Family of four traveling the world on a $40-a-day budget

By Ed Chatterton and Julia Baker

A couple "sold everything" they owned before quitting the UK to travel the world with their children, while living out of two suitcases on a budget of just $40-a-day.

Ruth Rowe, 34, and her husband Steven, 35, bought a one-way flight ticket to Sri Lanka back in 2023 and have been traveling the globe ever since.

They decided to embark upon their globe-trotting adventure after wanting more time with their two children before they started full-time nursery.

Ruth was also not a fan of the cold and wet British weather so the pair are now world-schooling their kids Aurora, four, and Atlas, three.

The family has already been to 11 different countries, ticking off bucket-list destinations such as Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Indonesia.

They stay four weeks at a time in Airbnbs and have also visited the likes of Thailand, Malaysia, Cyprus, USA, Colombia and Peru - all while saving around $16,000 a year.

Ruth and Steven had been renting a barn conversion in the village of Eardisley, Herefordshire, and had both children during the Covid-19 pandemic.

But they had always thought about traveling full-time so sold "pretty much everything" on Facebook Marketplace or via car boot sales and set off with a couple of suitcases of clothes and a few toys.

They currently have no plans to return and want to continue world schooling - while spending around $2,000 a month, compared to $3,000 back in the UK.

Ruth said: "We had traveled before and for us it got to the stage where we were going to put the kids into nursery and it just didn't feel like the right time.

"We wanted more time with them as we know those early years are precious, so we thought, why not just do it? So we did.

"We sold pretty much everything we owned, which was an exhilarating experience - we mainly sold it through Facebook Marketplace and car boot sales.

"So our car, our furniture, everything but a couple of memory boxes with some of the children's things inside and a few clothes.

"We set off at the start with two big suitcases, a medium and a small one - and a stroller.

"And since then we've downsized to just two suitcases - it is really surprising how little you really need.

"Possessions don't make you happy, life experiences do.

"We bought a one-way ticket to Sri Lanka not knowing if or when we were coming back and we haven't stopped since.

"We’ve been traveling full-time ever since, slow-exploring the world as a family, while my husband runs his coaching business remotely and we embrace world schooling on the road.

"It’s been beautiful, chaotic, challenging and incredibly freeing."

The couple says their children are now educated through "life experiences" - whether that be picking up Spanish in Latin America or learning about volcanoes while hiking in Peru.

And they say giving the kids no screen time whatsoever on their travels has helped them to become more patient and creative.

Ruth added: "They are also learning counting through things like paying a tuk-tuk driver in different currencies, and the first time Aurora ever wrote her name it was in sand on a beach with a stick.

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"We give them no screen time at all - which I think has taught them patience on their travels and to be more creative when they are bored sitting on a bus.

"They thought the TV back home was a radio as we'd only use it for Spotify and we think that's allowed their imagination to flourish.

"I have just seen their confidence grow so much, and of course there's no way of really telling how they would have been at home, but they are just so open and talk to anyone - young and old.

"I will sit down and teach them some reading and phonics and writing - but we're not rigid with it and it's still very much about learning through playing.

"It wasn't a case of we hated the UK - we just love the world. But I was never a fan of the cold and rain so that is something I don't miss.

"Also, we've found children aren't treated like nuisances, like you find in some restaurants in the UK.

"They are welcomed in and looked after, lots of places have playgrounds to keep them entertained, that was a big difference to the UK too.

"Sri Lanka is just the most welcoming place we've ever been - people would invite us to eat in their homes and absolutely loved the kids.

"Costa Rica is beautiful with all the wildlife and jungle, Guatemala is underrated - it is also an incredible place and one of our favorites.

"The only thing I miss is friends and family - and also British chocolate."

The couple also supports themselves financially via Steven's online coaching business - which he can still run wherever they are in the world.

Steven said: "These positive environments have brought such positive developments so far in our children. Atlas was swimming independently at two.

"This way they get one-to-one without being part of the larger school system, which we have no issue with, we just see the benefits from doing it this way.

"We make sure the children are at the center of what we do, we always research kids clubs and activities wherever we stay.

"They are loving learning about all the wildlife too - we had iguanas and sloths outside our doors in Costa Rica.

"Aurora had surf lessons in Bali and will be sandboarding in the Peruvian desert, its magical for them.

"We use Airbnbs mainly but I've been working out of little cupboards in some places - it has been challenging at times but we're in a fortunate position.

"We aim to live off around $30 a day and we stay in places for a month at a time so I can work Monday to Friday.

"But it can vary greatly, a two bed apartment in one country can be $800 but a smaller one in another country $1,300.

"I never had good internet signal back in the UK, so I don't miss that - I've had better at the top of a mountains and an island in Thailand.

"There haven't been many massive culture shocks as we'd traveled before but you can't for the life of you get a coffee in Sri Lanka, it's all tea.

"The children have most enjoyed all the swimming they've been able to do and all the wildlife has been a massive enjoyment for them too."

Countries visited so far:

• Sri Lanka
• Indonesia
• Thailand
• Malaysia
• Cyprus
• USA
• Guatemala
• Costa Rica
• Colombia
• Ecuador
• Peru