3 Easy Steps to Grow Your Travel Savings

Whenever someone tells me they can’t afford to travel, I want to throw something at them (kidding – kind of). I get that a trip isn’t a small expense, but anyone can travel if you just take the time to save and learn how to find deals. This blog is FULL of information on both those topics. BUT…we like to get our information quickly and easily these days and most people don’t want to sit down and read through post after post to get the information they need.

Consider this a crash course in saving money to travel. It’s a tried and true, easy three step process to funnel the money you ALREADY HAVE into a travel savings account.

You can’t travel for free – despite what bloggers want to tell you – but with some time, patience, and effort, you can grow a little travel fund to see the world.

Setting up a separate bank account is crucial. It’s motivating to watch the balance build up and allows you to track your progress. It’ll also help you avoid the temptation to spend what you're saving. Open a fee-free savings account and dedicate it to your travel fund.

Every month pick a reasonable amount of cash you can set aside from each paycheck. This should be an amount that leaves you enough to pay your bills but is still substantial enough to build up your savings. Try for $50/paycheck at first and adjust as needed until you find the amount that works best for you. Stick that cash in your travel saving account - you're investing in your future adventures!

Every month identify one expense you’ll eliminate that month. This should be something non-essential – expenses like your daily Starbucks run or weekly happy hour or Hulu subscription. Pick something and stick with it for the month and put the cash you save directly into that savings account. Try packing your lunches for a month, avoid shopping, or opt for free events on date nights. You're just redirecting cash you're already spending to something cooler.

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There you have it, folks. If you wanted a one minute class on how you can save money to travel, here are my secrets. No points, no gimmicks, no second jobs, no selling stuff - just ways to take the money you already have and put it towards your wanderlust dreams.

If you save $50/paycheck (paid bi-weekly) and cut back on $50 in expenses each month, you'll have about $1,500 in ten months. Most trips I go on come in at that amount or less, including airfare. With some patience and minimal effort, you can travel the world just like I do. How easy is that?

If you're ready to take your saving to the next level, check out some more posts on money and budgeting HERE.

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