Travel With No Money: The 10 Step Guide to Begpacking

Are you in need of a spiritual journey across South East Asia? Dying to rack in the Instagram likes from posting a photo at a Full Moon Party? Feel the need to soak up some culture on the cheap? Do you think you are entitled to all of this for free?

Well then, I have some good news for you and your entitled-millennial dreams. Due to the rising trend in “begpacking,” you can now travel free of charge! What is begpacking you ask?

Begpacking is a rising trend that involves traveling from the privilege of first-world-living, spending all your money drinking around hostels, going broke, and then funding your trip by begging or busking in some of the most impoverished countries in the world.

Sounds great, doesn’t it?

If you are like me and feel entitled to traveling on the dime of the less fortunate, check out this beggar’s guide to begpacking. You will learn everything you need to begin your begpacking journey!

Begpacking Essentials

• A Whimsical Sign: This is essential for successful begpacking. To capture the whimsy of what you are doing, ignore the signs of locals asking for money to feed their family; instead, go for something like “Help Fund My Spiritual Awakening #beglife”
• First World Privilege: If you are a true begpacker, you have a comfortable first-world lifestyle to return to. The interesting developing country’s culture just wouldn’t be as enjoyable if you had to spend your life there!
• An Instrument you can Barely Play: Busking staple to the begpacking lifestyle. But it is important to remember not to learn anything more than a few chords, as that might start drifting into actual work. The begpacking lifestyle is strictly anti-work!
• Worthless Postcards: Have you been taking cute pictures during your journey with your $500 plus smartphone? Yes? Perfect. Turns out you can print these totally cute postcards and charge people for them! That’s right, profit off of all those social media posts of the totally cool culture you are absorbing!
• A Smartphone: What’s the point of begpacking if you can’t ironically share the experience with all of your other first world followers? Trust me, smartphones are a must for an authentic begpacking experience.
• Neat Yoga Pants: You know, the kind with elephants, mandalas, or other vaguely eastern symbolism that you know so much about now that you’ve spent the past three months getting wasted at hostels.
• An Outstanding Sense of Entitlement: The world should absolutely fund your whimsical journey! It doesn’t matter if the countries you are begpacking in are horribly improvised. You deserve this!

Blow Your Funds

The first step of any authentic begpacking experience is blowing all of your funds on rounds of drinks at the hostel bar, scooter rentals, and the most expensive meals you can get your hands on. I can’t stress the importance of this step enough. You should put no thought into budgeting or spending responsibly. This is your journey after all, and you should live like a king!

Tell Social Media #YOLO

After you excessively drink and eat away your budget on luxuries, it is time to tell social media about it! Make sure to take a photo of the most eastern looking building or sculpture you can find and accompany it with a heartfelt caption detailing the spiritual awakening that is preventing you from going home. Be sure to #hashtag.

Adorn Neat Yoga Pants

Now that you are out of money and the world knows about it, you can begin getting ready for your first begpacking experience. Put on your most eastern-looking pair of yoga pants. It is important to stick out as the privileged westerner you are!

Clear out your Instrument’s Case

Having a nice case to contain that instrument your barley play is essential to busking and begging. How else are you going to collect your free money?

Make a Sign

While composing your sign, make sure to keep it simple and heartfelt. Some locals may not have the best English, but they still must feel sorry enough to give you money. I suggest preying on basic human compassion. Maybe even make up a story about being robbed. Whatever it takes to get that free money!

Find a Highly-Traveled Area

Don’t waste your time begging or busking in an area that doesn’t have high foot traffic. The more people to give you money, the better!

Rub Some Dirt on your Face

This step really adds some authenticity to your look. The more down-on-your-luck you appear, the more likely you are to get donations.

Set up Shop

Lay out your display. Start plucking at whatever instrument you have. Practice your respectful bow. Above all else, look appreciative. People love to give money to those that look appreciative.

Beg, Beg, Beg

Now that you have all the essentials covered, it is time to get to begging. While begging, it is important not to harbor any thoughts of shame or exploitation. It is your right to get funds for your trip from the less fortunate!

Blow Your Funds

After a hard day of begging, you’ve earned some excessive spending. Stop in at the local hostel bar or find the most expensive restaurant you can—just as long as you spend your begged earnings in excess.

Now, you know how to travel for FREE

There you have it, folks! A step-by-step guide that covers all the essentials to allow you to have an authentic begpacking experience.To reiterate, you are absolutely entitled to beg for funds from the less fortunate. Never stop and think of those who beg out of necessity.

Under no circumstance should you admit that you were irresponsible with your funds or that you should go home. After all, you are begpacking in order to understand a new culture. What better way is there to do that than with some good old-fashioned Western exploitation. It is your birthright!

Did you find this guide to begpacking helpful? Have some begpacking tips of your own? Hate the idea that Western millennials are exploiting native cultures to fund their whimsical journeys? Tell us about it in the comments below and be sure to share the article on Facebook and Twitter.

On a Serious Note, Learn how to have an Amazing Trip on a Small Budget