London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

How A Photographer Making $30,000 Annually Travels The World Nonstop

Thanks to extreme saving habits, photographer and travel writer Anna Mazurek is on the road nonstop. Here's how the millennial travels the world on a budget.

Many think you have to be a millionaire to travel the world.

But for Anna Mazurek, a thirtysomething digital nomad, the answer is in extreme saving.

The travel photographer and writer spends most of her time on the road, filing stories and photos for organizations like Wall Street Journal, AFAR and Rolling Stone. She estimates that she’s made on average $30,000 a year for the past ten years following her dream. What’s even more impressive is that she typically saves around 50% of her income - something that Mazurek acknowledges is extreme, but allows her to travel nonstop.


How she became a digital nomad

When her first paid internship for a Time Inc. magazine wasn’t paying her bills, Mazurek turned to bartending. The lucrative side hustle was something that she relied on in the next decade - either when she was in-between traveling the world to earn some extra money or when she decided to be a bartender as part of the working holiday visa program in Australia.

But more than that, it taught her an important lesson: if you need more money, you have to make more money.

Here are seven more money lessons from Mazurek’s book, “Good With Money: A Guide to Prioritizing Spending, Maximizing Savings and Traveling More.” The following has been edited and condensed.


1. Get a free, no-fee bank account.

The most important thing for any long-term traveler is to have a bank account with no foreign transaction fees and no ATM fees. Ideally, it’s best to have one that also refunds fees charged by the ATM itself. On average, I save at least $80/month when I’m traveling just from ATM withdrawals alone.


2. Invest in quality travel gear and clothing.

Investing in high-quality travel gear and clothing with lifetime warranties always pays off and saves money long-term. I’ve found end of season sales as the best time to stock up on these items.

If there’s a defect or quality issue, a high-quality brand will repair or replace your gear with no hassle. I’ve had gear replaced under warranty by all of the top outdoor brands: Osprey packs, Marmot rain gear, Patagonia clothing and Keen boats. This goes for electronics and electronic accessories as well.


3. Do the math.

The first step to understanding your finances is to understand how much money you have coming in and where it’s all going. While this might sound as fun as scrubbing your bathtub, it doesn’t have to be that hard. This is even more critical if you are traveling without any income.

I use the free Dollarbird app to track my spending when I travel. Once you start to get an idea of where your money is going it’s easy to set spending limits and ranges for categories like accommodation or food. Focus on investing in your priorities and slashing ruthlessly in other categories.


4. Cut out all your bills.

You should have almost NO monthly bills at home while you travel long-term. Cancel your gym membership, Netflix, Amazon Prime. Rent or Airbnb your house. Many cell phone carriers will allow you to suspend your service without billing or for a small fee. (It’s always cheaper to buy a SIM card abroad than keep an international plan on your phone.)


5. Build a cushion fund.

At some point, you might decide to go home. Don’t worry – you don’t need a detailed plan, just a cushion fund to cover a couple months of living expenses when you return. Ideally, this is one to six months’ worth of expenses minimum. If you have a job lined up, then you can get by on less. What’s your target savings goal? When I first started traveling, this was $5,000-2,000. Now, I’ve got enough to cover a year or two in my cushion fund.

For digital nomads working from the road, focus on a cushion fund in case your income drops unexpectedly. Retirement savings and investments should also be a priority.


6. Don’t skip travel insurance.

The key to insurance is simple: you insure what you can’t afford to pay yourself. Invest in a good travel medical insurance plan that covers emergency evacuations and adventure activities. Travel insurance is very inexpensive and will save you a fortune in the long run. Make the most of credit card insurance benefits like trip delay, lost luggage and rental car coverage. (I never pay for extra rental car insurance since my Chase Sapphire Reserve card has excellent coverage.)

Other notes: if you have a serious preexisting condition, research your options thoroughly. Some policies will cover an “unexpected” occurrence of a pre-existing condition.

Also, electronics are usually only covered at $250 per item max so consider separate insurance for high-end electronics. Many policies will not cover smart phones, which is why I paid for Apple’s warranty that covers theft.


7. Travel slower.

Traveling for seven months in South America is significantly cheaper than making multiple two-week trips from the U.S. to see the same places. It cuts down your costs while significantly enriching the quality of your experience. Focus on a long-term trip in one part of the world instead of jetting off to every continent.

An added bonus: traveling slower is also a more authentic experience because you take public transit, eat street food and have more conversations.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×