Travel Tip 2: Change the Way You Think About Making Money
Working on a beach ANYWHERE still feels like work.
When I first started planning for tiny living and full-time travel, I felt really overwhelmed by the cost. I remember looking at property in Georgia with my friend, Brian, and trying to wrap my head around the numbers.
When I found cheaper land in Arizona and asked for an estimate on a 200 SF house, a contractor sent me a quote for $80,000 to $100,000. He was honest enough to say I could get a much bigger manufactured home for less than that.
Recognizing the Problem
After multiple setbacks, I went back to the drawing board. This time, I decided to change my approach. I was stressing over money I didn't have to buy the things I felt I needed.
Granted, 200 SF of living space is not exactly greedy. But, spending $100,000 on a house I only planned to use as my home base was a waste of money — especially when I already had a perfectly good house in Atlanta!
Creating a New Mindset
So, for the last round, I stopped asking myself what it would cost me to build the life I wanted. Instead, I looked at what I had and I asked myself two questions that completely revolutionized my travel journey:
1. How little can I survive on and still be happy?
2. What can I afford with what I've got?
Changing the Plan
I remembered suddenly that when I was looking at land in rural California, almost every property had a camper. These were not wealthy people, so how much did an RV actually cost? Turns out it wasn't very much.
An RV provided the opportunity to enjoy the best of both worlds. I still had a home base, but I could drag it all over North America as much as I liked.
Prioritizing Time Over Money
Having enough money to cover your expenses is crucial to enjoying life on the road. But, spend more time on minimizing your expenses than maximizing your income. Most people have to trade their time for money. Time is not guaranteed to any of us. And, when you're on the road, you'll need that time to enjoy the places you visit.
From a distance, it might seem like working on the beach in Mexico is amazing. But, let me tell you now: working on a beach ANYWHERE still feels like work.
Reduce your expenses; maximize your time.
Thank me later!
If you’re a paid subscriber, tomorrow you’ll receive another email detailing the upfront costs of my setup. I share what I paid for my FJ Cruiser, what I paid for the travel trailer, which expenses I financed, and what I paid for in cash.
By the way, happy holidays!
— Alexis Chateau