These high school sweethearts have visited 112 countries. That’s how they pay for it on a budget

Most people have a travel wish list with maybe 10-15 countries.

For this pair, it’s all 195 – and they’re more than halfway there.

Hudson and Emily Kreider have visited 112 countries, but their journey together began long before that. Both are from the “same small town” of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. According to the couple, they met in fifth grade and started dating in high school.

Speaking to CNBC via video from Chiang Mai, Thailand, the couple explained that their college goal was to buy a motorhome and travel to all 50 US states.

They started saving up for this goal after the wedding in 2012, but just a few years later Hudson’s father died of a heart attack. “It was a reminder to us that we are not guaranteed another day,” Hudson, 32, said.

This prompted them to “sell everything and buy this old motorhome,” Hudson said. According to Emily, 31, the couple left their jobs – Emily as a marketing manager at an agency, Hudson as a financial planner – in the Washington and Baltimore area. Just two years later, they achieved their goal of visiting all 50 states.

So they set themselves higher goals.

According to Emily, now that the couple is aiming to travel all over the world, they spend less than when they lived in the District of Columbia. “The most helpful thing we found was the elimination of costs,” Hudson said. “We don’t have a house, we don’t have a car, we don’t have children, and we also definitely fit into the budget.”

According to Emily, the couple met people on the road who have children, or a house that they rent out for a long trip. “We really believe that there is no right or wrong way to travel,” she said.

Hudson and Emily Kreider

Hudson and Emily Kreider on safari in Kenya, Africa.

The couple are working remotely while on the road to support their travels, Hudson said. They teach English online, create content on YouTube and Instagram, and sell items such as clip-on hand sanitizer holders on Amazon.

While each traveler’s circumstances are different, being able to research and read reviews online makes travel “the most open-minded trip that’s ever been,” Hudson said.

The couple’s own travel style helps them save on food, attractions and local culture in the countries they visit, no matter how expensive they are.

From Least to Most Expensive Regions

According to them, the Criders have visited every continent except Antarctica. Below is their ranking of the major regions of the world by fare, from cheapest to most expensive:

  1. Asia
  2. South America
  3. Africa
  4. Middle East
  5. Australia
  6. Europe
  7. North America

Asia

Food is one of the travel categories that “people plan the least” for, but it’s the cost that “is the easiest to add up,” the couple told CNBC. In Bali, Indonesia, they cut those costs by eating street food like nasi goreng for as little as $1 per meal.

Trying street food is “a great way to experience local food and culture,” Emily said. According to her, their favorite Asian dishes include pad thai and khao soi from Thailand, as well as Vietnamese banh mi.

The couple is saving on housing, the second biggest expense, by staying with a local family. According to Emily, they stayed in Bali with “the cutest family” for just $4 a night.

Hudson and Emily Kreider

Hudson tries an organ sandwich in Marrakech, Morocco.

The couple also uses Couchsurfing.com is a site where travelers can find locals offering free accommodation. According to Emily, in Switzerland they stayed with another couple who cooked raclette, a traditional Swiss dish, for them and took them on a paragliding trip.

According to Emily, homestay is a great way to connect with the locals. “When you quickly go to a place and photograph tourist sites, you don’t always get the full picture.”

South America

The couple told CNBC that South America was the third cheapest for entertainment, averaging $15 per trip. They added that many of the events were free.

According to them, the couple researches and budgets for the main activities they want to host before visiting any country.

Hudson and Emily Kreider

Hudson and Emily Kreider hiking in Patagonia, South America.

According to Hudson, they traveled to “amazing” places like Patagonia and Peru without booking a guide. With online resources, “it was very easy to find it on your own,” he said.

According to Emily, the couple calls it “do-it-yourself travel” where they find transport and explore cities without booking a tour.

Africa

Do-it-yourself travel even extends to safaris, the couple said.

In East Africa, Hudson and Emily rented a car and drove through the Serengeti on their own.

Hudson and Emily Kreider

Hudson and Emily Kreider camping during their self-guided safari in the Serengeti in Tanzania.

“It was more of an adventure than we expected, but it was a good way to save money,” said Emily.

Middle East

According to the couple, transportation usually means subways, buses or tuk-tuks instead of taxis and Uber.

Hudson and Emily Kreider

Hudson and Emily Kreider in Petra, Jordan.

But renting a car can also be justified.

The couple spent the most on transportation in the Middle East, averaging $14 per trip, they told CNBC.

“If someone is going to Jordan in particular, renting a car is a great way to get to know the locals,” Hudson said.

Australia

The couple spent $85 on a Sydney Harbor cruise that passed by the Sydney Opera House. “We prefer to spend a little less money on accommodation and food and more on experiences,” Emily said.

They spent the most on events in Australia, averaging $42.50 per event. Transport, however, was the second least expensive, averaging $3 per trip.

The cruise also became an example of the couple creating content on the go, Hudson said, as they partnered with the company to promote the experience.

Europe

By saving a little in each category, the couple will end up saving a lot of money, they told CNBC. They did the same in Europe, which was the second most expensive. housing, food and transportation.

This helps to spend less time in more expensive areas, Hudson says. He added that compared to Paris, cities like Prague and Budapest are “equally beautiful” but have housing “half the price”.

Hudson and Emily Kreider

Hudson and Emily Kreider paragliding in Switzerland.

To get around, the couple used an unlimited Eurail pass to travel to any number of locations within the booked time frame, Hudson said. Low-cost airlines like Wow Air and Ryanair were also “amazing” options, he said.

“We would buy a ticket for 12 euros and spend more to get Uber to the airport,” he joked.

They used Google to find accommodation based on budget and then booked through Airbnb or Booking.com for “the best deals,” Emily said. She added that they usually booked a “really cheap hotel or motel” in Europe, as it was often cheaper than a hostel.

North America

Although New York is consistently ranked as the most expensive city in the US, it is a popular destination. for travelers who visit North America, Hudson said.

The couple walked or rode New York’s “amazing” subway system for $2.75 a ride, he said. They used Google Maps to access bus and subway schedules in almost every major city they visited, they said.

They also said they use blogs and Facebook groups to find public transport deals.

More Tips

Hudson and Emily are trying to strike a balance between “comfort and value” when choosing accommodations, they told CNBC.

This often leads to a choice between air conditioning and Wi-Fi, Hudson says. (They rarely compromise Wi-Fi.)

Reading the latest housing reviews provides “current information about someone’s experience of living in a property,” Emily said.

“We don’t book places without reviews from the last four or five months.

Hudson and Emily Kreider

The dorm room where the Criders stayed in Sydney, Australia.

Credit card rewards also help you save money, Emily says. “The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve cards are our favorites because they can be transferred to so many different hotels and airlines,” she said.

According to Emily, the couple is planning future trips using Google Flights to notify them if the price of a flight falls below a certain amount. Instead of getting stuck on one particular place, pick five places you want to visit and set notifications for them, she recommended.

As for Hudson and Emily, they’ve set their sights on more locations.

According to them, they are heading to West Africa.

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texasstandard.news contributed to this report.

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