In just a few weeks time, Tim and I will be relishing the fall season in London and Italy! We’ll be away for half a month and I couldn’t be more excited because I haven’t been back to Europe since I was a teenager! It’ll be our first time in Italy and my love for London has only grown stronger with distance. I’ve mentioned before that I want to blog more about travel, so today I’ll be sharing 8 things I do to save money for travel.
First, a little background information. I’m definitely not a budget traveler and although I’d love to pursue luxury travel all the time, financially I’m not quite there yet. So, let’s just say I’m somewhere in the middle. When it comes to lodging, we do a mix of luxury and affordable. While traveling, I don’t like to limit my experiences based on a tight budget, so my travels include a lot of pre-saving. During the first few weeks of 2018, we decided we would go on our trip in October. So, everything I talk about refers to the time period from January to September.
cook more
Tim and I have always eaten out a lot, but cooking at home instead has been our biggest way to save. We went from take outs and eating out all weekend to meal prepping and eating out only on the weekends. Factoring in the groceries we buy, this has saved us about $20-60 per week!
total savings: about $2,000
cut down on salon time
Getting a mani and pedi is a monthly ritual for me. When I have international travel plans in the near future, I cut down my nail salon time completely until right before I go. This year, I got my nails done only twice for special events. Each time I go, it’s about $60. So after 7 months of bare nails, I saved $420.
total savings: about $420
hand wash clothing
I neglect my dry cleaning pile for months at a time. So every few months, my dry cleaning bill really racks up. This year, I started to hand wash some clothing myself and saved a bit from doing so.
total savings: about $120
save on gas
Save on gas and walk wherever you can. If you live in a big city, this will be much easier. My morning ritual for the past few months has been walking to get coffee with my pup. I’ll walk anywhere that is within 15 minutes walking distance from my apartment. This doesn’t make a huge difference, but it’s also good exercise and better for the environment.
total savings: about $50
closet purge and sell
I do this on the regular, not just when I travel. I purge my closet a few times a year and post everything on Poshmark. Earnings are different every month, but the money helps and it’s a great way to de-clutter my closet.
total saving: about $900
prioritize
Before I buy something, I ask myself if it’s worth it or if Italy is more worth it. 99% of the time, traveling wins because I don’t need another jacket sitting in my closet. This has saved me so much money! I don’t keep track of it all, but I’ll give a rough estimate.
total saving: about $800
cut back on drinks
I used to drink a cup or two of coffee a day and indulge in my favorite boba drinks a few times a week. By not getting that second cup of coffee or skipping sweet drinks a few days a week, I’m able to save about $15-20 a week. You can even do one better than me and start making coffee at home and you’ll save even more money than I have.
total saving: about $650
get a credit card that gives back
If you want to travel often, having a credit card that gives back should be your first step. We have the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, and we were able to use points to get round trip flights to London and several nights in a hotel.
In total, I’ve saved about $5,000 since January, just by cutting back from my lifestyle. Do you have any tips on how to save money for travel? If so, I’d love to hear them! If you want to see other travel content, check out other posts here.
