The past few years or so have been so dotted with incredible amounts of worldwide travel for me that when I sit down and really think about it, even I am blown away.  Spain, Nicaragua, South Africa, Indonesia, Mexico, the Virgin Islands, all over the USA, Zanzibar, etc....And, the question I get asked the most is always, always--how the hell can you afford all of this? 

I guess I wonder, how could I afford not to?  First of all, I work alot internationally on TV shows.  That gets me to places free and with a per diem. I try to sked a side trip afterward as a treat for the living hell that was my life during the production.  Second, I have a crapload of frequent flyer miles (all my credit cards gain me FF miles)...so like for instance, on my past two trips to Indonesia, I was able to fly first class for $5.  For real.  I also am very selective about where I travel.  Third World countries are really the only way to go because the dollar stretches on and on and on. 

I do things like buy a sailboat and use it for a season...maybe fix it up a little...and then sell it for more than I paid for it.  I have a little $1000 solar-powered vintage travel trailer that I just hauled through all of Mexico and once this LA job is over in a few months, will continue to drive all the way to the Panama Canal.  No $100 hotel nights for me--it's more like $300 a month in a funky little RV camp (free wi-fi included).  Or,  I do an apartment switch with a couple from Barcelona.  They get my Chicago place and I get theirs--in one of the most expensive cities in the world.  Thanks craigslist.com! 

Plus, I chose wisely and secured an affordable condo right on Lake Michigan in Chicago--in an up-and-coming hood, instead of the friggin' Gold Coast. If I was freaking out about a $2500 a month mortgage every month, life would not be as sweet.  Instead I have a mortgage that is cheaper than when I was paying rent in Roscoe Village.  And, I have more money to spend on personal pilates sessions or day-long spa treatments or volunteer excursions or donations to worthy causes.  Things that are more of a balm to my soul than a pair of $300 sunglasses.

I also double dip alot and have a gazillion jobs going on at once.  I write about food and travel, I work on top-notch TV shows, I produce Pilates/Volunteer retreats...I mean, you gotta keep the ball rolling and have multiple sources of income flowing in all the time.  Never put all the cookies in one basket, you know?

I own my truck--and it's 10 years old.  I don't buy $600 boots.  I live lean and mean (most of my $ goes for travel books, magazines and tech gadgets).  I have no kids.  No high overhead.  I eat out a ton and usually write about where I am eating at, so that is paid for quite often.  I'm a corporation, so the majority of my travel is a total write-off.  I invest wisely--all green for the most part (mutual funds, stocks, ingdirect).   

It's really quite simple actually.  You just gotta be smarter than the system.  Just a little Mistylivin'101 for all you folks who've been askin' lately.