If I were a millionaire I could just take off on any dream trip I wanted, at any given moment. But, let's be realistic, that's not going to happen. So, if I want to pursue my traveling dreams, I'm going to have to make a plan and buckle down.
Keep in mind that you need to have a plan. Find out how much money you need to save before you begin. That way you have a goal, which will keep you motivated!
I have an aunt and uncle who love to travel. They go somewhere every two years. How they do this is by saving money. Not only do they put money back in the the bank but they throw their change into jars every evening when they get home. This has allowed them to take multiple trips without going into debt.
If you're like me, though, you hardly ever have change, because you carry your bank card and not cash. That's were the bank comes in really handy! There's two different ways to sock back money with your bank.
- Have a savings account specifically for traveling... and don't touch it!
- If your bank offers a Christmas club, use it to put money back in for traveling... and don't touch it.
If you decided on an amount that can be automatically put into the savings account or Christmas club, you won't even feel it. I mean, once that amount of money is regularly put into an account, after a while you don't notice it's missing.
My friend has done this and she raises the amount by 10 or 20 dollars each year. Once she's gotten used to not having that amount in her budget, it's not painful to have that taken out. The best part is, it really adds up.
There's, of course, a lot of other ways to raise traveling money. I want to go into some of those in other posts.
You have any ideas?
Love your blog! Exploring new places is one of my favorite things. I don't have any new ideas for raising money, but remember to look into all the cheapest ways of travel. My niece, who studied for a year in Europe, traveled all over cheaply by staying in hostels. You might look for internships or other work opportunities overseas that would pay you, and then go from there.
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas! I am perusing the web and travel books :) How cool that she studied in Europe!
ReplyDeleteI use to save cans and turn them in for money and I know you can have yard sales and garage sales to get money for trips.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great idea, Heather. I think traveling--especially travel writing--is one of the greatest adventures anyone can go on. I remember a recent NPR story on a travel writer to talks about going to different countries almost in a manner which it sounds like it's a burden. He's such a lucky person! If you're interested in any type of foreign language, foreign culture, food, etc., it's definitely worth your while. As of yet, I haven't left the country. I do plan to go everywhere if I can; my girlfriend and I want to experience everything this little blue planet has to offer.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea Michele! I didn't think about cans, that would definitely add up.
ReplyDeleteChase I would love to be a travel writer! I think it would be fun.