TRAVELiving
More Than Just Travelers
We didn’t grow up thinking we’d be full-time travelers — and we definitely weren’t born with trust funds or wander lust.But somewhere along the way (after we were married) we both realized we wanted more from life than the script we were expected to live.We didn’t want to wait for retirement to start living.So we made a decision: to leave behind the conventional path and create a life of freedom, creativity, and intentional living — together.That choice changed everything.
How We Make It Work
People often ask how we’re able to do this — how we afford it, what we pack, how we find places to stay, or even how we choose where to go next.Keep reading and you’ll find the exact tools we use to travel and live full-time, what we’ve learned along the way, and what we wish we knew when we started.Some things we mention are free, some cost money, and a few include affiliate links — which means we may earn a small commission if you choose to buy through them (at no extra cost to you). As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases. We only recommend things we personally love and actually use. If you do make a purchase, thank you — you’re helping us to make more free content that inspires, educates, and (hopefully) spreads a little peace in the world.
Our Travel Toolkit
On this page🧭 Planning
- Google Flights
- Airbnb🎒 Backpacks & Gear
- REI
- Decathlon
- Our Favorite Things💸 Budgeting & Earning
- Numbers
- Income🏠 Where We Stay
- Booking.com
- TrustedHouseSitters📱 Apps We Use Constantly
- TextFree
- Whatsapp
- NordVPN
🧭 Planning
Planning isn’t about locking everything in — it’s about staying flexible with intention. These are the tools we use to find cheap flights, research new countries, stay safe, and stay legal. We don’t use every tool every time, but these are the ones we come back to again and again.
Google Flights
This is how we compare airlines, routes, and flight times to figure out where to go next — especially when price is the deciding factor. It’s fast, free, and shows you how long each flight takes, what airlines are charging, and even which days are cheapest to fly.
→ Find it here
Airbnb
We mostly use Airbnb to get a quick feel for accommodation prices in a city or region — even if we’re not booking anything yet. The filters make it easy to narrow down what we’re looking for, including entire places and long stays. A quick tip: most listings offer big discounts for stays of 28 nights or more, so it’s worth checking monthly prices even if you’re only staying a few weeks.
→ Visit Airbnb (free to browse)
🎒 Backpacks & Gear
We’re minimalists — we don’t carry more than we need, and we never spend money unnecessarily. If it’s in our bags, it’s because it earned its place. Everything here has been tested on the road, sometimes for years, and with a $3,000/month travel budget, you can bet we’re only using the best value items we’ve found. Whether you’re just starting out or trying to travel lighter, this section is packed with gear we truly trust.
REI
When we need gear that lasts, we go to REI. It’s where we got our backpacks, our travel shoes, and other essentials that need to stand up to constant use. The prices aren’t cheap, but the quality is worth it — especially when you’re trying to travel light and buy once. We’re also members of the REI Co-op, which gives us access to yearly dividends and special deals. Stores are located throughout the U.S., and they also ship online.
→ Visit REI
Decathlon
We love Decathlon — especially when we’re in Southeast Asia. The prices are honestly hard to believe. If we had known about this store before buying our backpacks, we definitely would’ve waited — the value for the price is that good. They carry everything from bags to travel clothes to shoes, and while it’s not top-tier gear, it’s perfect for budget travelers who want functional and affordable essentials.
→ Visit Decathlon
Our Favorite Things (on Amazon)
Amazon isn’t available everywhere — but when we’re back in the U.S., it’s our go-to for finding the perfect things we can’t get abroad. We often go a year (or longer) without stepping foot in the States, but when we do, we stock up.To make it easy, we’ve created a storefront with all our favorite travel-tested gear and recommendations in one place. Enjoy!
→ Browse our Amazon Storefront (affiliate link)
💸 Budgeting & Earning
The key to making this lifestyle sustainable isn’t just how much we earn — it’s how we plan, budget, and spend. While most people might dismiss budgeting as boring or restrictive, it’s actually one of our greatest strengths. We track every dollar, stay intentional with our choices, and always plan ahead.Who would’ve thought that TRAVELiving around the world could be more affordable than a sedentary lifestyle? But with the right system, it absolutely is — and this section shows exactly how we do it.
Apple Numbers
This is the free spreadsheet tool built into every Apple device — and it’s what we use to track every part of our budget. It’s not fancy, but it works. We’ve customized it over time to fit our lifestyle and keep our spending in check while we travel.If you’re curious about how we set it up or want to see a breakdown, leave a comment on one of our videos — we’re happy to share more if it’s helpful.→ Numbers App
How We Earn Income While Traveling
Yes — we earn more than we spend. And no, we’re not living off savings. We work remotely while traveling the world, and it’s how we’ve been able to sustain this lifestyle long-term.If you’re wondering how we actually do it, we wrote a whole article that goes into detail — because honestly, there’s just too much to cover in one section.→ Read about online income
🏠 Where We Stay
A good place to stay doesn’t have to be expensive — but it does have to meet a few non-negotiables: clean, affordable, well-located, all the basic amenities, and fast internet. We’ve never stayed anywhere that didn’t check all those boxes.And despite what you might think, places like this exist all over the world — even in countries often labeled “third world.” You just have to know where (and how) to look.
Booking.com
We usually check Airbnb first — but when prices are too high, Booking.com is our go-to backup. It’s especially useful in places like Japan, where hotels or guesthouses can actually be cheaper than Airbnbs. It’s fast to use, easy to filter, and great for finding short stays or last-minute options.
→ Check it out here
Trusted HouseSitters
This is the first place we check — before Airbnb, before Booking.com. TrustedHousesitters gives us free accommodation around the world in exchange for watching someone’s home and (usually) their pet. It’s a win-win: they get peace of mind, and we get to live like locals while staying in real homes.We love the community it creates — a global network of pet lovers and travelers helping each other out. And if you’ve ever felt like you can’t travel because of your pets… think again. With sitters like us, your animals are in good hands.
→ Sign up here and get 25% OFF (affiliate link)
📱 Apps We Use Constantly
We use our phones for everything — navigating new cities, translating languages, booking transportation, managing money, and staying connected with family, friends, and our audience. These are the apps we rely on day after day, whether we’re in a big city or a quiet beach town.Some are on our phones, some are on our laptops — but all of them make full-time travel a lot smoother.
TextFree
This free app gives us a U.S. phone number we can use to make calls and send texts — all without needing an active phone plan. It’s super useful when we’re abroad and don’t want to use our real number for things like two-factor authentication or calling businesses in the U.S.We’ve been using it for years, totally free, and it still works great.→ Download TextFree
This is how we stay in touch with family, friends, and even people we meet on the road. It’s free, easy to use, and works almost everywhere — especially outside the U.S., where it’s the most popular messaging app in many countries.WhatsApp supports voice and video calls, text messaging, group chats, and everything’s end-to-end encrypted for privacy. It’s the best all-around app we’ve found for keeping connected while traveling.→ Download WhatsApp
NordVPN
This app is constantly running on all our devices. It gives us a secure, encrypted connection to the internet no matter where we are — which means safer browsing, access to region-locked sites, and peace of mind when using public Wi-Fi.It’s not free, but it’s essential — and surprisingly affordable. There are tons of VPNs out there, and honestly, most of them are pretty similar. This one just works.→ Sign up here (affiliate link)
Want to see how all this plays out in real life? Come join us on YouTube, where we share weekly videos about travel, budgeting, and the everyday adventures of traveliving.