The other day I took an Instagram poll to see what was holding people back from traveling and I was not surprised by the answers at all! The main issue was people not having enough money, and trust me, I’m in that boat with you guys! Traveling is expensive no matter what. It’s a luxury we all want to be able to do so how can we make it happen in our younger years where we may be lacking time, PTO, money, or people to go with us?
1. Think Inside the Box
When I asked people where they would go if nothing was holding them back from traveling, I got 100’s of responses that said they would go somewhere outside of the US. I literally did not get a single answer that said somewhere right here at home and I think you all are MISSING OUT!!
I have been so so so fortunate that I grew up with a family who loved to travel and I have traveled to every state this beautiful country has to offer! I think our generation has this infatuation with other countries and cultures that we want to explore before we even see what we have to offer right in our backyards.
Don’t get me wrong my bucket list for travel is basically all of latin America, but I love going back to the places I’ve already been right here in the US and exploring them with a new view as an adult. Through my travels in my 20’s, I’ve found that you don’t have to get in a plane to have a new and amazing experience. Just remember that we can get to those far away places soon enough!
2. SAVE SAVE SAVE
This was something that took some education on my part. I love to travel. It’s my #1 priority every year to save up enough money to go on at least 1 cool trip and based on how high of a priority traveling is to you, you have to save like it. We all have bills to pay and responsibilities we have to pay for and a fixed income, but you control how much money you are saving. No one determines your expenses besides yourself and sometimes you have to take a good, hard look at what your spending and decide where am I going wrong?
When I first did this a few years ago, I saw I was spending more money on things I either didn’t need or could live without. This is why I don’t get my nails done every week, I reuse my clothes for multiple outfits over multiple years, I buy things on discount, I use lots of coupons, but also I stopped going out drinking all the time, and going out to eat. If it matters to you that much, you will make it a priority to make changes to save for it in the long run.
I also recommend opening a savings account just for travel. Every time I get paid, a percentage of my money goes directly out of my checking and split into my emergency savings and my travel savings. I set it to do this automatically so I never even see the money in my account. After awhile, you will forget you make that much and you’ll have all this money racked up for traveling!
3. Work Smarter, Not Harder
There are SOOOO many ways for you to save money on travel and I want to share some of my favorite ways to save. There are lots of apps you can save like
-Hopper
-Student Universe
-AirBNB
These all have great deals and you can book trips through them. I never stay anywhere, but AirBNBs and have always had great experiences with them. Other apps I use to find things to do and plan trips are
-Lonely Planet City Guides
-SideKix
-Foursquare
-AirBNB
-Yelp
All of these apps help you plan out your trip so you can find free things to do, places that offer discounts, or you can book things early and save money.
If you’re an AAA member, they also give you discounts on rental cars, flights, cruises, and hotels. If you’re under 25, but 21 you can book a rental car through Hertz without paying extra for the insurance for being under 21 if you have an AAA card. This will save you from basically paying twice as much for a car for not being older. Definitely put in the time to research because it will pay off to save you money in the long run.
4. Get a Sugar Daddy
No don’t do this, but it is always an option
Traveling is an amazing way to expand, not just your horizons, but to see into others cultures and experiences. Don’t just travel to take pictures and try the latest and greatest thing. Have an experience, whether that’s by yourself or with your best friend or your significant other. I hope this helps you take some steps to getting out there and exploring this beautiful planet we are so lucky to live on.
Clark's Remarks 