Our 6-Month Full-Time Travel Budget: What We Spent and What’s Left
Six months ago, we made the biggest leap of our lives — we sold everything in the UK, packed our bags, and set off to travel the world full-time as a family of three. That was the start of Smiths On Tour.
We knew this journey would be life-changing, but one of the biggest questions on our minds was:
👉 How much does it really cost to travel full-time as a family?
It’s the same question so many of you ask us, too. So today, we’re pulling back the curtain and sharing the real numbers — the highs, the lows, and what’s left of our travel budget.
💰Why We Set a £40,000 Travel Budget
Before leaving the UK, we added up our yearly costs — bills, food, fuel, weekends away, kids’ activities, and all those “normal life” expenses. It came to around £40,000 a year.
That number became our benchmark. We thought:
💭 If we can travel the world as a family for the same cost as living at home… wouldn’t that be winning?
Would you have set a similar goal, or gone higher just in case?
Where We’ve Travelled in 6 Months
Here’s the fun part! From January 25 to July 25, our route has been:
Mexico – 5 weeks of tacos, beaches, cenotes, and our very first taste of life on the road.
Belize & Guatemala – colourful lake towns, Mayan ruins, sunsets, and even rope swings into the water.
El Salvador – 4 weeks of surf, coffee, and some of the friendliest people we’ve met.
Costa Rica – campervanning the Pacific coast, spotting sloths, monkeys, and camping right on the beach.
Panama – island paradises, jungle hikes, and coffee fincas in the mountains.
Colombia – the magic of Cartagena and the best food we’ve eaten so far.
Thailand – temples, meditation retreats, scooter road trips, and two whole months of family adventures.
Malaysia - amazing food, beautiful mix of people, stunning beaches and vibrant cities.
Which of these places would be at the top of your own bucket list? 🌍
💶 What We’ve Spent So Far
Here’s the moment of truth. From 16th January to 16th July, we’ve spent:
💰 £24,000
That’s already more than half of our £40,000 budget. Did you expect it to be that much?
Why the Americas Were So Expensive
We were honestly surprised at how much Central and South America added up.
Food and accommodation were often double the cost of Asia.
Adventures and activities (zip-lining, surfing, jungle tours) — incredible, but not cheap.
And the biggest hit? Our £4,000 flight from Colombia to Thailand (we had to leave due to safety reasons).
Would you have budgeted for a flight like that, or tried to stay in one region longer to save money?
What’s Left of Our Budget
That leaves us with £16,000 for the next six months.
So the big question is…
👉 Can we stretch £16,000 across half a year of travel as a family?
We’re in Asia now, which so far feels much lighter on the wallet. But still, every decision matters!
What Do You Think?
We’d love to hear from you:
Do you think we can make £16,000 last six months?
Which countries would you recommend for budget-friendly family travel?
What’s your best money-saving tip for long-term travel?
Drop your thoughts in the comments — we’re genuinely curious to see what you’d do in our shoes.
Final Thoughts
Full-time family travel isn’t cheap, but wow, is it worth it.
In just six months, we’ve seen sloths in Costa Rica, explored Mayan ruins in Guatemala, and wandered temples in Thailand. The money might be going faster than we hoped, but the memories are absolutely priceless.
And that’s what this journey is about: not just numbers on a spreadsheet, but living life to the fullest.
Would you take the leap and trade “normal life” for an adventure like this?
Stick around for our next update — we’ll let you know whether we managed to make that £16,000 stretch… or whether we’ll need to get creative with our travels!
