There’s nothing like a 4pm winter night to get you planning your big escape. But money pressures kick in, and before you know it, you’re working overtime and just signed the rental lease for another year.
So how can you break free of money pressures and travel abroad? We asked someone who knows exactly what it’s like to make the leap - Agness Walewinder, co-founder of the budget travel blog eTramping.
Until 2011, Agness was working a 9 to 5 life in Wolverhampton as a cafeteria supervisor. Her friend, fellow traveller and eTramping co-founder, Cez, was working in a nearby bank.
But then she gave it all up to set off for her first big trip to China. Since then, she’s travelled all over the world, including Bali, Dubai and Japan. We asked her how she’s done it:
How worried were you about spending all your money on travelling? 
Agness and fellow traveller Cez
Both Cez and I became financially independent at the age of 18. Nobody has ever interfered in that matter as our parents knew that we were not spending their money.
My mum has been a bit concerned about my future on the road, but once she saw how happy I was she stopped being worried about my savings. As for Cez, he didn’t really have any savings to start with, so it could only get better.
How did you feel as you packed your bag?
Excitement combined with a certainty that no matter what happens, everything will be just fine in the end.
How do you cover the basic costs like travel insurance and flights?
Agness supports herself through the blog
I wish we both had impressive savings or mountains of cash under the bed, but we don’t. Instead, we have been taking on a lot of different professions and freelancing jobs during our travels. We’ve done everything from teaching English, doing a bit of web design and blogging to working as online marketers.
Can you describe what your life is like now?
Agness uses Amsterdam as a travel base
Right now I am living in the beautiful city of Amsterdam. This has become my travel base. I blog here, explore the Netherlands, meet interesting people and go for various voyages. The company I currently work for supports my free spirit, and apart from plenty of holidays they are organising a tropical retreat for us in January 2016.
Cez is currently staying in Dongguan, China, where he works on our blog and teaches kindergarten students.
The country where we stayed the longest was China. I have spent more than 2 years there and Cez more than 3. Its history is longer than our history, the food seems to be the cheapest and the most delicious - and Chinese kids will steal your heart in no time.
How do you deal with work visas when travelling?
In Europe we don’t need any visas because we’re European Union citizens. Getting a visa to travel or work in Asia was never a big problem.
In most countries all you need is your valid passport and some cash. In China, for example, we were provided with working visas each year and although the whole process of getting it was a bit frustrating, we didn’t have to worry about much.
What's the smartest thing you've done financially since setting off?
Teaching English can be lucrative
Creating our blog eTramping was definitely one of the smartest decisions we could have made. At times we managed to support our travels with just the income generated by the blog. We have even published an eBook where we share how to make money on the travel blog. However, the most lucrative job we did on the road was teaching English in China.
What would you tell yourself if you did it over again?
We wish we knew that we didn’t have to buy and take so many things in preparation for our trips. We have certainly over-prepared and overpacked. So we spent too much money on products we didn’t actually end up using.
Also, it would have been great to know how useful passive income (automatically generated income) is and how to create it, before we set off.
5 tips for someone travelling on a tiny budget
We asked Agness what she'd tell anyone thinking of taking off in 2016:
1. Use your feet
Walking does not cost a thing. Instead, it helps you save money on trains, taxis or local buses. Besides, it will keep you active and fit throughout the whole day.
2. Pack light
The more things you pack, the more you will be carrying each day. In the end you’ll go to the most expensive hotel or restaurant because your backpack is too heavy to find something much cheaper.
3. Cook your own food
If you are running out of money, start cooking your own food. Local markets are packed with fresh fruits and veggies that are not only healthy, but also affordable. If you have access to a kitchen in a hostel, get creative and make yourself all meals inspired by local cuisine.
4. Be flexible
If you travel independently with no time limits, you can get very cheap flight tickets and a lot of last minute deals on hostels. Just be flexible and keep your eyes open.
5. Use couchsurfing
The idea of couchsurfing is not *just* to sleep at someone’s place for free, but to interact with locals and experience the local hospitality. But it still means free accommodation! Whenever you are planning to visit an expensive travel destination such as Tokyo or New York, look around and search for hosts on Couchsurfing.