Couple saves thousands monthly by taking extended 'gap year' travels with six-year-old

A couple taking a "gap year" to travel the world with their 6-year-old daughter says the adventure is cheaper than it would have been to remain in the U.K.

Hayley and Lewis Trow have "traded boardrooms for beaches" to make once-in-a-lifetime memories with their little girl, Nyla, Jam Press reported.

The epic journey meant leaving behind their jobs, home and family. It also meant taking their daughter out of school and months of strict budgeting.

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Despite crossing continents after leaving their home in Cheshire behind in mid-July, Hayley, 37, and Lewis, 45, discovered they're saving money by being on the road.

The couple settled on a budget of £2,000-£3,000 per month (roughly $2,300-$3,500), enough for them to visit all their dream locations.

When they initially started cutting back to save for the trip, they were shocked at how much they'd been spending at home: an average of £4,000-£5,000 (about $4,600-$5,800) per month.

Those numbers are a far cry from their current living and rental costs, which the couple estimates are about 50% less.

Saving money wasn't on their agenda at the start of their trip, which was inspired by an extended vacation they took to Australia in 2022. After that, they caught the travel bug and set out to chase it.

Hayley Trow, who worked in IT recruitment until quitting her job for the year of travel, told Jam Press, "We'd both spent years climbing the ladder, working toward leadership roles, spending time in boardrooms and endless meetings, but it got to the point where we realized we were living for two [vacations] a year.

"We wanted more time together, more adventure and more freedom for our daughter."

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She called it the best decision they ever made, while also noting it has not been without its challenges.

The couple knew they would face concern from friends and family about the unconventional choic  but felt that deep down it was the right decision for their family.

Their daughter's school was supportive when the couple withdrew her from the program, they said.

Their young girl has since begun online tutoring that aligns with the U.K. curriculum. She's enrolled temporarily at a multicultural school in Bali to continue her education.

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The family began its travels in Disneyland Paris by celebrating the daughter's birthday, then spent four weeks traveling around Italy.

"At six years old, Nyla still wants to spend every second with us, and we know that won't last forever," said mom Hayley. 

From there, they flew to Bali, where they will remain and continue exploring until November.

"We've been in awe of some of the places we've seen and ticking off historic landmarks while experiencing the world through our little girl's eyes has made it even more magical," she said.

Tantrums still happen, and Haley calls spending constant time together a huge adjustment from their old lives.

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"But compared to juggling the school run with late-night emails … we'll take the chaos of travel any day."