i find that when i start traveling with money, no matter where i am and how cautious i want to be about spending it, the more i have, the quicker it goes. I've been living off of an average of less than a dollar a day to my name for the past three months, but i'm heading out to travel now, and i've got 30 dollars. I would have left with nothing, but i've made some money the last few days. Last summer i traveled for almost two months in mexico with 200 dollars, and came back with 16 bucks. Once I headed out with about 5,000 to travel internationally, and it sure made traveling more comfortable b/c i could sleep in hotels, and i had a safety net. i think it's important to be able to have enough to buy a ticket home. some countries won't let you in unless you can prove you have a certain amount in the bank, and a return ticket, and it's a positive thing to support local economies, especially as a white, priveledged north american. People do not want to believe the concept of a north american not having money, and realistically, north americans (excluding mexico) can get a lot of money pretty damn easy no matter what the circumstance....although the concept of 'a lot' is relative.
I say if you have no money and you want to travel, it's not unrealistic to do so. Don't let it hold you back if you've got none. Money makes life easier and safer, but it's possible to travel (and live) with hardly any money, if you're ok with doing without, and with not always being comfortable.
