Are you planning on traveling? Are you dreaming of going on an incredible trip?
Most people would love to travel more and explore the world, but saving up for your vacation can seem like a daunting task.
As we all know, whatever your plans, dreams, and fascinations, travel can be expensive.
But it doesn’t have to be. When it’s time to get out and explore the world, it’s possible to do it for a reasonable cost and create a budget that is affordable for your needs and wants.
If being able to afford traveling feels far away, there are many methods you can use to fund your travels.
To help you save money for your travels, we’ve compiled 5 tips that will ensure you have enough to take off on your adventure.
Start Saving Immediately
The first thing you should do is start saving immediately. It’s never too early to start saving for a trip.
Even if you don’t know where you want to go, one thing that is for certain is that traveling costs money.
There are many reasons to start saving now. For one, you can take advantage of compound interest and let your money work for you while you watch the balance grow.
Keeping your money in a bank account or a conservative investment account will also make saving easy to track and help you stay on track.
You could also pick a destination and use travel blogs or budgeting tools for inspiration on how much certain items cost in that area, which will allow you to set future saving goals based on specific trips.
Work While You’re Gone
One option is to work while you’re gone. I know, it’s supposed to be a vacation, right? But just think of it as trading that time you spend scrolling through TikTok or Instagram to be productive instead.
If you are thinking of your trip as a vacation you might not want to work, but in some cases a couple hours of your time in the evening while you’re winding down from your day could mean being able to stay a bit longer!
If you have some skills like writing, design, editing, proofreading, you could try earning some money through a digital freelance service like Fiverr or Upwork.
The beauty of this type of work is that many potential clients are often looking for quick turnarounds and you get paid very quickly directly into your bank account.
This means you could be anywhere in the world and earn funds to support your current travels or even extend your visit by a day or two.
Think About Saving in Different Ways
If you’re having trouble saving money, try thinking of saving for your trip in a new way.
For example, make saving fun by saving $1 each time you brush your teeth or find another small task to remind you to put away the spare change throughout the day.
Or you could try doing a savings challenge. My favorite is this 30 day savings challenge.
A 30 day money saving challenge is when you set a goal to spend the next thirty days saving up some cash.
You may need to sacrifice going out on weekends and forgoing grabbing coffee every so often, but if it means getting your hands on an extra couple hundred dollars by month’s end, than there aren’t many things in life more satisfying!
Alternatively, you could look at your savings as already being spent on your vacation and that may motivate you to save up faster because “you’re spending” it anyway.
This makes saving seem like ‘spending’ which can be less painful than saving money for something far off in the future.
Take a look at your spending and saving habits
Most people don’t even consider saving for something unless they come across extra cash or receive a windfall of funds.
That might be through an inheritance, as a gift, as part of their regular income (like as a yearly bonus), etc.
But what if you instead try to cut down on spending in order to save money?
Nearly everyone spends too much without realizing it by making small purchases every day that add up over time.
Think about how many $4 cups of coffee or snacks at the vending machine you buy each week – or even each day!
If you downgrade to the cheapest phone plan available or cancel cable, those savings can go right into your dream trip fund.
By saving where you can and cutting whenever possible, you can shave off a little bit here and there until your travel fund is sufficient enough to take off on that adventure soon.
This one simple change has helped out many avid travelers as they plan their next trip.
Change Up Your Routine
It’s easy to think that saving money means going on a hiking trail instead of going dinner at a fancy restaurant – but the truth is, there are lots of free options for saving money.
Rather than saving for your trip by cutting out fun activities, try finding things to do around you without spending any additional cash.
From walking through public gardens to watching free movies at the library, saving money doesn’t have to mean lessening your quality of life.
Be a tourist in your own town by going for a walk in a neighborhood or part of city you aren’t familiar with. You may be pleasantly surprised with what you find!
In fact, if you’re an avid traveler it might be even more important that you stay active and healthy as you save up for your next trip.
Take Out a Loan
While it isn’t usually wise to overextend yourself in order to make purchases or fund your travels, sometimes it can be a helpful thing to do.
For instance, if you know that you will be coming into money but don’t have it yet, you could take out a loan to travel.
With the right loan company, and a good credit score, you could take out a personal loan and time it with the money you expect to be coming in so that you can minimize any fees.
Plan Travels to Affordable Places
Finally, the best way to travel without worrying about expenses is to plan ahead and travel to affordable destinations.
Look for countries that are off the beaten tourist track and know that you can get by with little money, which is actually my most favorite way to travel and why I love places like Thailand so much!
This could also mean making it a point to make your travel experience more budget friendly.
Hostels offer an exceptional way to meet like-minded people, while saving money on your accommodations.
From Thailand to Bali, there are excellent hostel chains around the world catering to budget travelers who enjoy meeting new friends.
While you might want to try all of the culinary delights available at world-class restaurants, you will save a lot of money by sticking to local food and street stalls.
This is especially true if you choose to eat meat as it is usually more expensive than vegetarian or vegan fare.
Travel isn’t cheap, but it isn’t as expensive as people think either.
There are plenty of ways to cut down on the costs of travel and many methods to fund your trips.
If you have a dream of going somewhere in particular or simply need to experience something new, plan ahead. Save money. You can do it!