Traveling is Cheaper than Staying Home

I continually hear people say they would like to travel but that they can’t. There are a lot of excuses, and many of these are valid. Others are just that – excuses. Let me tackle the excuses.

I Can’t Travel

Often people say they can’t leave a family member: valid.
Some say they can’t leave friends: not valid.
Some say they have health concerns: possibly valid.
I hear the idea that health insurance is too costly: maybe.
Many are concerned about getting good medical care: not valid.
Others say it’s too expensive: maybe not.
Some say they can’t go alone: maybe not valid.
I’ve heard I don’t know how to travel: not valid.
I have pets so I can’t travel: not valid.

I could go on, but I’ll stop there. You may know of other excuses. You may have made some yourself. You are free to agree or disagree with me on the above excuses. Every situation is different. Every person is different. There is no one answer for everyone. If you want to go, you will find a way.

You Can Travel

For at least some of these excuses, I am always tempted to ask two questions: do you eat, and do you pay rent or a mortgage? The answer for most of us would be Yes. We have to eat to stay alive, and we have to have a place to sleep. The costs for both of these (unless you have no housing costs) will continue, they will just be in a different place. The only new cost you will have is the cost of travel.

What you won’t have are home insurance, utility bills, association dues, home upkeep if you own, a lawn to move, possibly a sidewalk to shovel. What you may also escape are the costs of owning and maintaining a car.

If you’re serious about wanting to travel but feeling you can’t afford it, add up all the expenses you normally have. Then, research where you want to go, how you’re going to get there, and any travels later. Research the costs of living in this new place. You may find you’ve eliminated enough costs to more than cover your travel.

Travel Costs

Your biggest travel cost may be your initial cost, such as changing continents. Okay, you will just have to plan for that. Once you have arrived at your first destination, you will usually find that public transportation is readily available and less expensive than it is at home and less expensive than owning and maintaining your car. Sometimes, city buses can be as low as free for riding in city center, or the equivalent of one dollar or less within the city. This can be true for subways and trollies. You may be able to take a taxi for the equivalent of five dollars. Then of course there is my favorite: walking. If you’re able, it’s the cheapest way to go.

If Europe is your destination, traveling between cities is not prohibitive because the countries are close together. An airfare can cost as little as 20 dollars; under 100 dollars is more usual. Buses and trains are your next option. These can be cheap or expensive depending on how far you’re going and even the time of day. If your distance is far, consider a night ride. It will save you the cost of an accommodation for that night.

Travel Resources

The Internet will be your best friend. Programs like Rome2Rio.com will tell you how and when you can plan your journey by bus, train, car, taxi, etc. Trains in the United Kingdom offer one-third off the fare for older people. You can undoubtedly find discounts of some sort in most countries. Look for them.

For inspiration and to see how to be offensive rather than defensive about your travel/retirement decisions, see:

Wayne Gretzky, a former ice hockey player said, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take [Thanks, Jim].

My Recent YouTube Video

Let me update you with the fallout from the video I shared with you two weeks ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGqbh9nS94E

This video has gone viral with 178,419 views and 314 comments as of the morning of April 16. I have tried to respond to each of these. In addition, 760 people clicked over to my blog and 26 actually subscribed. (4/11/). This should be enough on this subject.

I found it interesting that two people unknown to me met me and called me by name. I have also enjoyed three lunch invitations. I had an amazing request from a woman who asked if she could travel with me. She said that this was not a romantic gesture, but if that happened, she would not be opposed to it.

I have been advised that this video will continue to receive new viewers. Currently, I receive 100-200 daily. I don’t know where this will end. Will I become famous? No, thankfully. However, I told a couple of people that they can say they knew me when.

I have also returned to serious exercising. I’m also watching my diet and making some changes, including fasting. The video has spurred me to really try to lose weight.

Fact: Approximately 50% of all house-sitting homes have dogs
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