Poll of the Day > "Quit your job, travel the world, take a gap year - treat yourself!"

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YEAH NO IT'S NOT LIKE WE NEED MONEY TO PURCHASE FOOD AND WATER AND SHELTER IN ORDER TO STAY ALIVE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT

/end caps

Seriously though the people who say just be free are the most delusional. They act like making a living is just an "option" as opposed to a necessity to, oh I don't know, not die
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i never understood how people can afford a "gap year"

isn't that popular in europe and stuff?

do their parents just pay for them to do everything?
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Jen0125 posted...

i never understood how people can afford a "gap year"

isn't that popular in europe and stuff?

do their parents just pay for them to do everything?

Depends on where you go

My cousin and her husband went to Thailand for 6 months after she graduated law school. If you go to countries like that, the only big cost at all is the plane tickets
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Be good looking and everyone will help you out

Even on minimum wage you could save up for a gap year eventually (not that long), it really doesn't cost that much if you don't mind spending as little as possible.

By the time I was 21 I coulda take a gap 5 years if I wanted to (saved half of everything I made till that point and invested it). Of course I graduated on my 16th birthday so I started working much earlier then most.

Anyway, bare bones cost to travel around the country could be as little as 5-10$ a day (you'd want some backup money for emergencies though). So you could get away with just saving up $3000 as a base probably, which almost anyone can do if they want and are willing to sacrifice to do it.

If you wanted to drive everywhere and sleep in a car it would be more expensive (gas costs mainly). Depends on your milage but saying you get 25 mpg on average and average just 60 miles a day (your traveling across the country over 365 days so that is a good average), that would add up to about 3 gallons per day....or maybe $10 just in travel (course you would have a car to sleep in instead of a tent/sleeping bag).

For that you'd probably want a good $5000 saved per year ahead of time.

Anyway, almost anyone could do it if they really wanted.
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If I was going to do it now....and honestly it's still appealing to me, but I have just been responsible for too long to just do it....but I would travel to try out all great places to EAT!!!!

Would be so much fun.

I'd trade in my BMW for a very comfy car/van thingy that would be comfortable to sleep in. It would probably not have as good gas milage, but I have a good 15k in trade in value on my car, so I could get something decent.

If I sold my home, I could afford to do it for the rest of my life, but I'd probably just rent it out for when I was gone and travel around for a year, trying all the greatplaces to eat along the way. That would be soooo fun.

Actually been thinking of selling my car, so I may get something that would work like that instead of another avalon (I can just drive my 1999 avalon locally). That would give me the ability to make short (ish) trips, cheaply. Maybe even do a cross country drive and visit NY again etc.

Lol....fear making life choices based on random threads on gamefaqs hehe.
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If you're sleeping outside for a year, you're fucking homeless dog.
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ReggieTheReckless posted...

My cousin and her husband went to Thailand for 6 months after she graduated law school. If you go to countries like that, the only big cost at all is the plane tickets

what about housing? that's a pretty big expense for 6 months.
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wolfy42 posted...

Even on minimum wage you could save up for a gap year eventually (not that long), it really doesn't cost that much if you don't mind spending as little as possible.

By the time I was 21 I coulda take a gap 5 years if I wanted to (saved half of everything I made till that point and invested it). Of course I graduated on my 16th birthday so I started working much earlier then most.

this is toooootally dependent on your personal finances and if you've even had a job to save. just because you could have done it doesn't mean it's feasible for most people.
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wolfy42 posted...

Anyway, bare bones cost to travel around the country could be as little as 5-10$ a day (you'd want some backup money for emergencies though)

What?

What are you eating, 7-11 hot dogs and big gulps? What are you doing in the daytime? Where do you sleep? How does this cover travel costs at all? I think that's an unrealistically low estimate.

Affording a gap year goes beyond the cash. You can't have a place to live when you return unless you're paying rent while you're gone or planning on moving in with friends or family afterwards. If you have accumulated any stuff you'll need to pay to store it somewhere. If you have pets you'll have to find someone to watch them or give them up. If you have children, forget it.
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Muffinz0rz posted...

the people who say just be free are the most delusional

I know, right? It's like they don't know how complicated your life is, to the extent that you can't just "get up and leave". Some people have school and a part-time job they can't abandon.
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Jen0125 posted...

i never understood how people can afford a "gap year"

Friend of me had a county engineer job for a few years and I believe before she and her husband went on their year long trip around the world they sold almost everything. When they came back I was surprise she managed to get a job again in the same county. Usually city/county jobs are hard to get but I guess she may have left a really good impression. Based on their Facebook photos during their travels they were enjoying themselves and weren't really skimping by.

Another set of friends did the same last year but focused only around the Asian countries. I think they're back now and doing a cross-country road trip in the U.S. Not sure what their plans are after they're done and need to make a living again.

Me personally would not have the drive to do such a trip and finance is not something I like to pry into. I can only guess they made some really good money before their trip as the friend that went around the world owned a house with her husband while the latter owned a condo with her boyfriend. Though for all I know they may have had mortgage on them still.

Interesting enough I have read of travelers begging or selling knick knacks in other countries to stay afloat and keep themselves going. Kinda puts a black mark on other travelers in my opinion.
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Doctor Foxx posted...

wolfy42 posted...

Anyway, bare bones cost to travel around the country could be as little as 5-10$ a day (you'd want some backup money for emergencies though)

What?

What are you eating, 7-11 hot dogs and big gulps? What are you doing in the daytime? Where do you sleep? How does this cover travel costs at all? I think that's an unrealistically low estimate.

Affording a gap year goes beyond the cash. You can't have a place to live when you return unless you're paying rent while you're gone or planning on moving in with friends or family afterwards. If you have accumulated any stuff you'll need to pay to store it somewhere. If you have pets you'll have to find someone to watch them or give them up. If you have children, forget it.

Might be possible in a poor countries where cost of living is low, but Europe, Canada, and USA you would be lucky to find somewhere you can live on less then 50 a day
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InfestedAdam posted...

Friend of me had a county engineer job for a few years and I believe before she and her husband went on their year long trip around the world they sold almost everything.

that's not a gap year. a gap year is a year between high school graduation and college.

they had already been working and saved up money so obviously that's how they did it.

unless tc just means any type of "gap year"

it's not hard to see how an engineer could afford a gap year.
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Jen0125 posted...

that's not a gap year. a gap year is a year between high school graduation and college.

they had already been working and saved up money so obviously that's how they did it.

My mistake then and thank you for clarifying. Yea I would be baffled at folks affording such a trip that long unless their parents are paying for it.
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InfestedAdam posted...

My mistake then and thank you for clarifying. Yea I would be baffled at folks affording such a trip that long unless their parents are paying for it.

yeah unless tc just means any type of gap year.

i wouldn't be surprised by the ability for a person with a high paying career to be able to take a year off to do whatever.
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Jen0125 posted...

ReggieTheReckless posted...

My cousin and her husband went to Thailand for 6 months after she graduated law school. If you go to countries like that, the only big cost at all is the plane tickets

what about housing? that's a pretty big expense for 6 months.

I actually know a guy that got a package deal in Thailand that included housing and food for 6 months and only ran him 5 or 6 grand.

Cacciato posted...

Jen0125 posted...

ReggieTheReckless posted...

My cousin and her husband went to Thailand for 6 months after she graduated law school. If you go to countries like that, the only big cost at all is the plane tickets

what about housing? that's a pretty big expense for 6 months.

I actually know a guy that got a package deal in Thailand that included housing and food for 6 months and only ran him 5 or 6 grand.

that's actually not too bad, you can save up that much in a few year's worth of a decent job
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Even for folks who can afford such a trip in their 20's, 30's, 40's, etc. My biggest concern in all this would be finding a job again. Though I guess for some folks it would be no different from getting laid off and looking for work again. Depending on one's expertise, finding work again could be short and easy.
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Muffinz0rz posted...

Seriously though the people who say just be free are the most delusional.

Agreed. I'm free as a bird.... but a bird with no winds as I'm broke. o.0
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My brother went to Thailand and couch surfed or something for like 2 months. He's always been a big world traveler type. Haven't seen him in like 8 months and he's just out somewhere in South America now. Last we spoke he had no job because he only speaks English.

I don't know how some people do it.
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Cacciato posted...

I actually know a guy that got a package deal in Thailand that included housing and food for 6 months and only ran him 5 or 6 grand.

yeah idk about you but when i was 17 i didn't have $5-6k plus paying for flights to take a gap year.
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I have friends who took gap years after finish college. Took a flight to Thailand and just traveled throughout southeastern Asia, then to Australia, then chilled in New Zealand for a good while after finding some work. I dunno man, yolo dolo
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Jen0125 posted...

Cacciato posted...

I actually know a guy that got a package deal in Thailand that included housing and food for 6 months and only ran him 5 or 6 grand.

yeah idk about you but when i was 17 i didn't have $5-6k plus paying for flights to take a gap year.

Oops. Thought you meant post college

I guess I should have clarified - I was generally referring to post college grads, or at the latest, 30 years old. Beyond 30 (in most career fields, I'd feel), you'll have had enough to save up and travel without raising any eyebrows. It doesn't necessarily have to be the year right after college - it could be high school graduation, it could be taking a year off from college between like sophomore and junior year or whatever - really just any extended chunk of time off, while being in that general age group of 18-29.

But the "motivational" picture(s) that triggered this post was seen on some social media site that is frequented by 2x year olds (I forget which site). It's one of those things that circulates like memes or whatever, as is common with said age group.

In general, people in that age group are buried in student loan debt, struggling to find jobs, and simply looking to make ends meet. Given the expenses of life, it's borderline insulting for people to tell millennials that they should just "take a break." I mean, even the plane ticket, admittedly the most expensive part of living abroad in Asia, would simply be too much for these people.
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Well, generally if it's something a hippie says it won't ever apply to me.
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Muffinz0rz posted...

I guess I should have clarified - I was generally referring to post college grads, or at the latest, 30 years old. Beyond 30 (in most career fields, I'd feel), you'll have had enough to save up and travel without raising any eyebrows.

Muffinz0rz posted...

In general, people in that age group are buried in student loan debt, struggling to find jobs, and simply looking to make ends meet.

My two sets of friends were probably in their mid to late 20's when they went on their respective trips. They were exceptional students though along with their respective husband/boyfriend so they probably aren't the norm. Not many would be buying a house or condo in their 20's unless they have the job to support it. The fact that one of those friends came back a year later and got her job again with the county really surprised me.

I'd admit again, my two college friends are probably not the norm in terms of what they've achieved in their 20's compared to most post-college graduates. They weren't the only ones, a few other friends bought houses in their 20's. Either they landed really good paying engineering jobs or they moved out to some developing area where it is all cheap.

Just to give another example, friend of mine worked for a construction company, Kiewit, for two years. He was stationed in Canada and was pulling in 14-16 hours per day. Every two weeks he'll come back to Southern California for a one week break. With the amount of money he was making for working outside of the country and his company covering for all this expenses while living in Canada, he made enough to buy a home after the two year contract for the project ended. Again, probably not the norm but it is doable.

EDIT: I reread what you said and you're right, in general, the average post-college graduate isn't capable of all this.
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Muffinz0rz posted...

In general, people in that age group are buried in student loan debt, struggling to find jobs, and simply looking to make ends meet. Given the expenses of life, it's borderline insulting for people to tell millennials that they should just "take a break."

It's no doubt made easier if you're likely to be supported by comfortably well-off parents who can be your cushion and safety net.
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Bah people backpack around europe all the time and no reason you can't do it in the US. My uncle did when he was young (although he was a musician so that hlped him have places to stay/make money etc).

If your ok with sleeping outside, and backpacking it's not that expense, but the cost of food really, which can be quite cheap if your not eating out etc. You don't have to eat 7-11 to eat for $5 a day or even close.

And if your young the year or so traveling won't be missed (might even make a good story...or lots of stories which would help you get noticed lol).

Now food is more expensive now, but even so, you can certainly get by on around $5 if your trying to conserve money as much as possible.

If you don't mind hiking/sleeping outside, but still plan on checking out good places to eat around, you could probably do it for about $20 on average a day...and have a really good time to doing it too.
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I just finished up my 8 month vacation, although I didn't travel internationally. I'm about to be 28 years old. I think the main problem is most millennials are seriously trapped in college debt and on top of that don't have much of a sense for budgeting, probably because they are already so fucked. I didn't want to be in that position so I just went to community college, paid cash in full each semester while working, and worked my ass off when I got my first entry level job after grauduating with an A.S. I moved into my own apartment at 21. By the time I was 25 I was a senior analyst at the company I was working for and had saved up quite a bit of money because I'm financially responsible. The day before I turned 27 I put in my 2 weeks. I continued to rent my apartment by myself. I worked in NYC (commute from NJ) acting and modeling for the better part of 8 months making virtually nothing and bleeding out my savings but it was the time of my life. At 6 months I put my resume back online and got to applying. Found something I liked within about a month but the start date was another month away. I didn't get any help from my parents. My parents give me $50 for my birthday every year, actually, so there is that.

The common theme I see amongst my friends (mid to late 20s) is that they don't understand how to manage their finances. They don't realize how much their variable expenses like food, alcohol, and entertainment really add up. They have no understanding of the value of the dollar. They complain they don't get paid enough, but really they could be giving themselves a huge raise if they stopped spending so much money on restaraunts (even fast food) and alcohol. Literally pissing their money away. I just see a lot of people spending the money they make, and not saving any. It's sad. And I've shown some of them how I manage my budget with an excel sheet I made and I made them one too and walked them through it. They never made an effort to use it though. Oh well. They live in their parents house and have no motivation to get their shit together, because there's no immediate consequences. Too many parents coddle their kids and it's awful tbh. I think that's the main problem.
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