Reason # 3 To Travel: It’s The Best Money You’ll Ever Spend

“Travel is never a matter of money, but of courage.”  Paolo Coelho

For many people, the issue isn’t a lack of desire for travel but the belief that they lack the ability to travel. And for most, the reason revolves around money. I’ve heard it time and time again…“You’re so lucky you get to travel, I could never afford it”. It’s true- travel can be costly, but maybe not as costly as you think.

Before you let your finances hold you back from a lifetime of adventure around the world, consider the below.

Are You Sure You Can’t Afford It?

Think about what you spend your money on.  I’m not talking about your mortgage/rent, bills, or other necessities, but how about the things you purchase on a daily basis that you could probably do without? The expensive cable subscription, the newest released smart phone, or the expensive sneakers you just have to have? Even small impulse purchases like a latte or bag of chips and a drink, $2 here and $5 there, can really add up over the course of a year.

Just think about this- if you cut your daily spending by $2.75, you could save over $1000 in a year!  For less than $3 a day you could afford a great trip. Consider how you spent your last $1,000 of disposable income…would you trade it for a week somewhere amazing?

Planning Is The Key To Affordable Travel

Eleanor Roosevelt once said “It takes as much energy to wish, as it does to plan.”.  If you do some research and give yourself ample time to plan a vacation, you will discover a lot of ways to reduce the cost of travel.  Planning can be a bit overwhelming at first, but with practice it becomes much easier and can even be enjoyable.

My experience has taught me some go-to methods for reducing travel costs, including subscribing to discount airline sites, making the most of credit card and hotel reward programs, and learning the various off-peak times for destinations and transportation. Not only does planning ahead help reduce travel costs, but it will keep you excited about your upcoming trip and help you meet your saving goals.

Travel On A Budget

Creating a daily budget to save money for travel is a great start, but how much you can travel and where you can go will also depend on your travel budget. I believe there’s a difference between being a budget traveler and traveling on a budget.  For me, a budget traveler is someone who cuts costs wherever possible, even if it means sacrificing their personal comfort, in order to travel. For instance, maybe they fly on discount airlines to get the best deals possible or stay in hostels with a communal restroom.

I find absolutely nothing wrong with being a budget traveler, but personally I prefer to travel on a budget.  I’m willing to cut some corners to save money, but I enjoy traveling comfortably. I’ve briefly discussed budget tips in previous posts, but the below will offer a bit more information on how to travel on a budget.

Save On Where You Sleep:

First, whenever possible, avoid booking hotels in city centers. You’ll see significant savings, most likely for a higher quality room, if you’re willing to stay on the outskirts of cities or outside of the main downtown areas. For example, most cities I’ve visited in Europe have excellent public transportation that’s both affordable and punctual. If you book hotels near bus or metro stops, you can be at the destinations you’re looking for within minutes. Hotels outside the main tourist district are also more likely to offer additional perks like complimentary breakfast, WIFI, or parking (in case you’re renting a vehicle). When I travel I’m not intending to spend a lot of time in the hotel, so my main concerns are safety and cleanliness. Determine what will make you comfortable and then expand your search to save some money.

Save On What You See:

Another great way to save money is to choose carefully what you most want to see. Popular tourist attractions are pricey and not only will you spend money at the site, but if you want to get a bite to eat or pick up a souvenir, the prices will be higher in the surrounding area.  Sometimes, just enjoying the outside view will create better memories than the long lines and expensive ticket prices of certain sites. It didn’t cost us anything to see the Eiffel Tower at night or to explore Heidelberg Castle at sunrise, yet those were some of my best photo opportunities and created some of my favorite memories of Europe.

However, depending on what interests you most, there will be sites you want to tour fully. Many sites offer discounted fares on certain days or during off-peak times. Planning ahead can save you money, without sacrificing something you really want to see.

Save On How You Go:

Finally, night trains and discount airlines offer great opportunities to save. For example, I’ve taken night trains all over Europe and Thailand and they were a godsend- saving me both time and money. Reserving a spot in a sleeper compartment is much cheaper than a hotel and allows you to do the bulk of traveling while you sleep.

Discount airlines, while perhaps not ideal for longer flights (or longer legs), reduce fares by eliminating things like complimentary meals, beverages, and checked bags. If you’re a light packer and don’t mind skipping the tiny package of peanuts, discount airlines could be the way to go.

Travel has changed me so much.  The more places I visit and the more people I meet, have helped me grow more tolerant of the world around me.  My only regret is that I did not start traveling sooner.  This is why I have made seeing the world as affordably as possible my top priority.

Travel Pro Tips:

Be Realistic:

There are many wonderful places, both domestic and international, that you can visit for $1000.  Unfortunately, there are also a lot of places you can’t visit for $1000. Four things you need to consider when planning your trip are:

• Airfare (or form of transportation to and from you destination)
• Lodging (Hotels, hostels, night trains, etc.)
• Spending money (Food, souvenirs, entrance fees, additional travel costs ((i.e. taxis, public transportation, etc.)) or any other thing you may spend money on when you travel)
• Length of trip (This plays a major factor in your lodging costs and amount of spending money you will need)

If a week in Hawaii staying on the beach is your dream, it would not be realistic to think that $1000 would cover the expense.  However, maybe after some careful planning you can find a great deal on a flight and a hotel (not on the beach but with easy access) for 3 nights.  If you’re planning on spending your time at the beach and maybe doing some hiking to see the beautiful views Hawaii has to offer, $1000 could possibly cover it.

Travel During Off-Peak Times:

Traveling during off-peak times can have its advantages.  First, it is a fantastic way to get a deal and save money.  Airlines, hotels, and tour companies are all trying to fill up the space available to them and will most likely do this by providing a lower rate.  It’s more profitable for them to sell at a discount, than to not sell at all.

The second advantage, and for me the greatest, is the lack of tourists. My favorite travel memories coincide with the times I was able to avoid the crowds to experience the area. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy meeting others with a love of travel, but less crowds and shorter lines at different sites tend to enhance the experience.

Just remember that off-peak times vary depending on location and do your research.  For example, summer is a popular time to travel, but summer for the northern hemisphere is winter for the southern hemisphere.  Also, a tropical destination will get more visitors during the winter months since travelers are trying to escape the cold.  Not every destination has four seasons.  Places with wet/dry seasons have different times when they are busy than the typical summer months we are used to. Maybe a European vacation wouldn’t be possible for you in June, but you could afford the prices in March.

Know How Far In Advance You Need To Plan:

The more time you give yourself to save and plan for a vacation, the easier it is to find deals.  I feel that a year to plan and save is a good starting point for a big trip.  A small amount of money set aside every week for 52 weeks adds up at the end of a year.  Saving $3,000 for a vacation seems like it would be impossible for some, but putting less than $58/week away in a travel fund will get you that trip in a year.  Honestly, if its some place you’ve always dreamed of going, isn’t a year (or two) of saving worth it?  As I have stated above, sacrificing a little of your daily spending adds up over a long time.

Another advantage to planning ahead is you can sometimes receive a discount on travel expenses when booked well in advance.  Maybe it is only a 5-10% discount, but that could save a few hundred dollars.  Take advantage of any opportunity to save money when you are able to.  With these discounts, sometimes companies will also let you pay a deposit and pay the remainder at a later date.  This is more common with group travel, but it can’t hurt to ask if this is possible.  Also, when placing a deposit, it helps get you excited for the trip and keeps you motivated to save.

Use The Resources At Your Fingertips:

We live in an age of technology and the internet.  We have access to countless resources that we can scour to find great deals on travel.  It can be tedious to look something up multiple times on many different sites, but sometimes your persistence pays off with great deals.  Many sites allow you to bundle flights, hotels, and rental cars (if needed) to increase your savings.  While there are many sites to choose from, I always start with a select few to get an idea of what a trip is going to cost me.

Flights are often one of the biggest travel expenses. In addition to the discount airline option I mentioned above, there are a number of discount flight websites that I subscribe to. While the deals I’ve received alerts for so far have looked great, I’ll hold off on listing the sites until I’ve actually used them to book travel and can give an accurate review. For now, I’ll share my choices for resources I have experience with and feel comfortable recommending.

Flights:

The site I always start with when considering flights is www.kayak.com . Kayak gives a wide range of options to help you find the best deal.  By allowing you to look at multiple airlines, airports (departure and arrival), and days of travel, you can adjust your itinerary slightly to find the best deal.  Another great option for Kayak is the ability to set a fare alert.  I have saved thousands of dollars on flights by setting daily email alerts for your travel dates.  Everyday you get an email stating what the cost of your flight is.  Often times you will get a day where the price drops dramatically.  If you are ready to buy quickly you can save a lot of money.

Hotels:

For hotels, I have most often used www.hotels.com.  I find the information to be reliable and you can always find plenty of reviews to back it up.  I like that you can filter by neighborhoods, tourist attractions, and its proximity to travel hubs. (airports, train stations, metro)  This makes it much easier to narrow down your search when there are many options to choose from.

You can also save money by choosing non-refundable options if you are positive on your stay.  However, free cancellation (up to a certain point) is available if you want to keep your options open.  Another great feature is their rewards program.  For every ten nights paid for, you get a free night’s hotel stay. (approximate value is the average cost of the hotels booked over those ten days)  The site will also send you email alerts for deals on hotels in cities you have searched for. (again another great reason to plan in advance)  I have always been able to find great deals on hotels.com and would definitely recommend using this site.

Don’t Avoid Layovers:

The obvious reason for you to embrace layovers is that they can save you money on your flight.  Direct flights, although convenient, tend to be a bit more expensive.  By adding a layover or two, you will get more options for airports to fly in and out of.  Longer flights require bigger planes and they cannot always fly into a smaller airport.  For travelers such as myself, layovers increase my comfort level.  I have a hard time being crammed into a full flight for 6 hours straight. Having a stop halfway allows me to get out of the plane and move around a bit.  This way when I arrive to my final destination, I’m relaxed and ready to enjoy myself.

Layovers are also a great way to add to your trip. You can try finding a city to fly though for an extended layover.  This is a great, and inexpensive, way to pack in a little more adventure into your travels.  You can often find companies that would provide a tour of the area that can pick you up, and drop you back, right from the airport.  On a recent trip to Thailand, our group had a 13 hour layover in Dubai on the way home.  Although exhausted, we all were glad we decided to take a bus tour of Dubai to see the major sites.  It was laidback, comfortable, and informative.  It was my first time (as it was for most of the group) in the Middle East.

I never thought about traveling to Dubai, but after our visit I see myself coming back to explore it further.  That experience changed the way I plan my itineraries now.  I now look for airlines that have connections in other areas I want to visit separate from my main destination.

Set A Daily Budget:

After your flight is booked, the hotels are paid for, and all your transportation needs are figured out, the last thing you need to plan for is spending money.  You’re going to want to eat the local cuisine, check out the sites, and possibly buy some souvenirs.  I find setting a daily budget is more beneficial for longer trips, however nothing will ruin a vacation more than spending all your money in the beginning.  Setting a budget is easy, sticking to it can be the difficult part.

To set a budget, decide on the amount of spending money you want to bring, or have access to.  Once this is determined, divide that number by the total number of days you are traveling.  You now have a daily budget set.  Whatever that number is, try to stick close to it.  Some days you may go over and some days you may not reach it.  If you stay close to your limit throughout your trip, you will not get put in a situation where you run out of money before your trip ends.

Bonus:  I Used To Think I Couldn’t Afford To Travel.

Before my trip to Europe, I thought international travel was a waste of time and money.  There was so much to see in America, why did I need to waste my time going anywhere else?  It was more difficult (I’d have to get a passport) and those long flights (over scary oceans!!) just didn’t seem worth it.  Finally the cost (you want to spend HOW MUCH?!?) seemed impossible to manage.  These fears all subsided after my honeymoon in Europe.  I had to make sacrifices and I worked very hard to make it happen, but I learned that it was possible if you sent your mind to it.

Since our European vacation, I have managed to take trips to several more countries. (bringing my total to 14 foreign countries) In addition I’ve added two more continents to the list of those I visited bringing the total to four.  I’ve also planned itineraries to multiple destinations and realize that when the time is right, I will easily be able to afford those trips as well.  My goal is to set foot on each continent on the planet, and I now know that this is possible!

Finally, although I’ve spent a lot of money on travel, I wouldn’t change it for the world.  The places I’ve been to, the sites I’ve seen, the people I’ve met, and the memories I’ve made far exceed any amount of money I’ve spent.  Travel has completely changed the person I am.  By starting this blog, I’ve had to relive those fears and anxieties I’d felt at the time when I first started traveling abroad.  To realize how far I’ve come in just a relatively short amount of time amazes me still.  I have found my true passion in life and I understand that any sacrifice I have to make in order to travel is well worth it.

Need a little more motivation to sacrifice some every day comforts to create a travel budget?  Check out the link below to see if any of these destinations are worth the sacrifice.

https://www.travelpirates.com/tag/vacations-under-dollar-600