I can’t believe how many people out there have saved up money, quit their jobs, and are now travelling. This idea isn’t one you just read about online. There are real people out there living this lifestyle and having a blast.
When I was in Argentina I kept on running into new friends that had quit their jobs and are now exploring through South America. I thought that this was so cool. The amount of people with this story was really impressive.
This proves one theory to be correct: Travel is not only for the rich! You don’t need a million bucks to leave home. You can leave home in a few months if you plan it right. You can break from hell if you stop feeling sorry for yourself.
What do you need to travel or to just break free from a boring lifestyle?
You need to build up a war chest, a huge amount of savings, money to get you through.
You need savings.
It’s completely irresponsible to suggest that you leave home without a plan or quit your job without anything else going on that. That’s always horrible advice. You need to have money just in case things don’t work out.
How do you build up FU money?
[Quick warning from Martin: This article isn’t for everyone. It’s for those that actually want to break free from a situation that feels like hell. It’s not for those that want to talk about it and do nothing.]
DESTROY your expenses.
Seriously, go all out. Don’t go half-way. Make it happen. Start saving. Slash everything. Save money any way you can.
What can you slash?
- Going out constantly.
- Subscriptions you don’t really need.
- Eating out.
- Making big purchases.
- Trying to be price charming.
- That gym membership you don’t use.
Hey, it won’t be all fun. You’re going to have to sacrifice a bit to break-free. I promise you that it’s worth it though.
I must admit that I’m not doing all of this currently because I’m not in a hardcore slashing mode. I do get into these modes at times and I do my best to slash from every single angle.
Save more than ever.
Grab yourself a brand new savings account and start putting your money away.
You have to get creative and save more money than ever before. This ties into the previous point.
You should have no shame at this point. You have to be willing to cut corners wherever and whenever possible. It’s your job to build up FU money.
You also need to destroy your debt at this point. I’ve covered paying off debt until death on here.
Work more.
How many hours a week are you working? Could you find a part-time job where you work weekends? Could you possibly start freelancing to make your own money?
You won’t get rich quick by working more, but you’ll beef up your savings account nicely. You need to have money coming in. There’s only so much you can save.
One of my friends recently wanted to earn his freedom. So he picked up a gig where he worked weekend nights. This forced him to save money because he wasn’t going out on the weekends. So it was a win-win during the time that he was trying to build his savings up to break-free.
You can also start an online business or start freelancing. Both topics that I’ve already covered extensively.
If you want to get into freelancing, you should grab my book off Amazon!
Sure, you can view it was an expense. You can also treat it as a small investment. It all depends on how you look at it, but I totally understand if you don’t feel like spending any money.
Entertain yourself any way you can.
What do you do for fun right now? Can you find something cheaper? Can you find an alternative that won’t kill your wallet?
You need to have fun. I don’t want you to lose your mind while building up your savings. Just try to be as cheap as possible.
My tips are simple: go out before cover starts, pre-drink at home, playing drinking games with friends, cook your own food, and avoid pricey night clubs.
Live at home.
This one isn’t as enticing or exciting by any means. Nobody wants to stay at home. There’s no fun in this.
However, living with your parents will help you save a ton of money.
Just get used to never having home field advantage.
That’s all I’ll say on that.
Set a launch date.
When are you going to access this FU money? What’s your launch date? When are you going to snap and let go?
Set a launch date. Base it on when your debt will paid off/savings goal reached.
Try to be realistic with it. It might be in three months. It might take three years. Whatever it takes, set that damn date on your calendar!
This also answers the question of how long it takes. It really depends on how much you want to save, how much you’re making, and how much you can save. You should check out my post on how to save for anything on this planet, as it includes calculators.
What happens next? What do you do after you save your money?
LAUNCH.
That’s your call. You have the money to quit, leave, travel, or do whatever you want.
Hopefully you have your launch date set. You have to stick to this date. You have to launch or you’re never going to do it. Someday isn’t on the calendar.
If you want to quit, then give your notice two weeks before this launch date.
If you want to travel, then book your accommodations before this date.
It’s possible. You can build up some FU money to quit your job, pay off debt, travel, or just switch jobs.
Once folks break free, I’m pretty sure they are going to realize ‘hell’ wasn’t so bad after all!
You think so? Any reason for saying that?