How To Afford To Go Travelling (That’s Actually Enjoyable)

how you can afford to go travelling Without Compromising on comfort

how do travel bloggers afford to travel?

Have you been scrolling through social media wondering “how do people afford to travel?”. Seeing your feed filled with glamorous photos of trips abroad, ensuring their best self is portrayed as effortlessly as possible, you might feel like the only option is to throw that trip onto an ever-growing credit card debt or cry in the bath wishing it was an infinity pool in Bali.

You’ve probably seen reels and TikToks with tone-deaf quotes like “You can always earn more money, but experiences are priceless” or “money doesn’t bring you happiness, experiences do” which sounds great in theory – but it’s actually just a marketing ploy to make you spend money you don’t have on something you can’t afford and push you further in debt. This post is all about how to afford to go travelling (that’s actually enjoyable).

If you’ve read other blogs on this topic, or signed up to an influencer’s course to find out the “secrets” of how travel bloggers afford to travel, you’ve probably seen suggestions such as staying in hostels, couch-surfing, begging hotels to collab with you, or sticking to countries where the cost of living is cheaper. This isn’t always the only way!

What you will find here:

This guide will help you understand what you truly want from travel and how to afford to go travelling that’s actually enjoyable. It will give you actionable ideas for how you might help fund your travel, and helpful links to websites that I use to make my money go further when travelling. 

Understand your priorities

The irony is that knowing what you want is the only way you’ll be able to get what you want. Understanding your priorities is important because it can help you make decisions that are aligned with your values and goals.

For instance, owning a big home, having children, and driving a car are not priorities to me. By living in a 2 bedroom apartment and riding my bike, I’m able to save money to put towards things that matter to me (a.k.a travel). Owning a big home, raising a bunch of kids and sending them to university, and driving a luxury vehicle might sound great but unless you come from generational wealth you will have to compromise somewhere in your life. People who spend a lot of their money and time travelling have usually compromised somewhere – either by giving up having a family or living small – or both.

Here are some questions to ask yourself So you can afford to go travelling:

1. What matters to you?
   Take some time to think about what is important to you in life. What I like to do is imagine what my perfect year would be like. Am I sipping cocktails, developing my painting skills in a villa in Italy during summer and writing my blog from a cosy cottage surrounded by my foster cats during winter? The more detailed your goal is the more you’ll be able to visualise your life.

2. How are you going to accomplish this?
   Now you know what your dream life looks like, you’ll need to write down what you need to acheive to afford to go travelling. This should include work tasks, personal projects, family commitments, and social activities. Organise the list based on what’s most important and urgent, and what can be put off for later. 

3. How will you know you’re on track?
   Make sure you have your dream life written or visualised somewhere you can regularly see and check-in with your goals. Remember, if it isn’t on your list of things you need to do to have your dream travel life, then it is not a priority.  This will mean saying no to that ASOS order or an after-work drink. Focusing on your priorities means you can use your time, energy, and most importantly – money – more effectively.

Understanding your priorities is a personal process, and there’s no right or wrong way to do it. It takes courage to stick to your values and create a life that is different to the one that everyone around you is living. By taking the time to reflect and prioritise, you can create a more fulfilling and satisfying life that is right for you that will allow you to afford to travel the way you want to.

Create a budget

If you want to know how to afford to go travelling then understanding what money is going in and what money is going out is a must. Start by figuring out how much money you have available for travel and what your travel expenses might be. I have two spreadsheets: one for my yearly budget that includes all month by month transactions of money coming in and out of my accounts and one spreadsheet with a breakdown of costs for my ideal trips for the year (hotel prices, flight prices etc). It is important you approach this on both a macro and micro scale.

This will help you set a budget and determine how much you need to save. Understanding your spending is the best way to learn how you can afford to go travelling.

I automate all my payments so I’m paying myself first. Paying yourself first means you are focusing on you and your priorities. For instance, just like you have your rent/mortgage payment come out of your bank account, ensure you have your investments set up to automatically come out too. This means that you don’t have to worry about spending any of the money you are meant to save for trips or other important savings.

Travel Wisely

As I mentioned before in ‘Creating A Budget’, I do all of my yearly planning at the beginning of the year. I like to use a website like Google Flights or Skyscanner to see what locations are cheapest to travel to and when it is cheapest to travel to a specific country. Flights and accommodation prices tend to be lower during off-peak seasons. Planning trips this way is how to afford to go travelling on a budget.

If you can be flexible with your travel dates, you may be able to save money. Plus the earlier you plan your travel, the more time you have to save money and find deals, which is why I start planning at the beginning of the year. You can read more of my Best Sites For Planning A Vacation here. Planning ahead also gives you time to research and find the most affordable options.

Here are some ways I travel wisely So I can afford to go travelling:

1. Travel more locally such as within the country or to nearby countries as flights are cheaper.
2. Travel during off-peak seasons. I’ve stayed in hotels I could never afford during peak-season because they’re less than half price during off-season.
3. Make the most of Genius discounts and sales on sites like Booking.com or Luxury Escapes.
4. Travel with a group of friends that have similar travel goals. You can split the cost of a cute cottage escape or villa through AirBnB.

Workations

A ‘Workation’ is a combination of work and vacation, where you travel to a destination while working remotely or at the location. For many expats and nomads, this is how to afford to go travelling. If you can work from anywhere, this is how you can afford to go travelling because the money you are making will cover your expenses. This is becoming a popular trend for people who want to explore new places while still being able to work and earn an income.

The great thing about this option is you can rent out your current home in order to help fund your stay. When I lived in Japan and worked as an art teacher, I would use the school holidays to travel abroad and list my apartment on AirBnB. If you work from home, a trip somewhere within the country is definitely attainable. If you don’t work from home or remotely, I’ve put together a whole post full of Jobs for Travel Lovers you might want to check out.

Use Points

Some credit cards offer travel rewards, such as miles or points that can be redeemed for travel expenses. If you can use your credit card responsibly, this can be a great way to earn free or discounted travel. I only ever use a credit card to pay for things I can already afford to pay off. Using points is one of the main ways I can afford to go travelling.

If you’re from Australia, I collect Qantas Frequent Flyers points through sign up points for credit cards, converting my Everyday Reward points into Frequent Flyer points,  booking my flights through One World partner airlines, and doing my online shopping through Qantas Shopping. This helps pay for my flights each year and gives me access to airport lounges, too.

Slow Travel

Slow travel is a philosophy of focusing on quality over quantity when it comes to travelling. Instead of trying to cram in as many destinations as possible, consider travelling more slowly and spending longer periods of time in each place. This can help you save money on transportation costs and give you a chance to really get to know the culture and people of a place.

Slow travel options include exploring a continent by van or a town by bicycle or foot. You can do this as an expat in a new country or even exploring where you live! Living overseas is a great way you can afford to go travelling because you will be earning money while away. When I lived in Japan, I would often travel throughout the country and to nearby countries.

I never would have been able to explore Japan and Asia as much as I did if I continued to live in New Zealand (my home country). Now that I live in Australia, I often travel to new destinations within Australia. If I travel to Europe, I stay for a month. If you’d like to know more about the slow travel movement, I’ve written a Slow Travel Guide.

Be Childfree

This option depends on your level of commitment to travel and where travel lies in your priority list. Choosing to be childfree or travelling before you have children can make travel more affordable. This isn’t for everyone. It is an easy compromise I’m willing to make because I have no desire to have children. If this is something you’re interested in, I have written a very convincing blog about How Being Childfree Can Make Travel More Affordable.