I get asked all the time how I saved money to start travelling. The answer is: there is not just one answer. Making the conscious decision to save up to travel means making small adjustments here and there that will, when combined in a focused effort, allow you to save up a lot faster than you’d expect.
It doesn’t mean that you should deprive yourself; rather, to acknowledge that a few things in your life are small luxuries that you can most definitely live without, if only for a short period of time.
Budgeting for your big trip is the perfect first step for establishing exactly how much you want to save before you set off. Below, I’ve listed a few tried and tested tips to help you achieve your goal faster and easier. From CYNC vaping to cooking a mean chilli, here are my top five piece of advice to save money and go travel the world.
- Make Your Own Coffee
This has got to be one of the most obvious, yet most disregarded ways to save a bit of extra money every day. How many of you out there spend $4 or $5 on a latte each day at the coffee shop? If that’s a five-days-a-week type of habit for you, adding those numbers up will make you realise how much money goes into your little morning caffeine habit.
Making your own cuppa at home each day will save you enough to buy an expensive plane ticket to an exotic, far-flung destination. Start brewing!
- Get Vaping
Still a smoker? Bear with me; I’m not here to tell you to quit (although you probably should…). On top of all the other negative things that come with it, smoking is one heck of an expensive habit. How much does your pack cost you, and how many packs do you smoke every week, every month and every year? Have you added those numbers yet? Go right ahead, I’m waiting. That’s a travel fund in itself, isn’t it?
Little vaping devices by the names of CYNC or Hilo could help save you big bucks. The appeal of e-cigarettes doesn’t just lie in the fact that they replicate traditional smoking better than any other nicotine replacement therapy out there.
They are also very easy on your wallet. Studies show that you could, in fact, cut your nicotine consumption budget in half by switching to vaping. Obviously, the best case scenario would be to quit altogether, but that’s still something to consider!
- Rent Your Spare Room
The sharing economy is a very helpful thing when we go travelling and want to save on accommodation. Several of you will already be familiar with sites like Airbnb, where you can rent a room or a full apartment at sometimes a fraction of the cost of a hotel room.
As a bonus, it’s wonderful to live with a local who can show you the best spots in town. So why not turn this around and host travellers in your home? The cultural exchange goes both ways and you can save a lot of money by renting out your spare room.
- Downgrade Your Cellphone
Having a smartphone is a big monthly expense, but one you can surely live without while you save for your trip. Chances are you were actually living without one just a few years ago! With WiFi in many cafes and public places, cutting down to just texting and a telephone line is doable, despite what you might think.
Sure, you may get bored on the train ride to work, not being able to scroll through Facebook and Twitter, but isn’t that a wonderful opportunity to rekindle your love with those things you once knew and used called books?
- Cook Your Own Lunches
After home-made coffee and Hilo electronic cigarettes, it’s time to rethink the way you eat, too! If you have a habit of buying lunch or getting food delivered several times a week, start making your own. I like to dedicate my Sunday afternoon to meal prep for the week ahead and will make a few dishes that are easily transportable and microwaveable to see me through the week.
Don’t know how to cook? It’s time to learn! Google a few easy, nutritious recipes such as Indian dhal, chilli or pasta bake and alternate between them until you feel comfortable enough to try making something different. It’s easier than you think! Who knows, you might develop a passion for cooking while saving tonnes of cash for your next big trip!
