The Journey of a Lifetime: A Couples Full-Time Travel Adventure on a $3,000 Monthly Budget

Two years ago, my husband and I embarked on a journey that many only dream of: selling nearly everything we owned to travel full-time. We'd been dreaming of this for years and finally decided to take the leap. We live on a $3,000 a month budget and make sure to stay connected to our family through regular video calls, postcards, and visits.

At 55, my husband Shayne and I did something most people only dream about. We sold our home, our cars, and the business we had spent years building, and traded it all for a couple of suitcases and a one-way ticket to Bali. This wasn't a midlife crisis or a dramatic escape. It was the result of years of dreaming, planning, and figuring out what we truly wanted from the rest of our lives.

After a health scare and living through the pandemic, everything sped up. Suddenly, our "someday" turned into "now or never." Letting go of everything was strangely liberating. The first step was selling Shayne's physical therapy practice, which he had built from the ground up. After having it on the market for a few months with little interest, we were thrilled to sell it to one of his longtime employees. This gave us peace of mind and made the transition simple and feel more meaningful.

Our house sold the first weekend it hit the market, and to our surprise, the buyers wanted to purchase most of our furniture too. After that, we donated, sold, or gave away nearly everything else. Both of our cars sold quickly, and some sentimental things went into storage. I never imagined that letting go of most of our possessions would turn out to be one of the most freeing parts of this journey. We created space not just in our closets but in our lives.

We built our life intentionally. We didn't win the lottery or stumble into early retirement. We are not rich. We simply got clear on what kind of life we wanted, and then built a plan to support it. After selling our assets, we dramatically reduced our expenses and created a few modest income streams to help sustain long-term travel. We launched JetSetClub.co, a cheap flight alert service, and started blogging at JetSetPetersons.com.

We set a monthly budget of $3,000 and have been able to stick to it even in places like Paris, Barcelona, and Mexico. One of our biggest strategies is letting the deal determine the destination. That means choosing locations not only based on airfare but also on affordable lodging, local transportation, food costs, weather, and visa limits. Avoiding the high season and traveling during the shoulder season really helps keep costs down, and there are usually fewer crowds to contend with! As a rule, we only stay at places with a kitchen so we can cook most of our meals. This hack not only helps us save money but also helps us eat healthier. Our lifestyle is simpler now, and we seek out low-cost or free experiences like walking tours, free museum nights, farmers markets, and long afternoons on the beach.

In conclusion, our journey has been an incredible adventure that has allowed us to live life on our own terms and explore the world in a way that we never thought possible. We've learned that happiness doesn't come from material possessions but from experiences and memories shared with those we love.