10 Crafty Ways To Cut Costs So You Can Travel The World

I often get asked by my readers how they can save money to travel the world and for that I say it can be a difficult road, but it’s one that’s very rewarding once it’s completed and you won’t have any regrets for going through it. This is the second piece to a two piece series on saving cash to travel, so if you didn’t see the first article, you can read Part 1 here. Here are some great ways that you can cut your expenses and get extra income to bring your travel dreams to fruition!   

1. Work Part-time:

No one wants to work more than one job, but in some cases you may have to if you want to go somewhere within a short period of time. That few hundred more dollars per week can get you to wherever you want to go within a few months since it will practically be all profit. Another bonus to working a part-time gig is that you can be more selective on where you work since you don’t need the money to pay the bills.

2. ATM Budget:

This is a really cool way to save money and it’s simple to do. Take out all of the cash that you plan on spending for the week and don’t let yourself use any other money until the following Monday. This way you will be extra motivated to not go over your budget goal. The downside to this is that you will not be gaining travel miles for these expenses, which may end up hurting you in the end if you planned on using them to get a cheaper or free plane ticket.

3. Review Your Trip:

Taking a second look at your trip to see what you can do to lower costs is one of the easier ways to save money. If it doesn’t matter what day you travel and you have selected a day around a popular holiday, it would be a good move to change the date. Look at where you plan on staying, your transportation method, your activities, and where you plan on going.

4. Separate Your Income:

This is one of my favorite methods to save cash and it’s even simpler than the ATM method. Create a separate account for your travel funds. Make a promise to yourself that no matter what impulses you have, you cannot draw from this account unless it’s going towards your trip. Each week (or whatever works best for you) put “X” amount of dollars into the account and whenever you have left over money from something else (i.e. $20 lunch budget and you only spent $8) put that extra cash into the account as well.

5. Cheap Food Items:

This is currently one of the methods that I’m using to save money. Find cheap and healthy foods that are filling to use for your main meals. I’ll often buy potatoes, pasta, or rice to eat which is only a few dollars each and it can work as my big meal for the day. The only issue with those foods is that they have a lot of carbohydrates and starches, so you don’t want to only eat them. You can also buy Instant Noodles or Ramen, but the inner health nut in me cringes at the thought of eating those.

6. Simplify Your Life:

The more basic (and probably boring) you make your life, the easier it’s going to be to save cash rapidly. Do you really need to get highlights in your hair and pedicures? Or to go to bars and restaurants every weekend? While those things may be nice to have, they are worth cutting for the bigger payoff of travel. My guilty pleasure is buying clothing at Express, where each shirt ranges from 50 USD to 80 USD, so far I haven’t bought anything from there in three months!

7. Reduce Your Bills:

Companies that provide cable, phone, and internet services do not want to lose your business, so calling them to renegotiate your payment is a definite option. Tell them that you bill is too high and that you may leave for their competitor if they don’t change it. The odds are in your favor that they will lower the bill for you.   

8. Have Smart Energy Habits:

Keeping appliances that are not currently in use unplugged and not leaving the shower running before you actually take one, are a few simple steps to lower your utility bills and it’s green! You can also take shorter showers, avoid blow drying your hair, hand wash dishes, and eat cold cut meals. The possibilities are endless!

9. Move To Somewhere More Affordable:

This is for serious travelers only who plan on traveling long-term. Many travelers who sell off their items will often move into a cheaper apartment or live with family until they leave for their trip. This will save you hundreds of dollars if not much more per month to put towards your trip.

10. Reevaluate Your Debt:

If you have small bills to pay that are accruing interest, pay them off as soon as possible, because interest is money wasted.  For big bills this is obviously going to not be very feasible, (damn you student loans) but if you have credit card debt, start with the card that has the highest interest rate or move that debt over to another card with less interest. Simple things like that can add up in the long run.

Do you have any awesome ways to save money? I would love to hear them!