20 ways to save for travel..even when you’re broke!

One of the top reasons that people say, or think, that they can’t travel is because of affordability. Most everyone has an innate sense of wonder and travel lust, but simply don’t have the savings to match. Do you know it can be actually quite affordable to travel?

We’ve compiled some tried-and-true actionable ways to save up for your upcoming travels. Keep reading to find out how to save for travel, even when you’re broke!

 

1. Cut Unnecessary Expenses

It’s easy to overspend when you have a bunch of unnecessary spending habits that become so integrated with your regular spending, you might not even notice the few hundreds of dollars that has accumulated to automatically come out of your account every month. These things add up, for example:

Netflix- $14.99/month

Gym membership- $50/month

Eating out once a week- $160/month

 

Just those three luxuries add up to over $200 a month, which if my calculations are correct, add up to one fully paid vacation a year!

By working out at home, limiting your TV time, and eating out less, you can save enough to have an amazing vacation every single year. All of these unnecessary expenses are just that, unnecessary. We all deserve to spoil ourselves with these luxuries, we have to hone in on the bigger picture. Chances are if you’re reading this travel is a priority for you, making small lifestyle changes are actionable. We can either treat ourselves to some immediate satisfaction with overpriced take out once a week, OR experience the adventure and relaxation of a Beach vacation once a year, accumulating memories and seeing the world! It all of it comes down to focusing on the bigger picture and practicing self discipline.

2. Set Up Your Bank Account For Pre-authorized Transfers

This little nugget of a savings trick was taught to me and it is a game-changer! You can have it set up with all, if not most, bank accounts where every time you make a debit transaction, or credit transaction, that x amount of dollars is transferred from your checking, into your savings account. Some might call it passive savings.

Let’s say you set up to transfer $5 every transaction and you make roughly three transactions per day, that adds up to $15 a day into savings, which is $450 a month! Another great perk to this kind of setup is it can help you manage your spending. If you’re noticing too much money being transferred from one account to another, it might help you spend less each day and minimize your daily transactions, finding a good comfortable savings/spending balance. Start small with a dollar for every transaction, even if you made one transaction per day, you still saving $360 a year!

3. Start A Side Hustle

starting a side hustle is a great way for anyone to bring in a few extra bucks. Some great examples of side hustle work include:

• delivering local newspapers or Flyers
• selling on Amazon
• making crafts and selling them on Etsy
• re-purposing and selling furniture
• transcription work
• online proofreading
• online surveys
• food and grocery store delivery services
• pet or home sitting
• renting a room or property
• Swagbucks
• babysitting /day care services
• dog walking
• photography Services
• starting a YouTube channel
• Web Design Services

These are just some great examples of side hustle income. You can get creative, dusting off an old hobby or skill that you can profit from, the sky’s the limit!

4. Saving Your Change

Change adds up, let me repeat that for the people in the back, CHANGE ADDS UP!

You might be surprised how much change, in one standard mason jar, can add up to. Make it a rule that all spare change is saved change. Have a spot in your car, house, and office to collect your spare change. At the end of each month collect it all up and relish and how much closer you are to your vacation!

5. Become An Uber Driver

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Depending on where you live, Uber drivers can make roughly between $150-$400 a month. This income is untapped, there are so many variables that can make you more, or less, each month. If you like to drive, have a reliable vehicle, and like to be somewhat social, this might be the perfect side hustle for you. You could save enough for an entire vacation from driving for Uber, and who knows, you might meet some great friends in the process!

 

6. Track Your Expenses

Most, if not all, banking apps have a way to track your spending habits, and let me tell you, it is another game changer.

With most apps you are able to see how much money comes and goes out of your account each month, which helps you visually see if you’re overspending. You can also track exactly what you’re spending your money on, which helps narrow down, and single out, any bad spending habits. Tracking your spending is a great tip that accompanies your monthly budget, helping you keep track of your goals.

 

7. Set Up Little Reminders

Setting up little reminders is a great way to keep on track and keep you motivated. Weather its a Post-it note in your wallet, phone notifications on your lunch break, or daily words of encouragement, you can’t go wrong with setting reminders for yourself.

As mentioned above with the spending tracker, most apps feature this type of service and might send you notifications to help you keep on track of your goals and help you stay on track.

 

8. Have No Spend Days

If you are someone who finds themselves spending multiple times each day, having one no spend day a week might be just the trick to ease you into spending less. Pick a day where you decide you will not spend any money and see how it goes!

You may not see any immediate savings from this, within a few weeks you will notice big changes in how much extra money you have at the end of the month, just from that one day of discipline each week. To make sure you don’t set yourself up for failure, plan ahead. Stock up on whatever you might need for the day and put away the cash.

 

9. Sell Your Things

Chances are, if you’re anything like me, you have a ton of stuff that you no longer need. This can include clothes, Furniture, Electronics, knick knacks, movies, shoes, bags, instruments, even plants! there is a market for everything.

Some trusted places to sell online include:

• Facebook Marketplace
• Kijiji
• Craigslist
• Etsy
• eBay
• Amazon
• garage sales
• Poshmark
• Shopify

If you have an extra freezers, plant clippings, baby clothes, extra guitars, old DVDs and VHS movies, vinyl records, frame photos, really anything you no longer need, there is a buyer of there! Depending on what, and how much you want to sell, this could be a quite profitable way to bring in a quick buck.

 

10. Meal Planning

Have you ever gone to the grocery store, hungry and with no plan,? Yeah, me too. Bad idea.

You end up buying a bunch of things you’re craving, that don’t necessarily make a meal, and you find yourself running back to the grocery store throughout the week to spend even more money.

Meal planning is a great way to stay within budget and not overspend, and who knows, if you keep your meals relatively cheap, you may have some left over from your budget. Plan out your meals and snacks for the week, try to stretch out meals by using up leftovers, and stick to your list.

 

11. Minimize Fixed Expenses

Fixed expenses are, well, fixed, with not much flexibility. With a few tweaks you might just be able to scrape in some savings. The best way to save from fix expenses is with water, if you pay for water.

• Water – Take shorter showers, shut the water off when you brush your teeth/wash your face, do your laundry on off hours
• Hydro- Turn off the lights. Opt for a candlelit space, it says money and it sets a mood
• Cell phone bill- Evaluate what you use and what you actually need. You might find you’re at home a lot and you don’t need unlimited data charges
• Shop around for lower rates when it comes to insurance, cable, internet, and even rent

Finding ways to lower your overall fixed expenses is a great way to save, especially if you’ve become accustomed to that amount.

 

12. Find Free Alternatives To Daily Expense

Do you go to the gym, yoga classes, have drinks at the bar, or even weekly spa days?

Whatever you choose to treat yourself with can be done for a lot cheaper, if not for free. Alternative examples are:

• Gym = home workouts
• Yoga class = yoga in the park with friends
• Drinks at bar = drinks at home
• Spa = at home spa days

The truth is when it comes to these extra expenses, most, if not all, could be done for free!

We all like to treat ourselves, socialize, and have hobbies, it’s important to weigh the expenses and see if you can find an alternative that both provide you with satisfaction, and savings.

 

13. Untouchable Savings Account

Let’s say you’re window shopping and lo and behold the perfect, most unnecessary item, that you simply can’t resist falls into your lap. But wait, you don’t have enough funds available.. how easy is it to access your ever-growing savings account for that spontaneous purchase?

The best way to avoid dipping into your hard-earned travel savings is to open a second, separate account that you can’t access with debit. I have a savings account set up where I can only access the funds by physically going into the branch to withdrawal money. This makes spontaneous purchasing a lot less accessible, and you won’t have to deal with buyer’s remorse after your savings took a massive hit.

Remember, it’s always safe to have a savings account accessible for emergency, so make sure to open one specifically for non-accessible travel savings.

 

14. Buy Second-hand

Sometimes we can’t, or simply don’t want to sacrifice purchases, and for that we have the answer. Thrifting!

Your local thrift shop has everything you might need, at a fraction of the price. Need some new clothes? thrift store will save you half, if not more, of your original expected spending. You name it, clothes, furniture, toys, cookware, nic nacs, you can find everything you need and save money in the process.

Let’s not forget to a note how beneficial buying second-hand can be for the planet, and not just for your wallet.

• Buying less new clothing and items = less in landfills
• Less resources used
• Less pollution

Do your wallet, and the planet of favor, and Thrift!

 

15. Exchange Skills and Services

We all have our own skills and talents, and sometimes, those skills can turn a profit. Maybe you play an instrument and can’t give lessons, or you have photography skills and can photograph an event. Some examples include music lessons, photography, tutoring, or dance lessons.

 

16. Teach English Online

Teaching English online has never been easier, and is such a great way to connect with people all around the world while making money. Most sites require a bachelor’s degree in teaching, or some teaching experience, but there are a few sites where you can teach English without any experience. Check out these reputable sites:

• VIPKID
• Qkids
• Dada
• Cambly
• Italki
• Englishhunt

Teaching English online is a fun way to earn extra income from the comfort of your home, in your spare time. Even more so there is the ability to connect with people from all across the globe, and if you’re trying to save money for travel, chances are you’re interested in different cultures. This one might be worth checking out!

17. Get a Travel Credit Card

this one might not be for everyone, as it might tempt you to spend more with available funds at your fingertips. Most travel credit cards work on a point system, and every time you spend money on travel, and travel-related purchases, you redeem points that transfer into money for your perfect vacation.

If you are someone who travels often, this is the golden ticket as you earn every time you travel.

 

18. Collect Air Miles /Aeroplan

Another great way to get redeemable points for travel is to switch your credit card to one with air miles or Aeropoints. With every purchase you make you earn points that can be redeemed for flights and vacations.

This is another great way to earn travel while you spend.

 

19. Clipped Coupons

Maybe you’ve heard of extreme couponing? it’s pretty impressive how much you can actually save. Even if you’re not into couponing as an extreme sport, which most of us aren’t, your savings can still add up by using coupons.

You can find coupons in your local newspaper, flyers, or on a direct coupon site or company websites. If you really want to save big with coupons, find a veteran coupon clipper and start learning the tricks of the trade.

 

20. Add Savings Into Your Overall Budget

Having a budget is the best way to stay on top of your savings goals and not overspend. What’s even better than staying up on your budget, and finding some Savings in between, is to factor travel savings directly into your budgeting.

If you factor $50/ month for travel savings you will save $600 a year for your adventures! And that’s not considering all the other savings you’ve accumulated for travel throughout the year with these tricks!

Via Voilier Solal

If travel is a passion and priority for you, don’t get discouraged because of the cost. If you are determined and discipline, you will see the wonders of the world with extra change in your pocket to spare!

 

Until our next adventure – Lisa, Oasis Team

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