Worldschooling families often make huge sacrifices to live a nomadic lifestyle. Affordability is always a concern for parents, especially those with big families, but there are ways to make traveling more affordable. Below are some ideas for how parents can make worldschooling a reality without breaking the bank:

  • Find work that you can do remotely. 

Maybe you’re currently at a job that you could do online and you just need to talk to your boss and sell him/her on the idea. Or maybe you have a skillset that would make it possible for you to work as a freelance contractor through an online platform such as Upwork or Fiverr. Consider affiliate marketing or teaching online through Outschool.com. There are tons of ways to generate income while traveling. Consider doing seasonal work in your home country and then traveling during the off-season. Be creative!

  • Find ways to save money on lodging.

Lodging is one of the most expensive aspects of worldschooling, but there are ways to save money so that it’s at least as affordable as living in your home country. Sign up at TrustedHousesitters.com and seek out house-sitting or pet-sitting gigs to make lodging cheaper or even free. Pet-sitting can be another learning opportunity for worldschooled kids. Or create a profile at WorkAway and do work for property owners in need of assistance in exchange for lodging and sometimes food. Both kids and parents can experience new educational opportunities in far away places while keeping costs low by using these resources. Just be sure to vet out the hosts carefully and find a work situation that’s fair and enriching for everyone involved.

Many traveling homeschoolers and worldschooling families use AirBnB or HomeAway to rent furnished properties all over the world. Other families find lodging through worldschooling communities. At the Devela Worldschool Hub, for example, we have affordable lodging available for families. 

  • Downsize.

When you downsize your life, travel becomes cheaper. If you own a home, rent it out so you don’t have to pay all the expenses associated with home ownership and so that you’ll have passive income coming into your accounts each month. Of course there are necessities that you’ll have to carry with you if you have kids, but if you sell unnecessary items you don’t need you can generate income to facilitate world travel. And if you don’t have to pay for a storage unit back home or pay extra in baggage fees on airlines that charge for checked baggage, this can add up to a huge savings. Nomadic families quickly learn that less really is more!

  • If you own a home, rent it.

Offer your home for rent while you’re gone to generate extra income. Hire a property manager to oversee the property while you’re away.

  • Cook at home when you travel.

Often, if you find lodging that will allow you to cook at home when you’re traveling, the costs will be lower and your family will stay healthier. Our family always carried a steamer or a hot plate with us when we traveled to make it possible for us to cook safely even in a hotel room. By cooking at home, we were able to control our food costs more easily.

  • Do your research!

Typically, the cheapest way to travel is by bus overland. If you can handle long bus rides, consider flying into an international airport and then taking a bus to your next destination. But be aware that larger families may actually pay more for a bus than for a private taxi rental! So do your research to find the cheapest, best way to get from Point A to Point B! 

  • Network with other worldschooling families. 

Find out where other worldschooling families have traveled and pick their brains to find the best deals. 

  • Stay in Worldschooling Communities.

Worldschooling communities like the Devela Worldschool Hub are designed to cater to traveling families. Through a worldschooling community, you can network with other families and learn how to hack into this incredible lifestyle!

At the Devela Worldschooling Community, we offer workshops about how to get started with remote work and how to save money while traveling. For more information about Worldschooling Workshops at Devela, contact Jennifer Shipp at jennifershipp1976@gmail.com. 

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