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Mythbusters: How Can You Afford This?

“Mythbusters” posts will address some common misconceptions about career breaks and global travel.

This post is to answer one of the questions we have received most often when telling our family and friends that we leaving our jobs to travel:  How can you afford this?

No, we are not independently wealthy.  No, a wealthy long-lost relative did not die and leave us a fortune.  We haven’t won the lottery, struck oil in our front yard, or find a tree that sheds $100 bills.

The (slightly boring) reality is that this trip is made possible through a lot of hard work, savings, and sacrifice.

On the first day of my second job out of college, a manager sat down with me and gave me some advice that has really made this all possible.

He said, “I know that at your age you’re not thinking about retirement and the future.  I also know what you made before you got this job and what you get paid now.  You were able to survive on your previous salary, so put the difference away.  Put money into your 403B (Retirement Plan) and save the rest.  Every time you get a raise, put the extra money away.”

So I did what he told me to and because of that, commitment to our savings goals, and a little sacrifice we are in a position to take this journey.

We recognize that there are those that might see this decision as potentially “irresponsible” at this point in our lives.   We respectfully disagree.  We have thought this through long and hard, crunched all of the numbers, and are sticking to a very careful budget.

In addition, right from the start, we both made a commitment that we will not touch our retirement accounts, nor will we use any of our 18+ month emergency fund to pay for this journey.

We’re just two people with a dream.  If we can do it, anyone can.  Any questions?  Want to start funding your dreams?  Send us an e-mail and we will see what we can do to help!

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