A woman saved £18,000 in just seven months to travel the world by selling her wardrobe on Vinted. Rebekah Swatton, 26, spent the past seven months aggressively saving for an open-ended trip abroad after a previous journey forced her to rethink her relationship with money and possessions.
Loss sparked a change in perspective
Her outlook on life changed dramatically after the sudden death of her boyfriend from a cardiac arrest five years ago, an experience she says made her realise that 'nothing in life is certain'. Last March, she embarked on a six-month backpacking adventure across Australia, Africa, and Asia, taking a sabbatical from her job at Lloyds Banking Group.
But when she returned to the UK in September, she says she was struck by how little she actually needed the possessions waiting for her at home. That realisation sparked a drastic lifestyle change.
Sold car and wardrobe to fund travel
Rebekah sold her car, worked up to 20 hours of overtime each week and cleared out the majority of her wardrobe on Vinted - ultimately building up savings of £18,000 for her next trip to South America. Rebekah, from Powick, Worcestershire, said: 'I had been away for so long that when I came back I realised I had been living without any of these extra material things happier than I was living with them.'
Rebekah began saving in 2022 following the sudden death of her boyfriend of six months, who passed away from an undiagnosed underlying heart condition. Rebekah said: 'It really made me wake up and I felt that nothing is certain going forwards. I'd gone straight from college into career mode without thinking. I'd always said I wanted to travel and this really catalysed my first trip, as I want to live my life to the fullest.'
From sabbatical to permanent travel
Last March, Rebekah set off on a six-month backpacking adventure, travelling through Australia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Kenya, and Tanzania. When she returned, Rebekah decided to completely change the direction of her life and pursue travelling full time. She said: 'It was such an amazing time. I really enjoyed feeling free and experiencing new things each day. But once I got back and realised I wanted a change, I decided next time I left I would leave my job permanently and not return to the UK for at least a few years.'
With that commitment in mind, Rebekah knew she would need to build up substantial savings to support herself on an open-ended trip with no fixed return date. Rebekah said: 'Since I've been back, I've been living with my parents, which of course helps keep outgoings down. I have been working my £30,000 banking job full time plus an extra 15 to 20 hours overtime each week. I sold over 200 items on Vinted, from clothing to accessories to random trinkets and also sold my car for £2,500. This, plus working 60 hour weeks and living with my parents, meant I saved nearly £20k for the next time I leave the country.'
Plans for South America
Rebekah has booked a flight to Guatemala for the first week of May, with plans to travel through South America from there. She said: 'I've planned out the first couple months of my trip with flights and loose accommodation. But I know over the next six months I want to travel through Guatemala, Columbia, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.'
