3 Things You Can Do to Better Afford Your Travel Lifestyle
Some people are just born to see the world. No destination is too far away to add to the “must see” list and no type of terrain is off limits, from dessert to mountains to the sea. That is, as long as there is enough cash available to be able to afford travel to these beautiful and sometimes-remote locations.
What can you do if you happen to be a bit short in funds or if you simply want to have the ability to see how others around the globe live without spending all of your hard-earned cash during the process? Here are a few options to consider to help you better afford your travel lifestyle.
See Where You Can Cut Costs
You can literally spend thousands of dollars on travel. Or you can spend hundreds (or less). The final amount is entirely up to you and the key to lowering this number is figuring out where you can cut costs, or, as MoneyUnder30 says, “decide what you need—and what you can live without.”
For instance, do you really need to stay in a 5-star hotel to enjoy your time away from home or would a hostel be an option you’d consider because you’ll spend most of your time out and about anyway? Alternatively, are you willing to cut your normal three meals a day down to two, or to eat at less expensive places than you’d normally like to better afford your travel?
Take the time to decide where you’re willing to reduce your travel-related expenses and in what areas you aren’t. This helps you spend money in areas important to you while also limiting your costs in those you don’t really care about, creating a better travel experience.
Look for Free Travel Options
If you’re the type of person who loves free (who doesn’t?), there are quite a few things you can do to potentially fully fund certain portions of your travel.
Nomadic Matt shares a number of them, some of which include signing up for travel credit cards to collect the miles they offer, later exchanging them for free flights to the areas of the world you want to see, or WWOOFing, which involves working on a farm that offers free room and board in exchange.
To see all of the free travel options that exist, Google “how to travel for free.” More than three billion results pop up, so check a few of them out and see which ones appeal to you. Even if they require a little physical labor on your part, at least they won’t work out your checkbook too.
Be Open to All Possibilities
Harv Eker, bestselling author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, shares that one way to achieve higher levels of wealth—therefore giving you more money to spend on your travel—is to “be willing to be uncomfortable.” In other words, be willing to break through your comfort zone and do something you’ve never done before.
Maybe this means starting an online business, one that you can run no matter where you are in the world so traveling doesn’t stop you from earning a decent income. Or perhaps it involves traveling to a particular destination and being willing to work while you’re there to help fund your expenses.
Be open to all possibilities, no matter how uncomfortable they may make you feel. Remember: the end result is being able to see more of the world, so a little discomfort is worth achieving this goal.
There are many things you can do to better afford a travel lifestyle, and these are three to consider because the world is awaiting your arrival.