I’m back! I apologize for the 10 day hiatus from posting, but unfortunately had some urgent business to take care regarding my work here in Ecuador.

In the past I have written a number of articles outlining all the possibilities available to the budget traveler. How to see the world, and spend just pennies along the way! To be honest, I actually get some kind of strange masochistic satisfaction from a true $5 dollar/day budget travel escapade. For the past two and a half years, I have lived on just $300/month, and at times as little as $150/month, traveling and working in the Andes Region of South America.

I consistently recommend this kind of frugality and fiscal creativity to any prospective travelers who are concerned about the financial side of travel. It is quite possible to travel much of the world on as little as $10/day. However, I do understand that extreme budget travel is not for everyone, and that we need to be realistic when talking about it as an option.

Therefore, what does extreme budget travel actually mean? What is actually possible at the bottom end of the travel budget spectrum? What will you have to live without?

What you can afford:

• Dorm Rooms:You will have to forget about private rooms and private baths. The goal should be accommodation for around $5/night. In most regions of the world, this will mean shared dormitory style rooms in quaint hostels. Don’t forget your earplugs and a couple sleeping pills (on occasion) as someone in your room is guaranteed to snore or talk in their sleep!
• BASIC Meals: Forget about your favorite foods back home. Unless they are rice, bananas, or potatoes, they are likely too expensive to eat during your extreme budget travels. You can still eat balanced meals, but the majority of your calories will likely come from cheap local foods rich in carbohydrates. The meals will be repetitive, but they’ll fill you up without emptying your wallet.
• Cultural Integration: While living on a budget, you will find yourself living in the same style as local populations. Your interactions with them are free but rewarding. Well worth taking advantage of.
• Nature: In the “developed” world, it is often hard to find true nature without renting a private vehicle and paying high entrance fees. However, in the rest of the world, nature is still free, and can be found right outside your hostel door. Hiking, trekking, and camping are great ways to see the world, almost for free!

What to forget:

• Alcohol: This is a disappointing one for me… Unfortunately nightly binge drinking sessions can really burn a hole in your pocket. When traveling on an extreme budget, it is better to limit the purchase of alcohol to less frequent occasions.
• Comfortable Transportation: Travel in comfort? Haha, forget about it!? Travel in cramped quarters on rickety buses and trains, is more like it. I always get a chuckle from people’s complaints about flying “coach”. Try traveling 15 hours over African back-roads, in the back of a pickup truck with 20 other people and an assortment of chickens, pigs, and goats!
• Europe / North America: In most cases these areas are just too expensive for the extreme budget traveler. However, the options throughout Asia, Latin America, and even Africa are vast.

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