If you have an urge to travel the world and see what more is out there – great! But, are you put off by not having enough money to do so? If you’re thinking about travelling the first thing you’ll want to work out is your budget and the first question you’ll ask yourself is how can I afford to do it?

Some people work flat out to save enough money to make it happen while others set themselves to a strict budget. Then, there are people who think that travelling is just for the wealthy and give up on their dream quickly. But there is a way to travel and for budgeting not to be necessary, this is to teach English abroad. When you’re teaching English abroad you can live where you want for however long you want – perfect!

With TEFL jobs abroad, you won’t need to count your pennies before buying a nice meal for yourself or a souvenir.

You won’t need to constantly stick to a tight budget, and think about what you have money to do and what you don’t have money for. You’ll have a steady income coming in every month, unlike most other travellers! You can even save money in some countries!

The ‘secret’ for many travellers in their ability to afford long-term travel is that they travel slowly in order to save their money.  There’s nothing wrong with that, but the truth is that money dictates everything about their trip – what they do, when they do it and for how long.

Also, long-term travellers have a great time travelling and exploring new places, but what about a need to be productive?  You might want to fill your time with helping others and working with and making friends with locals and other foreigners while you add to your resume.  That’s where TEFL comes in.  TEFL is a great way to make travelling a deeper, life-changing experience!  You can immerse yourself into a whole new culture, meet new people, make friends, learn a language – in other words, experience a new country in a truly authentic way.

A TEFL certificate opens doors for you to really do something meaningful and help others.  You can interact with the locals and become a local yourself!  And you can help others with your knowledge and make a difference.  It’s a truly rewarding experience. Here is what some people who have taken their TEFL certification have to say about it: “I want to travel in a way that I experience the culture of a place. I believe teaching would be a way to make money to live somewhere long enough, and also make connections into a community to facilitate becoming a part of it.” – Chris DeHaan “I’ve always loved travelling, but there’s no way I can afford it on my own.  I can, however, work my way there and enjoy a new culture while I’m at it.  I loved staying with host families while I was travelling in the past, so I’m looking forward to the new experiences!” – Amanda Ferry “I want an excuse to travel and to learn while I do it (I plan on learning the local language).  It will also fill my wanderlust that pulls me around the world, and hopefully make me more qualified for jobs when I return.” – Elizabeth Schmidt While TEFLing, you’ll have an income, as well as become involved with the new country.  And it takes you from tourist to a contributor to a country.  From someone who just visits a place and lounges about for a few weeks or months (no clue what someone would do in that time without being productive), to someone who is exploring a new place and making a difference.