Anyone who knows me knows that I like to travel as much and as often as I can – well until this year when a global pandemic stopped all travel around the world and clipped my wings temporarily. I have always taken several trips each year (sometimes more if I can) and because of this I do occasionally get people asking me how I can afford all of my travels.

Well apart from having a full-time job which I love which keeps me busy (and sometimes allows me to travel at a discount), I do try to save as much money as I can throughout the year to be able to afford my next adventure – and this year I’ve been able to save even more due to lockdown and staying at home and not being able to travel. The following are just some of the other things I do to help save for my never-ending travel plans.

Picture Your Goal

I have found that when you change your priorities in life, being able to save money is not difficult at all. I start by researching places I want to go to and all the things I want to see and do. I also love looking back through old photos of my different trips to amazing places around the world (some of which I’ve posted on this page) and this alone gives me more willpower than ever to save for my future travels. Once you know what you have to save for, you will find it very easy.

I Save Money Each Month

Once my payday arrives every month, I immediately transfer some money to a joint account that both my boyfriend and I set up (he does the same thing) and it is incredible how quickly the money in that account can build up without even realising it. We use this account to pay for all of our travels and if we decide not to go out somewhere on our days off and stay at home instead, we also transfer the money we would have spent to the same bank account to go towards our next trip.

I’m not going to be one of those people who say to get rid of all your credit cards as a way to save money as I have several myself and consider them an essential item when travelling. But I personally will never put anything on a credit card unless I know I can pay the entire bill when the statement arrives each month.

I Rarely Eat Out

I absolutely love cooking so instead of going out for meals, I prefer to make my own food at home any day of the week. It’s cheaper, healthier (you know exactly what is in your food) and definitely more satisfying. Also instead of buying lunch when I go to work which very quickly adds up, I often take my own food that I have made at home with me. I love bulk cooking my favourite meals which I can freeze to always have available when I want some home cooking.

I Do Not Smoke

I have never smoked in my life (I think it’s a disgusting habit) and I’ve always wondered how people can afford to when you see the price of cigarettes. The amount of money that people could save if they quit smoking is jaw-dropping.

I Rarely Drink Alcohol

I have never been much of a drinker (I just do not like the taste of the majority of alcoholic drinks and cannot even remember the last time I had a hangover) but last year when I was in San Francisco for work, I really wanted a cocktail one afternoon so looked at a bar menu and saw they were all priced at least $15 each and some a lot more – there was no way I was paying that much. I would not have even have said that this was even a good bar when I sometimes do not mind paying for a drink in a nice environment. I would much rather make myself a drink at home on the very few occasions that I want one rather than pay the sometimes extortionate mark up for a drink elsewhere.

I Cut Back on Starbucks

Early last year I had a horrifying realisation of how many Starbucks I was drinking every week when I was overseas for work and how much they all added up to – and it was a lot! It had always seemed so easy just to grab a tea or coffee on the go – and the mobile ordering app on my phone had made that even easier. Since then I purchased a collapsible travel kettle (seriously the best invention ever) that I take on all my overseas trips with me along with teabags and my travel mug. I have saved so much money ever since as I have not bought anything in Starbucks in such a long time – I can buy a box of eighty tea bags in the supermarket for less than half the price of one Starbucks latte!

I Do Not Upgrade to the Latest Tech Every Year

My beloved MacBook is six years old and I only recently upgraded to a new iPhone after having my last one for over four years. I have always taken extremely good care of my tech items and they all look brand new, they work perfectly and not having the latest models does not bother me in the slightest. The money I see people spending on new tech releases just to have the latest phone, computer or even camera is quite a sad thing to see.

I also save money when I travel by only using my data roaming in overseas countries where I already have it included in my phone plan and I will only use free wifi everywhere else.

My Car is Cheap to Run

Where I live it’s actually cheaper to have a car than to use public transport which is so expensive even when travelling short distances. I bought my car outright a few years ago so I owe no money on it and as it has low emissions, I do not have to pay any car tax and as I live close to where I work, I also rarely have to fill it with petrol.

I Hate Going Shopping

Even before this pandemic, walking around a shopping mall (whether it was crowded or not) was one of my ideas of hell so I have always found it very easy to avoid going to any shops unless there is something specific that I need to get. Last year I did a spend-free month (apart from supermarket food shopping) and it was the most rewarding experiences ever.

I think if people stopped going shopping just for something to do at a weekend to pass the time, they would save a lot of money without even realising it – stop buying stuff that you do not need just for the sake of it. I have no wish to buy something just because someone else has the same thing – embrace your individuality! Also if I am standing in a shop and thinking of buying something, I’ll try to think of where I could travel to or what I could do if I saved that money instead and nine times out of ten, I don’t want the item anymore.

I Try Not to Buy Clothes or Shoes Unless I Actually Need Them

I’m not sure if it’s just me but whenever I see people saying that they have no money to travel, they’re also wearing the latest passing fashions from expensive stores with brand names on display. This is not me at all as I would much rather have an understated wardrobe of clothes that I can wear on multiple occasions and the money to be able to go where I want. I never buy expensive designer labels but I will also never buy cheap “throwaway” items as I prefer clothes that are made well that will last me for a long time. I also will only buy shoes that I know I can wear with numerous outfits or on many different occasions.

I Colour my Own Hair

It’s a sad fact of life and growing up but the truth is I have a lot of grey hair (thanks Dad) but I refuse to go to a hair salon and pay a small fortune every month for them to colour my hair when I can easily do it myself. I’ve been colouring my own hair for as long as I can remember and I only spend $3 a month on a box of hair colour (which I buy in the US when I’m there) which produces the exact same outcome and it takes me less than an hour to do each time.

I Paint my Own Nails

I’m also more than happy to do my own manicures and pedicures whenever I need to rather than pay someone else to do them for me on a regular basis.

I Do Not Buy Unnecessary Skincare Items

After having problem skin for many years (and knowing the mental pain that it causes), I now know exactly what works for me which means I only have to spend money on the products that I know I can and will use and nothing more. I never impulse buy any skincare products as they simply would be a waste of money as they would never be used. I also used to buy a lot of make-up but quickly realised that I always reached for the exact same items and colours day in and day out so now I only buy these items and replace them only once they have run out.

I Do Not Pay For a Gym

Paying for a gym membership or exercise classes can cost a fortune and I think that is money that could be spent better elsewhere. Once upon a time, I used to have a gym membership but rarely used it so I cancelled it and saved the money instead. Now if there is a time that I want to go to the gym, I can use the facilities at any of the hotels that I stay in for work every week which are completely free of charge. During lockdown this year, I made the most of the fresh air as we were allowed out to exercise and decided to try and stay active by walking several miles every day in my local area which did not cost a penny.

I Look for Cheap or Free Things to Do

As I usually spend a lot of time overseas for work every month, it would be very easy to spend a lot of money whilst there. However I always Google places before I visit them to find out where I can visit either inexpensively or free of charge. One of my favourite things to do when abroad is to simply explore with my camera by foot which costs absolutely nothing. I also always have a refillable water bottle with me when I travel and fill it free of charge so I do not need to buy drinks when I’m out and about and as an added bonus, it’s much better for the environment.

I Never Feel Like I’m Missing Out

The key to everything in life is moderation so even though I am able to save a lot of money, I can still buy myself something if I want to and I’ve never experienced a case of FOMO as I would much rather have these incredible experiences that I will always remember rather than material items that will quickly be discarded and forgotten about.

I have found that the best way to approach saving money is not to compare yourself to your friends around you even if they buy stuff constantly – seeing the money that I have saved in my bank account and knowing the possibilities of where I can go with it is the best feeling in the world.

Support Me and Buy Me a Coffee
Pin this Blog Post on Pinterest
Follow Me on Instagram
Follow Me on Bloglovin’