Affording Your Travel Adventures
The prospect of traveling the world is incredibly exciting, right? We all want to visit foreign lands, relish in the cultures of the world, and treasure the unseen. International travel to some feels impossible when considering the looming costs of your travel adventures, which is why we’re going to talk about four different ways to make your traveling dreams a world of reality.
Have a Plan
The first thing you need to do, of course, is to plan out where you’re wanting to go and how long you have or desire to be out there. Don’t make the rookie traveller’s mistake of trying to cram in every single thing possible within your window of travel. Too much packed into a short trip begins to feel like a never ending slog that just wears you down – you don’t want to end up needing a vacation from your vacation! Cherish your time away from home at your own pace and without the chaos of a jam-packed schedule!
It’s also important to keep an element of flexibility within your plans. Yes, it’s good to have a rough idea of what you’re doing or want to do – but you’re setting yourself up for a world of stress if your rigid itinerary leaves no room for the unexpected (both good and bad). Remember, life never goes according to plan – even when traveling. Keeping this in mind, it’s important to remain fluid and flexible in your approach – otherwise, you’ll end up spending a lot of money (or wasting) in order to keep up with your itinerary. Like I said – go with the flow and allow life to approach you, not the other way around.
Cautionary advice aside, let’s discuss the three fundamental tips to affording your travel adventures.
START SAVING
The most important resource you’re going to need in your pursuit of phenomenal travel adventures is having some money in your pocket. The most beautiful aspect of traveling is you can make your trip as grand or affordable as you prefer. Grandeur is in the eye of the beholder, right? No matter the source of your funding, I find the experience more exquisite when I’m funding my own way – all that hard earned money directed towards fun, relaxation, and adventure.
Imagine working tirelessly for months on end, funneling money away for your precious getaway … and alas, you’re finally sitting back on that long-haul flight as the plane takes off and thrusts you back into your chair, marking the start of your embark on your very own adventure; magically delicious because you earned it every cent of it.
The first thing you’ll need to do, therefore, is to start saving for your trip. Again, there are two approaches here; the first is that you can start saving the money you currently spend – syphoning some of that cash into a savings account.
The second approach is to increase your income; which would appear to be a much more enriching strategy. Whether you do odd jobs such as mow lawns, walk dogs, get a small part-time job at a retail shop or delivering food, or apply for a full-time position at a large company… this will propel you into a position of feeling more personal power and independence. Even cleaning out that closet and selling your clothes to a second hand store can generate a decent amount of cash – I do this regularly!
A third approach, which may not seem credible but I know of people who do this, is to look into a zero interest credit card for travel expenses such as flights, luggage, meals, etc – this way you can earn rewards in the form of cashback, airmiles and so on, too!
FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS
If you’re looking to travel internationally, flights can take a large chunk of money from your travel fund, particularly if you’re flying business or first class (I’m a creature of comfort yall). However, if you can be flexible with your flight dates then searching for cheap flights via comparison engines such as www.skyscanner.net , www.momondo.com , kayak.com, that compare hundreds of flights by almost every airline in the world yearning for the cheapest deals amongst the dates and destinations you are looking for can ultimately save you a heap of cash.
Another factor to consider is being flexible with your departure and arrival airports; for example – if you were flying into London (England) – it might be worth searching for flights to the whole of the UK, as, let’s say there is a flight to Manchester (just two hours from London by train) which is $200 cheaper – it would be financially prudent to book that flight and travel to London on a cheap train ticket (and you’re seeing more of the country!). The other thing to consider, if travelling to somewhere like Paris , there are a number of airports all within range of Paris; I.e. Paris Orly tends to be cheaper than Charles de Gaulle (for flights within Europe).
In summary, the more flexible you can be in terms of time and location, the cheaper the flights you will be able to find.
WORK FOR YOUR ACCOMMODATION
An additional looming expense when travelling is accommodation; even in countries known for being cheap such as Thailand, a basic room can be around $10 a day – which adds up to $300 per month for a longer excursion.
There is the option to rent a property for a few months, which can work out a LOT cheaper than staying in hotels or even hostels. Check out https://www.rumah.com/rumah-dijual/di-area-pondok-indah-idjk03043 to get a better idea of just how far your dollar will stretch in countries like Indonesia.
If you find yourself on a really tight budget, there are sites such as workaway that essentially allow you to volunteer for four hours a day, and in return you get free accomodation and food. This is not just a cheap way to travel, it’s a great way to be part of a community and meet other people whilst making a difference – particularly if you were to be volunteering somewhere like an orphanage or animal sanctuary – how cool does that sound?!
Also check out my post talking about some of my favorite travel accessories!
In summary, the key point is to save up some money and then keep your costs as low as possible – particularly in terms of the big expenses (flights and accommodation). You’ll have more disposable income to enjoy your experience. Remember to keep your plans flexible, as this will save money too – there’s nothing worse than having to keep up with a pre-planned itinerary that looked great in the comfort of your bed at home, but in the real world, where there are all sorts of local quirks to contend with… having too rigid a plan is just asking for headache, heartache, and disappointment.
With all of that being said, what are you travel plans or bucket list destinations? I would love to know! I’m still yearning to visit Iceland, Rome/Italy, London, and southeast Asia! Find yourself traveling over the holidays? Take a look at these tips to help lessen the traveling craze!
Find my insanely warm and affordable faux fur coat here or here.
March 7, 2018 @ 2:49 pm
Those are some fantastic ideas to allow people to afford travel. I haven’t heard of many of the sites you mentioned but going to check them out for sure! Thx
March 7, 2018 @ 3:12 pm
Travel doesn’t mean debt, even for those who don’t make a lot of money, these are great tips!
March 7, 2018 @ 3:45 pm
Great points to consider! Italy is our next trip and we often need a vacation from our vacations. Love the links for suggestions to make it more budget friendly.
March 7, 2018 @ 4:01 pm
actually didn’t know you could work for your accommodations… that’s such a good idea! thank you for sharing all these tips 🙂
March 7, 2018 @ 4:07 pm
I always manage to find cheap flights on Skyscanner because I’m flexible with where I go! It’s important to scout for the best deals
March 7, 2018 @ 4:35 pm
I didn’t know you could work for accommodations! That’s amazing
March 7, 2018 @ 5:14 pm
These are all great tips! I wish I had known more of these things (and perhaps been more adventurous) in my younger years!
March 7, 2018 @ 6:50 pm
Great tips and I encourage everyone to travel and explore different areas. I am yearning to take my daughter to Europe!
March 7, 2018 @ 7:08 pm
Thanks for the tips on flights! I always feel like that is the hardest place to save money when traveling somewhere.
March 7, 2018 @ 7:17 pm
These are definitely great tips to use. I heard a rumor that cheapest time to buy a flight is 6 weeks before your date on a Tuesday. I’m unsure if this is true, but it’s definitely worth looking into.
March 7, 2018 @ 8:37 pm
This sounds wonderful! I have never heard of workaway, but would love that idea. Travel is worth everything to me, so any sacrifice is worth it.
March 7, 2018 @ 9:47 pm
These are all such great ideas. We try save on expenses like getting cheap flights too!
March 7, 2018 @ 10:35 pm
Awesome tips. I’m planning a trip to Spain later this year and will look into all the flight companies that you listed. Thanks for your helpful post! ❤️
March 7, 2018 @ 10:36 pm
These are all wonderful tips and I’ve never even thought of some of them! I really love that last tip, I didn’t know you could work for your accommodation. That’s awesome because it saves you money and allows you to give back!
March 7, 2018 @ 11:23 pm
Really cool post! I never heard of volunteering to earn accommodations. Saving is definitely key. I’m looking to go to Australia at the end of the year.
March 8, 2018 @ 1:28 am
These are such great tips! I am starting a travel savings this year just so I can explore more freely 🙂
-xo, Azanique | http://www.lotsofsass.com
March 8, 2018 @ 3:52 am
My bucket list of places that I want to go is Iceland, U.K., France and New Zealand. They are all so beautiful.
March 8, 2018 @ 9:14 am
We are finally going on our honeymoon this summer and we’ll be using some military flights to help save us money. Your other tips are great and I need to start putting some money into a totally separate account!
March 8, 2018 @ 10:12 am
I love the idea of volunteering while traveling, especially if it’s a long term travel. And if you get paid for it, nothing can be better than that.
Cheers!
Parul – https://girlinchief.com
March 8, 2018 @ 11:15 am
Flying into a cheaper airport and opting for the train is a great way to go! Plus, you end up seeing more of the country and it’s always great people watching 🙂
Prerana | Broadcloth – Fashion for the Working Woman.
March 8, 2018 @ 11:19 am
Hotels and flights always seem to be the most expensive parts of vacations! Totally agree that planning ahead + keeping an eye on multiple sites is the way to do it!
March 8, 2018 @ 11:51 am
These are such great tips! Cheap flights are a must–and it’s so fascinating what kind of deals you can find on flights these days!
Molly // Miss Molly Moon
March 8, 2018 @ 12:45 pm
Such a fun article… thinking about travel is just such a pleasant escape!
Your ideas are great too!
I have a couple trips in mind this upcoming year, and that of course means budgeting!
But its so worth it you feel so rejuvenated and alive when you travel!
March 8, 2018 @ 2:35 pm
Priorities are key. Do you want that Starbucks every day or do you want to go to Fiji. Can’t do both
March 8, 2018 @ 11:57 pm
These are great tips and wonderful points. I’m dying to get to France, Spain, and Greece! You definitely need to get to Italy. Rome is amazing but Florence was honestly my favorite!
March 9, 2018 @ 3:23 pm
These are all fantastic tips! And I absolutely adore your outfit – so gorgeous!
March 9, 2018 @ 8:10 pm
Saving early is def a great tip when planning for international trips that can be quite costly. You look so gorgeous.
xo Sheree
PoshClassyMom.com
March 14, 2018 @ 8:25 pm
Great travel tips, it’s amazing what cheap flights you can get if you just search around, and kayak is a great place to start if you’re on a budget.
Have a fab week.
W
April 2, 2018 @ 8:55 pm
I have really been wanting to get serious about traveling more so this post was amazing! Thank you!
April 4, 2018 @ 12:15 am
These are great tips! I definitely will have to keep these in mind the next time I travel.