How To Save Money For Travel
When I share my stories of travel, the most common response I get is “I want to travel but I just do not have enough money” or some variation of that. You’ve heard it before and I’m here to tell you again: You do not have to be rich to travel. You don’t even have to have a large amount of money. Here’s the catch: if you truly want to travel without a lot of money, it requires hard work, creativity and innovation. It all starts before you even leave. Below are some ways that I save and make money to help me travel before I even book my flight.
Get Rid of Expenses, Less is more. Look around you, what in your life is just sucking out money? Reduce your bills!!
-MAID SERVICE:
Ditch the maid, clean up your own mess and save the money. A tip to keeping tidy is to pick up after yourself right away so it doesn't become a huge task.
-CABLE/INTERNET:
While away you wont even need internet. Cancel your cable. Your time wasted on watching tv can be spent being more productive elsewhere.
-PHONE:
Downgrade your plan to only use as much as you need. A lot of times people are over paying for packages or data they don't use.
-GYM:
Cancel your gym membership and go to a park, walk your dog, jog around your neighborhood or even watch some youtube videos on exercises you can do at home.
-SHOPPING:
You do not need another blouse and if you really want to buy something make it a proper investment that will relate to travel
-EATING OUT:
Have a small budget where you can eat out once in a while with friends or just cut it out completely and cook at home
-CLUBS AND DRINKING:
Cutting out drinking is a huge way to save money. If this does not seem possible, always pre game with your own liquor and then only buy a beer or two while out. I often find that going out for drinks does not serve my travels and does not make me feel good and productive the next day
-WORK:
Pick up extra shifts. Put out ads for anything you're good at. May be it's computer work, tutoring, babysitting, yard work for neighbors, pet sit, house sit, do anything that will make you some extra cash aside from your job.
-ROOMMATES:
If you live alone, try and work out a roommate situation so that you can share the expense of rent, utilities and even groceries
-SELLING YOUR CAR:
This may sound extreme but if you're seeking to travel for a long period of time you won't need it and you'll save yourself the depreciation value of your car, not to mention it can be a huge way to save money. Public transit is very cheap and efficient or if you have a bike, use that as your transportation and get exercise at the same time. Not paying car insurance or maintenance fees is a huge cost that will saving you a ton and add to your travel fund.
-SELL YOUR JUNK:
Your junk can be someones treasure. If you plan on traveling long term, you really won’t need most of the clutter that’s in your life. Maybe you don’t want to sell your house, apartment or furniture but get rid of everything else you don't use or need. Look around you and ask yourself "is this a NEED or WANT item". It will feel much better to come home to a house that is simple, clean and just has what you need. My favorite ways to sell things are garage sales websites like Ebay, Amazon or Craigslist. Also some easy to use apps to sell stuff are Letgo, Offer Up or Depop. I always recommend using your judgement in safety and meeting public places but not only will you be making more money for travel but your life will become more simple as you gradually minimize.
-SAVE:
Now that you’re selling your stuff and working more, you will be making more money. I always have a checking account and a saving account. When you get your paycheck, I immediately divide it between how much I will NEED till the next paycheck and put the rest into a saving account.
-CREDIT:
Get a credit card that reaps rewards. If you still have to pay bills, you might as well be getting rewarded for it. Most credit cards offer flyer miles or cash back depending on what card you get. Put it all on your credit card and eventually you can get a free flight. I make sure that I always get at least 2 points per dollar I spend but 4 points per dollar is the most ideal. I've found the Chase Sapphire card to be a great travel card as far as their perks for travel. Plus I love that there aren't any foreign transaction fees which saves me tons.
If you can switch your mindset from the norm to “how is this serving my travel funds” then you will realize that a lot of stuff you are living with doesn't really have to be in your life.
