A couple currently taking a “gap year” to travel the world with their six-year-old daughter say the adventure is cheaper than it would have been to remain in the UK.
Hayley and Lewis Trow have “traded boardrooms for beaches” in order to make once-in-a-lifetime memories with their little girl, Nyla.
It has meant leaving their jobs, home and family behind, deregistering Nyla from school, plus spending months saving and planning in advance.
READ MORE: ‘I pulled my child out of school to travel the world – rising costs in the UK just aren’t worth it’
But, despite crossing continents after leaving their home in Cheshire behind in mid-July, Hayley, 37, and Lewis, 45, have been stunned to discover they are actually saving money by being on the road.
“We’ve budgeted our travel costs to be less than our UK outgoings, travelling midrange, which is crazy – but completely puts into perspective UK living costs currently,” Hayley, 37, told What’s The Jam.
The couple settled on a budget of £2,000-3,000 per month – enough for them to visit all of their dream locations.
When they started cutting back in order to save for the trip, they realised how much they had been spending at home, with their outgoings averaging £4,000-5,000 per month.
It’s a far cry from their current living and rental costs, which average £1,500-£2,000 per month, and they estimate their outgoings are 50% less.
Saving money hadn’t even been on their agenda when they first started planning the trip, which was inspired by an extended holiday they took to Australia in 2022 – catching the travel bug.
Hayley, who worked in IT recruitment until quitting her job for the year of travel, said: “We’d both spent years climbing the ladder, working towards leadership roles, spending time in boardrooms and endless meetings – but it got to the point where we realised we were living for two holidays a year.
“We wanted more time together, more adventure, and more freedom for our daughter.
“So we traded boardrooms for Bali beaches – and it’s been the best decision we’ve ever made.
“But it was also one of the toughest decisions.
“We were anchored down to the UK way of living, so when it came to stripping back our lifestyle and everything we’d worked towards in our careers, it was a real eye-opener as to how much we were spending.
“Household bills were £300 a month, our food shop cost £200 a week, and a day out would cost around £100.
“In comparison, right now we have an apartment with a pool, including bills in Bali that cost us £500 a month.”
Hayley and Lewis, who work in recruitment, are taking a one-year sabbatical from their position, also knew they would face concern from friends and family about the unconventional choice.
Hayley said, “When you’ve followed the norms of society for so long, most people around you question why you would leave your well-paid jobs and a comfortable lifestyle.
“To get up and leave can feel daunting, but we knew deep down it was the right decision for us as a family.”
The family spent seven months planning how to make the trip a reality, which included leaving their rented home to live with Lewis’ parents for half a year to save as much money as possible.
Hayley said, “We worked hard to completely strip back our lifestyle.
“It was a small sacrifice, the way we see it, for the opportunity to live differently.”
They also had to inform Nyla’s school, who were “very supportive”, with them finding the process was surprisingly simple.
Nyla has been having online tutoring that aligns with the UK curriculum while they have been away, and they have enrolled her temporarily at a multicultural school in Bali to continue her education.
The family kick-started their travels in Disneyland Paris, celebrating Nyla’s birthday, before spending four weeks travelling around Italy – including Lake Como, Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples and Puglia.
From there, they flew to Bali, where they will remain and continue exploring until November.
Hayley said: “We’ve been in awe of some of the places we’ve seen, and ticking off historic landmarks whilst experiencing the world through our little girl’s eyes has made it even more magical.”
After Bali, they will travel to Australia and have booked a campervan to explore the country.
In the New Year, they will move on to Singapore, followed by Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.
While it’s hard for them to be away from home, the family says it’s well worth it.
Hayley added, “It’s all worth it because we’ll never get this time back.
“At six years old, Nyla still wants to spend every second with us, and we know that won’t last forever.
“We wanted to make memories now, not ‘one day’.
“When she looks back, she won’t remember us being stressed about work – she’ll remember chasing waterfalls in Bali.
“Tantrums still happen, the heat can be overwhelming, and spending 24/7 together is a huge adjustment from our old lives.
“But compared to juggling the school run with late-night emails?
“We’ll take the chaos of travel any day.
“At Nyla’s age, we know it will have an impact on her life and future development as she grows, and we are so grateful to have this time together to reconnect and explore the world as a family.
“I’d recommend to any family that has similar aspirations to travel as a family to do it – don’t wait.
“Don’t put it on hold until you’ve got the promotion or had the health scare, or lost a loved one.
“There’s no right timing – you’ve just got to be all in as a family.”
