I am going to let you in on a little secret about how I fund my travel living frugally. Everyone knows how much I live being on the road, and these little tips are the very things that make it possible for me to live the dream of seeing all of those travel destinations on my map.
How To Fund My Travel Living Frugally
Traveling is a real passion for myself and my family. We love exploring new places, seeing beautiful landscapes and, of course, enjoying amazing foods. Knowing how to fund my travel was a focus for a long time. I would look at travel sites, friends pictures and long for the freedom to just get in my car and travel. I had to think long and hard about what my priorities were, and then I started to make it work. These tips for how to fund travel while by living frugally aren’t gimmicks. They aren’t easy. They take time. The result, however, is a great chance to travel to new places you’ve always long to see.
Read: 60 ways to save money to get more money saving ideas!
Don’t plan travel until your debt isn’t an issue. This is one of those parts that takes time and isn’t fun. This post isn’t about fun things to get you out the door and on the road. It’s all about real ways to get you out the door and traveling. I knew if I wanted to fund my travel living frugally, first I had to get rid of the lingering debt that was zapping my income. This doesn’t mean you can’t travel while still having some debt. Almost everyone will have a level of debt if they have a vehicle financed or a home financed. This is talking more about large credit card debt that is out of control. Whittle away at your larger debts from credit lines first and foremost. Once you are able to pay more than just the minimum payment toward balances, you can begin considering saving for travel. Planning a summer vacation? Be sure to grab these tips on starting your summer vacation fund now!
Get really honest about wants versus needs in your life. If you truly want to do things like I did to fund my travel, then you have to be honest about your spending habits. We lived frugally by couponing, getting rid of satellite expenses, using prepaid cellular phones and even downsizing to only one vehicle to save on upkeep and insurance expenses. Many families spend much more on little conveniences than they have to. Even eating out, processed foods, frozen dinners, and convenience meals add up much faster than you realize. Get honest about what things you are spending money on that just aren’t truly a need. Eliminate most, if not all of the wants and put that money into savings for your travel fund. In time, you’ll find that your lack of spending will give you enough money to splurge on the vacation you want.
[Tweet “Make travel a priority to you! “]
Work smarter not harder. For someone like myself who works from home as a blogger and freelancer, this is actually pretty tough. When I was working 16 hour days, I made half the amount of money I now make working 8-9 hour days. Why? Because I was working so hard I was losing sight of things and making mistakes left and right. If you have a home business, work from home or are in a position to rise the corporate ladder, work smarter not harder. Focus, create schedules and value yourself. You’ll find that you are making more money, or able to ask for that raise you’ve been wanting.
Stick to your budget and savings plans. Creating a household budget and sticking with it is really the soul of how I managed to fund my travel. You can still splurge on things all the time when you put it into your budget alongside your savings plan. If you just don’t have enough money for the splurge and to save each month, always choose saving over splurging. Not only does saving money help fund travel, it helps pay down debt. Both of which are vital for enjoying that travel you long for. Not sure how to start a budget? I have several budget-friendly tips to help you start and stick to your budget!
Read: 5 ways to save on Airplane tickets for my travel saving tips!
I was able to fund my travel over the last few years by really buckling down and making the choice to follow a stricter budget than I use to follow. This doesn’t work for everyone. My love of travel made it important enough for me to stick with it. For others, the love of a manicure, Starbucks coffee or new pair of boots may be slightly higher on the list than a vacation. That’s a choice we each have to make for ourselves. You can also join our 52 week money challenge for more ways to save on a weekly basis!
Get more money-saving travel tips below:
- Apps To Help You Save On Travel
- How To Keep Cost Low While Traveling With Kids
- ractical Ways To Save On Travel Expenses
No Comment