>>2862433
2/2
I've learned it is far cheaper to stay places long term that it is to bounce around. It also gets exhausting over time. I think I'm going to settle into 2-3 months per city with some day trips spread out. I've realized the debate on "how long to stay" in a place is really about what kind of traveler you are. If you're a vacationer, 1-3 weeks is great. If you're actually travelling, spending enough time in a place to actually start "participating" in society is top tier. In any case, yes it's possible to do even in the West. It requires sacrifice, but at least for me beats living in Fargo ND like that one fucking autist who swears it's the best place on earth. It's also far cheaper. Don't be fooled, London is a cheaper city than any US city I've been to. I'm not talking about rent wise, but the price of groceries and the sheer amount of free things to do and cheap reliable public transmit make it much more affordable in every way other than rent. Eating out is literally the same price as any major US city at this point. So do the math. Would you rather live in Little Rock, AR or literally any European capital. Same price.
I do have a question regarding the future however. I'm looking to possibly buy a car and "overland" Asia next year. Does anyone have experience with this? Is it even possible? I see two possible routes. One is Georgia through Russia through Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, to SEA. The other is Iran through Pakistan, but I think that's less doable no? I doubt I could even get the car into Iran. I'm only concerned about Myanmar on the other route, maybe it'll cool down by next year.

>>2862433
>saves money by bunking up
>spends what he saved on alcohol
Very much the traditional backpacker.
>>2862436
For grocery prices you are comparing quality food from Carrefour versus quality food from Walmart, I'm assuming. American food prices have gone stratospheric in recent years, even at Walmart, so it's no surprise that Europe is now cheaper by a wide margin.
>it gets exhausting over time
What the fuck, is this the new /trv/ meme? It's been reposted so many times lately. Are you fags forgetting to take your daily multivitamin horsepill? Alcohol washes a fuckton of vitamins out of your body, so it makes sense you drinkers would become chronically fatigued.
>overland by car
What's wrong with riding in other people's cars, i.e. hitchhiking? Having your own car is only a big plus if isolation from others is your goal while traveling.
>start participating in society
No thanks. I travel to be free from social entanglements, not to be ensnared by them. The older I get, the less I want to fit into a social circle. But if you're young, then making friends and being accepted is the spice of life.

>>2862457
>money I save goes to drinking
Yeah, not every day but whenever I find others that want to, which at hostels is all the time.
>Prices, exhaustion
Yeah I don't think people realize how bad it is right now. I just bought a gallon of water, a few pounds of fruit and breakfast items for $6 USD here. In the US I would've likely paid 3-4 times that. Another thing that really makes the states expensive it the tipping. Tax added on after is just math, but the tips are totally out of control. Might as well add 20% onto anything you do not at home unless you want to look like the most massive cunt.
It gets exhausting over time because I'm carrying my life on my back and have to "reset" constantly. Unstable check in times, smelly transportation, unstable sleeping arrangements, etc. I'm not saying it's not fun, just for me not sustainable for many months on end. I would burn out fast.
>overland
Sometimes you want the freedom of having your own vehicle. Get going when I want, take that detour, etc. A stable place to sleep is also very nice. Not a huge safety fag but it can be safer as well.
>participation
I get it, I suppose I just feel like "what am I doing with my life" if I'm a permanent visitor. I need to contribute to a place and stop being a wallet for locals who secretly hate me. I enjoy people generally speaking, so becoming active in local groups, becoming a regular, joining a book club, etc can be fulfilling for me.

>>2862436
Bro, traveling overland through some of the counties you suggested is insane. How are you reasonably expecting to get a visa to enter some of those countries? Especially Iran and Afghanistan. I doubt many of them will even consider you for a tourist visa since you're driving and don't have clear proof that you're planning on leaving.
Otherwise I'm largely on your side. I'm looking to retire early and live outside my country of origin the majority of the time and bouncing between countries every 2-3 months.

>I've learned it is far cheaper to stay places long term that it is to bounce around.
Good to see you learning neophyte-kun

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> I'm making another thread because I'm now 2 months into this and have some experiences to share
> spent about a week and a half in London and spent roughly $25 US per day. I stayed at a hostel in Borough which was about 15 USD daily,
Stopped reading here

Okay so your still in flight mode where you probably haven't actually seen if you're spending under the 1k/mo yet, you've probably already busted through the 1k/mo for living, traveling, emergency savings, things like sim cards, etc. You're still in the honeymoon faze with hostels, believe me I LOVE hostels but once it catches up with you it fucking SUCKS.

>25 per day (damn near close)
>35 per day (over 1000)
>15 per day (are you just sitting in your hostel)
Everyone knows you can live like an actual hostel travel bro lazing around in a hostel or within a 2-3km block on 1k/mo. You can go to Chang Mai and live in hostel private rooms for 250/mo. What at least I recall from the thread is you're going to be on a slow downward spiral not realizing these some of the oopies you make start to snowball. 2 months in and going "haha yea this is easy" is hilariously naïve as your 2 months has been in Europe during winter which duh is cheap. Wait till tourism season kicks in and prices go through the roof.

I hope you make it anon but going "whoa 2 weeks and this is easy..." is laughable to people who've done this for +8 years

>a few pounds of fruit and breakfast items for $6 USD here.
Post pic

>>2862515
> Eating out is literally the same price as any major US city at this point. So do the math. Would you rather live in Little Rock, AR or literally any European capital. Same price.
You've been traveling for 2 whole months anon. This is akin to people I know who've I helped moved to Japan, praise it up and down for how cheap and convenient everything is because they can dip into Lawsons and get something tasty. After about 3 months and they've drank, partied, ran out of the excess fat they were using for energy at, and completely cycled their diet into some abomination; they start to slow down hard. I remember the last thread and hope you the best but you really need to keep an eye on your finances, which I wish you would explain how you are getting 1k passive, as it can add up. Most people I've helped either become nomad's here in Asia or straight up move to Asia(mostly Japan) have insane crash outs in the 4-6 month range, if you've never traveled and keep moving place to place sure might take longer. Though not sure how you are <1000/mo with traveling between places. Yes some things are cheaper in europe, some are more expensive it depends how you eat, what your body type is, and extroverted activities you do.
>One is Georgia through Russia through Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, to SEA. The other is Iran through Pakistan, but I think that's less doable no?
Yeah if you don't mind hiring a caravan+paying bribes and don't mind the possibility of unalive issues sure. Keeping it under 1000USD/mo probably not doable for that distance. You're best bet is getting to turkey via land, istambul w/ cheap flight to something like Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur

Also legit cut the alcohol out because if you are on 1k/mo budget it will be your undoing by overspending.

>>2862528
Whoops meant for >>2862466
Not sure how I clicked that, also if you are drinking more than once a twice a week with a causal 2-3 beers, get some multi vitamin our you'll crash. That shit drains your body like the other anon said

>>2862433
I've been traveling for over a year, but it's now coming to an end and I'm heading home.
My budget was about $1k per month too. I think I've spent around $10k or so in 12 months.
Currently in Bali at a nice little hotel. It's only $13 per night.
I stayed entirely in SE Asia for this last year. The most expensive places were KL and Bangkok (roughly the same)
Bali is surprisingly cheaper. I guess that's just Indonesia in general.
It's been a fun year but the money is running low so back to the real world, sadly

>>2862553
How many towns and cities did you visit and/or stay in over that time?
>Bali has gotten relatively cheaper
Rupiah has been weak for years now.
>>2862528
Eat real filling meals, not autism snackies or microwave bowls from the corner store. Even if it does rack up your food expenses, it'll keep you powering onward.
>>2862513
Let him enjoy his honeymoon phase for godsakes. The only way to overcome the slump is to power through it, not to embrace the doomer mentality.

Is hostel burnout really inevitable if you're a social butterfly who loves meeting new people? I've known many people, esp 18-25 year olds, who lived in an employee dorm for 6+ months and loved it. Some people hate being alone with their phone in a hotel room or apartment.

>>2862593
>Is hostel burnout really inevitable if you're a social butterfly who loves meeting new people?
Generally yes, it's not about the social aspect but the rest you're getting. I did hostels 100% of the time in my 20's I can't tell you how much of a detriment it was looking back. Sure I powered through a lot of it but I was kneecapping myself, especially in summer months, with improper rest. Most people I've kept in contact also know the basic facts that the sleep quality is ass which eventually catches up to you. Maybe not in the first 2-3 exciting months but it eventually does. Only people I know who didn't faulter were ex military who just were use to sleeping in whatever, but were trained for that. If one thing my smartwatch helped me see it was how fucking garbage my sleep was in hostels.

My advice is cycle in and out depending on your situation. In SEA it's more likely you'll find a place where you can do ~400/mo Airbnb rooms or like 100 for a week, or cheap week stays for a proper bed and hit your proper deep sleep to just catch up.
>Eat real filling meals, not autism snackies or microwave bowls from the corner stor
I think the stated issue is, if OP is the one from the last thread, when tourist season hits and prices go up depending on the country his diet may suffer trying to stay in the sub 1000/mo range. For all we know OP is 5'2" and ~160 lbs who goes out ~3 hours a day so that's easy to feed, people are different in what they define travel as.

>>2862599
Maybe he's one of those snorers who keep the rest of the dorm awake while he gets his solid six hours of beauty sleep, kek. I'm not like that at all, which is why I insist on staying in my own room somewhere with minimal ambient noise.
>summer price hikes
That's still three plus months away. Even in summer you can still find hostel bunks for 10-15 euros per night in popular Euro cities...he just might have to book some of the shittier properties.
>a room in Southeast Asia
A/C rattles, the neighbor's goddamn blaring TV, barking dogs or street traffic can ruin your sleep quality just as easily as staying in a hostel. I've always rented daily and had no problem keeping my month-to-month accomodation expenses in the $300-500 price range in Third World countries. The freedom to move on whenever I get tired of a place is worth more than the savings of paying a full month's rent upfront.

And lastly, that plane ticket across the world is going to skew the monthly average upwards. It's unlikely he will be able to get his trip total average down below $1000 per month again.

>>2862601
not talking about just noise, bed quality is important. Usually hostels, especially given OP's monthly budget are going to slack on things somewhere. It varies and I have no idea if OP is just winging it or using something like hostelworld for reviews first. I've stayed in awesome hostels in Hokkaido to singapore for 10-18/night with a real mattress, sliding door, good kitchen, and breakfast; but that was also pre covid.
> Even in summer you can still find hostel bunks for 10-15 euros
Yes I am not saying it's impossible just depending on how well versed OP is in traveling might be a bit of a gamble. Again it's really hard to say because hostel quality varies wildly between season. Since OP is US, he's still on a 90 day time limit in EU to stay before dipping out of the schegen area to reset.
>sleep quality just as easily as staying in a hostel.
Sure but airbnb reviews or vrbo can help cut that out, I am not debating shit can happen but the likely hood of a room being too noisy/AC is not outputting properly/etc is 'generally' far lower than hostels cheesing that spike in electric costs. I still stay in hostels depending on the place and my budget, and can tell you prices wildly swing from winter to summer, and moreso if you're not aware of holiday seasons in X country.

> It's unlikely he will be able to get his trip total average down below $1000 per month again.
This is what he was told in the last thread but somehow it just didn't count or something like he'd make it up by staying in a roachnest in asia.

>>2862593
>I've known many people, esp 18-25 year olds, who lived in an employee dorm for 6+ months and loved it.
To be fair that's different from a hostel assuming it was the same group of people the whole time and they all became close. Definitely don't have to worry about things like weird strangers coming in and out at all hours and new people that you might have a couple nice conversations with then never see again in a couple days. Granted I've both stayed in my fair share of hostels and lived in a frat house for a couple years in college (kind of similar to hostel life imo) and I eventually got sick of both.

Hostel living to make due is fine if not absurdly easy as everyone is broke in Europe and it's during the off season. It fucking sucks in Asia because so many places have completely shat on breakfast options. So long as you don't mind being stereotypical american going for seconds you'll easily do 1/2 your days food on their offerings, I've done it in the past without much of a care in the world.

Asia is going to be "yeah our brother's cousin's daughter runs this slop place here's a prepackaged meal of slop they didn't sell, enjoy the 10oz of food(80% rice or noodle)". Seriously, that's if your lucky I can't tell you how many hostels are down from a breakfast to "we have peanut butter and jelly with tea". OP I wish you best of luck, flights are going to be fairly brutal to 1000/mo budget and asia is going to be a dice roll in the summer.

>>2862476
Genuinely have no plan yet, it's all preliminary right now and I'm just seeing if it's even possible. It turns out there are like 2-3 chokepoints on the Russia-Malaysia route. Assuming Russian border fags don't decide to ruin your day, it's a plenty safe and predictable country for the most part. Also, so long as you aren't going through Turkmenistan the stans aren't the hardest countries to pass through. Afghanistan and Pakistan become the first true barriers, but ideally I would only make one stop in Afghanistan and just try and speed my way through as fast as possible bribing people and grabbing a guide. I think visiting the Kalash and spending as long as is feasible with them would be amazing. I would love to study with them and learn some of the language. Pakistan is pretty easy so long as you have your ducks in a row. The part I'm most sketched about is Malaysia. I would want to just fly through the country but I have no idea if I could even get in.
>2-3 months
Do you value a home base to come back to for a few months? I would love to shift to that eventually once I've seen enough of the world and find "my place". I'm hovering in the 20-30 country range so far, so realistically there are only 20-30 more reasonable options that aren't shithole tier.
>>2862480
Thank you. It's funny, I'm better travelled than most people I know but that's why I like /trv/. People that have done this for years or decades always teach me something new.
>>2862513
You're right, trends take a few months to stabilize. I did some math and I spent a little over 1200 the first month including my flight from the US to London. I got a great one way for $190. I packed food for the flight so I didn't have to buy airport food during my long layover. The second month is going to be over in a few days, and as it stands I've averaged roughly 25 a day. Sarajevo has been dirt cheap so I'm very under budget at the moment. I'm debating between staying for another month or Albania/Serbia.

>>2862513
Cont'd
>sim cards, emergency
I don't use sim cards. Call me a newfag, but I've always had data and if not, I just get wifi places. T Mobile hooks me up with cellular all across the world and I don't pay international charges. I just use the slower data and wait a minute. I also have a bunch of cash saved up from work and investments I have just in case. I'm young and healthy as far as I've known, so hopefully nothing medical comes up.
>honeymoon hostel
Maybe, I've always loved hostels and socializing so it's not that hard for me. I'm also blessed with sleeping, I can get good rest so long as I am warm enough at night and have a pillow. If I get tired of hostels I'll probably just grab a cheap private room somewhere.
>off season
Idk anon, I've travelled Europe and the Caribbean in the high season and barely noticed a price difference. Hostels stay roughly the same price, especially the budget ones. I'm not saying I have everything figured out, but I don't think it's quite so gloomy. It appears to me the hardest part about long term travel is mental.
>>2862515
Next time I go grocery shopping sure. I don't have the receipt on me from my last shopping trip.
>>2862528
>burnout
Yeah, I learned this the hard way years ago. I was in Thailand and obliterated myself. I pace myself at this point. Sure I drink, but I take vitamins and always hydrate as well as I can. I also rarely go insane with it, that's only if it's special. I'll give you diet, the problem for me isn't so much "I'm lazy and will just eat ramen noodles", it's that hostel kitchens are hit or miss as fuck. In general, it isn't too hard to throw some vegetables, homemade tomato sauce (just heat up and mash tomatoes) and pasta in a pot.
>1K passive
It's not passive. I work for it. I'm lucky enough to be able to work at my own schedule and how much I want, wherever I want. Without doxxing myself, I write and do Cambly. I also am in school and get financial aid which gives me an extra 1K per quarter.

>>2862528
Cont'd
>money
Past that, I do have some investments in real estate I made a couple years ago. It doesn't make me money really, but I have equity with my business partner and it pays for itself. Hypothetically, if we liquidated (which we might do) I will run into 15-20K. I could make more than 1K a month if I needed to, it's just a good bench mark. If I start getting lax and saying "well, I guess it's only a few hundred extra", now I'm working an extra 5-10 hours weekly. It cuts into life.
>road trip
I don't mind the caravan for parts of the trip, and a good bribe never bothered me in the past. I certainly don't want to die, but I'm not afraid of my own shadow either. Crossing into Russia doesn't trip me out at all. All I'm somewhat freaked about would be Afghanistan and Myanmar (especially). I've seen far too many Westerners go to Afghanistan and be okay to really be afraid. It seems if you keep your head down it's not especially bad.
>alcohol
I keep a close eye on it, and if I overdo it I make up for it by not drinking until my budget "pays it off".

>>2862531
Sage advice.
>>2862553
Are you gonna slave some more than head back out? SEA or somewhere else?
>>2862599
>height and weight
I'm 6'4, white, jacked, blue eyes
/s
I'm 5'10-11, skinny by build with some basic muscle definition from light exercise I think I weigh like 150. I have found I get a worse hangover from eating like shit than drinking, that shit killed me in my early 20s.
>>2862601
>price hikes
My experience exactly. Typically it just requires more planning. Booking last minute starts to bite you in the ass.
>place ticket
Not in my experience. I haven't paid more than $350 for a flight in years with the exception of Thailand from the US. I use Skiplagged and just get super flexible with dates and layovers then starve myself at the airport or walk to the nearest grocery store.
>>2862608
>winging it, bed quality
I use Hostelworld and choose places based on price first, rating second, location 3rd. I won't stay in the cheapest place if it has below a 6.0 rating and few reviews.
>90 day time limit
Yeah, this is the exact reason I'm in the Balkans right now. I don't want to be stuck outside of the EU for 3 months straight, and don't want to go to Asia except for possibly Turkey, Georgia, or Lebanon/Jordan. Oman would be cool too, I just don't know shit about accommodations and prices.

>>2862436
>The other is Iran through Pakistan, but I think that's less doable no? I doubt I could even get the car into Iran
If you're American your only real option to visit Iran is with a government sanctioned tour group so that won't be possible. I don't know how hard it is to get into Russia though but I assume it's a pain in the ass and apparently you'll need to bring all the cash you need before hand.

>>2862729
Airfare is something I haven't been willing to skimp on, apart from flying as seldom as possible. My long-haul flights so far:
>Raleigh to Bogota to Raleigh: $530, one layover round-trip
>Los Angeles to Manila to Bangkok: $928, non-stop multi-city
>Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok, Chiang Mai to Taipei: $236 non-stop multi-city
>Taipei to San Francisco: $572 non-stop
>Denver to Bangkok: $700 one layover
>Kuala Lumpur to Warsaw: $350 one stopover
>Vilnius to Denver: $630 one stopover
>Raleigh to Mumbai: $410 one layover
Which airports have you flown out of that are offering long-haul routes for less than $350 total fare?
>>2862724
How much do you pay for T-Mobile roaming service? Most businesses use WhatsApp nowadays, so you can make a phone call without having a local number. I use local SIM cards for the simple reason that they are much cheaper than US or European phone service in most countries. Currently paying about $3.50 per month for godawful slow data with airtel in India.
>>2862608
Most hostels I've stayed at had soft comfy beds, even if everything else was crappy. Bed rotters make up a sizable portion of hostelfags, so comfy beds are the key to ensure that they stick around. Cheap Asian hotels are much more likely to have hard beds with thin mattress pads.
>>2862620
Haven't encountered free breakfast in forever. It's never really free, it's just added to the nightly rate.
>>2862718
>home base to come back to
It's comfortable to be able to return to your home country and live independently, without imposing on the hospitality of family or friends. As a poorfag, it feels very good to have a fixed rent apartment to come back to every year when it's time to get back to work and replenish your funds. Coming back to America and having to live in a motel or airbnb room puts you at the mercy of price-gouging landlords, which is especially stressful if your savings are already running low and you don't have any steady employment lined up.

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Last travel season's expenses ranged from a weekly low of $104 (Laos) to a weekly high of $363 (Lithuania). The overall average including flights came out to $32 per day, i.e. just under $1000 per month. Keep in mind that this is private rooms and not hostels.

With each travel season followed by a period of stationary employment, this isn't Perpetual Travel. Rather, it's a lifestyle based on the patterns of migratory birds. They spend most of the year flitting around, either alone or in a group, going wherever they desire to go. Then when it's time to nest, they return to a familiar place to settle down and work hard for a spell. Each portion of the life cycle complements the other.
>>2862718
Did you mix up Pakistan and Malaysia? A Pak tourist visa is supposedly very difficult to get. Malaysia basically waves you right through.
>US to London for $190
Yeah that's a sweet off-season deal. But the idea of staying in faggy European cities really turns me off. Even Warsaw rubbed me the wrong way, and it's one of the least faggy big cities in Europe.

>>2862718
>spends last thread telling people to shut up under 1000 is possible in everywhere but ameriKKA
>says he spends 1000 living well
>actually spent 20% over that in the first month alone
L O L sure told them fags huh?

>>2863064
Compared to the kind of life you can live on <$1000 per month staying put in a scenic part of flyover America, OP's life is a definite downgrade. It sounds like he barely travels anywhere apart from moving to a new city every week or two. No daytrips, no treks, only shambling around town gawking at old buildings. Fuck that. The travelbum life drives you to get drunk and socialize mindlessly to dispel the nagging sense of boredom and pointlessness that comes with being a shambler-about-town.

When I take a daily excursion out of town to go exploring, the urge to consume alcohol disappears. The sense of satisfaction that comes from dropping another pin on my map and downloading another set of cool photos is better than boozing or getting high.

And my in-country daily average for this trip just dropped below $20 USD.

>>2863254
>no treks, only shambling around town gawking at old buildings
Not defending OP but you can fuck off with this. I enjoy going to different countries partly because I enjoy exploring the cities and observing the local architecture. If I want to drop hundreds of dollars to be a filthy unwashed faggot trouncing around the hills and sleeping in a shitty tent I can just stay in the US.

>>2863254
That's not the point anon, this is how the denial bullshit has run countless anons into unrecoverable debt.

>it was just 200 over 1000 this month
>well it was 1500 last month I'll just each cheap next year
>welll I will splurge this one month since it's a nice event
>this girl is super cute I'll 1000% eat cheap to make this alll up next month in X country!

Yes anon, we can dunk on you because you don't have the mental fortitude to limit yourself to the budget you've been ragging up and down that is "so much better than anything in America". You can't even claim it's better because you ignored the one principal these threads have hinged on.

>And my in-country daily average for this trip just dropped below $20 USD.
yes until next weekend, a girl, or the fact you still haven't planned in flights to Asia or other countries for visa hopping.

>>2862724
>T Mobile hooks me up with cellular all across the world and I don't pay international charges.
You know this cuts off after being out of the country for X many days right? It usually gives you a notice around the 90 day mark you have a week or two in which it is suspended until you return to the USA for 30 days

>>2863281
>walking the streets of touristy old cities with ten thousand other tourists makes him an explorer in his mind
Peak onions post. Also, haven't you heard of this wonderful invention called a shower? After you finish your trek, you wash off and put on some fresh clothes and voila, no more stinky! And yes, you can find rental rooms with these marvellous devices all across the countryside. Some of them even dispense hot water for your comfort!
>>2863846
OP is enjoying the dopamine rush of living at leisure and making friends, after years of thinking he had no choice but to slog laboriously along the college to career pipeline. That's how he can perceive a life of cooking noodleslop in a hostel kitchen and sleeping in a bunk bed as OMG sooo amazing! Because he is feeling a rush of happiness. It's naive and clueless and typical of the 18-25 age bracket, but what the hell, let him enjoy his youthful happiness while it lasts. Eventually he will burn out, and then after enduring a period of despondency, he will hopefully find a new satisfaction in life that doesn't require drunken laughter with young sluts.
>unrecoverable debt
You, the independent traveler over 25 years of age, should never travel without a sizable reserve fund on hand. Going over budget should mean having only $8000 left over by the end of the trip instead of $10,000. When you have this reserve fund, you don't need a budget. Instead, cultivate an intuitive ability to pick out good deals, and let it guide you on your journey. The budget will make itself as you go along. I just completed my first <$100 travel week yesterday, going on an adventure every single day no less. Financial security means you don't have to let fear of impending doom govern all of your spending decisions. Rather, the satisfaction derived from getting bang for your buck should guide you.

>>2862433
Winter prices will be much lower in Europe. In Ireland most hostels are around €20 or cheaper but once the touristic season comes in it can triple or quadruple in some places. Also places being full and not being able to pick a decent place. SEA is great for cheap but good quality long term backpacking. In Europe you'll definitely need more unless you're happy travelling in the worst season. There's fuck all to do in winter unless you enjoy winter sports or visiting specific white winter cities which all tend to be in the most expensive parts of the world (i.e. Norway). I personally work six months a year and then travel for the rest. Due to various tax avoidance strategies and not paying any rent I can easily have €15k saved which translates to around 80 euro a day over 180 days. I'll still do hostels but I won't feel like a bum and I can actually do more expensive stuff. Also being able to book pricier, but infinitely better hostels without permanent residents, bums or just absolutely trashpackers.
Travel burnout is not an issue and by the time I'm back to where I work seasonally I'm practically kissing the ground because I'm tired as shit of travel.

You could probably travel with even less but at this point you're asking how much daily hassle and discomfort I can take. Take into account volunteering and stuff and you can travel cheap anywhere in theory (if you truly like slow travel).

As for integrating yourself in a place it's all bullshit. Unless you speak the language and can somewhat blend in where you're at people will always keep you at arms distance. Do you think locals give a shit if you are more curious than the next traveller about doing "local" activities? I swear every millennial I've met on the road has this obsession with trying to be worldly and larping like they're "true travelling" by going to random local spots. Locals see you the same as someone who's here only for a week lol. You're still a tourist.

>>2864015
>people will always keep you at arms distance
That's the fucking point of solo travel. Being a unique individual who is different from everyone around you, not one more blabbering foreigner in a bar full of blabbering foreigners. Hostelfags will never understand the appeal of striking out alone into the unknown, surrounded by people who hardly speak a word of your language, ready to face any problems that arise.
>locals see you the same
No they do not. Not at all. People's reactions to your presence as an solo traveler in some outland village are much more genuine and pronounced than the (non-existent) reactions you get while mingling with the herds of backpackers on Khao San Road or old town Barcelona. No need to get drunk and talk some rando's ear off to fill the void; your conscious existence alone in such places gives purpose to your travels.

>>2863977
>OP is enjoying the dopamine rush of living at leisure and making friends, after years of thinking he had no choice but to slog laboriously along the college to career pipeline.
Did I miss something in this thread or the last? Or is this OP trying to pretend he isn't OP.
>You, the independent traveler over 25 years of age, should never travel without a sizable reserve fund on hand
OP is literally living on a meager income from what he has stated, of a high risk field of being replaced. Wow he makes an average of 1250/mo if his posting is correct(~1k/mo+1000 extra every 4) from the previous 2 threads going off >>2862724
>he will hopefully find a new satisfaction in life that doesn't require drunken laughter with young sluts.
He legit does not have the ability to hold back with his drinking to align with his budget, did we skim over that he already did this blowing through his per month budget by 20%?

Keep in mind OP is getting flak because of the last thread he made on this topic being a big stink of "nope everyone is wrong america is unlivable, it's doable to live all over for 1k/mo" while forgetting if his income is that low he'd instantly get EBT/housing Assistance/medicaid. However, in the first 2 months spent over his budget and has not told us he didn't factor in airlines. I am all for living in cheaper places, OP could easily live off 1000-1250/mo cycling through Malaysia/Thailand/Cambodia/Vietnam without much issue if he has self control(which given his posting is lacking).

OP needs a hard dunk in reality before he really fucks up and is then calling mom and dad for a flight back home, or worse shows up at an embassy completely broke and forced to pay a ridiculous fee to get home. I don't think people would be dunking on him if he wasn't so double down on people pointing out his income and living expenses per month weren't so insufferably low; along with the "america le sux" attitude.

OP is in the low tourist season right now.

>>2864130
>That's the fucking point of solo travel.
The point anon is trying to make, I think, is that when OP gets out of the Anglosphere and is actually doing perpetual travel abroad in the cheaper countries i.e. Asia; it's going to be harder to meet people cheap or freely. A white guy in SEA is seen by most as a walking piggy bank and while 1000/mo is decent it can easily be talked out of you or bleed from you as you attempt to do anything other than deal with begpackers in hostels or staring at the concrete airbnb wall.

>>2863977
I didn't call myself an explorer dumb fuck. And whenever I'm in close vicinity of any of these trekker people they always smell putrid as hell so clearly most aren't showering. Just because you like to walk around inna woods instead of town does not make you any less of a tourist.

>>2862466
>a few pounds of fruit and breakfast items for $6 USD here.
Why would you be wasting money on lower dense calorie quicker to spoiled items anon? If your daily expense is around 20 USD a day for a hostel, you have about 10 dollars a day left over for food, you should be focusing on higher calorie and protein based foods. muh hekkin yummy veggies and fruits are great but you don't need pounds of them to live on, you'll just crash your calories unless your a fatty trying to lose weight even then lack of protein will cause harder issues than noticing you didn't eat veggies in 2 days.

>>2862433
If it was legal, perpetual travel in Japan would be a cakewalk. Low-end hostels that are still clean and ok can be less than $30/night and transit and grocery store food could be dirt cheap too.

$2 full meal of sushi for dinner because it's all discounted at the end of the day, breakfast of mostly rice with a small serving of meat and vegetable, small lunch with a lot of water.

You could probably spend less than $1000/mo traveling by bus/local train between low cost accommodations in Japan

>>2864150
>$2 full meal of sushi for dinner because it's all discounted at the end of the day
that's like 4 rolls of sushi mostly rice anon, this board is full of skeletons

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>>2864147
>eat only protein and carb
That's how you get constipated, anon. I like to take a nice shit before heading out of town for the day, and plenty of fruits/veggies help with keeping your belly slim, your metabolism high and your gut moving along at a steady pace. Very annoying when you have to spend your whole morning sitting around waiting to take a shit, or worse go on your daytrip with the poop still inside you. Shitting in public bathrooms really isn't an option in Third World countries.
>>2864143
I'm not talking about a city park here, pal. Seems you've been in cities for so long that you've completely forgotten about the existence of the other 95% of the world that is not urbanized. Or you must be like that NYC redditor who starts crying when he ventures into the countryside, because it's so frighteningly boring.

>>2864157
>That's how you get constipated, anon.
Yes if you do nothing but also drink sodas and sit +8hrs a day in an office job. Believe it or not water+walking will help move things through you. You might have bigger problems if you're a male having severe or even mild constipation by eating a 80/20 split of a high calorie meal and a side of a veggie(even 4-6oz is more than enough) talking prostate/colon health. OP buying "pounds" of veggies as meals is more detrimental to him as a male than anything outside of rapid weight loss. With the budget he has, being 10 a day and taking his word of "going out and about the town and country" daily, there isn't much for debate here; he should be focusing on primary higher caloric and protein based purchases.

>Shitting in public bathrooms really isn't an option in Third World countries.
True OP is in Europe after all, but a thing of celery or a cereal box that lasts a few days of high fiber meal isn't expensive at all

>>2864157
Oh hey cool! You had a nice walk inna woods. You're still a tourist and the locals don't see you as being any different from the filthy gooners or instagram sluts taking 100 different selfies at every street corner you self righteous faggot.

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>>2862515
I just went shopping here in Belgrade. Update is I moved from Bosnia to Serbia because I didn't like Sarajevo all that much. So far Belgrade is far better. I got breakfast for the next week and two days of water for $8.50 US during today's grocery run. This includes a dozen eggs (top shelf), cheese slices, whole grain bread, a liter of water, and mid range ham pre sliced. This is breakfast for roughly $1.25 a day.
>>2862770
Grim. Yeah I think Iran is the least likely option, I've heard of multiple people getting into Russia, in fact a buddy of mine recently got in for vacation lol. He didn't have trouble but I'd imagine it's situational and all about what asshole is at the border.
>>2862773
I get it. If I made more money I would get better flights for anything longer than 2.5 hours. I pay $20 a month because I'm on my family plan. Once you have 3+ lines it's like $20 per extra line. I get unlimited data abroad, it's just slow as hell at times.
>>2862774
Based. Nice spend, did you live frugally in Lithuania or were kind of careless?
>mix up
Yeah that's my bad. Pakistan I've heard you need a tour operator.
>faggy European city
Different priorities I guess lol, I primarily travel to study the area I'm in and not have to live in the US.
>>2863064
You're retarded. I also bought my plane ticket there which was about $200. This month I'm 200 below budget. You're mentally challenged.

>>2863254
Nah man I've lived in the American west my entire life. Nature is great but my life isn't about looking at trees and pretending I'm some sort of naturalist. I travel all over the cities I'm in and enjoy local day trips. Just because you can't see the beauty within a Cathedral and don't have the education to know how to look at art or attend lectures doesn't mean there isn't value in it for us who are informed. You don't live in the woods anon, you live with people.
>>2863846
We shall see. But I have averaged pretty much exactly 1K a month for the last 2 months. The first month was taking into account my plane ticket as well. If you cut that cost out I would've ended around 50 over 1K. 2nd month is around the 800 mark, and starting 3rd month shortly. You may be right, but you're wrong so far and even if it did end up averaging 200 a month more, it would still be a way better life than you can get in the US. Maybe the difference everyone here is an oldfag that wants a resort and doesn't want to leave. If you're my age you'd be retarded to stay.
>>2863849
That depends on the plan I believe and also on how often you use roaming data. I'm on Wi-Fi 80% of the time.
>>2863977
Appreciate it, but I guarantee 90% of the people over 35 in this thread secretly wish they could just be in their early to mid 20s travelling, working, and having fun. As I said to the other anon you may be right, I'll let everyone know at month 6 or so again.
>>2864015
I'm probably going to transition to a similar system eventually. Like I was telling the other anon, having a home base sounds nice.
>integrating
I hear what you're saying but getting to actually know the locals, get invested in local groups, learning the language, etc is something I genuinely enjoy. It's not about "aesthetic" or some gay shit.

>>2864130
I tend to agree with you. I'm looking into some tier two cities. Maybe Conde or Bourges (French vacation hub, not others) for precisely this reason.
>>2864137
Idk what you mean I'm the same guy. Yeah some of my income is very easily "replaced", but I can always work somewhere else doing something similar. If not, I have a fairly large safety net over the years of work.
>blowing budget america shit
I'm right on target. Drinking every few days here is cheap as hell, I just buy a bottle of wine for $5 of a large beer or two for the same cost. It's not like America where you can't get a small shit beer under $5. It's even cheaper than a pregame at a gas station here, and the quality is way better. In any case I'll reiterate, I'm on budget track including airfare and travel costs. It's not that hard, I'm starting to think half this board is full of non travelers or resort gen x fags. What about this math doesn't make sense to people?
Place 15 US a night
Food 10 US a day
Flights, flixbus, local transit $100 a month
Phone and misc 100 a month
Alcohol 20 a week
It's not hard, I don't know what people find so insane. As for America, yeah it's a total shithole. Why would anyone want to live in America if they're not rich? The only benefit of America is higher wages, nature, and the women are way easier than most other countries (but bitchy).

>>2864147
It was just a quick grocery trip to last the next few days, I just went out and grabbed some food to last me the next 5 days or so for breakfast for $8. The human body (at least mine) likes fruits and vegetables and not just fat, meat, and carbs. I already get plenty of that.
>>2864150
>>2864156
Lmfao, regardless that sounds intriguing. I'm highly considering a Japan vacation this summer but I'm not sold on it. I've never actually been and do have interest it's just not my first pick.
>30 a night
Sounds expensive actually, looking at Hostelworld you're right on target. Are hotels in Japan cheaper then or comparable?
>>2864157
Exactly besides my $2 bag of oranges isn't breaking the bank.
>>2864159
I think you misunderstood, I didn't buy those as a meal in and of themselves, it was a quick trip. I was eating cevapi every day at this local place and after about a week of bread, meat, cheese, and onions my body was craving something other than that.

>>2864185
>that pic
grim, your waist is on par with the scanner are you like 5'2? You need to be 18 to post here if you're going to use the still growing excuse.

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>>2864189
>I guarantee 90% of the people over 35 in this thread secretly wish they could just be in their early to mid 20s travelling, working, and having fun
Anon I did this in my 20's now in my early 30's, still doing it but I would not subject myself to 1000/mo only. I would 100% ensure I'm building a 401k, have a job that is remote paying at least 2500 hitting the bank per month while living abroad and paying my healthcare if shit happens. I can assure you no one here is jelly of someone living off 1000/mo with whatever the hell that is you posted, I can go to dollar tree and get the same shit for about what you paid. I thought you said "pounds of food"... You're getting a bunch of pushback because your math isn't mathing with finances, so you might just want to retype it for clarity. I've read the thread and I can't tell if your 1000/mo includes flights which to asia is going to be expensive, no you aren't hitch hiking to it lmao.
First of all I thought you said 1000/mo, as pointed out above you went over that in the first month
Secondly, it's unclear if you are for sure counting flights in this travel method between cities
Lasty,, man that is not a lot of food that's probably a 250 or 300g thing of ham and cheapass cheese and some eggs I mean if you're not big then I guess it's fine. Asia is going to be rough since no Brasil imports and underpaid africa produce

>That depends on the plan I believe
Had T mobile, they turn it off around 90 days sometimes they give you a few extra weeks, it doesn't matter the plan. At least google is 20/mo for text and calls abroad.

I mean I seriously wish you the best anon, but you're 2 months in and acting like this is ezpz already got it down for long term when you've already overspent. Sure you might correct but as others have stated, tourist season is starting in April till mid September. Known far too many people, including anons with precovid prices who fucked up this exact way

>>2864193
>I was eating cevapi every day at this local place and after about a week of bread, meat, cheese, and onions my body was craving something other than that.
If your diet is truly like >>2864185, no one in this thread is envious unless there are some Ethiopians lurking. I can only imagine how overstated and exaggerated "pounds of fruit and breakfast items" for 6 dollars was.
>>2864191
>Place 15 US a night
so 450/mo
>Food 10 US a day
so 300/mo
>Flights, flixbus, local transit $100 a month
I am not buying this because you said in >>2864185 your plane ticket was 200 so which is it. Also these flights are way way over your budget if for anything if >>2862773 is also you. The cheapest Asia airlines are going to jew you out of anything that isn't a backpack that fits under the seat. So if you're serious about not cheapng on those I don't understand how you're getting from Europe to Asia without nearly blowing 50-70% months budget on airfare alone.
>Phone and misc 100 a month
You're over budget anon unless you're somehow now not only paying 100/mo on airfare.
>Alcohol 20 a week
So you have 1 or 2 beers a week and that's it? wowie big enjoyer with the locals on the weekend nights.
>>2864193
> I'm highly considering a Japan vacation this summer but I'm not sold on it.
You are not going to be able to afford it by any means
> Are hotels in Japan cheaper then or comparable?
Hotels ramp up lmao, hostels are the cheapest shit around and you're sleeping on wooden beds with a ~1.5inch "futon". AC may be optional for the cheapest ones, I know in Osaka some hostels there are <12/night but no AC. Enjoy 85F with 90% humidity

>>2864193
>Sounds expensive actually, looking at Hostelworld you're right on target. Are hotels in Japan cheaper then or comparable?
this is the "I've traveled during high tourism season" anon.

Enjoy living in Chang Mai, Penang, and Ho Chi Minh cities in Asia where at night the places you're going to stay keep the bunk bed room cool with a window AC unit at a comfy 87F. Bruh you missed the cheap window for Japan, you can get some good deals in Kansai/Nagoya during late Jan and Feb since there isn't shit to do, but after Lunar new year prices slowly increase to peak out in July.

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I traveled low budget for years and the cheat code was to find a gf who likes the lifestyle.
Goodbye the fucking dorms, just rent a room on Airbnb and it'll be cheaper now, in some countries we just take entire apartments for 35 a night.
Also now I wait 10x less when hitchhiking which means we can actually travel this way when it's not too far, or for the day trips.

Look for girls who never wear makeup and filter them with a hobo first date. Mine was at a friend's house where I cooked her lentils and potatoes then went for a swim at the lake.
10 years together and soon or 4th year long trip.

>>2864189
>I guarantee 90% of the people over 35 in this thread secretly wish they could just be in their early to mid 20s travelling, working, and having fun.
Nah. My 20s were as mid because I was a broke ass student. Why would I want to go back to being poor? It sucked. Sure, wage slaving sucks in its own way but being worried about money is even worse. The idea that 90% of anons want to live in hostels for the rest of their lives is ridiculous. Good on you for living the life you want, I hope it works out for you. Oh, and give up on Iran, and I'm hoping your not still thinking about Afghanistan. I will, however, laugh politely if I read about an American arrested in Iran.

>>2864162
Again, that's your experience, not mine. I'm the silent, sun-bronzed adventurer gazing impassively toward the distant horizon while surrounded by babbling brown natives. And I've discovered that such a character is exactly what I've always wanted to be.
>>2864185
European bread mogs. Sounds like a good price for a filling breakfast, but how are you going to see the country with a bag full of perishables? Buying a lot of groceries leaves you kinda stuck in whatever place you're currently staying.
>Lithuania
Yeah, that was frugal-tier spending. Third class train tickets, discount grocery chain shopping for food, no restaurants, no daytrips, staying in the cheapest private rooms I could find (which were still fucking expensive, 65% of my total). I found Poland to have better grocery prices than Lithuania.
>>2864189
The beauty of a well-tended field or rural village nestled within a natural habitat thriving with biodiversity is much more meaningful to me than the aesthetics of an old building. Needless to say, my European ancestry derives from peasant stock.
>secretly wish they could just be in their early to mid 20s
But what was their early to mid 20s actually like? Bet it was nothing like the fantasy youth of endless partying, easy friendships, casual sex on a daily basis, and a bank card full of daddy's money that never gets declined. My youth was a constant struggle, but eventually my inner strength grew to overcome the difficulties of life, and as a result, satisfaction has been steadily increasing over the years.
>>2864191
Even a daily roundtrip by local bus would run you about $2 per day or $60 per month, so $100 per month average for all forms of transport sounds way too low (unless you really are not traveling at all for the majority of your days, like I suspected).
>>2864493
Every woman I've traveled with couldn't wait to finish the trip and part ways with me.

>>2864493
>soon or 4th year long trip.
I assume you were both either born into rich families or otherwise lucked into cushy remote jobs in order to do this.

>>2864504
We have "low pay" jobs but in Switzerland, since we're very frugal we can still save 25k€ each a year. I'm sure a lot of firsties can save 15k a year if they really want.
Some people don't believe the shit we do and how we live to save money in our late 30s but we enjoy it.

>>2864513
>Switzerland
Guess that makes sense. Whenever I see people online that seem to have no problem traveling for months or a year at a time they always seem to come from one of the small, wealthy Euro countries like Switzerland, the Netherlands, or Norway.

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>I'm the silent, sun-bronzed adventurer gazing impassively toward the distant horizon while surrounded by babbling brown natives.

>>2864531
A-At least I'm not in america surrounded by browns!!!!

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>>2864528
American laborers can easily live a life of travel freedom too. All they need to do is choose European-style frugality and simple living over the obesity-inducing goyslop and wholesale accumulation of consumer goods that is considered normal in America.
>>2864533
Yes
I would rather be around people who stayed behind to continue living on their ancestral lands. Not the rootless migrants who only care about wealth and status-maxxing. Their characters I find odious no matter where they are in the world.

My trip total expenditures recently hit $2000 USD, around the 80 day mark. Yes, I have a lot to complain about. Sometimes you have to dwell on the negative aspects of your travel experience, and recount them in your diary, in order to stop yourself from making the same mistakes again.
>>2864493
Those simple country girls really are the cream of the crop. They love the outdoors and don't need to be spoiled with expensive bullshit in order to stay with you. But finding them is a real chore, more a matter of sheer luck than anything.

>>2864933
>I would rather be around people who stayed behind to continue living on their ancestral lands. Not the rootless migrants who only care about wealth and status-maxxing. Their characters I find odious no matter where they are in the world.
Bro you're literally trying to status-maxx by living abroad.

>My trip total expenditures recently hit $2000 USD, around the 80 day mark. Yes, I have a lot to complain about. Sometimes you have to dwell on the negative aspects of your travel experience, and recount them in your diary, in order to stop yourself from making the same mistakes again.
So you spent 800 dollars in 50 days? You said your first month was 1200 spent.

Shit ain't adding up bruv.
>They love the outdoors and don't need to be spoiled with expensive bullshit in order to stay with you.
Anon, my guy, yes some euros are far more down to earth but the country girls seeing a foreigner of any kind will tend to just strike up a conversation out of curiousity since you're something different that's happened in the past months.

Beginning to this others are right from the last thread, you're going to be that annoying fuck in Asia you bump into at the 1USD 1 Drink bars at 3AM or around the hostel room telling everyone "Oh yeah america is so fucked bro... like people man they just don't get it bro... like working and stuff not made for us... btw another beer Rajeeed making .68c/hr".

For the sake of the thread, you don't have to say the exact street but what city from the USA are you from. I am getting MASSIVE coastie New England/PNW vibes here.

>>2864933
>American laborers can easily live a life of travel freedom too.
No they can't. Not unless they're rich or have a cushy remote job they can digital nomad with. Americans do not have nearly the same worker rights or protections Yuros have.

>>2864966
American's make more and pay less overall. The issue with americans is they go full retard and spend a ton of shit on things they don't need but want.

I had a roommate who was working a subway job making ~20/hr+tip+free meal during work, he was easily pulling -27-30/hr overall just for that. He could even get OT if he wanted. Each paycheck he was raking in 1500 or so, 36k/yr there abouts. What did he do? Ate out, drank a ton at bars without pregaming so his bar tab was always ~100, if he drank at home couldn't be the cheap shit, used a stupid expensive phone plan+leasing the latest shit, spent a ton on gacha, bought a 2080 for fucking browser games or 2010's games, door dashed shit, only paid the minimums on cards vs pay off, took "vacations" to random places every 3 weeks like Vegas, drove literally everywhere, never would shop at anything lower than target, etc etc. Dude was broke at the end of the month or had like ~250 saved. Some months he would even joke about it being "hard month to pay rent" making 3k when the entire apartment cost we had was ~2k/mo after utilities(1k each).

If americans seriously stopped eating out and doing "weekender" vacations you'd be amazed how rich the average "poor" could be.

>>2864978
>36k/yr there abouts
Dude I live in one of the cheapest cities in the country and even here anything under 40k is basically poverty tier. If you're frugal you can maybe save enough for a 1 week vacation every year but definitely not long months long backpacking trips.

>drove literally everywhere
Unless you're in NYC or a couple other cities you have no choice but to drive everywhere

>>2864983
This was in AZ anon, again read the post. Rent was 1k/mo there abouts after a split between us of Rent+utils+internet.

36k/yr after tax when your cost of living is 12k, is ez mode. You have 2k of fun money to blow each month. Hell he even was constantly asked if he wanted OT but was too like nah senpai, then turned around complains about not enough cash.
>Unless you're in NYC or a couple other cities you have no choice but to drive everywhere
I live in the midwest, it's insanely easy to use the bus that shows up every 20 minutes or e-bike. Hell where we lived in AZ we had a light rail AND buses every 15 minutes. His job was literally 15 minutes walking or 5 minutes on a bike; nope needed to make it a car ride.

Back to my point people do not understand needs vs. wants.

>>2864933
>I would rather be around people who stayed behind to continue living on their ancestral lands.
What? And you loved vietnam?
Have you ever heard about Nam Tien? I could understand if you were talking about jeets in the uk or something, but assuming youre talking about spics in the us, they have probably even more claim to the southwest US (where they are most prevalant) then zipperheads do to most of their country.
Most primary mainland southeast asian groups come from later migrations to the area less than a thousand years ago, maybe only nips on their central island, koreans, northern chinese and been in their respective regions for a long time with no other native people to speak of, and they are the most wealth and status maxxing group in exsistence, literally what the fuck are you talking about?

>>2864988
>What? And you loved vietnam?
He's only been in europe anon

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>>2864983
>Unless you're in NYC or a couple other cities you have no choice but to drive everywhere
Yeah man I feel you, I waited 10 minutes for a KINO bus in Tokyo and it was BASED best 3.50 I spent. Then I get back to ameriKKKa and did you know those fuckers wanted me to WALK .5 miles to a bus stop and WAIT for a bus... ughhh... so cringe Sure in Japan I had to walk from my hotel but it was safe and not full of things I am use to.

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>>2864937
In case you don't realize, there are multiple anons in this thread talking about their long-term travel lifestyles.
>status-maxxing
Living at leisure in a foreign country doesn't automatically elevate your social status, though being white does still get you special attention in highly melanated parts of the world. The simple act of trudging the streets while others are riding makes you appear low-status to passersby. Likewise for OP's lifestyle of staying in cheap hostels and cooking his daily rations in the kitchen. The only lower-status life for OP would be sleeping in the bushes like vagrant holiday. BTW many shopkeepers feel mild contempt for the disheveled foreigners who aimlessly wander around their country, but they are pragmatic enough not to let such feelings get in the way of doing business.
>we're not cut out for work
This is unironically an accurate description of the mindset of long-term travelers, particularly solo travelers. We don't want to have bosses or clients imposing productivity on us. We don't want to have dependents dipping into our earnings and keeping us constantly hustling to refill the piggybank. We are an expression of Western individualism. Once we save up a nice travel fund, it's "Fuck everybody, I've got mine", and off we go to live as we please in some faraway place.

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>>2864984
I started my venture into the travel life as a 19 year old by sleeping in the woods in a plastic tube tent with a few blankets. Whaddaya know, sleeping rough is rough. You're constantly turning back and forth to ease the pressure points. Everything gets dewy and dirty with forest detritus. You have to lug around a heavy bag full of bedding, along with unappetizing food like peanut butter and crackers. And if you don't hike, you get bored out of your mind sitting in one place alone all day.

So no, I wasn't cut out to be a complete economic dropout. I still wanted society to provide me with some kind of cushion to sleep on, along with the ability to cook hot food. But I was going to start from zero and acquire only what I needed to meet my threshold of minimum comfort. Buying an SUV, a mattress pad and a campstove made for an OK option. But like many travelers, I grew intensely weary of America...the crowded roads that were so devoid of human life, the squalor of living in a car with no shower or running water, the need to venture into a claustrophic enclosed space to meet people, the fake niceness that stemmed from a fear of armed psychos going berserk over a few harsh words. Yes, living an ostracized/isolated life free camping in open American spaces manifested a phobia of being inside small buildings or close to strangers.

While living in the Third World has many downsides, I'm not keen to go back to traveling in the USA any time soon.
>>2864988
>but they migrated a thousand years ago!
That's ancient history. I'm talking about places which are populated by modern-age migrants. They are great places to work and amass money due to their rapid economic growth, but they always leave me feeling profoundly alienated. I don't want to be an outsider surrounded by outsiders. A tourist surrounded by tourists. I want to be around people who are different from me.

>>2865097
Jesse who the FUCK are you talking to
>>2865095
>In case you don't realize, there are multiple anons in this thread talking about their long-term travel lifestyles.
And anon are posting directly to the OP it's fairly obvious who he is.
>Likewise for OP's lifestyle of staying in cheap hostels and cooking his daily rations in the kitchen
Bro he's literally eating EBT level sandwiches and living off the free breakfast most hostels provide. Where are you getting this info he's making well balanced meals he is buying shit like >>2864185 and going "so cheap", like yeah nigga cuz you eating like a broke nigga no one getting jelly over ham(?) and cheese sandwhiches with a thing of eggs.

I'm still confused here, is OP doing 1000/mo excluding travel between countries or 1000/mo for everything? Because if it's the latter I don't buy it for a second OP is living better than in the USA. Even "poor" in the USA is rich if you play the welfare system right and willing to move states.

>>2865097
So you were homeless and didn't take any steps to improve your life, but when you took time to change your situation and living surroundings you were happier? WOW! Shocker!

I think we can all agree the USA has it's problems, it's one of the best places to be "poor", 1k/mo income can get you SNAP+Utility assistance, internet and phone paid for, healthcare paid, and not to be forgotten housing assistance. Some states even give you a bus pass paid for and basic income up to 1000/mo. Hell OP isn't even taxed since he makes less than 25k.

>>2865851
Not tax free. I made $12000 last year and paid 1.5% in payroll taxes after the refund.
>>2865818
Living cheaply in America doesn't magically get you welfare benefits, dumbass. I live on $850/month in the USA, but I don't qualify for jack shit because in America, I am a wagecuck working to pay for my travels. And when I am not wagecucking, I get the fuck out of America, because I'd rather be living on $850 per month overseas.
>housing assistance
For a single white male? GTFO. Not happening, except through your employer. If your employer doesn't provide a place for you, then your only options are moochmaxxing with parents or camping out. Anyway, we all know that welfare rats never leave the country. They are too busy stuffing their face with $6.29 bags of EBT paid Cheetos and becoming morbidly obese. No, we are not buying your premise that life on $1000/month is more enjoyable in America, because it's not. There's really nothing to do besides work, smoke weed, and walk the same trails around town that you've walked 50 times before. It feels like open-air imprisonment.

>>2865972
>paid 1.5% in payroll taxes after the refund.
Oh the horror,
>For a single white male? GTFO. Not happening
Yes 100% happening unless you're under 26 and your parents still claim you
>If your employer doesn't provide a place for you, then your only options are moochmaxxing with parents
I don't think you know how to apply for low income housing assistance
>smoke weed,
ah you smoke weed no wonder all these conversations have been complete balls in substance

OP where are you going next? How are you getting there