I often get asked how we are able to afford to travel, these questions were asked more frequently when we were newly married and in school. But what we did then still applies now! My husband and I have always said that traveling is one of our main hobbies. Because we see traveling as a hobby we are okay spending more of our money on travel. We generally do a “big” trip 1 to 2 times a year. Since traveling is not an everyday hobby (yet, one can dream (; ) it is easier to justify those expensive for us. Here are my top tips for simple and effective ways to save money for travel!
#1 My first tip would be to decide where your priorities are. I personally would much rather have experiences than things any day. For example, I would rather go on a trip than buy the newest and greatest car or iphone, really whatever it may be I 9 times out of 10 would pick a trip over things. This may be easier for me since this is honestly just apart of my personality and part of the way I was raised but if it helps think of it like this, at the end of your life (sounds dramatic I know) what are you doing to wish you did more of? I really doubt you are going to wish you had bought that new car 50 years ago, but instead I imagine you will look back at your life and remember the moments you felt most alive and happy. For me, those moments more often than not are when I am traveling. Like I am sure they are for most of us.
#2 I think I have mentioned it before but I would describe myself as a frugal person. Again, this is in part to the way I was raised but it also has a lot to do with my personality and what I really want out of life. Just the idea of debt is very daunting to me. I do all that I can to stay far away from debt. This being said I know that at times it is necessary, so of course I am not talking about those circumstances here, I am referring to avoiding unnecessary debt. This advice directly correlates to the one above, if you can not afford the newest and greatest thing do not buy it. If you have been saving up for your trip to Thailand but now you have debt from your new car and can no longer afford the trip you desperately wanted to go on then its probably time to look at what is a priority in your life. There is nothing wrong with wanting a new car or anything else that is expensive, you just need to decide what is worth your hard earned money.
#3 My next tip goes hand in hand with my post here. Be smart about how you travel! There are so many accounts on social media now that promote cheap flights and travel it would be ridiculous to not take advantage! In my recent blog post about my top travel tips I go more into depth on this, but travel where it is cheap. There is nothing wrong with having bucket list destinations but make that list BIG! That way when you see cheap slights to Italy you can grab the tickets and go for half and sometimes even a quarter of the price! This of course directly effects your affordability of travel. Imagine if you fine those flights to Italy for $400 round trip instead of the $1,200 they usually are. Think of all the other things you could do while on your trip with your saved money! You can even take the money you have saved and put it towards your next one!
Although there are many other ways and advice I could share about affordable travel these are by far my top tips. Hopefully this helps you start checking off that bucklist!
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The Elmont Place 