Affording Travel: How To Save and Spend
The one question I get all the time is “how can you afford to travel as much as you do?” “Are you loaded?” “Where do you get all the money?” “Do your parents pay for your vacations?” I post mostly travel photos, so I get how people would think I live a certain jet-setting lifestyle. The truth is I’m not loaded I just know how to save and spend wisely on the road. Here are my tricks for saving up to travel!
Lose the pre conceived ideas
We see images on Instagram and social media all the time of people having glamorous, luxurious holidays, wearing amazing outfits. Its easy to start to think that you could only have an epic holiday if you spend a lot of money and that travel has to be expensive to be good. WRONG! I can absolutely tell you that you can travel on the cheap. So often bloggers will have an amazing outfit in their backpack, go explore and stay in an affordable hostel, or alternatively they are allowed to stay for free because they are blogging about the hotel or restaurant. If you can swing that, awesome! But don’t try to compare what their images on Instagram look like to what is actually achievable, you can travel just as easily as they can!
Whats the breakdown?
First things first, when you wanna start planning to travel you have to look at your current monthly expenses. What would those expenses be?
Rent
Internet
Cable
Netflix
Gym Membership
Starbucks
Groceries
Shopping
Nights Out
Restaurants
Transit/Parking
Hair/Manicures/Any other physical maintenance
Sit down and write out a list. Go through your previous bank statements and get really clear on what you spend. Then see if you can make any cuts! What are the non negotiable essentials and what can you live without. This can be uncomfortable because you’ve grown accustom to your daily habits and rituals, but it will require an adjustment and some sacrifice to start building up that travel fund. If you buy a Starbucks on your way to work every morning, that adds up pretty fast! All that money could be going towards your trip. I’ve always preferred spending my money on big purchases rather than small luxuries like nails, coffees etc but I get that this could be a change for people. Personally I got rid of my cable, I do my own nails, I stopped going out as much for drinks and walked just about everywhere, even in winter.
Keep all the receipts!!!
Its so important to keep track of receipts. I do mine mostly online, but I always ask for a physical copy as well and keep them in folders in my file cabinet and change them monthly. It might seem super anal and unnecessary, but honestly I have been caught out a few times. Like I got a receipt for an app I didn’t know I was paying for, or my TV provider accidentally charged me for HBO which I hadn’t signed up for. For so many of us we do automated payments for everything because its easier, but before that money leaves your account check the receipts and keep copies.
Open a separate account
This is a big helper for me! I have a separate account for just my travel fund. I find when all of my money is in one pot I find it harder to keep track of, and I’m more likely to spend it. Once I put it into my travel fund I literally don’t touch it until its time to go. Its actually really exciting after a few months to look and see what its grown to! This also helps if you’re saving up for multiple things at once, you don’t have to add to it every month, maybe that money goes into your savings or other account, but its easy to keep track. Sounds super simple, but it helps.
Points points points!
You know when you’re checking out at the grocery store and the cashier says “you collect air miles?” The answer should be YES! Sign up for Airmiles, sign up for Aeroplan, it may only be a few points here and there but trust me they add up. Travel points credit cards are amazing. If you’re going to spend your money anyways, you might as well get points for it. You can also spend points on gift cards, products, lounge vouchers at air ports, but of course you can spend them on flights and hotels which is the real goal here! Keep in mind this is a credit card, not a debit, so you will still have to pay it off every month, so make sure your finances are in order before you get one.
Tips & Coins
I was bartending for a while when I was saving to travel, and whenever i’d get my tip out at the end of the night, I never wanted to carry around lots of change, so Id throw it in a jar in my bedroom. I kind of forgot about it and then a few months later I noticed it was full! It was super exciting, i’d saved up over $100 just in spare change and coins. I’ve made this a habit now, whenever I get random change I just throw it in my jar. Sometimes I use it for money for the streetcar, or to run out to get milk, but mostly I leave it alone and its a bit of extra cash!
Lifestyle switch
This is where it can get tricky and uncomfortable. Get really honest and ask yourself what can and can’t you live without? I live in downtown Toronto, so even if it takes me a little longer I try to walk everywhere so that I don’t need to spend money on transit. Maybe you like eating out, but could just as easily stay home and cook. A big one for me was shopping my closet! I’m always tempted to get a new pair of jeans or a cute new outfit, but what do I already have that I can breathe new life into. It also doesn’t have to be black and white. You can still go out with friends, or buy yourself a pair of jeans, but if you curb your spending, or make it more of a ‘special treat’ vibe in your head you’ll be able to save more.
A big one for a lot of people that i’ve talked to who have started saving for travel is cooking and entertaining at home. So many of my friends eat out or get take out a few nights a week. When you combine the cost of the meal, delivery and tip that adds up fast! Its estimated that the average Torontonian (I can only speak to where I’m from) spends about $282.00 a month on eating out/take out. That’s mind blowing to me. Its cheaper and healthier to buy groceries and cook at home. Here’s where I usually here a lot of excuses, “I don’t have time to cook,” “I’m too tired by the time I get home from work,” I get it some people have crazy busy lives. This is where you meal prep! In the last little while I’ve also really enjoyed hosting my friends over to my place! It can be just as fun to have a wine and charcuterie night at your apartment as it is at a restaurant! Finally, you can sign up to a meal prep kit that’s designed around your budget and dietary requirements, then its just dropped at your door and you whip it up! You can check out some like Hello Fresh or GoodFood. It takes out the hassle of grocery shopping and you still save money eating at home.
Look, if it was easy, everyone would do it and be saving & travelling. I’ve had to say no to festivals and concerts I really wanted to go to, I’ve not been able to take as many dance and spin classes which I love, but the experiences I got to have in Spain, Peru, Greece and more were so amazing that changing up my lifestyle for a bit was totally worth it.
Visualize It
This always sounds so cheesy to me, like something you’d read on the cover of a self help book or hear from a motivational speaker, but you know what, it kind of works! There will come some points where you’re feeling kind of bummed and need to remember why you’re saving up - so remind yourself! Check out blogs and instagram pages, look at photos, read articles, make a list of all the places you wanna see and things you wanna do. It’ll get you really stoked for your upcoming travel plans. Honestly, sometimes saving is just as much about mind set as it is about practicality.
the art of the side hustle
Ahhhh the side hustle. I know it well! I some people may really not have the time for one, but something that has helped me is finding a little extra gig where 100% of the earnings can go straight into the travel fund! Teaching English online, selling a product, walking dogs, freelancing, honestly the options are pretty endless depending on how much time you can put into it. Funnily enough, my side hustle was photography for a long time and all of the money went into travel, now its my full time gig!
become a deal hunter
There are deals for flights, hotels, group travel, tours and more all over you just need to find them! Sign up to find out when airlines have great flight deals or packages. The only downside to this is that sometimes you need to quickly make a decision about your travel dates. I got an email through that Contiki Tours was doing a boxing week sale and the deals were insane, so I booked a trip for almost a year later! The same also goes for Booking.com and Hostel World, everybody does deals its a matter of keeping an eye on it and recognizing when to snap it up! I also use Honey for a lot of my deal searching, it automatically scans the websites i’m on for any potential discounts - its not a guarantee but i’ve scored some cash off Travelocity and Hotels.com before!
Sometimes finding the best deal isn’t something you can do alone. When i’m planning a particularly convoluted trip, one that will have a ton of transfers and dates I use a travel agent. It takes a lot of stress off of me, but also she has access to deals that aren’t on the market for regular buyers. Often times companies make special offers that you can only get through an agent so depending on the type of trip you’re planning its worth it to find out whats the best deal you can find. Deal hunting effectively can be a bit time consuming, which is why most people end up with more expensive flights and hotels, it can be a pain but it can save you loads.
Now that you’re abroad…
So saving on travel isn’t just when you’re at home, its important to know how to save when you’re off having your adventures!
group travel
I love group travel and its one of the best ways i’ve found to save money. I often travel on companies like Busabout or Contiki. The trips are pre planned; accommodation, transport and tours all taken care of for you, and because you are going with a reputable company its all subsidized. When I was planning my trip down Australia’s east coast I wanted to do it by myself. Rent a car, stay in beach hostels, go sailings and surfing. I realized two things really quickly; 1. Its a lot of logistics and 2. It was going to be pricey. I looked into Contiki’s ‘Beaches and Reefs’ trip and not only was it still going to be a road trip staying in lots of beach hostels, they organized scuba diving in the great barrier reef, boat trips around the Whitsundas, surf retreats and more! The best part? It was still cheaper than if I had planned it alone!
In fact to help you save even more money, as a Contiki Canada brand ambassador I can help in that department! If you book any of your 2021 trips using my code “ALLYABROAD” you’ll get a discount! Yay!
Hostels
Hostels might single-handedly be one of the biggest money savers when travelling. They’re a life saver when you’re alone because you get to meet so many people, but most importantly they’re really affordable. In this day and age, these aren’t your parents hostels from the 70’s. No joke i’ve stayed in a few that are way nicer than some hotels. You might have to deal with shared rooms or bathrooms, but at a fraction of the cost its so worth it!
Money Money Money
Learning how to manage money abroad is going to be a big help! While you don’t want to carry loads of money on you, its good to exchange some at a bank in your home country before you leave where you will get the best rate possible. Use cards whenever you can as you will get the best rate, but when the terminal asks if you want to pay in your home currency or the local currency, always choose local! Probably the most important, money saving advice I can give you is be careful where you withdraw money. DO NOT use Euronet ATM machines. They will be all over the more touristy areas, and sometimes you have to look for the symbol. These machines are a scam! The only options they give are for ridiculously high amounts, the rates are terrible and it has a really high usage fee. Sometimes you between the rate and the fee you’ll spend up to 15% of what you’re trying to take out! That’s crazy! I speak from first hand experience with this, I got all turned around in Prague using one of these machines and ended up taking out way more than I meant to, and the rate to convert it was terrible. Lesson learned, but by going to official banks and keeping cash to a minimum you’ll be able to save some cash and keep track of your payments easier.
getting around
When you’re abroad lots of people want to, understandably, maximize on time by flying from location to location. If you give yourself the time you can save a ton by renting your own car, taking the train or even a bus. I know that this can take longer but its always a cool way to see another country, you can maybe add some stops along the way and is really cost effective. For example the Interrail Europe passes start at €185 for a whole month! Renting a car can come with its own set of limitations; picking up and dropping off, finding accommodation with parking, maybe the car is on the wrong side of the road for you, but there is really no better way to see the French countryside or rural Argentina than driving through it! Before deciding on a car, make sure you check what gas prices are in the country and check it against your budget.
Food
Eating out and sampling local cuisine is one of my favourite things about travel. I don’t really like to limit myself too much when I’m abroad, if I wanna treat myself to an amazing dinner or great wine i’m going to do it. That being said, I definitely don’t do that every day. Getting snacks is a great way to curb that food spending. I also think its so fascinating to see grocery stores in other countries, and in particular am always fascinated by what potato chip flavours every country offers, cuz let me tell you, it can get weird. Its a cheap and cute way to see what other countries snack on. Just like we have Lays, Oreos and Kit Kats, Vienna has Manner Wafers, Aussies have Tim Tams, Colombia has Frunas, you can throw them in your backpack and you’re good to go! I also ALWAYS load up at breakfast at my hotel or hostel, no matter how boring or continental it is, i’ll eat all the toast and cereal so that i’m not as hungry throughout the day, that way I can spend a little more on an amazing dinner and drinks!
…and remember travel begets travel!
Funnily enough one of the biggest money saving tips I have is the more you travel the lest it will cost the next time you go! I paid for almost my entire flight to Australia using points from my trips around Europe. Once you travel with Contiki, you will always get a past traveller discount. On average my trips are less expensive when I travel nowadays.