40 Countries in 35 Years! How I Spend Less and See More

Budget travel isn’t just about penny-pinching—it’s about unlocking the door to more adventures.

The less you spend, the more trips you can take. And I’ve even found that the less you spend, the more fun it is. You get more involved with the local people rather than just tour guides and events laid on for tourists.

Since leaving England in 1990, I’ve made my home in 5 countries and explored many more. My passport tells the story: 40 countries across 35 years of continuous travel. How? By mastering the art of spending less to see more.

The math is simple: Cut your daily expenses in half, and suddenly your two-week vacation becomes a month-long adventure.

I had been used to package tours and spending lots of money on vacations. But when I left England at 27 to start long-term travel, I joined three others who were on tight budgets. I remember that first night in Bombay, India. We were shown a really cheap room that I wouldn’t expect my worst enemy to stay in. I laughed at the thought of sleeping there, but the other three said, ‘Yes, that’s fine.’

I got used to it. I was young and it was an adventure. There was more excitement living in cheap rooms and hostels in the parts of a city where locals live. I have never found the same feeling in 5-star hotels.

Here’s what I’ve learned along the way:

Flights

Google Flights is your new best friend. As a destination, you can choose a city. But to find cheaper flights, you can choose a country or even a continent. And you can select a whole month to find the cheapest dates.

One time, I went from London to Sweden, and another time from London to Austria, and the flights cost less than the train to the airport. Looking now, there are return trips to several destinations from London to Europe for under $50.

By getting these cheap random flights, you will find yourself in unexpected places, not just joining the hordes of people going to a popular beach destination to get drunk.

Master the Art of Stopovers

Why see one country when you can experience two or three for around the same price?

If you are planning a long-haul trip, why not stop somewhere on the way? When I lived in The Philippines and traveled back to England, I would often stop in Bangkok for a few days. If I was using Egypt Air, I would have a few days in Cairo as well. The last time I went to The Philippines, I stopped over in Turkey and Malaysia.

It isn’t as easy as it used to be to split a flight with a stopover, so there are a couple of good ways I do it:

One way is to buy lots of single flights. I like this way as it is more flexible. I just book one or two of the flights and decide later where to go. Just be careful to check if you have to have an onward ticket for each country.
Another way is to get two return tickets. For example, if you want to go from London to Bangkok via Shanghai, you can get a London-Shanghai return and a Shanghai-Bangkok return. That is usually cheaper than single tickets and fine if you are sure of the exact dates.

Choose Budget-Friendly Destinations

Your dollar, euro, or pound stretches dramatically depending on where you land.

Southeast Asia, parts of Latin America, and Eastern Europe offer incredible experiences at a fraction of Western European or North American prices. I lived comfortably in Thailand long term for $1200 a month—no way I could do that in New York or the Middle East.

Look beyond the obvious. Albania offers Mediterranean beaches without Greek prices. Mexico provides cultural richness at a fraction of the cost of the US.

Timing Is Everything

Avoid peak season like the plague. It’s not just more expensive—it’s more crowded and often less authentic.

If you are traveling long term, you can’t avoid the holidays but you can stay in less touristy areas. I used to spend a long time in Phuket, Thailand. I would stay in the tourist areas most of the time, but at Christmas and New Year, prices shot up. I’d just move to one of the local areas between the popular beaches. I had a motorbike, so could go anywhere easily anyway.

I preferred the low season as the locals had more time and there was more of an expat atmosphere than lots of package tourists.

Rethink Accommodation

4 or 5 star Hotels are the least interesting and most expensive option. Consider:

Hostels: They are the easiest place to meet people, either in the dormitory or in common rooms. Many have private rooms if you want the benefit of privacy at night. They are definitely the budget way to go. Better for the under 30s.
Guesthouses or small hotels: These are more friendly than large hotels, as there are fewer rooms and it is more casual. You bump into the other guests a lot, and it’s easy to get to know the owners or staff. I would often have a beer with the guesthouse owners when I lived in Phuket and be invited to parties or a meal.
Apartment rentals: If you are staying long term, it is cheaper to rent an apartment. In Thailand, you can find monthly rentals for as little as $300, depending on the area. You won’t find these on Airbnb but have to get some transport and go around to find the bargains.

I rarely book more than 3 or 4 days in advance when going to a new place. It might mean I have to move if the accommodation becomes full, but I don’t know if I will like the area or like the accommodation. I’d rather not be committed to something I dislike.

Move Like a Local

Tourist transportation options are overpriced. Instead:

Use local bus networks. It is more fun anyway, and you meet people along the way. I took my mother to Turkey a couple of years ago. We used the local minibuses to get around and would just jump on one even if we didn’t know where it was going. My mother enjoyed it that way too – and she is 90!
Rent bikes or motorbikes. Just be careful. It gives you a lot more freedom and flexibility. And you can stop when you find somewhere interesting.
Consider overnight trains for long distances – it saves a night’s accommodation. I haven’t done that for a while, but did it in Asia a lot — ‘back in the 90s’.

Eat Strategically

Food can devour your budget or enhance your experience. Try these approaches:

Eat away from the main tourist hubs or beautiful views. Those restaurants can cost three times what ones a couple of hundred meters away charge. Eat where the locals eat, and you can save even more. In Thailand, I would often get food and sit on the beach to eat it. Cheap food and a great view.
Street food is often the most delicious option (look for lines of locals). When I lived in Taipei, we would often go to one of the night markets to have a beer and teppanyaki. I know that’s Japanese, but there were several places that cooked it in front of you in the markets.

Free and Nearly-Free Experiences

The most memorable experiences often cost nothing:

Hiking urban and rural trails
Public parks and beaches
Free or low-cost museums
Local festivals and celebrations

Just by walking around, I am always finding interesting stuff. The other day, there was a Queen tribute act in a small town for free. I didn’t even know it was on and enjoyed the evening there.

Other times, I have ended up joining weddings, been invited to eat with locals, or enjoyed watching buskers or street acts. It’s interesting watching local fishermen haul in a catch or just people-watching in a busy area.

Embrace Technology

Apps have revolutionized budget travel:

Google Flights for budget plane journeys
Google Search to find budget accommodation in a given area – then Agoda or Booking.com to make the booking
Google Maps for navigation and transport options
Radio.net app for world radio stations
Google Translate to speak to locals
Uber, Grab, or Bolt for rides – depending on the country
AllTrails to find the best hikes
WhatsApp to stay in touch with friends
Where is Public Toilet for… well, you know
And many more

Banking Smart Saves Hundreds

Small fees add up dramatically.

I use Wise as my main card and Revolut as a backup. The fees are less than 1% for most currencies. It is best to use them rather than cash, as ATMs usually have a fee for cash withdrawals. If you want some cash from an ATM, check which bank is best. A crazy place is Turkey. Some ATMs have zero fees for foreign cards, and others are up to 10%.

It’s About People, Not Places

My richest travel memories involve people, not monuments:

The Indian family who invited me and a friend to dance in a wedding.
A Japanese student who invited a few of us to go skiing and stay in his ski lodge.
An English guy I met while traveling in Nepal and met up with later to cycle the coast of Vietnam.
A group of us who rafted down a river for 10 days in Nepal.
People I met while scuba diving in the Philippines.

These connections happen when you travel slowly and cheaply, not when rushing between luxury hotels and top-ten attractions.

Slowing Down Saves Money

The faster you travel, the more you spend. Transportation costs eat budgets. I stay at least a week in most locations but often a few months.

This approach reveals hidden corners of a place, and you get to feel more relaxed. Unexpected opportunities happen that rushed travelers miss entirely.

I spent a couple of weeks in a city in the Philippines, extended it as I saw I could study computing there, Then started dating a teacher and my whole life changed.

The Lasting Impact

Thirty-five years of budget travel hasn’t just saved me money—it’s fundamentally changed how I experience the world. I want to be more involved with the places I go. I want to experience the local life, see what the locals do and how they live.

You don’t need a trust fund or to win the lottery to see the world. You just need to rethink the way you travel. Don’t be above everyone in a 5-star hotel, being chauffeured around, with staff saying “Yes, sir” or “Yes, miss.” Get involved with the real people.

The question isn’t whether you can afford to travel—it’s whether you can afford to stay home and miss seeing the world. You only live once and there is a lot to see.

So, start planning your next budget adventure.