Why does seeing the world have to be so expensive? It doesn’t!

Earlier this year I made a point to work smarter, not harder and finally start traveling again. And that’s exactly what I did. From Belize to Jamaica and up next, Kenya, I stuck to my promise. Do I have a ton of money? Absolutely not! But I use a few methods to save up for traveling so when I return home, I’m not broke. It’s all about saving a trip at a time and being strategic about booking flights.

You Don’t Need a Ton Saved Up
Contrary to popular belief {even a belief I once had!}, traveling doesn’t require thousands of dollars. Or even a thousand dollars. I used to wonder how people traveled so often and so well and I thought to myself, “they must be rich!” Well, maybe that’s true for some people, but for most it’s a matter of spending a few hundred on a flight, a few hundred on a hotel and then food and other necessities. So if you’re stopping yourself from traveling because you just don’t think you can afford it, please change that mindset. Once you do, the entire world will open up to you.

Save. Drain. Repeat. 
So exactly how do you save up to travel? I follow a motto of save, drain, repeat. That means I feed into my travel account {I have a free online savings with Ally bank} and continually add more money and when I find a great flight deal {check out my post on 5 Ways to Jet Set Internationally on a Dime} I dip into the account. And when it’s time to pay for my hotel and other amenities for the trip, I withdraw from the account again. After a trip, my account is usually drained or pretty low. And that’s totally okay. Because I just start the process of saving all over again. Again, remember you don’t have to have thousands to travel, so your account doesn’t need a ton of money it in at all times. I do think it’s a great idea to have a few hundred on hand so you can buy an awesome flight when it pops up because those deals don’t last long.

Book Further in Advance for More Expensive Destinations 
One of my favorite sites to book affordable flights with is The Flight Deal or Secret Flying. Once I see an unbelievable airfare, I snatch it up immediately. But I also focus on how far in advance I have to book, as there are usually limited dates with these deals. I don’t just do this for my schedule, but also in regards to my budget. For a country like Belize, I’ve been there before and know it’s a bit more affordable so I was okay with booking my flight just a month or two in advance.  I wouldn’t have to save up that much for food, hotel, etc. However, for my Kenya trip next February {I scored a flight for just $400 round trip!}, I booked more than six months in advance because I would need to research and save for a hotel, tours, etc. Make sure you’re booking something that allows you enough time to save, if needed.

These have been a few of the tips I use to travel, save and still be able to pay my bills when I return home!