“How much does it cost to travel full-time as a Professional Hobo?” I am asked this question regularly by readers of my personal website. And while I maintain that the cost of full-time travel is dependent on oh-so-many factors that are unique to every individual, I have just finished my year-end accounting for 2008 and am willing to share my own finances with the world.

2008 was a year for me spent entirely on the road. I opened the New Year on a remote corner of the Big Island of Hawaii, then traveled around for a week and moved to the other side of the island for four months. In April and May I spent six weeks traveling through Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, arriving in Australia in June. My first six weeks in Australia were spent in transit, first in Cairns for a few days, then enjoying a long drive from Brisbane to Melbourne via the outback. At the end of July I settled down in the rural countryside north of Melbourne, and that is where I remained for the rest of the year.

Despite Wise Bread reader comments about Hawaii being extraordinarily expensive, I must still emphasize that travel – and the costs thereof – are very unique to the individual. Before embarking on a life of full-time travel, I enjoyed my week or two a year of vacations like most people. Being from Canada, the stress was usually on going somewhere warm for a week during winter to sit on a beach and defrost, the cheapest option of which entailed a charter flight to an all-inclusive Caribbean resort. The week generally cost $1,000-$2,000 per person, all inclusive.

At the height of my career as a financial planner, I enjoyed more lavish trips, including a three-week bonanza in South Africa that set me back almost $10,000.

So I am well aware that the cost of vacationing is not cheap at the best of times, and can be downright exorbitant if we are not careful.

But the cost of traveling full-time is somewhat different. You are not searching for souvenirs, paying to see all the attractions (at least not as much as you may as with a traditional vacation), or constantly eating out at restaurants for lack of having kitchen facilities.

As a full-time traveler, I also save money by not having a home and set of regular expenses to maintain. I usually work in trade for my accommodation (occasionally with some additional perks thrown in there like internet or household supplies), and since I always have a kitchen, I prepare inexpensive and healthy foods at “home”.

The flip side to full-time travel, and where the expenses add up, are in transportation costs (airfare being the biggest culprit), accommodation costs between work-trade arrangements, and general sightseeing excursions that I treat myself to while traveling through.

So how much does it cost to travel full-time?

For the answer, I am going to direct you to the original site of this article. You may be surprised at how achievable it is.
http://www.wisebread.com/the-cost-of-full-time-travel

Enjoy!