Tips to help you save money and travel more.
A lot of people keep asking me how I am traveling so much and most importantly
how I have the money to do it. I would like to share with you guys some of the
things that I have implemented in my life that have helped me save up for all
my trips.
It really helps having a well-paying job, but even if you
don’t have one and you still want to travel and see the world, you can try applying
some of these tips that have helped me.
1) Don’t eat out! Eliminating
eating out is a great way to save some money. Most people eat out 1-2 times per
week or even more. We eat out about once a month. It usually costs about $20-$30
each time you eat out and if you do it twice per week, that adds up to 160-240
per month. This is enough for a plane ticket or even an Airbnb for almost one
whole week, if you are not picky and buy cheap airbnbs.
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| San Diego Adventure |
2) Don’t go out
Drinking! Drinking is really expensive. It usually costs about $8-$10
per drink. Most people buy on average 4-5 drinks, if not more. I am just being
conservative. This brings us to a grand total of $32-$50 each time you go out. I
am not even including cover charges. Even if you do that every other week, that
is still up to $100 that you can save.
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| Death Valley |
3)
Book cheap
flights! I am not a very picky person when it comes to travel. My goal
is to visit every country in the world. Even though I have some specific places
in mind each time, I usually just book the cheapest flight I can find and save
some money. I was not planning on going to the Philippines but the tickets were
on sale, so I booked them. Being flexible can save you a lot of money in the
long run.
Pro Tip: I use google flights to find my flights. I input
the dates that I want to travel and the airport I am closest to, then search
and book whatever is on sale. If you live in San Diego, it might be cheaper to
fly out of LAX and park your car for $12 each day. Also, Tijuana is great if
you are trying to visit South America. Use the walking bridge to bring you
right in the airport.
4) Book cheap accommodation! We
usually use Airbnb to book our accommodations unless we find something cheaper
on Expedia. Look at the reviews and make sure it is a safe and clean place to
stay. Airbnb also provides a lot of flexibility. For our last 2 road trips, we
booked our rooms the day of our stay and each was about $30.
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| Paris Love |
5)
Bring a
backpack instead of luggage. We each have very big backpacks that we
bring everywhere and they fit more than a suitcase would. This will save you
money in checking a bag. Travel light.
6) Do not buy
expensive things. We do not buy many things. Honestly, all we have in
our house are the essentials. We only buy things we need, not want. Nick still
has his old car from college, a 2001 red Honda Civic with a different color
door because the original one broke and we didn’t want to buy another car yet.
My car barely works as well, but I would rather spend the money on a trip.
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| Boston in the Winter |
7)
Food Shopping
Sales. A great way to save is to look at the sales. I only shop
whatever is on sale that week and make food with the items I bought. Cut down
on snacks, since they also can be costly. I spend about $50 per week on food
and it is plenty to feed 2 people. However, do not buy things you will not eat
just because they are on sale.
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| Checking out the Red Woods |
8)
Stop spending
money shopping. It is a very simple idea but a lot of money is spent
each year on clothes we do not need. I have completely cut down on spending
money on clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc. Even if I do go shopping, it will probably
be Tj Maxx or somewhere cheap. I have realized that the more clothes I have,
the more indecisive I become when it comes to what to wear. I eliminate the
waste of money and time by not buying more clothes.
9) Credit cards.
Opening the right credit card can help you immensely when traveling. It can pay
for flights and accommodation. I always use my credit card for any purchase and
then take advantage of the points. I mostly use Chase Sapphire Reserve. I have found
this card to be the best one for travel perks, so take advantage of the $300
annual travel credit and the 50,000 bonus points when you first sign up. You
have to spend 5k in 3 months to get the bonus so make sure you have those
expenses. A good way to ensure you get the points is using your card to pay
your rent. It also does not necessarily have to be credit cards. Every company
has perks when you open a simple checking and savings account. Do not spread
yourself too thin and make sure that you are no accruing debt on your cards. Be
smart with your money.
10) Travel for
Work. If you work for a big corporation, or even a small company, there
is always traveling that is happening, even if you do not know about it. Make friends
with the right people and let them know that you are interested in traveling.
Next time there is an opportunity, they will let you know. Use the destination
as a base and explore the area around or take a flight somewhere close during
the weekend before you head back.
11) Invest.
Investing can be a great way to make some extra money. This is risky but it has
worked out for me in the past. A good return on an investment can help with the
financial burdens of traveling. The stock market is very unpredictable and may
hurt you so be cautious.
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| Hanging out in the Philippines |
12)
Military Only*
Take advantage of Military Discounts. For example, most credit card fees
are waived and you can get into all national parks and historical sites for
free. You have a great opportunity to explore the States and some of the most
beautiful sites of the country for FREE. If you are renting a car and are under
the age of 25, the hefty fee is waived.
These are some simple things you can do to help you save up
for your travels. I know that some of the things that we are doing may be a
little extreme and not everyone would want to do the same, but even if you
start small, it will add up to more money available to travel.
I will make a part too of how to save money during your
travels! Stay safe and happy traveling!
***This Post is not sponsored! These are just some of the companies
that I use and love and hopefully can help you too
