I Spent $34,563.38 to Travel in 18 Months: My Budget Breakdown

This section includes the survival items I stocked up on before the trip, such as a suitcase, packing cubes, cargo pants, hiking shoes, and water shoes.

In retrospect, I should have focused on packing items that are not readily available elsewhere, such as my favorite brand of mosquito repellent, instead of items I could buy overseas over easily. I regretted, for example, being under the dead weight of too many clothes that I had to lug onto cars and planes around the world.

Flight: $4,885.14

Ground transportation: $3,189.53

I took 40 flights during my trip, in economy class with checked baggage. There were many opportunities to take a night bus for a quarter and a half of the price. But I hated the idea of ​​sleeping on a bus, using the bus restrooms, or driving narrow winding roads in the dark.

Flights within countries usually cost between $50 and $100, and twice that to fly over very large countries such as China or Brazil. Flights between other countries cost me between $100 and $200. Flights between countries not near me cost from $100 to $300. The longest distance I traveled was from Osaka, Japan, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and it set me back $140.28.

I also used about 200,000 credit card miles to cover some of my flights.

When I wasn't flying, I took buses, vans or bullet trains. Three to seven hour bus and van rides cost me between $10 and $20. The bullet train about 860 miles from Xian to Shanghai in China cost me $94. A two week unlimited train pass in Japan cost me $224.

I used a lot of bike services, which cost only $1 or $2 for a two or three mile ride on a motorcycle.

Clothing: $1,048.24

Memories: $216.86

Gifts: $661.91

I usually shopped at hole-in-the-wall boutiques or vendors set up on the street, where there are no price tags and it's all about bargaining. In order to avoid paying too much, I held off buying right away and kept in mind that the competition was often on my side.

I asked about prices with many sellers. That process helped me find the lowest acceptable rate, or the last price I was offered before the sellers let me walk away.

That's how I knew I was getting a great deal on custom made Vietnamese silk dresses in Hoi An. After asking around, I ended up paying $34 per dress and left Vietnam with 14.

Sometimes I bought things on the spot when I felt the price seemed very reasonable. I didn't care if the seller earned a few extra dollars, because I still felt that it was a big deal and that the money would mean more to them than it did to me.

For the most part, as an American citizen, I did not need a visa or pay for a visa upon arrival. These usually cost around $30 to $40.

There were outliers, however. The visa for China cost me $205 in application and printing fees and the visa for Bolivia cost $160. I was surprised to learn about that requirement two hours before we arrived at the border from Peru and we struggled to collect the necessary documents before we arrived.

From time to time I would indulge in luxuries I almost didn't spend money on in the US, where I often feel I can't justify the cost. I got gel manicures for about $15 and massages for $5 to $10. I took yoga and meditation classes at beautiful facilities in Bali, which cost $10 each. A haircut costs about $8. I also regularly stocked up on toiletries, sunscreen, and mosquito repellent.

This includes fun escape activities that don't involve sightseeing or cultural experiences. That includes entrance fees to the few nightclubs I visited, arcade games, Spotify music subscriptions, and hookah with friends.

I'm surprised how little I spent on escape. You can party hard with other tourists in Southeast Asia and South America, especially when staying at hostels. In my early 20s, I would have jumped at the chance, but in my early 30s, I didn't feel attracted to it.