How to Take a Year Off as a Couple

Many people think you need to be single to take a career break and travel. But what if you’re already married or in a relationship with someone you want to spend the rest of your life with?

The answer is simple…….Take a Year Off as a couple!

There are many couples out there today who have taken extended time off to travel. It’s certainly possible and in several ways, preferable to taking a Year Off solo. All it takes is an adventurous couple and teamwork to save the money and decide to do it.

So here are some things to consider for taking a Year Off as a couple.

1. Determine if the relationship is meant to be

Before considering a Year Off, it’s important to evaluate your current relationship and decide whether it’s meant to be. Do you see yourself spending the rest of your life with this person?

Deciding whether to continue in a relationship or whether to end it is one of the most difficult decisions a young professional will have to make in the Year Off planning process. But it’s a decision that has to be made.

If you decide the relationship is not what you want, ending it is a very difficult, painful process. But deciding to go through with your Year Off will make this process easier. It will give you something to look forward to beyond the break-up.

If you decide you want the relationship to continue, you need to talk to your significant other and decide whether a Year Off together is possible or whether the other person is OK with you traveling for an extended time.

2. The benefits of a Year Off as a couple

There are definite financial benefits to a couple’s Year Off. You will have two incomes to help pay off debt and save up money. Your cost of living will be lower because you will share the costs of rent and utilities if you live together. The short-term and long-term financial risks of a Year Off will be shared. When returning home, if one person has difficulty finding work, the other person’s job can support you both until you are both back to work.

While on the road, you can split the costs of many travel essentials, like accommodations and car rentals. Solo travel is not for everybody, so travel as a couple will help prevent some of the loneliness associated with traveling by yourself. Maybe you’re too nervous to take a jaunt around the world alone, so having a friend or significant other to travel with will make the trip easier.

3. How much money is needed for a couple’s Year Off?

The same rules apply for a couple as for a solo traveler. You should pay off all debt, and you need a good head-start on retirement savings. Don’t skip these steps, no matter what.

For a solo year of travel, I recommend $40,000 to cover the costs of the year. For a couple, you don’t need as much money because of the shared costs. I think $60,000 is a good starting point. This will easily cover the costs of essentials like travel insurance, accommodations, airfare and transportation, and will leave plenty of money for all the fun stuff.

The more money you can save though, the better. If you can get up to $80,000 saved, do it. You’ll have more money for all your fun activities, and you’ll have more of a cushion of money to return home to.

4. Delaying a house and kids

If you own a home, is a Year Off possible? Yep. You can sell it or rent it out while you’re gone.

Is a Year Off as a parent possible? Absolutely. What better way to spend more time with your children?

Don’t let anything keep you from extended time away from work to do more of what you love.

But if you do not have a house and do not have kids, it’s best to delay them until after your Year Off, especially if long-term travel is what you want. You do not want the worry of caring for your house while gone. The money you need to save will be higher because of the down payment required. And long-term travel with kids would not be the easiest type of travel.

5. Will traveling with my significant other make us want to kill each other?

They say the couples that travel together stay together. If you can deal with the hardships of life on the road, then you can deal with the hardships at home. I think sharing a unique experience like travel can make a relationship stronger. It can definitely show the weaknesses in the relationship too, though.

There will definitely be times that will test your patience with each other. Things go wrong while traveling. It’s inevitable. But what matters the most is how you resolve the issues together. If you communicate well and are flexible, you will handle the hard times well. When communication breaks down and one person tries to get their way without searching for a result that benefits both people, tensions build.

So if you’re with the person you want to be with for the rest of your life and you want to take a Year Off, involve your significant other.

Take advantage of the shared financial risks and shared costs of travel. Get out of debt together and save up the money needed. Embark on a journey together that will strengthen your relationship. And live a life without regrets together.