“How do you travel so frequently?” We’ve been hit by this question quite a number of times, so I thought of blogging about it.
It’s a long read but don’t you guys want to make stories happen to you?
Life is short and the world is wide. If you believe in this and want to travel frequently then the following rules of thumb won’t disappoint you;
Disclaimer: I’m not some financial guru. It might not apply to all of you but it worked for us. So, I thought it might work for some of the travelers as well.
- Have a ‘save money’ travel jar: Yes, this might sound very old school but it’s an optimum way to keep your travel money separately and you also have a count of amount you’re saving by doing so. This will also keep you motivated to save your money because every time you’ll see it you know you’re only few Euros/Dollars away from your dream. Or make an account with DIGIT and they’ll help you to save your money without thinking about it. (Check it here).
- Watch Movies Online: Ok, so here’s a deal every time you feel like watching a movie in a theater, stop yourself from doing it by putting that cash in your ‘Travel Jar’. Within a couple of months you’ll be surprised with the amount of money you save. Also, when you can watch all the movies on Netflix or online (though not in a very legal way, did I just encourage movie piracy?) then why to waste money in fancy theaters and get tempted to eat nachos with salsa.
- Stop Dining Outside: Why and why do you go out every weekend to eat? It only decreases the money in your pocket and increases the fat in your tummy. So cook your own meal, I know it can be really taxing for those of you who work and are too tired to cook, but just give it a try.Brew your own coffee and make your own tea. This is for all you coffee & tea geeks who can not start a day without sipping some caffeine.
- Stay in a Low-Priced House: Yay! We have saved €2688/USD20085 in last one year by moving into a much more economical house and it has financed our two trips till now. Isn’t that great! But that does not mean you have stay in a mucky house. Till the time it maintains your sanity and provides a decent living, it’s a steal.
- Always Shop from Sale or Not: Well, I truly believe you need to be quite lucky to find good stuff in a sale; however, I also believe every time you see sale it doesn’t mean you have to shop. Next time when you see a sale board just think where would you rather invest your money, on clothes or vacation on beach sipping cocktails and hiking mountains with breathtaking scenic views. Nevertheless, if you’re a shopaholic and can not do without shopping then just subscribe for newsletter of your favorite brands on your email or phone. Like that, you’ll be updated about the upcoming sale or offers and you’ll know when to hit the shop right on.
- Avoid Expensive Nightlife: Going to a night club might give you buzz for a few hours but traveling is staying in that buzz for a very long time. So, it’s entirely your call. What will you opt for? By avoiding on social spending you save your money on club entries, booze and cigarettes too, which costs you an arm and a leg.I am not saying become anti-social but rather have a get together at home and rather than cooking food and buying booze for everyone just opt for ‘potluck’ (get your own food and booze).
- Make internet calls rather than phone calls: Now a days when wi-fi is easily available everywhere so do not waste your money on direct calls rather use internet services. Specially while making international calls.
- Sell your old stuff: Go check your wardrobe right away and you’ll find piles of clothes,books,games and things that you barely use. Trust me on this, if you haven’t used it in past one year you’ll never do. So just sell it. As they say “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. So I am sure there are a lot of treasure hunters sitting there to buy your stuff online.
- Sign up for travel newsletter: It’s indeed a money-saving trick. If you sign up for travel newsletters by that you know about the latest offers and when there are cheap flights or hotels available. BOOK BOOK !!
- Collect travel points: I’m sure many of you are aware about the frequent flyer programs of the international airlines.However, if you are not, let me elucidate it. You can be a member with your favorite airline (specially if you’re a frequent flyer) and every time you fly the points will be added to your account. You can redeem the accumulated points later for booking your next flight, taxi, hotel or a gift from duty-free to surprise your loved ones. (Learned about frequent flyer scheme from a lady we met in Budapest who accumulated travel points for over 20 years and now she was traveling the world for free). The links to two famous frequent flying programs are below:
- Miles and more
- Flying blue
We have followed most of these rules for two years now and it has really made a huge difference to our travel jar. Give it a try!! And we abide by this rule because we truly believe in one thing. i.e. Fill your life with experience not things, have stories to tell not stuff to show.
Go out there, travel, make your dreams come true and let stories happen.
If you want to know about more tips an tricks about budget trips then check out my this blog: click here
(Picture courtesy: Google)
-Travel Nerd Story-
