When I told everyone I was leaving my steady career in a good company and headed out on an undetermined life excursion, the following are a few of the responses I received:

• “Are you crazy…in this economy you’re quitting?”
• “How can you afford that?”
• “This would be a great time to start building wealth, why you leaving that?”
• “You are making a bad decision.”
• “I wish I could do that. I am jealous.”
• “You mean…you are just packing up and taking off. How?”

Those are just the tip of the iceberg. The saddest part was that few realized the potential they had and the opportunities in life they were passing by for stability. A great quote that reflects these coworkers outlook is as follows by Tim Ferriss:

“Most people will choose unhappiness over uncertainty.”

Unfortunately, many people I worked with saw uncertainty as challenging and unimaginable. I believe debt also played a role in their response and their decisions to stay in careers they didn’t fully appreciate or want. I also think they didn’t realize that traveling IS affordable and possible.

I wanted to become location independent and by working towards my dreams and goals instead towards STUFF I was able to do what I truly wanted to do.

Despite the economic downturn in the last year plus, there hasn’t been a better time to take advantage of deals and opportunities that are not as affordable financially in up-turn times. I could not have become location independent in any better financial traveling time. Everything has been reasonably affordable and exciting. A lot of my location independent lifestyle of traveling through Hawaii to Australia and on to New Zealand were made possible because of the awesome deals out there.

The following are ways I have saved or know how to save while living your dreams of travel:

• Shop Online: This may sound like a no-brainer to those of you who are tech and internet savvy. But there are millions of people who do not realize the savings that can be had online. Be patient, do your research and read the fine print.
• Call ‘em up: Call the resorts/hotels/airfares that are in or going to your dream destination and say, “I have money, what can I get with it?” Okay, maybe not that direct, but call them and ask them what deals they have. When you say, “Thanks for the info, but I found a better deal across the street,” there is a great chance they will lower their bid price to you.
• Be Flexible: The more flexible you are with the airlines and hotels, the better they are at finding the best deals.
• Be Polite: As I have been in customer service for 10 years, I know that the nicer people are to me, the more I will bend over backwards to help them. On my recent flight to Sydney Australia, I got bumped to Business Class for FREE for just being polite and asking.
• Travel Light: (See The Art of Not Packing EVERYTHING) The less you bring, the more you will save and the happier you will be.
• Fly Tuesdays through Thursdays: You will get the best flight prices on these days.
• Negotiate: If there is competition, there are lower prices to be had. No one wants to lose a customer EVER, so negotiate a fair price and see if they don’t work with you.

There are other things I bring on excursions, but following are essentials to my travels:

• Kiva Key Chain Pack
  - Great extra durable bag for things collected along one’s travels.
• Salomon XT Wings Trail Running Shoe Mens
  - Great comfortable shoe for almost any occasion. These shoes are durable and clean up nice after a day backpacking the jungle.
• Wordlock LL-206-RD 4-Dial Luggage Lock, Red
  - Definitely needed if staying in a hostel. If only in hotels, not necessary but never hurts to have a small one.
• Balega Hidden Comfort
  - Not just for running. If you are sightseeing and walking endless miles, these socks hold up and are extremely comfortable while on your feet all day.

Trust me. If you have a little bit of money and time to travel, now is the time to do it. If and when the economy heads north again, those 25% vacancies at Honolulu Resorts will not be a reality anymore.

Have some other great financial travel tips? Share them here by commenting.

Good travels—

Dave
LifeExcursion