1. Rent is 250 each, so 500 total. One bed flat in cheap area. This expense will be zero, as I will get my own place.
2. Trains are expensive. Traveling is mostly done by cheap airlines (Portugal for £10 round trip anyone?) or error fares. You can get almost everywhere in Asia/Americas for £150-300 round trip. This is a good place to start:
https://www.holidaypirates.com/flights. Also megabus £1-3 fares are nice for local travel. When I get to destination, I eat/sleep/move around like locals and stay away from popular tourist traps. Few actual examples:
Portugal low season:
- return flight £10
- 3nights a hotel £80 total, but I had £50 off voucher, so £30
- few local buses to see places £20ish
Iceland, week before high season to get as good weather as possible:
- return flight £60
- car rent ~£100 for 4 days (£50 per person)
- petrol ~£100 (£50 per person)
- 3 nights in car/tent £0. Free bath in hot springs. Free toilets everywhere.
- food brought from home, as local prices are unacceptable
Sri Lanka
- flights for £280 return
- family run hotels for £5-10 per night for two of us
- local buses £15 per person for whole stay
- can't remember food, but it was waaay cheaper that back in the UK.
- visa £20 each
So this adds up to 4 weeks of exotic holidays for less than £1000 per person. Easy, when you plan ahead and are keen for adventure.
3. Food is even easier. Rice and other staples in 5-20kg bags, add some basic veggies, fruits, lean meat/fish and yellow sticker discounted stuff. Best deals are around 7pm at Tesco/Asda. Last month I get week worth of stuff for £2, I barely managed to take it back home by my own!
4. No transport cost, as I walk and use my bike. My workplace, three supermarkets, library are within 35min walk radius. I borrow van from work for big/heavy stuff, maybe twice a year.
5. My fun/recreation is cooking, bicycle trips, hiking, working out, jogging, free books, internet (blogs, music, movies, stupid games, chatting with friends etc) and my guinea pigs fed by leftovers and plants from local park.