A young couple ditched going out and drinking so they could save enough money to travel the world.

New York City university students Jess Roberts and Nathan Basista traveled to an astonishing 12 countries in 12 months – all because they saved their pennies.

Now the couple – who have been together since they were 16-year-old – plan to travel to twice as many countries in the same amount of time.

“We saved every single moment during college, and worked several jobs to get whatever extra income we could,” Roberts told Caters.

“Then when we were travelling, we camped and cooked at home instead of getting pricey hotel rooms,” she added.

Last year, the wanderlusters spent two weeks in Iceland, and two weeks in Alberta and British Columbia. They also made their way to Hawaii and spent a month road-tripping across the country.

“So far, one of my favorite highlights has definitely been seeing the Northern Lights,” Roberts told caters of her trip to Iceland.

“Although the Northern Lights are elusive, the unpredictability makes chasing them that much more exciting. There’s nothing like the rush of seeing a night sky full of colorful, shimmering lights – it’s an otherworldly experience,’ she effused.

One their next trip, the couple plans to visit South East Asia and go to Hong Kong for the Chinese New Year.

The self-funded duo hopes their globetrotting will inspire others with little means to do the same.

“This is our story about how we worked hard and dedicated our lives to pursuing our dreams and making them a reality,” Roberts said.

“Life is too short to wonder what if,” she added.