10 EASY TIPS TO MASTER SAVING FOR A TRIP

Small things can make a big difference when you’re saving for a trip

Don’t worry. Saving can be simple.

So you’re thinking of hitting the road, getting out there and exploring, but your budget just isn’t adding up. We’ve all been there, it’s time to start saving for a trip! Here are some tips and easy changes you can make that will get you out and about in no time.

Set a date

It’s so much easier to save for a trip that is actually happening, rather than a hypothetical, sometime in the future, may-or-may not happen kind of deal. Having a concrete timeline and deadline to reach a reasonable savings goal will give you that little kick in the pants to keep you on track.

Set a goal and you’ll be here in no-time.

Make a realistic goal

If you’re going to try to save $6000.00 in the next month, please, share with me how you’ve done it, because I definitely never could.

Figure out what your travel budget needs to be, keeping in my all the gear, the hidden costs, and the in-case-of-emergency-or-something-super-fun money. Work backward from there to create a realistic timeline of saving for a trip.

If you give yourself too little time, it will become overwhelming, you’ll see the possibility of failure, and then you might give up. No one wants you to give up!

Relativity

The cost of things is all relative. A trick I’ve learned for saving money is to measure the cost of something you’re considering against what that same money might get you when you’re off traveling.

Look up the average costs of things in the place you’re thinking of going. If you see that hostels cost an average of $15/night, next time you’re thinking of shelling out $15 for that delicious burrito, perhaps reconsider, make it at home, and tick off another night in a hostel paid for.

Coffee time

You need your morning jolt, I get it. We all get it. Mornings are tough without that direct injection of caffeine into your veins. I’m definitely not saying ditch your coffee.

What I am saying is consider making it at home and bringing it with you, instead of paying $5 every day at your favourite coffee shop.

Think about that. At $5/day and 5 days/week, that’s $100/month you’re saving without actually changing your routine. Plus steering clear of to-go cups is going to help the environment. So double win there!

It’s all about the small change. Those small savings add up to big adventures.

Potluck

Dinner with friends is highly enjoyable, but can also become very costly very quickly. Even if you’re trying to eat out on the cheap, a restaurant is quickly going to run you well over $50.

Instead, invite your friends over. Everyone brings a dish, which means you’re not stuck cooking and cleaning for everyone, and it’s BYOB. You’ll save tons of money, not have to deal with other diners and crabby waiters, and can choose your own music. There’s pretty much no downside.

Pack Lunch

While we’re on the topic of food, start brown-bagging those lunches. If you like going out to get lunch because it gets you out of the office, just carry your lunch to a park and eat it there. Fresh air, green scenery, and you’ve just saved yourself about $15. Every day. That’s a night in a hostel in some countries.

Movie-night

Wanting to kick back and relax with a moving picture show is always a welcome activity. But going to the cinema is going to drain your bank account stealthily if you’re an avid watcher.

Consider instead renting the latest flick from your Blockbuster. (I’m still mad they’re gone.)

But seriously, Netflix and other streaming services have so many movie choices you’ll spend most of your time deciding what to watch. Plus you can have all the snacks you want, wear your pjs, and can pause the movie when you have to pee.

If you really want to see the latest movie then go for it! Head to the cinema and take it in, in all its giant screen glory. But if you’re just looking for an activity to do, a home cinema comprised of a couch and a computer is pretty swell.

Real-life is better than watching it. Let’s get you saving and exploring!

To stream, or not to stream

We all have monthly subscriptions to a bunch of different things: Amazon Prime, Netflix, Spotify, CraveTV, the list goes on. Chances are you don’t use a few of them, or keep forgetting you have it.

It’s time to cull. Choose what you need and what you can get rid of. Do you really need four different streaming services? How much are you actually using any one of them?

Gear o’clock

Chances are some of your friends have gear they aren’t currently using. If you promise to take good care of that gear, they might even let you borrow it for your trip. That’s going to save you a tidy chunk of change, plus means you won’t end up with a closet full of gear you’ve used once on a trip and never needed again.

If you are looking to invest in gear of your own (that your friends might later want to borrow), might I recommend shopping second-hand?

Seriously, almost the entirety of my kit is second hand. Not only does it reduce the strain on the planet by not creating avoidable waste, but it reduces the strain on your wallet as well. Just make sure you take everything for a test run, and remember that things can be fixed instead of thrown out.

So much stuff

We all have too much stuff. Over the years we collect things, picking them up when they catch our eye, being given things as gifts, or just stuff we needed once and never used again (I’m looking at you, violin).

It’s time to consider selling and trading those things. Either you’ll get a bit of cash (yay!) or you’ll get some stuff that’s actually going to be used (also yay!), but either way, you win. And as an added bonus, you’ll declutter your home a bit, giving you more space for rad souvenirs from your adventures!

So there you have it, 10 super easy, not life-altering tips to help you start saving for a trip. They all seem like small things, that they might not make a difference, but it adds up quick.