How to Save $15,000 for a Year-Long Sabbatical
Hiking the Everest Base Camp Trek, March 2024.
One of the most common things I see that holds people back from dreaming about a sabbatical is the finances. Taking several months unpaid can seem unthinkable if every dollar is currently being used up for something.
In this section, I’ll share the steps I took to save for my sabbatical, and how the process transformed me my personal beliefs around money and freedom. I’ve come to believe that the true barriers to taking a sabbatical are not just financial—they're also spiritual. Embarking on a sabbatical is, in many ways, a journey of self-discovery and setting yourself free.
The main way I ensured I would have the money for a sabbatical was twofold and simple:
Start saving.
Pick a number for what I needed to fund my sabbatical.
Let me walk you through each of these steps and then share some of the spiritual lessons I learned along the way.
Step 1: Start Saving
I began setting aside money in 2018, shortly after starting my full-time job. I set up an automatic deposit into a separate savings account, one that would happen on the same day my paycheck was deposited. This way, the amount came off the top, and I didn’t have to think about it. In the beginning, I started small—just $50 every two weeks. Over time, as I secured additional contract work and my income grew, I was able to save more. At one point, I was putting aside several hundred dollars a month.
As the months passed, and 2024 drew closer, I began to realize that my long-awaited sabbatical was no longer just an idea; it was becoming a reality. There was something deeply satisfying about seeing that savings account grow, knowing it was for a purpose I had dreamed of for years.
Step 2: Set a Realistic Target
I chose a modest target: $15,000. This was my baseline, the absolute minimum I would need to travel for a year, budgeting around $1,200 a month. Many books and blogs recommend a higher figure—something closer to $3,000 per month or $36,000 for a year of travel.
However, having done extended travel before, I knew that by traveling slowly and incorporating work exchanges, I could make $15,000 stretch. It wasn’t about luxury travel but about creating meaningful, intentional experiences.
My advice? Pick a number that feels reasonable and achievable for you.
Perhaps your income allows you to save more quickly, or you prefer a more comfortable travel budget. Calculate how much you can realistically save each month, and multiply that by the number of months you have until your desired sabbatical date. That will give you a target to work towards.
Since I had planned to take my sabbatical in 2024 and began saving in 2018, I had a generous amount of time. I put the savings plan on autopilot and didn’t stress about it. Instead, I focused on my work and allowed the sabbatical fund to grow, month by month. Around this time, I found myself writing a lot about contentment and the importance of embracing the present while still holding onto future dreams. Watching my savings grow for something so meaningful was incredibly fulfilling.
I actually hit my target earlier than I anticipated because I got better jobs in those working years. Instead of leaving for my sabbatical right away, I decided to keep saving. This gave me a buffer so that I didn’t need to have a shoestring budget for my sabbatical. Later on, this buffer became very handy and I would recommend including a buffer in your target. I also started giving money away too, which then blossomed into other passions of mine: generosity and philanthropy.
The Spiritual Shift: Money and Abundance
Beyond the practical side of saving, this experience also changed my perspective on money. The simple act of setting money aside for something I deeply valued helped me shift my views on abundance. Rather than seeing money as something scarce or anxiety-inducing, I began to view it as a tool for freedom and growth.
This is why I believe that preparing for a sabbatical isn’t just a financial journey—it’s a spiritual one. It challenges you to trust in abundance, to believe that what you desire is not only possible but worth pursuing. And this belief, I found, was just as important as the money itself.
I didn’t worry too much about the finer details—where exactly I would go, how long I would stay, or even how I would allocate my budget. Those logistics would sort themselves out in time. What mattered was that I was taking steady steps toward a long-held dream. There was a deep sense of fulfillment in knowing that something wonderful was on the horizon, patiently waiting for me.
Taking a sabbatical isn’t just about pausing your career. It’s about setting yourself free—financially, emotionally, and spiritually. And the first step is trusting that it’s possible. Once you start moving toward that dream, the path forward will reveal itself, one small step at a time.
