Financing a Sabbatical

When readers sign up to my mailing list I ask them to answer a simple question ‘what is your biggest worry when planning a sabbatical?’.

Do you know what the number one answer is?

Well here are a few examples…

That’s right, most people worry most about how they can afford a sabbatical and the overall cost.

I have only been able to take sabbaticals through sound financial planning. Whether it’s been…

Maxing out my pension
Always trying to save at least 20% of what I earn
Using ISAs, ETFs and compound interest to make my money work harder
Not wasting money on ‘new’ things unless I need to
Saving every bit of pay rises so I don’t get used to the money

…I’ve worked hard to get to the stage where I can afford to have time off of work to travel or spend time with my family.

Taking a sabbatical starts with solid financial plans and having a clear idea of exactly how much it will cost.

This page is dedicated to giving you all the best information to help you afford a sabbatical.

Money Tools & Free Stuff

Pearler
I use this website to do all my investing in Australia. I love the auto-invest feature, which takes an agreed amount from my bank every month and then uses the money to buy ETFs based on my goals. I currently run with a 1/3rd split of tracking the Australian stock exchange, tracking the US stock exchange and a whole world stock exchange tracker excluding US. This I feel gives me a good balance.
Get your first trade for free when you sign up using this link

Sharesight
This website is where I track all my investments in Australia. It is fantastic because it allows me to see everything in one place and also run reports for tax time.
Get 10% off of an annual subscription to Sharesight using this link

My Finance & Money Posts

Below is a list of all the content on the subject of sabbatical finances from this site:

Can You Afford a Sabbatical? A Complete Guide [Free Spreadsheet]
This post walks you through a simple process to work out your pre-sabbatical and ongoing costs and how much you will spend by day whilst you’re travelling. By doing this it will quickly determine when you can afford to take a sabbatical.

8 Tips to Stay Financially Stable During a Sabbatical
8 simple steps to get your finances in order so you are ready to take a sabbatical.

9 Ways to Make Money While Travelling [#4 Was New To Me!]
If you can continue to earn whilst on sabbatical it reduces how much you need to save in advance. Here are 9 ways to keep your bank balance growing whilst travelling.

Is Sabbatical Leave Paid or Unpaid?
This post includes examples of both paid and unpaid sabbatical leave and a simple way to work out exactly how much a sabbatical will cost you.

How to Travel the World Without Being Rich
Practical advice on ways to travel without having to have the backing of a huge salary.

Travel Finance & Money Books

Financial Freedom: A Proven Path to All the Money You Will Ever Need
This book is great at explaining the benefit of saving early and how compound interest grows money at a huge rate over time. Compound interest is your friend and the younger you are the more you can leverage it. Have a play with this calculator to see what I mean. The author is American, so if you’re based elsewhere then you will have to skip some of the sections about 401ks and the like, but it makes up for it by completely life-changing views on growing money.

Sale

1,407 Reviews

Financial Freedom: A Proven Path to All the Money You Will Ever Need

This product will be an excellent pick for you.
It ensures you get the best usage for a longer period
It ensures you get the best usage for a longer period

The Meaningful Money Handbook: Everything you need to KNOW and everything you need to DO to secure your financial future
When I was starting out with money management this was the first book I read. It is by a UK based author, so meant everything inside was relevant to me. Whether it’s getting out of debt, learning to live within your means or starting to save for the future this is a really comprehensive guide to money management, backed up by a fantastic podcast.

597 Reviews

The Meaningful Money Handbook: Everything you need to KNOW and everything you need to DO to secure your financial future

Matthew, Pete (Author)
English (Publication Language)
230 Pages - 09/17/2018 (Publication Date) - Harriman House (Publisher)

How to Travel the World on $50 a Day
The first book by the legendary blogger ‘Nomadic Matt’. It is filled with useful information on how to keep your costs down whilst on the road and has become a bible for frugal travellers.

Sale

895 Reviews

How to Travel the World on $50 a Day: Third Edition: Travel Cheaper, Longer, Smarter

Kepnes, Matt (Author)
English (Publication Language)
368 Pages - 01/06/2015 (Publication Date) - TarcherPerigee (Publisher)

Great Financial Blogs & Websites

These are my favourite websites about money and investing that I have used to help me build up the money to travel.

Mr Money Mustache (US based)
Monevator (UK based)
Fire v London (UK based)
Strong Money Australia (Aus based)
Mad Fientist (US based)
CaptainFI (Aus based)

Useful Money Articles & Resources

Our Daily Budget For 35 Countries
The Power of Compound Interest (How To Grow Wealth Fast)
Getting Rich: From Zero to Hero in One Blog Post
These 10 Money Ideas Have the Power to Change Your Life
9 Lazy Portfolios for UK Investors
50 Ways I Saved (A Lot) Of Money To Travel The World
The Math That Explains Why Net Worth Goes Crazy After the First $100k – The numbers in this article blew my mind. For example, if you invest $10k each year at a 7% interest rate, it will take 7.84 years to get to $100k but only 6.37 years to go from $600k to $1m. The benefits of compound interest are mind-boggling.
Tim Ferriss’ podcast discussion with Ramit Sethi – I learned so much from this podcast about how money is there to be used, not just saved.

What To Read Next…

This site is designed to flow from the point you hear about a sabbatical right through to coming home. Below is a suggested order to make your way through the sections.

Sabbatical 101
⭣
Sabbatical Inspiration
⭣
Financing a Sabbatical
(You Are Here)
⭣
Sabbaticals & Your Career
⭣
Planning a Sabbatical
⭣
Travel Guides
⭣
Returning From Sabbatical