I’m 28 years old and have had some sort of debt since I was 18, and yet, I have managed to travel more than most will in a lifetime. I won’t lie to you, there is no easy 5-step plan to make travel possible. Even the topics I am about to go over won’t always work. I am also aware that I am not the first person to make a list like this to outline how to travel on a budget and I won’t be the last either. These are just the major ways I have managed to cart myself around the world and then back home. My hope is that if they have worked for me in practice, they can work for you.
Prioritize
Again this is not an original concept of mine, or exclusive to travel budgeting. If you want something bad enough and don’t have the money for that something, then you have to start cutting stuff out IF possible. I say IF, because I know sometimes this is not possible, but for a lot of people I know, there are certain luxuries or privileges that can be given up in order to help or fully fund a new adventure. I will go weeks eating only peanut butter & jelly sandwiches if it means I can buy a plane ticket to a new place. The prioritization change will be different for everyone and for some the change will be very hard. Easy things to cut out temporally or permanently: Cable, Netflix, Spotify, Hulu, gym membership you aren’t using, drinking booze, daily coffees, and the list may go on for you. Get creative with dumping those daily splurges and monthly subscriptions.
“If you want something bad enough and don’t have the money for that something, then you have to start cutting stuff out…”
One excuse that makes me angry is when people say they can’t travel because they are in a relationship and/or have kids. I think that is a shit excuse. I don’t know that from personal experience, but I do know that from observation. I paused to write this so I could Google, “Family travel bloggers” and my screen was flooded with results. If your home is full anything but the bare minimums (I’m talking real bare minimums like only bread, milk and eggs in the fridge level) there are probably things you can do with how you spend your money. If you really want to travel, think in terms of, “How many plane tickets could this money buy?” I told my own dad not to buy a new TV when he made a comment about being jealous about my travels. Sometimes there are vices you can’t give up and that’s how #2 comes in handy.
Savvy Credit Card Use
“If I sign up for any credit cards I look for 0% financing options first…”
I love more than just travel. Thankfully I can combine some of my expensive hobbies into travel like my love of beer and food or my love of technology. Those are easy to keep spending money on, because I can enjoy them during my adventures. However my love of movies and TV shows can definitely hurt my budget. That’s where being creative with my money comes into play. A lot of travel bloggers will tell you to sign up for credit cards with travel related benefits. That is a great piece of advice, but that’s not the way I like to use my cards. If I sign up for any credit cards I look for 0% financing options first or I use my Best Buy Visa or Amazon Visa cards like a debit card and use them to make my everyday purchases. As long as I am paying the cards off right away to avoid interest, I build up points to spend on anything those retailers sell. Those points really come in handy when I don’t have any extra cash, but movie releases are on fire. In the last year I have spent $0.00 on buying movies. Thanks to my reward zone points I racked up from everyday expenses I have enjoyed steelbook copies of The Last Jedi, Justice League, Black Panther, Solo, Deadpool 2, Infinity War, Jurassic World 2, The Incredibles 2, and Ant-man and the Wasp. Do the math, that’s a lot of points. Plus they all come with a digital copy which I can watch while I travel… so… BOOM… even my movie obsession can be tied into travel. #micdrop
Remember though, if you struggle with managing your credit please take baby steps with this strategy. If you overdo-it, you run the risk of digging yourself into a hole you can’t escape and nobody wants that.
Hostels vs Hotels
“I understand hostel life isn’t for everyone, but for me and many others, hostels are perfect.”
I will be the first to admit that I was hesitant about hostels for a very long time. The first hostel I stayed at was in San Francisco at the Green Tortoise. Thankfully my experience there was fantastic. Everything from the price vs amenities, the people and the location was great. Not all hostels are the same, but here’s a list of things you can typically expect from a stay at a hostel:
- Inexpensive place to sleep (Usually dormitory style)
- Social settings to meet new people
- Free or inexpensive activities in or around the hostel
- Typically near public transportation
- Free Wi-Fi
- Lots of diversity
- Place to do laundry
I understand hostel life isn’t for everyone, but for me and many others, hostels are perfect. Like Hotels though, not all hostels are good. Remember to do a lot of research to make sure you find one that fits your needs. I have had a lot of luck finding hostels on www.hostelworld.com
Don’t Be Picky About Your Destination
If you want to see as much of the world as possible on a budget, understand that you may have to be strategic with where and when you travel to your dream destinations. The less picky you are about where you go, the more inexpensive your adventure may be. Using resources like the Skyscanner app or Google flights, you can search the cost of flights by comparing different locations. Picking less popular locations may drive down cost of some correctly. One of my best practices is to pick 4 or 5 places around the world I am interested in and check a few different dates. Also checking multiple sources along with directly on airline websites can be a lot of work, but if it saves you hundreds of dollars, can be totally worth it. Just remember to be cautious if the site or app you actually purchase your tickets on isn’t familiar. Do a little extra research if the deal seems to good to be true. Thankfully I have never run into trouble with sketchy booking services, but I have heard horror stories.
“One of my best practices is to pick 4 or 5 places around the world I am interested in and check a few different dates”
Eat Smart
“look for food specials…”
I probably don’t mean what you are thinking. This has nothing to do with eating healthy. This has to do with eating inexpensive food, which can differ from place to place. A lot of times I find myself being less picky about the food I eat while I travel as long as it fits within my budget. This can take the form of street foods or grabbing food at a market/grocery store to prepare my meal myself back at my hostel. Also look for food specials at restaurants. a lot of places will feature certain dishes on certain days of the week. I love looking for things like Taco Tuesday, Wing Wednesday, Sushi Sunday, etc. I even wrote a post (Eat Cheap or Die) about this a while back. It’s good to splurge on a nice meal here and there during an adventure, but if you want to stay on budget, not every meal needs to be a picturesque moment. Make the best what’s available. The best is if your food is inexpensive AND amazing. Personally my favorite is inexpensive street food anyways, add beer and I may never leave.
Walk
This one is simple. Don’t spend money on transportation if it is relatively close and you have time. This helps slow you down and give you the opportunity to observe your surroundings. However if you are in a time crunch, like a flight to catch, then obviously take a mode of transportation that will meet your needs.
**Please note that none of the companies or brands mentioned in this post paid or sponsored me to mention them. They are solely companies and brands I have used in the past with a lot of success.**
