A UK couple who sold "pretty much everything" they owned to travel the world are living off a daily budget of £30, saving around £36,000 in the process. Ruth and Steven Rowe, along with their two young children, have visited 17 countries since buying a one-way ticket to Sri Lanka in 2023.
The family, who now live from just two suitcases, have been slow-exploring the globe, staying in Airbnbs for four weeks at a time. They have ticked off bucket-list destinations including Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ecuador and Indonesia, as well as Thailand, Malaysia, Cyprus, the USA, Colombia and Peru.
Why They Left the UK
The couple decided to embark on their worldwide adventure after craving more quality time with their children, Aurora, four, and Atlas, three, before they began nursery and school. Ruth, 34, was unenthusiastic about Britain's chilly, wet climate, so the family are now world-schooling their youngsters in overseas destinations instead.
Before setting off, they had been renting a barn conversion in the village of Eardisley, Herefordshire, where both children were born during the Covid-19 pandemic. Having long harboured dreams of travelling full-time, they sold their car, furniture and most belongings through Facebook Marketplace and car boot sales, keeping only a couple of memory boxes, some clothes and a stroller.
Life on the Road
The family has no intention of returning to the UK permanently and wishes to carry on world schooling, spending approximately £2,000 per month in contrast to the £3,000 they were spending back home. Ruth said: "We had travelled before and for us it got to the stage where we were going to put the kids into nursery and it just didn't feel like the right time. We wanted more time with them as we know those early years are precious, so we thought, why not just do it? So we did."
She added: "We sold pretty much everything we owned, which was an exhilarating experience - we mainly sold it through Facebook Marketplace and car boot sales. So our car, our furniture, everything but a couple of memory boxes with some of the children's things inside and a few clothes. We set off at the start with two big suitcases, a medium and a small one - and a stroller. And since then we've downsized to just two suitcases - it is really surprising how little you really need. Possessions don't make you happy, life experiences do."
World Schooling and Financial Independence
The couple say their children are educated through "life experiences", such as picking up Spanish in Latin America or learning about volcanoes while hiking in Peru. They give the children no screen time whatsoever, which Ruth believes has taught them patience and creativity. She said: "They are also learning counting through things like paying a tuk-tuk driver in different currencies and the first time Aurora ever wrote her name it was in sand on a beach with a stick. We give them no screen time at all - which I think has taught them patience on their travels and to be more creative when they are bored sitting on a bus. They thought the TV back home was a radio as we'd only use it for Spotify and we think that's allowed their imagination to flourish."
Steven, 35, runs his coaching business remotely, which maintains the family's financial independence regardless of their location. He said: "These positive environments have brought such positive developments so far in our children. Atlas was swimming independently at two. This way they get one-to-one without being part of the larger school system, which we have no issue with, we just see the benefits from doing it this way. We make sure the children are at the centre of what we do, we always research kids clubs and activities wherever we stay. They are loving learning about all the wildlife too - we had iguanas and sloths outside our doors in Costa Rica. Aurora had surf lessons in Bali and will be sand boarding in the Peruvian desert, its magical for them."
The past five months have been spent living and exploring India, and next year they intend to journey through ten further European countries in a campervan. Ruth added: "It wasn't a case of we hated the UK - we just love the world. But I was never a fan of the cold and rain so that is something I don't miss. The only thing I miss is friends and family - and also British chocolate."
