An American couple who quit their corporate jobs to travel the world have shared how they visited 19 countries and spent just $132 per day.
In March 2022, Claire Zhu, 27, and Peter Ovendorf, 29, from Charlotte, North Carolina, waved goodbye to their nine to five life and hit the road with a plan to travel.
The lovebirds documented their ‘corporate gap year’ on their joint TikTok account where they boast over 242,000 followers. They shocked fans with their glorious, yet candid videos that broke down everything from their joy-filled days to ‘every single penny’ they spent.
Now, Claire and Peter have revealed that they will be extending their global vacation until the end of 2023, and detailed they could afford to live their nomadic lifestyle by spending a total of $48,235 — or just $66 per person a day — over their last year of traveling.
Claire Zhu, 27, and Peter Ovendorf, 29, from Charlotte, North Carolina, quit their corporate jobs to travel the world have shared how they visited 19 countries and spent just $132 per day
In March 2022, they waved goodbye to their nine to five life and hit the road with a plan to travel and documented their ‘corporate gap year’ on their joint TikTok account
They shocked fans with their glorious, yet candid videos that broke down everything from their joy-filled days to ‘every single penny’ they spent
After announcing they would be extending their trip, Claire and Peter – who traveled from Thailand to India to Egypt and more – shared a budget breakdown to their social media accounts to help any other future travelers follow in their footsteps.
They began by revealing that their grand total was just over their original budget of $45,000.
Their costs included $10,601 on housing, $6,274 on excursions, $9,614 on food, $9,708 on transportation, and $9,783 on 34 flights.
Though Peter tracked ‘every single penny,’ they did not include health insurance, which they estimated to be about $4,000, credit card fees, which were around $690, and the credit card points and miles they used for their trip, which was about $9,726.
Trying their best to stay within budget, Claire and Peter used the credit card points they had been saving for the past five years.
Those points helped them land housing in Norway where they stayed at a hotel for 18 days.
To make ends meet, the lovebirds took on paid content jobs, pet-sit and work in strangers’ homes in exchange for as a roof over their head.
Claire revealed they were able to obtain 107 nights of zero-cost housing – with having slept in airports, buses and trains on some of those nights.
Claire and Peter shared a budget breakdown to their social media accounts to help any other future travelers follow in their footsteps
They began by revealing that their grand total was just over their original budget of $45,000, adding how much money they spent on per day at each location
To make ends meet, the lovebirds took on paid content jobs, pet-sit and work in strangers’ homes in exchange for as a roof over their head
Peter – who has an accounting degree – logged their budget in a very meticulous Excel spreadsheet that helped the duo keep track of their spending.
Scrolling through a document filled with 1,714 total items, Claire revealed the couple spent $1.09 on three mangoes in Thailand, and $30.12 on a midnight snack at Norway gas station.
And although they had thousands over points, Claire revealed that they are not in any debt.
She explained that the duo let their points just build over time.
‘To accumulate points and miles through credit cards leading up to the trip, we did not alter our spending habits in any way, and at no point do we hold credit card debt,’ Claire wrote on her Instagram.
She added: ‘We got some sweet COVID deals, but also got stuck with some inflated prices throughout this year.’
The couple revealed they visited 19 countries in just one year: Egypt, Jordan, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Norway, Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, St. Martin, Germany, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Turkey, Georgia, New Zealand, Australia, Philippines, and India.
Their work exchange in New Zealand, which saw them working at a family’s home for four hours a day, gave them a free place to stay
Trying their best to stay within budget, Claire and Peter used the credit card points they had been saving for the past five years
Claire revealed they were able to obtain 107 nights of zero-cost housing – with having slept in cars, airports, buses and trains on some of those nights
In addition to lifting the lid on their day-to-day spending, Claire and Peter also take their viewers along with them so they too can explore the beautiful sights they see, such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Holi in India.
And while their lifestyle may seem enviable from the outside, Claire revealed it’s not all glitz and glamour.
She explained that she once had 44 bed bug bites on her body, and her and Peter frequently fell ill from stomach bugs.
And they even had to make a few sacrifices to stay within their budget. Many days their diet included yogurt and $1 muffins.
To stay afloat, the lovebirds only dined out when visiting lower-cost countries. In the more expensive areas, such as Norway, Claire and Peter purchased meals from grocery stores.
Although they are extending their on-the-go lifestyle, they revealed they weren’t going to be sharing or tracking their expenses as frequently, but they would still be sticking to a budget
Although they are extending their on-the-go lifestyle this year, they revealed they weren’t going to be sharing or tracking their expenses as frequently, but they would still be sticking to a budget.
‘Besides any sponsored or work opportunities, the plan is to still try to maintain a $123 a day average from now until the end of the year.
‘We are trying to sustain ourselves with social media but I have no idea how that’s going to work out.
‘We are so new to this. Honestly, we are just cheap travelers and cheap people at heart,’ Claire revealed.
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