This category includes the survival supplies I stocked up on before the trip, such as a suitcase, packing cubes, cargo pants, hiking boots, and water shoes.

In hindsight, I should have focused on packing items that aren’t easily found elsewhere, like my favorite brand of mosquito repellent, rather than items I could easily purchase abroad. For example, I regretted that I was burdened with the weight of too many clothes that I had to lug around the world in cars and planes.

Flights: $4,885.14

Ground transport: $3,189.53

I took 40 flights during my trip, in economy class with checked luggage. There were plenty of options to take a night bus for a quarter to half the price. But I hated the idea of ​​sleeping on the bus, using bus toilets, or driving through narrow, winding streets in the dark.

Flights within countries typically cost between $50 and $100, but flights through very large countries like China or Brazil are twice as expensive. Flights between neighboring countries cost me $100 to $200. Flights between non-adjacent countries cost me between $100 and $300. The furthest I traveled was from Osaka, Japan to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and cost me $140.28.

I also used about 200,000 credit card miles to cover some of my flights.

When I wasn’t flying, I took buses, vans or bullet trains. Three to seven hour bus and van rides cost me $10 to $20. The roughly 860-mile bullet train from Xian to Shanghai, China cost me $94. A two-week unlimited bullet train ticket in Japan cost me $224.

I used a lot of rideshare services, which often only cost $1 or $2 for a two or three mile motorcycle ride.

Clothing: $1,048.24

Souvenirs: $216.86

Gifts: $661.91

Most of the time I shopped at small boutiques or street vendors where there are no price tags and it’s all about bargaining. To avoid paying too much, I held off on purchasing, realizing that the competition was often on my side.

I asked several providers about prices. This process helped me find the lowest acceptable price or the last price I was offered before the vendors let me go.

That’s how I knew I would get a good deal on custom-made Vietnamese silk dresses in Hoi An. After asking around, I ended up paying $34 per dress and left Vietnam with $14.

Sometimes I would buy things locally if I thought the price seemed very reasonable. I didn’t mind if the seller made a few dollars more because I still felt like it was a great deal and the money would mean more to him than it did to me.

For the most part, as an American citizen, I didn’t need a visa and didn’t pay for the visas upon arrival. These usually cost around $30 to $40.

However, there were outliers. The China visa cost me $205 in application and printing fees and the Bolivia visa cost $160. I was surprised to learn of this requirement two hours before we reached the border from Peru and scrambled to gather the necessary documents before arriving.

I have occasionally treated myself to luxury items that I almost never spend money on in the US because I often feel like I can’t justify the cost. I got gel manicures for about $15 and massages for $5 to $10. I took yoga and meditation classes at beautiful facilities in Bali that cost $10 each. Haircuts cost about $8. I also regularly stocked up on toiletries, sunscreen and mosquito repellent.

This includes fun activities for the purpose of escapism that are not considered sightseeing or cultural experiences. This includes entrance fees to the few nightclubs I visited, arcade games, a Spotify music subscription, and shisha with friends.

I’m surprised at how little I’ve actually spent on escapism. You can party very cheaply with other tourists in Southeast Asia and South America, especially if you stay in hostels. In my early to mid 20s I would have jumped at the opportunity, but in my early 30s I didn’t feel drawn to it.