Couple earn £6k a month travelling the world with their child
A couple who quit work to travel for a living are now raking in £6,000 a month by helping others to find budget deals.
Ex-doctor Jenna Carr and former civil engineer Joao Paias, both 33, met on Tinder in 2017 while she was on holiday in his native Portugal and fell in love over their shared passion for travel.
They travelled across Portugal and the UK, as well as France and Switzerland before jetting over to Asia and visiting the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Bali.
And when they fell pregnant with surprise baby Leo, now three, they ignored criticism and took him on holiday aged just two weeks.
Sharing parenting travel tips on TikTok and on her website The Travel Mum, Carr's following grew. She gave up her stressful job as locum doctor in February. The site became such a success that Paias has recently quit his job as a civil engineer to help out.
Now they go on holiday most months, and fund their life in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, entirely from advertising and hits on their site and social channels.
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"We earned £6,000 last month from our website and have realised we could do everything we did before, just with a baby," says Carr.
"We don’t have to live a boring life to provide for him. It’s getting to the point where we can travel and be nomadic and live the life we want to live. Taking Leo to Portugal at two weeks old was so easy – he slept the whole flight and was happy enough in Portugal.
“We had bought Glastonbury festival tickets before I knew I was pregnant and decided to take Leo with us.
“It went really well and we realised we could do whatever we wanted to do and it would make him confident and adaptable.
"The income we get is significant enough that we can both survive and we know this is the life we want.”
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In April, 2017, Carr attended a hen party in Albufeira, Portugal, and when it came to leaving decided she wanted to stay and see more of the Algarve.
Then training to be a doctor, she ditched the flight and booked a hostel in Lagos – then found herself on Tinder looking for someone to hang out with.
After matching with Paias on the app, the couple spent a few weeks exploring the beautiful beaches of the country and spending time together.
Carr says: “I explained I was in Portugal for a few weeks and he showed me the lesser-known beaches – we went camping on this beach and cooked food outside and just had the best few weeks, it all felt really natural.
“I had texted my friends after one of the first times I’d met him, saying ‘I’m going to marry this man and have his babies’ as a joke.
When she had to leave, they continued to talk on WhatsApp – and Jenna swiftly booked another trip out the Algarve to see him again.
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That August, they decided they wanted to give things a go and began a long-distance relationship, meeting up in England and Portugal, and travelling to the Philippines and Bali together.
In April 2018, Paias moved to England to be with Carr who was living in her parents' house at the time – and it was only a few months later that they discovered they were expecting a child.
“He moved in with me in England and only a few months later discovered I was pregnant – I had previously tried for a baby for years and had been told I was infertile," she said.
“I told all of this to poor Joao and said we didn’t need to be too careful, so when I found out I was pregnant I was shocked.
“It felt like it was bad timing, but secretly deep down I had been wanting a baby for so long and knew Joao was a good guy – we had already established it was a serious thing.
“I knew when we looked back, we would think it was perfect timing and we’ve now been trying for a second baby for two years and it hasn’t happened, so Leo is definitely a bit of a miracle baby.”
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Leo Carr-Paias was born on March 15, 2019, and the couple quickly realised they could do everything they did before – just with a baby along for the journey too.
When Leo was two weeks old, they went to Portugal so Joao’s family could meet him and his tripr to Glastonbury festival took place when he was just 12 weeks old.
Next, with Leo in tow, they explored Cyprus and the Greek islands in 2019, as well as Italy, before travelling across the United States - with a quick jaunt to the Bahamas - and finishing in New York.
So far in 2022, they've spent time in Italy and have plans to visit Japan later this year.
The couple's top five tips for travelling on a budget
1. Pack light by using a rucksack as your free personal item so you don't have to pay extra for checked-in luggage.
2. Travel mid-week when flights are less in demand and therefore cheaper.
3. Travel off-season - April to May and September to October usually still have great weather with massively reduced prices compared to summer months.
4. Use flight and hotel comparison sites to look for the best deals - package deals are often more expensive than doing it yourself.
5. Look for rooms with a kitchenette and a nearby supermarket - a bit of effort making a meal or two can save you a lot of money.
Additional reporting SWNS.
