I spent $34,563.38 to travel for 18 months: My budget breakdown

This category includes the survival essentials I put together before the trip, such as a suitcase, packing cubes, cargo pants, hiking shoes, and water shoes.

In retrospect, I should have focused on packing items that can’t easily be found elsewhere, like my favorite brand of mosquito repellent, instead of items I could easily buy abroad. I regretted, for example, being weighed down by the dead weight of too much stuff that I had to lug onto cars and planes all over the world.

Do you want: $4,885.14

Ground transportation: $3,189.53

I took 40 flights during my trip, in economy class with checked baggage. There were many opportunities to take a night bus for a quarter to half the price. But he hated the idea of ​​sleeping on a bus, using the bus toilets, or driving narrow winding roads in the dark.

Flights within the countries usually cost between $50 to $100, and twice that to fly to very large countries such as China or Brazil. Flights between neighboring countries cost me $100 to $200. Flights between non-neighboring countries cost me $100 to $300. The farthest distance I traveled was from Osaka, Japan to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and refunded me $140.28.

I also used about 200,000 credit card miles to cover some of my flights.

When I wasn’t flying, I was taking buses, vans or bullet trains. Three- to seven-hour bus and van trips cost me $10 to $20. The bullet train across about 860 kilometers from Xian to Shanghai in China cost me $94. An unlimited two-hour bullet train pass weeks in Japan cost me $224.

I use a lot of rideshare services, which often cost only $1 or $2 for a two- or three-mile motorcycle ride.

Dress up: $1,048.24

Souvenirs: $216.86

Gifts: $661.91

Most buy in hole-in-the-wall shops or vendors set up on the street, where there are no price tags and it’s all about negotiation. To avoid overpaying, I cooled down to buy right away and ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I asked about the prices with several sellers. That process helped me calculate the lowest acceptable price, or the last price I was offered before the sellers let me go.

That’s how I knew I got a good deal on custom made Vietnamese silk dresses in Hoi An. After reporting, I ended up paying $34 per dress and left Vietnam with 14.

Sometimes I buy things locally when I feel that the price seems very reasonable. I don’t care if the seller made a few extra dollars because I still felt like it was a lot and the money would mean more to them than to me.

For the most part, as an American citizen, I do not need a visa or pay for a visa on arrival. Those typically cost around $30 to $40.

There were outliers, though. The visa for China cost me $205 in application and printing fees and the visa for Bolivia cost $160. I was surprised to learn about that requirement two hours before I arrived at the border from Peru and scrambled to collect the necessary documents before arrival.

I occasionally indulge in luxuries that I almost never spend money on in the US, where I often feel that I can’t justify the cost. I got gel manicures for about $15 and massages for $5 to $10. I took yoga and meditation classes at nice facilities in Bali, which cost $10 each. Haircuts cost about $8. I also regularly stock up on toiletries, sunscreen, and mosquito repellent.

This includes fun escapist activities that don’t count as sightseeing or cultural experiences. That includes entrance fees to the few nightclubs I visited, arcade games, a Spotify music subscription and hookah with friends.

I’m surprised at how little I actually spent on the getaway. You can party very cheaply with other tourists in Southeast Asia and South America, especially when staying in hostels. In my early to mid 20s, I would have jumped at the chance, but in my early 30s, I didn’t feel drawn to it.