"Nomadic Matt" Kepnes on Traveling the World for $75 a Day

The James Altucher Show

James Altucher

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4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 27 March 2025

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

A Note from James:

Is it possible to travel around the world, live around the world, do remote work anywhere you want, and spend just $75 a day or less? When I was younger, I wish I'd tried this. Back then, you probably could have done it for even less, maybe $30 a day! Today's guest, Matt Kepnes—better known as Nomadic Matt—has spent decades traveling the globe on a budget. Ten years ago, he wrote How to Travel the World on $50 a Day, and he's just updated it with How to Travel the World on $75 a Day or Less. It's definitely possible. I'm even sharing this episode with my daughters because there's a perception that travel is too expensive. Matt has tips on everything from finding cheap flights and accommodations to securing remote work opportunities. Travel opens your mind without the stress that comes with age and responsibility. If you travel cheaply, you'll not only have amazing experiences but also become more successful and open-minded. I wish I had traveled more when I was younger—I didn't think I could afford it, but as Matt explains, you certainly can.

Episode Description:

Matt Kepnes, aka Nomadic Matt, returns to discuss the realities of traveling the world cheaply in 2025. With inflation and changes since COVID-19 dramatically affecting costs, Matt explains how traveling on just $75 a day is not only possible but easier than you think. You'll learn practical tips for finding cheap flights, affordable accommodations, and even ways to make money while traveling. Matt also shares personal insights into how decades of constant travel impacted his life, friendships, and perspectives.

What You’ll Learn:

How flexibility with travel dates and destinations can drastically reduce your expenses.
Practical tips for securing international flights at a fraction of typical costs.
Simple strategies for reducing daily living expenses abroad (accommodations, meals, transportation).
Realistic job ideas and online resources to help you earn money while traveling.
How long-term travel impacts relationships, personal growth, and life decisions.

Chapters:

[00:00] Introduction: Traveling the World on a Budget
[02:00] The Impact of Inflation and COVID on Travel Costs
[04:00] The Rise of the Digital Nomad Lifestyle
[07:00] Money-Saving Travel Tips
[08:00] Finding Cheap Flights and Accommodations
[14:00] Living Cheaply in Different Countries
[19:00] Matt's Journey: From Corporate Job to World Traveler
[27:00] Making Money While Traveling
[31:00] Easiest Job for Travelers
[32:00] Journey to Becoming a Travel Writer
[34:00] Advice for New Travelers
[36:00] Favorite Travel Destinations
[37:00] Impact of Sharing Economy on Travel
[39:00] Challenges of Long-Term Travel
[43:00] Global Perceptions of American Travelers
[49:00] Why America Leads in Innovation
[51:00] Top Countries to Move to in Europe
[53:00] Resources for Aspiring Travelers
[55:00] Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Additional Resources:

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Is it possible to travel around the world, live around the world, do remote work anywhere you want,
0:14.3	and just spend $75 a day or less? I think when I was younger, I really wish I had done it. And of course, with inflation,
0:23.9	probably when I was younger, you could have done it for less than, I don't know, $30 a day even.
0:29.4	My guest today, Matt Kepness, he's known as Nomadic Matt. He's been traveling the world for
0:34.5	decades. And he even wrote a book 10 years ago, How to Travel the World on
0:39.2	$50 a day or less. He's updated. It just came out, how to travel the world on $75 a day or less.
0:45.7	And it's definitely possible. And look, I'm going to share this episode with my daughters because
0:52.7	maybe they want to travel around the world,
0:54.7	but they're afraid it's too expensive. And there's all sorts of tricks like on finding flights,
0:59.6	finding places to stay. And of course, it's so much easier now to find remote work. And Matt
1:04.2	give some extra tips on that that I haven't thought of. But I wish I had done this. I was always
1:10.0	so obsessed with the straight line, oh, I got to get
1:15.0	through graduate school. Now I got to make some money. Now I got to rise up in my career. And I always
1:21.6	kind of put off traveling. And now, of course, during the course of the past 30 years of career, I've traveled a bit.
1:29.7	But the beauty of travel is you really can kind of learn and see new things in this open-minded way without all the stresses and responsibilities that age brings.
1:41.8	And if it's truly possible to do this cheap and have all these amazing
1:46.9	experiences, I bet your career would be much more successful anyway and you'd have be so much more
1:52.5	well-rounded and open-minded. And, you know, I guess for me, reading did that quite a bit when I was
1:59.2	younger, but I do wish I had traveled more.
2:02.2	I had never had any money at all when I was, you know, before I started my first company and then
2:07.4	eventually sold it, I had zero dollars in the bank all through my 20s.
2:12.1	I thought that was, I wouldn't be able to do this kind of trouble, but you can.
	...

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