This was a topic many viewers wanted to read about. Saving money for traveling is all about priority. How you prioritize traveling makes a big difference on how you spend your money AND time. After all, time is money. If traveling is a priority over these following things for YOU, then consider eliminating or just cutting down a little. All the following things listed here have less priority in my life than travel and so I do these things less and spend less money on it.
Keep reading for the top nine things I do to save money for travel! For everything you gain, you must give up something too, so I’m also adding the downside of my list as well!
1 I’ve stopped buying clothes and unnecessary things for myself. I stopped growing a long time ago and I can still fit into clothes I bought ten years ago. This works to my advantage because I don’t have to keep buying new clothes over and over again. When I do, I hit the back of the store for the best deals.
Downside: I’m not always the one that is up to date on fashion. Did I say ‘not always’? I meant “I’m never”. But that’s okay for me. I would rather fashion-lessly roam the streets of Morocco or walk along the beaches in Belize;)
Now, it’s not always easy to say no to things; but I really ask myself something along the lines of “Do I really need another summer outfit at the moment or can I spend that $30 on a night in Thailand?” And for me, the latter always win. However this does not mean I deprive myself of something I REALLY want or need. If that summer outfit is definitely a must have and I absolutely love it, then I’ll buy it.
2 I mostly drink water when eating out and don’t spend money on soft drinks or alcohol. This started off as a diet technique (don’t drink your calories). Then I realized how much I was saving just by switching out my drink with a cup of water. Occasionally, I’ll still have some soda with the pizza and some iced tea with my fried chicken, but for the most part, water it is!
Downside: There is no downside! I keep off those extra calories AND save money!
3 We don’t waste money on a gym membership. I’m a true believer that if you want to get fit, you can without paying a monthly subscription at the gym. My husband and I occasionally hit up the recreational center, but otherwise we do other activities to keep us active. We take our dog on walks in the neighborhood and do a good share of gardening at home. I dance and teach dance in our community or church once in a while and my husband plays tennis/badminton every week.
Downside: We are not the fittest people in town. And we are A-OK with that, because we are not in town often 😉
4 Limit eating out. Those who see my daily instagram stories, I know what you’re thinking. It seems like I eat In-N-Out every day for lunch though. Well, close. I do eat out on some work days for convenience. Also, this is one of my “have to have” things. I look forward to my In-N-Out meal every single time. But the thing is, I don’t add all that extra, unnecessary additions to my meal, like the extra cheese, side of fries or that fountain drink, which adds up the cost quickly.
For the new year, we have decided to start cooking more at home and to only go out on special occasions or to celebrate something.
Downside: No downside again! This is another win-win situation. Save calories and money!
5 I don’t pamper myself to massages/nail spas/hair salons, etc. frequently. If there is a major occasion, I may treat myself to something basic. Besides that, I try to do it all at home for a fraction of the price.
Downside: I have to take that extra effort and time.
6 I never pay full price for anything. I’ve learned to shop strategically and almost never pay full price for anything unless I need it (like grocery). I shop for the winter during the summer and for summer during the winter. I buy fall items after fall and Christmas items after Christmas. For brands, I shop at outlets or hit up our local TJMaxx or Burlington!
Downside: I don’t think there is one.
Time is Money
…and money is time. So when you waste time, you’re wasting money. Keep reading to see what I mean!
7 I don’t watch TV. (Well, besides the 15 minutes we sit in front of Youtube while eating dinner). I don’t binge watch shows and I don’t sit and watch a full episode of anything. When I finish eating, even if the episode isn’t over, I turn the TV off. Also, we don’t pay for cable or any TV channels.
Downside: I’m not up to date with all the latest tv series and shows. I also can’t tell you the latest movies running in the box office.
8 I don’t waste time keeping up to date with other people’s life. AKA I am not active on social media such as Facebook and Snapchat (like I used to be) on my personal account. I don’t watch every single video that gets forwarded on Whatsapp. All my social apps are not easily accessible from my home screen. I chose settings for these apps in a way that I don’t get a notification on my phone for every single action taken. For this new year, I am also trying to keep my phone further away from me while I am at home for the evening. This helps me to get more done without feeling the need to check my Instagram page every 30 minutes.
Downside: I don’t think there is one?
9 Last but not least, I work a lot. I am lucky to have a flexible job, where I can work as little or as much as I would like. When I am not traveling, I work my butt off. So if you notice that I haven’t posted on my instagram story in a while, I’m busy hustling. I believe in working hard and then, traveling as much as possible.
Downside: When we do travel, I work right up the minute we leave (sometimes at the airport too) and pick right back up as soon as I get back home.
If you like this post, you don’t want to miss out on my Bargaining Tips & Hacks post!!! If you are looking into jobs that allow you to travel, check out Business News Daily post on the top travel jobs!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.