new to all of this!

[chrisrayment]

Hi there, I have been obsessed with this website for a number of weeks now after spending five years in the british army, i came home to become a police officer but that just was not for me, so I have found myself sat in the office of death, taking calls from the rest of the UK and just basically existing without experience, its killing me softly as a famous song once said and I just want to leave all this behind and pack a bag and see where i end up, I have got the motivation to do so, but the only thing i have no knowledge of is how much money do people need to take to just pack up and go, I have got no time limits to adhere to and im not really looking at coming back at any point, I dont mind woking while away but just wanted to know if anyone on here could give me some pointers of how much money to have, Id love to say i want to go around the entire world but then, i want to just go with the flow of things, i dont want a schedule, i just wanna see where life takes me really.

Any advice/links into this would be of great help, happy days!

[Marc]

I'm expecting to spend £20 a day in my SE Asia excursion on a tightish budget. But I can tell you one financial rock I'm living by is that if I have enough money for a week and a ticket home I've got enough.

Also don't forget to claim back your tax on this years employment (April 11-April 12). This years personal allowance is £7,475 meaning if you earnt less than this since April you get ALL your tax back. Request a P50 from Inland Revenues website and be aware if you claim benefits once you quit your job it will delay your claim.

[Chickygirl11]

Great! I am not the only one here feeling is rotting away behind a desk and is a newbie! 

I think all depends were you want to go….

We are going to Thailand for 2 weeks with friends. We want to try out the backpackers approach in Jan (2012) and see how it feels…. We’ll take it from there…

I am budgeting £15 each a day (tops) for 14 days (food, transport, treats -besides accommodation which I am giving £10 per night tops) and have some reserve money (just in case I fall in love with something exceptionally nice or we get ill). I have heard that in Thailand you can have breakfast for around £2 and dinner for £4 - £5 so I guess that would be enough… If not I would appreciate if some one corrects me ;-)

I think that if you find out where you want to go, it will be easier to determine how much you will need for your basic needs….

Let me know how it goes...

Chickygirl11

[Greg]

Hey Chickygirl, welcome...and we're all still newbies. 

I was in Thailand last month, and the food prices depend entirely on what you consider an acceptable dinner. The street carts on Rambuttri make great noodles, rice, soup, vegetables, and other things for US$1 - $2. It's a decent meal. Increase that significantly if you want to eat Western foods or drink beer.

Thailand has gone up in price significantly the last couple of years because of the new crowds; I've watched it happen. I remember paying less than 50 cents for pad thai just a couple of years ago.

My guesthouse in Bangkok was US$10 per night for a "boutique hostel" with free Wi-Fi.  You can find cheaper. In Chiang Mai, I paid US$6 per night for a gorgeous place.

Hope these numbers help. Check out my site: http://www.thailandtips.info

Cheers!

[JosephB]

Hello, I'm new here! I'm only seventeen, my journey won't be beginning for a few more years by which point prices everywhere will be completely different I am sure, but anyway!:

Out of interest, about how much money do you take with you when you set off into the world? If we're talking $15/$20 a day in Thailand surely that adds up pretty quickly if you're staying there for any extended period of time?

Thanks 

[Greg]

"How much money" is the #1 question I see on the forums, Facebook, and email. Also, it's the #1 most difficult question to answer.

I've met "hippies" that were picking fruit, fishing, and getting by on $5 a day...or you can spend $100 per day. Depends on you, the destination, luck, your comfort, what you do, etc.

One thing is for sure, though: bring more money and less stuff with you on your trip!

Ever heard of the Law of Attraction? Celestine Prophecy? Google them. Call it esoteric, but holy s*$# they manifest themselves on the road. You actually attract success just by not assuming the worst. Just when you think you're broke and down to your last penny, an odd job falls into your lap, a rich guy hands you a $100 bill, or you find a fun gig to earn some cash.

It's not Hollywood -- amazing things actually happen.

The point is...stuff like that only happens when you keep your chin up and your eyes open. Vagabonds aren't vagrants. You won't end up sleeping on the street (unless you want to). 

[roofleaf]

Wow, people are actually just hanging out in the world. That's pretty mindblowing compared to a 9 to 5. You keep a lively an informative blog, thanks mate!

Also in the times of the Buddha ascetics got by with very little food. Middle Way it by all means, but probably we can get by on less food than western people imagine.

"How much money" is the #1 question I see on the forums, Facebook, and email. Also, it's the #1 most difficult question to answer.

I've met "hippies" that were picking fruit, fishing, and getting by on $5 a day...or you can spend $100 per day. Depends on you, the destination, luck, your comfort, what you do, etc.