Affording Your Travel Adventures

The prospect of traveling the world is incredibly exciting, right? We all want to visit foreign lands, relish in the cultures of the world, and treasure the unseen. International travel to some feels impossible when considering the looming costs of your travel adventures, which is why we’re going to talk about four different ways to make your traveling dreams a world of reality.

Have a Plan

The first thing you need to do, of course, is to plan out where you’re wanting to go and how long you have or desire to be out there. Don’t make the rookie traveller’s mistake of trying to cram in every single thing possible within your window of travel. Too much packed into a short trip begins to feel like a never ending slog that just wears you down – you don’t want to end up needing a vacation from your vacation! Cherish your time away from home at your own pace and without the chaos of a jam-packed schedule!

It’s also important to keep an element of flexibility within your plans.  Yes, it’s good to have a rough idea of what you’re doing or want to do – but you’re setting yourself up for a world of stress if your rigid itinerary leaves no room for the unexpected (both good and bad). Remember, life never goes according to plan – even when traveling. Keeping this in mind,  it’s important to remain fluid and flexible in your approach – otherwise, you’ll end up spending a lot of money (or wasting) in order to keep up with your itinerary. Like I said – go with the flow and allow life to approach you, not the other way around. 

Cautionary advice aside, let’s discuss the three fundamental tips to affording your travel adventures.

START SAVING

The most important resource you’re going to need in your pursuit of phenomenal travel adventures is having some money in your pocket. The most beautiful aspect of traveling is you can make your trip as grand or affordable as you prefer. Grandeur is in the eye of the beholder, right? No matter the source of your funding, I find the experience more exquisite when I’m funding my own way – all that hard earned money directed towards fun, relaxation, and adventure. 

Imagine working tirelessly for months on end, funneling money away for your precious getaway … and alas, you’re finally sitting back on that long-haul flight as the plane takes off and thrusts you back into your chair, marking the start of your embark on your very own adventure; magically delicious because you earned it every cent of it.  

The first thing you’ll need to do, therefore, is to start saving for your trip.  Again, there are two approaches here; the first is that you can start saving the money you currently spend – syphoning some of that cash into a savings account.

The second approach is to increase your income; which would appear to be a much more enriching strategy.  Whether you do odd jobs such as mow lawns, walk dogs, get a small part-time job at a retail shop or delivering food, or apply for a full-time position at a large company… this will propel you into a position of feeling more personal power and independence. Even cleaning out that closet and selling your clothes to a second hand store can generate a decent amount of cash – I do this regularly!

A third approach, which may not seem credible but I know of people who do this, is to look into a zero interest credit card for travel expenses such as flights, luggage, meals, etc – this way you can earn rewards in the form of cashback, airmiles and so on, too!

FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

If you’re looking to travel internationally, flights can take a large chunk of money from your travel fund, particularly if you’re flying business or first class (I’m a creature of comfort yall).  However, if you can be flexible with your flight dates then searching for cheap flights via comparison engines such as www.skyscanner.net , www.momondo.com , kayak.com, that compare hundreds of flights by almost every airline in the world yearning for the cheapest deals amongst the dates and destinations you are looking for can ultimately save you a heap of cash.

Another factor to consider is being flexible with your departure and arrival airports; for example – if you were flying into London (England) – it might be worth searching for flights to the whole of the UK, as, let’s say there is a flight to Manchester (just two hours from London by train) which is $200 cheaper – it would be financially prudent to book that flight and travel to London on a cheap train ticket (and you’re seeing more of the country!).  The other thing to consider, if travelling to somewhere like Paris , there are a number of airports all within range of Paris; I.e. Paris Orly tends to be cheaper than Charles de Gaulle (for flights within Europe).

In summary, the more flexible you can be in terms of time and location, the cheaper the flights you will be able to find.

WORK FOR YOUR ACCOMMODATION

An additional looming expense when travelling is accommodation; even in countries known for being cheap such as Thailand, a basic room can be around $10 a day – which adds up to $300 per month for a longer excursion.  

There is the option to rent a property for a few months, which can work out a LOT cheaper than staying in hotels or even hostels.  Check out https://www.rumah.com/rumah-dijual/di-area-pondok-indah-idjk03043 to get a better idea of just how far your dollar will stretch in countries like Indonesia.

If you find yourself on a really tight budget, there are sites such as workaway that essentially allow you to volunteer for four hours a day, and in return you get free accomodation and food.  This is not just a cheap way to travel, it’s a great way to be part of a community and meet other people whilst making a difference – particularly if you were to be volunteering somewhere like an orphanage or animal sanctuary – how cool does that sound?!

Also check out my post talking about some of my favorite travel accessories!

In summary, the key point is to save up some money and then keep your costs as low as possible – particularly in terms of the big expenses (flights and accommodation). You’ll have more disposable income to enjoy your experience.  Remember to keep your plans flexible, as this will save money too – there’s nothing worse than having to keep up with a pre-planned itinerary that looked great in the comfort of your bed at home, but in the real world, where there are all sorts of local quirks to contend with… having too rigid a plan is just asking for headache, heartache, and disappointment.

With all of that being said, what are you travel plans or bucket list destinations? I would love to know! I’m still yearning to visit Iceland, Rome/Italy, London, and southeast Asia! Find yourself traveling over the holidays? Take a look at these tips to help lessen the traveling craze!

Find my insanely warm and affordable faux fur coat here or here.