5 Practical Ways We Save Money To Travel
Use our five money-saving techniques to save money to travel! Over the past 10 years, I’ve traveled to 4 European countries, 3 Caribbean Islands, and over 25 U.S. states. We’ve been able to see more places without sacrificing unforgettable experiences. After years of friends constantly asking how I could afford to travel so often, I wanted to share some useful tips on how I save money to travel. I’m going to share realistic ways to try affordable travel without sacrificing everyday joys!.
Before we started traveling as much as we do now, I would see photos and blog posts of travelers and ask, “How do they afford this!?” Now, our friends ask us the same question. I’ve realized that you don’t have to be rich to travel, you just have to get creative. If you’ve ever dreamed of traveling more often but felt held back by money, this travel guide is for you! Here are five realistic ways we save money to travel. Read until the end for a fun bonus money-saving technique!
5 Money-Saving Techniques
- Start a travel fund
- Make cutbacks
- Be frugal
- Travel within your budget
- Start a side hustle
Start a Dedicated Travel Fund
The first step to more travel: treat it like a financial goal. Once we started a separate savings account (titled Team Lavigne Travels), everything changed! To consistently start planning and budgeting, I started adding $20 a week to my travel fund. Although I mostly did this with tangible cash, it is just as easy to do it electronically. We all have a banking app on our phones, right? Do you check your bank account on payday to make sure that direct deposit went through? So, when it clears, transfer $20 into your new travel fund account that you made. If you start noticing this amount is doable, maybe add a little bit more. Be consistent with it. Remember that it will be worth it! This is such a small change that adds up quickly and frees up extra cash for affordable travel.
How to start:
- Open a high-yield savings account and name it after your dream travel destination to keep your eye on the prize! (example: Sedona Savings Fund)
- Set up automatic transfers. Start with an amount that works for you, you can always change it!
- Use a money-saving app like Acorns to save money without missing it
Travel Tip: If you stay consistent with saving $20/week, you’ll have over $1,000 a year to travel with!
Make Small Cutbacks on Nonessentials
Step two: spend money with more intention. Before you get overwhelmed, cutting back doesn’t mean giving up on everything. It just means getting smarter about your spending. Save money to travel by cutting back on those Starbucks or Dunkin’ runs. Make your own coffee at home and take a second one for the road in an insulated thermos for that afternoon pick-me-up. How many subscriptions do you pay monthly? You don’t even realize how much those tiny amounts add up. Most people are jumping on the trend of canceling cable, which we did years ago. Limiting your TV subscriptions also eliminates binge-watching and frees up our time (for more travel!).
Another cutback I’ve made is with shopping. I have never been a big shopper, but we all have those moments. If it’s not something I need that brings me joy or can replace an item I already own, I don’t buy it. My newest rule for clothing is that anytime I buy something new, I get rid of something and donate it. Small home living forces us to be minimalistic, which is also freeing. Too many purchases increase clutter. You know all those random objects you buy for under $10 because they seem like a deal? You’ll end up throwing most of them out in a year. RESIST THE TEMPTATION! Overall, become mindful and intentional with your spending. Don’t cut out things you enjoy, and pay attention to unnecessary purchases. After recently auditing our monthly subscriptions, we began saving $100/month. That’s $1,200 a year for travel, boo-yah!
How to start:
- Cut out subscriptions you use less than once a week
- Brew coffee at home with a French press
- Review your monthly expenses and eliminate or downgrade
Bonus Tip: sell unused items for extra cash on Facebook Marketplace or second-hand stores.
Stay Frugal When Going Out & Traveling
Technique number three sounds more difficult than it is: self-control. We started tracking what we spent going out to eat and drink a few years ago. Once we saw our monthly spending, we cut back and saved significantly. Meal prepping has been beneficial to our money-saving habits, too. Some nights, when we are not inspired to cook because we watched too many episodes of Gordon Ramsay yelling in the kitchen, we purge our pantry and make a one-pot meal. Quick, cheap, easy, and leftovers! (Our favorite) Pack your lunch to bring to work.
If a friend wants to meet for dinner and you are tight on cash but still want to go out, eat at home and order something light for dinner. Happy hour is also your new dinner date. For us, there is a balance between going out and saving money. Recently, going out feels like more of a treat than before. When you’re looking to do something social, keep an eye on local events. Try something new, like hiking and camping.
How to start at home:
- Say ‘yes’ to free outdoor activities like hikes and picnics
- Cook more meals at home
- Embrace happy hour
How to start while traveling:
- Try camping instead of hotels
- Browse for travel deals on sites like Groupon and Expedia
- Cook your own meals instead of dining out for every meal
Travel Tip: try renting a campervan for your next adventure. We’ve been doing this for years to save money to travel more!
👉🏻 Utilize websites like Steep & Cheap and CampSaver for huge discounts on outdoor gear and apparel.
Travel Within Your Budget
Affordable travel is possible when you plan realistically: we never travel beyond what we can afford. This has never stopped us from having unforgettable travel experiences. The biggest way we save money to travel is by taking road trips. Every year, we take a 10-day road trip where we camp, cook most of our meals, embark on free outdoor adventures, and we can keep our cost under $100/day for the two of us.
We’ve also stayed at a 5-star resort in Saint Lucia TWICE without paying full price. How did we do it? By checking for last-minute travel deals and traveling in the off-season. You can easily save money to travel to luxury destinations by being flexible and open-minded. St. Lucia was not a travel destination on our radar, but I came across a deal within our means that was too good to be true. The resort and flight prices were within our budget, so we booked it and loved it so much that we went again a few years later! This time, we received a discount as returning guests. So, if you love a hotel or resort, always ask about loyalty programs!
How to start:
- Use budget-friendly transportation rather than Uber and taxis
- Set up a daily spending limit and track your expenses during your trip
- Travel off-season for cheaper flights and accommodations
Travel Tip: go in with an open mind. Look for deals over destinations and then do your research.
Save Money to Travel With a Side Hustle
I saved the easiest step for last: if you want to save money to travel, make more of it! Our side hustle is dog-sitting. It keeps us active and our dog entertained, and dog cuddles are far better than human cuddles. If this isn’t something you can do or are interested in, try something like getting a restaurant job. Additional perks are discounted meals and cash income, plus you will meet some of the most fascinating people in your life. (Diaries of a Bartender, coming soon!) If you have creative skills, seek freelance work like writing, photography, or graphic design. There are tons of free resources to enhance your skills and platforms to find work opportunities.
How to start:
- Take one skill you have and turn it into a side hustle
- Hone in on your creativity and sell products or services
- Look for seasonal work in the hospitality industry or retail
Bonus Money-Saving Technique: Don’t spend five-dollar bills
This is our fun little money-saving technique. Why fives? Well, because one dollar isn’t enough, and ten dollars is too much. Plus, I used to get more five-dollar bills in my tip jar. Nowadays, you can rarely buy anything for under $5 anyway, so stash those away and save them for a rainy day. (in Iceland or Hawaii or anywhere else your heart desires!) Most of us rely on plastic and electronic payments, but there will always be times when you will take out cash for something.
If five-dollar bills don’t seem realistic for you, try saving any change amount you receive when you use a cash payment. Did any of my fellow millennials have a “Disney jar” growing up like we did? Your parents saved one of those 5-gallon water jugs, and when it filled up with loose change, it meant, “We’re going to Disney World!” Currently, we have a jar labeled “Vacation!” for our five-dollar bills. Some larger and smaller bills sneak in there, too. So maybe I have my parents to thank for this money-saving technique. Hmm…
Final Thoughts
You can do this! What may work for one person may not work for another. Start small and see what works for you. Don’t get discouraged if one technique doesn’t seem to fit your lifestyle; life can get messy, and we need to prioritize our needs and what fills our cup. Saving money to travel shouldn’t feel overwhelming, it should feel rewarding. Remember that money you will always make back, time you don’t.
Ready to start saving? Drop one way you save money for travel in the comments!
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