A full-time travel influencer who has been backpacking for two years reveals that it is not as expensive as people might think.
Alexis Malan spends just £700 a month on her adventures – a budget she is so strict on that she will even nap on the beach or sleep on a boat dock if it saves some cash.
The cost of seeing the world is cheaper than the average rent in the UK, which—in England—was £1,301 per month as of May 2024, according to the Office of National Statistics.
READ MORE: 5 Essential Tips for Planning a Family-Friendly Winter Getaway
The 28-year-old plus-size content creator has ventured through South America, visiting places like Colombia, as well as Europe, with stops in the UK and Spain.
She shares her experiences on TikTok, where she has 29,000 followers.
Alexis is adamant that traveling can be done on a shoestring budget if you are ready to commit – but there are some sacrifices.
“You never have a routine and you are never around the same people,” the travel influencer from Rexburg, Idaho, told Luxury Travel Daily.
“I have been traveling on an extremely slim budget.
“I spend $800-$900 (USD) on every travel expense per month, no matter where I am in the world.
“It has led to not eating some days sleeping on a boat dock or getting a nap on a beach.
“[But] I would not trade my travels for anything.
“Every lifestyle comes with its good and bad parts and full-time travel is no exception.
“[But] you have to constantly be on your toes because disasters or last minute changes happen all of the time so there are rarely ever long periods of calm.”
While she is happy to detail her journeys online, as a plus-size influencer, Alexis often has to deal with negative comments about her body or even people touching her stomach.
She says some people will “not interact” with her because of her size.
Alexis said: ‘If you go to Asia, people will talk about you being fat.
“Not especially backpackers but locals definitely will.
|I’ve had so many people touch my stomach, people telling me to walk more, and little kids asking me if I’m pregnant.
‘Also a lot of people stare. Also, airplanes, buses, trains, and small boats can be difficult. I’ve managed to luckily do everything but it can be super uncomfortable.”
But the positive experiences outweigh the negative.
She added: “A lot of people talk about how lucky I am to travel this way and while I absolutely am, there are also many difficult things that come with this lifestyle.
“I will say that dealing with all the crazy parts of travel has skyrocketed the confidence I have in myself because I always know no matter what type of situation comes up I will be able to handle it – because I have dealt with some crazy things and got through them on my own just fine!”
READ MORE: Holidaymaker slams four-star easyJet hotel as ‘dirty, smelly, ant-infested HELLHOLE’
