UPDATED FEB 2020. Let’s talk about money. ‘Eeeeeeeeeeekkkkk!!’ I can hear you say it now, but don’t run away just yet. I have a real talk guide here to hopefully help you find new suggestions on how to save money for travel. Budgeting, in general, is hard. It takes sacrifice and whether you reach your goals or not will come down to 100% accountability on your part. Many of the posts like this that I see focus on how to make more money, but I think before you burn yourself out trying to make more money, learn to live off less. I like to tighten the budget in everyday life so that I can enjoy things while I travel. Live poor, travel well is my motto. But, whatever your style and whether you want to save money for traveling or something else, here is a guide of real-life tips to reduce your monthly expenses.
Finally… A Real Talk Guide On How To Save Money For Travel
Disclaimer
There are affiliate links included in this post. This means at no extra cost to you, I earn a commission if you book through the link.
FIRST THINGS FIRST – DEBT
We have to tackle the obvious part first.
YOU DON’T NEED ANOTHER CREDIT CARD!
So many of the posts I see on how to save money for travel include recommendations for the ‘best credit card’ that you ‘need’ for traveling. And. Just. No.
The writers make a killing off the affiliate links when you sign up, but what do you get out of it? Just more debt.
No, avoid this type of advice at all costs.
The best way to be able to save money for travel is not by ‘hacking the system’. It’s by reducing your debt to give you financial freedom, reducing your monthly expenses, and having discipline with your spending.
If you have consumer debt, use these tips to get rid of that first before you think about traveling. It will suck in the short term, but the long term financial freedom will mean you can travel even more.
The most important tip for how to save money for travel- more debt will not help
Beauty
Cut your own hair
Instead of going to the hairdresser or barber, watch some YouTube tutorials and do it yourself.
It sounds scary at first but then after you do it a couple of times it’s not that bad.
When I lived in Hawaii, I cut and dyed my own hair and it saves a lot of money.
Do your own waxing
Trips to the beauty therapist add up quickly.
Buy microwavable tubs of wax and do it all yourself. Just be sure to follow the instructions to avoid any burning.
I don’t have a microwave so I use strips that you rub together. It’s a great mental strength activity too because if you can do your own strip wax Brazilian, you can literally accomplish anything!
Do your own manicures
If you want to live within a tight budget but still have nice nails, then I got you covered.
I do my own gel manicures and pedicures with a Red Carpet Manicure kit
.
They have great beginners kits and doing your own gel manicure is so much easier than you think. Just follow the instructions and you’ll be set.
Maldives
Social
Avoid social gatherings that cost money
This is a hard one, and it might even be an unpopular thing to do, but if you are tightening your budget then you have to be antisocial in some ways.
You just can’t save money without sacrificing something.
Finding free or at least cheaper ways to socialize is going to be a huge help to your budget.
If you’re normally a social butterfly then it’s a good idea to talk to your friends and explain that you are trying to save money for traveling so they can help support you.
Learn to differentiate between a need and a want
This one is huge and I think it’s really easy to get these two words confused.
For example, all you need to socialize with a friend is time and a way to communicate – you could sit in a park and hang out for free.
We want to socialize over drinks, movies, dinner or shopping outings, etc.
Sticking to the needs is a great mindset to be in to help you save money for traveling.
Find cheaper alternatives to things you enjoy
Think of the things you enjoy that you spend money on and write them down.
Now think up some cheaper alternatives.
For example, renting a movie from Amazon is a lot cheaper than going to the movies or hosting drinks with your friends at your house is cheaper than going out.
You don’t have to miss out on everything you enjoy doing, just need to find more budget-friendly ways of doing them.
Aruba
Food
Always meal plan and do groceries
Planning is essential to saving money – especially when it comes to food.
Once a week, write out the meals you are going to eat for the week ahead and then all the groceries you will need to buy to make the meals.
Keep it simple.
Do your groceries in one hit and get what you need for the week because if you go every day or two then you end up spending a lot more.
Always take snacks out with you
Whenever you leave the house, make sure you have a snack with you.
Either keep some in your car, purse or take some with you each time.
Things like trail mix, granola bars, protein bars are some good ideas but whatever stops you from buying snacks when you get hungry while you’re out and about.
Always have a bottle of water with you as well so there’s no need to buy one.
Surviving outings
For the times that you do have to go out for social events, spend the bare minimum.
If you are out for dinner, eat a starter instead of the main meal and just drink water. Then you can eat something at home afterward if you are still hungry.
If you go to the movies, just buy your ticket and take your own snack that you would have bought in your groceries when you planned your week.
Italy
Everyday life
Create a savings tracker
I keep a savings tracker on my kitchen wall which I use to track how much I save.
It’s very simple – just a table I drew that tracks the date, goal-saving amount, actual saving amount and cumulative total (here’s one you can print).
It’s a great way to keep motivated on those days when you want to break your budget.
Delete sale emails straight away
A good sale can be very tempting and whoever writes the e-mail subject lines know just how to lure us in, don’t they?
If you’re trying to save money for travel then DON’T OPEN THE E-MAIL!
It’s most likely just stuff you don’t need and the sale will get in the way of you reaching your savings goals.
Delete the email straight away. If this is a particular weak spot for you then you might want to unsubscribe.
Be mindful of fuel
Transportation costs can be so expensive.
Combine your outings with errands to save fuel and always, always, always try to consolidate your trips so you’re not driving for just one thing.
For example, if you go to the gym after work, then go on your way home instead of driving home then to the gym and back.
Do your grocery shopping after a doctor’s appointment or a visit to a friend.
Do as many errands as you can at once.
Carpool or take public transport to work if you can. All these little fuel savings will add up.
My husband and I have shared a car for 6 years. It’s inconvenient at times but saves a lot of money. Look for ways you can sacrifice convenience for money saving.
Eliminate impulse purchases
New house rule – no impulse purchases allowed.
If you find yourself wanting to buy something, force yourself to wait a week. If you still think you need it after a week, then look into if it is possible to budget for it.
Most times, it’s just an impulse to buy something and you’ll find that you forget about it.
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Managing money
Set aside your savings
Write your budget before you get paid and allocate a set amount that you will save.
Once you get paid, move that money into a savings account and pretend like it’s not there.
Don’t even make it an option to touch that money (unless of course, it is an emergency).
Instead, learn to work with the money that’s left from your paycheck.
If something comes up, learn to sacrifice from another area of your budget instead of digging into your savings.
Make a little extra
With eBay, craigslist and local Facebook yard sale groups, there’s no easier time than now to get rid of the junk that you’re just collecting.
It’s a great way to make a little extra cash to help you save money for traveling as well.
Old clothes you don’t wear, books you don’t read, ornaments, extra appliances, decorations, and extra furniture are all good places to start.
If you’ve got anything in storage, you probably don’t need it.
Adopt a minimalist mindset
This goes with the above point, but when you have a minimalist mindset, it stops you from buying excessive things that you don’t really need.
It doesn’t mean you have an empty house, it just means you only have things you need and things that mean something to you.
People might think you’re crazy if you don’t have all the ‘normal’ stuff. You might even think I’m crazy for suggesting it.
I haven’t had a TV in years. We also don’t have a microwave or excessive amounts of appliances. We don’t buy clothes or shoes until things need replacing.
People always make comments about the lack of ‘stuff’ we have but it works for the lifestyle we want to live. That is, saving as much money as possible for travel.
Look at ways you can adopt a minimalist mindset in your own life.
Get rid of bills you don’t need
Sometimes in budgeting people focus on how they need more money, but I’m a firm believer that most of the time we don’t need more money, we need less stuff.
Budget time is a good time to look at your expenses and reassess how your bills serve you.
For example, do you need a Netflix, Hulu and cable bill or could you get rid of two of those and pick your favorite?
Do you need a gym membership or could you get rid of it and exercise outdoors or at home?
Most of the stuff we have is extra and sometimes we just get so used to having things, like a habit, instead of asking ourselves what we actually need.
Turkey
Treat yourself
Plan one treat for yourself each week
Make sure it doesn’t completely blow your budget though.
Plan one thing each week to treat yourself with so that you don’t get weighed down with all sacrifice and no enjoying life.
I get a pizza from a local shop each week and I swear I appreciate that one little treat so much more when I am saving.
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Great post not just for budgeting for travel bit good everyday budget tips to help you reach any goal.
Thank you so much! I was hoping they would be useful tips for any savings goals.
Love these ideas! One thing that really worked for me was when I tried the Whole30 and had to cook literally everything from scratch. I was so amazed at how much money I saved, even though it felt like I was buying even more groceries than ever! 2 birds: 1 stone.
That’s so true! Win-win situation there with the Whole30 shopping!
Good lifetip in general!
Is it only in Sweden we don’t drive everywhere (if we even own a car) and instead bicycle? Great way to save money (and the enviroment)!
Thank you! I don’t think it’s only Sweden, I’ve noticed it here in Italy too. While living in America though I feel like people would drive for really short distances.
Great article! I echo others who say that this is just a great list for managing money in general! We are lucky enough to be able to save some for travel. The challenge for us is vacation time! My husband only has off in the summer as a teacher…which tends to be peak times and higher travel costs. Hopefully, I can get lucky with a deal next summer and we keep saving for when that deal happens. I love how you mentioned that those who do their own waxing can literally handle anything… 🙂 I have managed to be able to do that…definitely does build the mental fortitude! Kudos on the article!
Thank you so much! Getting vacation time can definitely be a struggle – I’m wishing you lots of luck for next summer!
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