How Do People Afford to Travel Full-Time with Kids?
The truth behind our budget, trade-offs, and how we’re making this life shift happen
“Must be nice…”
That’s the comment we hear most when people find out we’re leaving to travel for a year with our kids.
Sometimes it’s said kindly. Sometimes it’s a little sharper.
But either way, the assumption is the same:
“You must be rich.”
“You must have savings for days.”
“You must have won the lottery.”
We didn’t. We haven’t. We’re just choosing differently, for a short season of life that we know will stretch us in all the best (and hard) ways.
So let’s talk about how we’re really doing this.
Not hypothetically.
Not “influencer-style.”
Just honest decisions, sacrifices, and a whole lot of spreadsheets.
First — This Took Planning (and Time)
This trip wasn’t a sudden “let’s sell it all and go” moment.
It’s been over a year in the making saving (not as much as you think), prepping, pivoting.
And we’re still not on the road yet. But here’s what we’ve done to make this dream something we can actually afford:
1. Renting Out Our House
This was the biggest mindset and financial shift.
Instead of selling everything, we’re renting out our home while we travel.
It covers our mortgage and keeps our overhead low while we’re away. The spare momeny we will have (£200 or so) will be a buffer for any unexpected landlord costs.
It also gives us a soft landing if we come back. We didn’t want to burn it all down, we just wanted to hit pause.
2. Selling a Lot of Our Stuff
Decluttering has been emotional, but freeing. We’ve sold furniture we once swore we’d keep forever, baby gear we thought we might need “just in case,” and enough random kitchen gadgets to outfit a second home (seriously, how many spatulas does one family need?).
We listed things on Facebook Marketplace (This is actually terrible as people literally want to pay nothing), ran local car boot sales, and even set up a “travel fund” jar the kids could contribute to by choosing what toys they were ready to part with.
Some items sold quickly. Others sat for weeks. A few we had to let go for less than we hoped, but every item gone felt like one less thing tying us down.
And as our house slowly emptied, our savings started to grow. That wasn’t the plan at first, but it’s become one of the unexpected wins of this whole process. We’ve not only freed up money, but mental space too.
It’s also reshaped how we think about “stuff.” We’re not going full minimalist, but we’ve realized just how little we really need to live well—and how much we’re willing to let go of in order to say yes to this adventure.
3. Cutting Our “Normal” Monthly Spend
Decluttering has been emotional (and messy), but also freeing.
From furniture to toys to clothes we forgot we had, we’ve been slowly selling off anything that doesn’t make sense to store or take with us. That’s helped pad our savings and simplify what we’re bringing.
Bonus? The fewer things you own, the fewer things you worry about.
We didn’t realise how much we spent just to stay home:
Kids’ clubs and extracurriculars
Petrol and car maintenance
Takeaways, subscriptions, Amazon “just because” buys
School expenses and uniforms
Home repairs and “little upgrades” that add up fast
Traveling still costs money, but we’ve been shocked to find out how much we already spend not traveling.
4. Building Income from Anywhere
We’re not taking this trip as a gap year or early retirement.
We’ll be working just differently.
Freelance projects
Affiliate marketing
Sponsored content (slowly growing!)
Blog monetisation and future digital products
We don’t expect to fully fund our travel from content (yet), but we’re setting up streams that can support the lifestyle long-term.
5. Using What We Already Have
We’ve chosen to start with what’s in reach:
Using airline points to lower flight costs
Gear we already own or buy once (no weekly outdoor kit hauls!)
Staying in affordable areas of Latin America where the cost of living is lower
Avoiding expensive tours or high-end hotels
We’re not chasing luxury. We’re chasing connection, slowness, and shared experience—and those don’t cost as much as people think.
If you’ve ever dreamed of doing something similar, we’re not here to say it’s simple—but it is possible.
6. Being Clear About Our Budget (and Boundaries)
We’re tracking every penny and planning for the unexpected.
We built a “pre-departure” fund to cover all those annoying one-time costs (gear, insurance, vaccines).
And we’re aiming to spend less per month traveling than we do living at home (see that breakdown here).
It’s not magic. It’s just being intentional.
What This Actually Looks Like Behind the Scenes
- We say no to a lot of things at home: eating out, impulse buys, “just in case” purchases.
We’re testing our remote work habits now, so we don’t land in a new country still figuring it out.
We meal plan, pack lunches, and hustle Facebook Marketplace like pros.
We have spreadsheets for flights, savings, SIM cards, and “where did we put that again?” items.
It’s not glamorous. But it’s working.
@travelventurefour “Some people go viral. Some people go to Bali. I went bankrupt and now livestream from my mum’s laundry room. But hey… the algorithm is just one Reel away from changing my life 🫠 #TravelInfluencer #satire #fyp #f#familytravelt#travellingwithkidst#traveltiktokf#familyadventuretravelfamily ♬ september on crack ft. a recorder (Earth, Wind & Fire - September) - frickin weeb
“Is It Worth It?”
We haven’t left yet, but already? Yes.
Because for us, the why is way bigger than the how.
We’re not traveling because it’s easy.
We’re traveling because we want to show our kids and ourselves what’s possible when you make space for curiosity.
And the freedom to choose this path, even temporarily, has been one of the most powerful parts of the journey.
Final Thoughts: We’re Not Rich. We’re Just Ready.
This trip didn’t come from a trust fund.
It came from small choices that built into a big shift.
If you’ve ever dreamed of doing something similar, we’re not here to say it’s simple but it is possible.
Even if it takes time. Even if it’s messy. Even if it’s a little scary.
We’re making it happen with kids, on a budget, and one packing cube at a time.
