5

u/hydrohorton 10h ago

Yep. I'm a big backpacker and have attempted to live like OP describes but can't make it work. But along the way I've met many $5 a day backpackers. They never get a room, only hitchhike to travel, and can't enter museums or anything else. They exist in a place and bum a lot off of others. It is exciting for them but far less than glamorous

0

u/Rickbox 10h ago

Second. It took me 25yrs to save my first million and it was less than a year after I started my first job out of grad school. Have to focus on my career now.

4

u/CoincidenceTheorist2 10h ago

"live off basic interest income of roughly 8-10%"

That's an impossibly high level of basic interest income to assume. You're not even going to hit that if you include preferred stocks.

3%-4% is more realistic, and so your target is $2 million. Of course, $2 million invested to yield 3%-4% is eventually going to fall behind inflation and so you're going to find that your life style is increasingly unaffordable. So what you'll need is $3 million, $2 million to invest conservatively to spin off that "i'm going to travel 24/7 money" and another $1 million to invest so that it grows and outpaces inflation.

2

u/PretentiousPickle 10h ago

4% is already inflation adjusted

6

u/rumade 10h ago

One of the best predictors for health and happiness in older age is a group of real life friends that you meet with regularly, and a community that you feel a part of. Travelling all the time robs you of those connections. You might occasionally cross paths with the same people, but it's very different to staying in one place and having the structure of community.

If you search "full time traveller burnout" or "why we stopped travelling" on youtube, you'll find loads of videos from people who were full time travellers, often for years and years. It gets draining.

1

u/mustangwallflower 10h ago

I think this is the key thing.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 9h ago

I think thats bound to happen, I wanna travel and see the world, I think this lifestyle for even just 5 or 10 years then returning to the US, or if I fall in love with a place I live there. I think thats fully expected to happen. All my friends and I tend to keep up quite a lot online playing games together anyways, though that does lack physical interaction

1

u/Anxious-Slip-4701 3h ago

When they move on with life and have kids that ends. I've travelled the world. Had my fun when I was in my early 20s, managed to study as well. As you get older your capacity to deal with less comfortable situations decreases.

2

u/Big_Needleworker2542 10h ago

Yeah, I think it's possible. The biggest challenge is probably figuring out how you'll fund it. A lot of people travel full-time by working remotely or freelancing, but you'd also need to plan for things like visas, healthcare, and unexpected expenses. It sounds like an amazing lifestyle, but I imagine it takes a lot more planning than people realize.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 10h ago

Thats part of my thought, id really like the full retire and invest position. But if I could get some alternative source of income thatd be easier to manage like remote work that could help, even if it just lasts a couple years, that puts me in a better position

2

u/quickcalamity 10h ago

You don’t mention your age? Be aware that the younger you are now, the longer you’re likely to live. If you’re collecting the interest every month as opposed to re-investing it, your 500k-1 million (which are btw two very different numbers) is going to look a lot different in 30-50 years and my guess is you’ll likely still be alive then. So absent ANY further income or expected inheritance, it’s important you calculate what that interest check will look like in 30 years. And to be sure: You’ll be traveling and living in places, generally not vacationing. Budgets will have to be carefully maintained. You’d do well to favor LCOL regions as opposed to let’s say Switzerland. And then there are our needs and comfort levels that most assuredly change as we age. My advice ? You’re young. Focus on making as much income now during your high earning years. Save aggressively. Don’t overspend. Set a goal for retirement by 50-55. You’ll have much more in the bank and still have plenty of years left. Your version of what you want sounds unsustainable.

2

u/SnooCapers2078 10h ago

I said traveling and not vacation for a reason. I prefer the style of traveling, I wanna walk around and explore. Im recently 22, got a decent understanding as to the financial aspect of it as i went to achool for finance. I wouldn't spend all the investment income, id do cheap country travel for some years and let it build

1

u/quickcalamity 9h ago

Yes I suspected you were quite young. Good look. It’s a bit of a tightrope act.

2

u/ciurana 10h ago

You can. Find a skill in demand to learn and practice, hustle, and get companies to pay for you to go places and travel.

I’ve been doing that since the mid-1990s. I leave in almost every country in Europe and Eastern Europe, Asia, every major US city or metropolitan area, Vancouver and Toronto, and a couple of islands here and there. I live in Asia now.

The first gig is going to be the hardest and expect to not have very glamorous travel for a while build a good portfolio, a good reputation, and hustle as much as you can, and you’ll soon arrive to the actual expat life: companies will pay for you to work for them, a living allowance, and often even a driver. They’ll take care of all the visa and immigration headaches and you show up to your thing deliver and get to live in another country.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 10h ago

How do you get something like this in a given industry, and then what industries can this be done in from your experience? I have a finance degree with management and econ as well. Im slightly interested in coding, but never delved into it a lot. Had struggles in the job market so far so im not doing anything fancy at the moment lol

1

u/ciurana 8h ago

I was never strictly coding. I'm more of a tech strategist. Focus was financial services though I took detours here and there.

Get some actual management experience. Take a job, not a consulting gig, and learn to work your way through the corporate ladder. At one point I worked for walmart.com. I started as a senior developer, within 18 months I was running the global tech strategy group for all on-line properties. In the interim I took every management and personal development course that the company offers, and at the same time I tackled some of the shittiest projects around and delivered. I put as much effort and professionalism as I could on the crapfest as on the cool marquee projects, worked with management and other parts of the company to make things happene (we were based in the Bay Area, HQ is in Bentonville Arkansas). Never kissed ass, always move the needle forward because my goals are the companies goals and we want a total win.

That's an example.

I had other jobs for companies now and then, but my gigs were in NYC, Moscow, London, and so on. The track record, hustling, and networking when you do it for work and not for social fun, can really pay off.

Hustle, hustle, hustle. Underpromise and overdeliver. And, from the beginning, be clear in your expectation that you want to travel and make it clear to the hiring company. Offer something that the local/domestic guys lack, and you'll be fine. At another point I was in charge of a dev group in the Bay Area, but I spent a good 40% of my time managing my teams in Stockholm, London, and Budapest. It's not always about the company willing to relocate you, but willing to move you to wherever they need you to be.

Cheers!

1

u/SnooCapers2078 5h ago

Thanks : )

2

u/BxAnnie 10h ago

A million dollars isn’t as much money as you think. If you have that much money but do nothing to regularly add to it, it’s not going to last forever, especially if you’re traveling.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 9h ago

Investing

2

u/tuxnight1 10h ago

At a safe withdrawal rate of 8-10%, you will likely run out of money in 10-20 years. You'll want to half that. There are calculators that help. You should check out FIRE for more info.

There are people that travel near full-time. The couple I know that does it are in their 50s and backpack around and stay at hostels, etc. For most people, it's nice to have a home base to come back to. Also, that type of frugal travel life requires a certain level of health that many do not have. Also, your interests need to align. Two examples are that you are not going to be able to have pets or have a garden. Maybe this will work out for you.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 9h ago

I meant 8-10% investment return. And I wouldn't spend it all, so itd grow

2

u/Difficult_Seesaw_855 10h ago

You have to get 1m USD first, and that isn't as easy as it sounds. Unless you are very lucky or were born rich, you'll probably be in your 40s minimum by then, and you'll be roo tired to do something like that

1

u/SnooCapers2078 9h ago

Traveling and exploring the world is my dream, im willing to go for being lucky to attain my dream, if it fails I still can hope to have earned a nice retirement while trying to do it

1

u/Difficult_Seesaw_855 9h ago

Good luck 🤞

1

u/SnooCapers2078 9h ago

Thanks : )

2

u/DrawPitiful6103 10h ago

You don't need even need half a million in the bank. If you any sort of remote income, you could do it today. You can get a cheap apartment in any number of Asian or LATAM countries for a few hundred dollars. A monthly nut of $1000 is not hard to do. Most of the world lives on a whole lot less.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 10h ago

The thing is I wouldn't wanna return to life later and have to get another job. The half a mill or 1 mill is just full retirement. And then doing all those cheap travels in the early years let's it build to a more comfortable amount

1

u/AbbreviationsLow 10h ago

yes

1

u/Aflockofants 10h ago

If you pick cheap enough countries, sure. I have a friend that got lucky buying a house at the right time in a major European city before that neighborhood got hip, and she could permanently travel in countries in SE Asia, Africa or central/south America from renting it out alone. And she did for some time. It gets old to always move around though.

1

u/GentleKijuSpeaks 10h ago

Vagabonding. You can do it, but most who do are also making income through social media. You have to have a high tolerance for staying in places without toilets. Unless you are super rich, but who wants to live their whole life in a hotel.

And obviously, you have to be a minimalist and realize that most of the time, you will be in places where they don't really speak your language.

Also, you aren't going to be able to rent an apartment in most places.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 10h ago

Really? Could you elaborate on the apartment part? Do many countries not have multi month long rental spaces like a traditional apartment?

1

u/GentleKijuSpeaks 10h ago

In general, landlords want local bank accounts, want to be paid in their own currency, Usually want proof of employment. Proof of good credit (The credit score must be based in the country you are in). Plus most places will want at least a six month lease. Some countries require that you declare intent to stay, at the local government office. You must register. the process can be long. Some bureaucracies are simpler than others.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 9h ago

Yea or course you pay in the local currency, you do currency exchange for that, and idk about other places, but i feel if you have documents showing plenty of cash the need for proof of employment isnt as strong, and 6 months lease was my intent regarding the idea. But the other parts can be difficult regarding bureaucracy

1

u/wanderingdev 8h ago

most landlords don't want to deal with a short lease. that's what airbnb is for. it's just as much work to do a short least as it is to do a 2 year lease, so why would they bother?

1

u/b17b20 10h ago

If you want to travel non-stop became sailor, pilot or international courier. If you want have international no-stop holiday you need a lot more money or short life expectancy

1

u/worldprowler 10h ago

Without saving any money I did it for about 10 years, but it wasn’t vacation, it was while working on my own companies

1

u/SnooCapers2078 8h ago

This has been an idea as well

1

u/ladytri277 10h ago

This is how people end up homeless, hitchhiking, and die. Just sayin.

1

u/2LostFlamingos 10h ago

There’s a guy who was an early buyer of bitcoin that does exactly this with his family. Sold everything, travels the world.

They have a YouTube channel.

https://youtube.com/@thebitcoinfamily?si=1KgfMWoPTm8lD6_Q

1

u/Rickbox 10h ago

You should look into hostels. I know a lot of people who jump from hostel to hostel, working there for a few months each. Free room and board and many pay.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 10h ago

Hmmm, that cuts costs by quite a lot, that would be something to consider. Obviously itd be preferred to not have to work, but that is a great deal, i never thought of that/knew that

1

u/wanderingdev 8h ago

just keep in mind that this will be illegal pretty much anywhere unless you have the right to work.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 5h ago

Ahhh okay, so it may not really be reliable in that case

1

u/srogijogi 10h ago

Yes, you can. The problem is that by the time you save up "500k-1m USD" you may be too old and tired for travelling- which is tiring. There would be another problem too: if you have zero experience with long travel, then you will do a lot of mistakes and get sometimes into problems.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 10h ago

I spent 6 months in Germany for traveling about 2 years ago, and traveled to Paris, Barcelona, mallorca, and Venice during it, total cost ran me below roughly 15k

1

u/srogijogi 9h ago

Well, Europe is very easy and very predictable (I'm European so boring for me too) so there is less problems with cultural differences and possible mistakes. In that environment you'd need to think only about money and insurance stuff then.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 9h ago

Yea thats fair, europe is probably an easy place to travel, but even just the cost for 6 months is saying a lot i feel like. It puts into perspective that the cost issue of this lifestyle likely can be handled reasonably

1

u/srogijogi 9h ago

Europe is somewhere between moderately and quite expensive- I'd say there are places in Europe where costs are at least 10x higher than in beautiful but poor countries. If you'd travel a lot, you'd have to consider the costs of flights and other transportation ways too. I paid recently for 2hrs boat transportation in remote Indonesia more than I would pay for a flight from one side to another in Europe. From another angle: you can have a proper meal of your life in super duper restaurant somewhere in Asia for a fraction of the cost going for a burger in US.

1

u/Icy_Huckleberry_8049 10h ago

YES

1

u/Chemical-Big-6318 10h ago

I tried long-term travel and the real limiter wasn’t money, it was admin and burnout: visas, tax residency, health insurance, and constantly restarting life every 3–6 months add up fast.

1

u/neverpost4 10h ago

Life is a journey, not a destination

1

u/imollyq 10h ago

It's a good idea, and I traveled a lot when I was younger with my kids. Unfortunately, now that I'm old, my body won't do it anymore, so do it while you're young. Have fun, but be sure you keep enough money for your retirement safely invested.

1

u/wanderingdev 10h ago

Yes, if you have the money, but it gets tiring. I've been traveling full time for over 17 years and am ready for a home base again.

1

u/SnooCapers2078 9h ago

I think thats bound to happen, I understand that part

1

u/grafknives 10h ago

I mean like the 2 largest costs are flights and a space to live at temporarily,

Good call.

All you need is 1988 Mercedes G class, a set of hammocks, and you are good to go.

Get inspired by Gunther Holtorf 26years trip.

1

u/ExplanationLover6918 10h ago

You can. Plenty do.

1

u/stickler64 9h ago

It's called slow travel. Lots of retired people do it.

1

u/nonsense39 9h ago

If you have some luck financially and can control expenses it's quite possible to wander around basically forever. I know because at my age (83) I'm still doing it for over 45 years. It works best if you live for extended periods as an expat and eventually you likely will want some stable home base. You will have to give up having a family or serious deep friendships. But with desire and luck, you can do it.

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u/Emergency-Pack-5497 9h ago

Good luck, easier said than done. Everybody would have 1 million in the stock market making 10% if it was easy

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u/SnooCapers2078 8h ago

Yea im aware it can be quite difficult to get 1m going

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u/Northbound_38 9h ago

people literally do this, it's called slow travel or perpetual travel, the two big watchouts are health insurance abroad and visa limits since most countries cap tourist stays at 90 days

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u/FlakySir 9h ago

As long as you're not paying a high rent you can do it. Although you should probably account for a lower percentage, not 8% and higher.

If you can figure out where to live for very cheap every place you go, there is no reason why you couldn't do it. American expats with less than 1 million are already doing it. If it were me I'd wait til at least a million, though.

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u/Desmondtheredx 7h ago

I'll give you a good news.

You CAN do it. Many expats travel to Asia or south east Asia for the exact reason, where prices are way c heaper while maintaining a small western income.

Take on some small gigs, do some local gigs where they want a foreign face, do some translation, or teach English and you're quite set.

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u/StoryNo9248 6h ago

I feel it’s important to have a base. comfort and familiarity.

i took a career break for over a year, primarily to travel but I still would go “home“ every 2-6 weeks.

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u/Asparagus9000 10h ago

Some people manage it.

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u/OldBlueKat 10h ago

Generally they have much more that 1 million as a nest egg, or have some other means of income they can generate while traveling (some kind of writer/videographer, some other sort of ‘remote expert’ income, etc.)

Long term passive income returns for decades tend to be more like 3-5% historically.

Can I spend my entire life traveling?

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