Things To Skip Out On To Afford Travel

“International plane tickets are so expensive!” “How do I save?” “…Maybe next year.”

Shhhh! Traveling is easier than you think. It’s time to stop living vicariously through other people on social media. And it’s time to stop living as though you are guaranteed old age; life truly is short. The first step to travel is simply deciding to leave. BUT, that doesn’t mean the next step isn’t daunting. The price tag on a trip can be intimidating, and sometimes that means the trip never happens.

SO, here are a few tips to save up for that plane ticket. And GO!

These are just a few indulgences you likely won't even miss, but your wallet will thank you a million times over for skipping out on them.

COFFEE

I love Starbucks as much as the next girl, but five dollars a morning adds up quickly! (Conservatively, that’s over a thousand a year.) Make coffee at home!

BRUNCH

Sundays are meant to be spent lazily in bed, anyways. Save that $30+ and sleep in.

NAILS

Paint them at home! I've spent over $100 on a mani/pedi. Although it's not always that expensive, even at half that price, skipping the nail salon for just six months would cover more than half of an international plane ticket!

FANCY COCKTAILS

They’re pretty and they're yummy. And they make for a good Snapchat- but does that justify a twelve-dollar drink?

EATING OUT

Eating out adds up QUICKLY! Buy groceries. Your body and your wallet will be happy that you did.

EXERCISE TRENDS

Go for a run. Go to your local rec center. No one needs to spend nearly forty dollars a class at soul cycle.

NAME BRAND MAKEUP

(I promise most people can't tell the difference between Covergirl and Chanel foundation)

BAD HABITS

Smoker? Here’s a perfect opportunity to commit to quitting. I’m not here to judge or lecture on health- we’ve all heard the health warnings. My point is that cigarettes are expensive. (Although a life changing adventure does sound a whole lot better than lung cancer.)

NIGHT OUT

Cover charges + overpriced drinks + uber/gas money. It adds up. (All for a throbbing headache the next day)

THE VACATION

Skip out on the vacation. This one is important. A lot of people mistake travel for a vacation. Yes- it’s a getaway, and it is a blast. But the Four Seasons is not the answer. Skip out on hotels. Look for airbnbs and hostels. Skip fancy restaurants. This not only saves you a TON of money, but also truly enhances your experience. Some of my very best travel memories are with people I met in hostels. Some of the most beautiful views were from an airbnb.

“Travel is never a matter of money but of courage. I spent a large part of my youth traveling the world as a hippie. And what money did I have then? None. I barely had enough to pay for my fare. But I still consider those to have been the best years of my youth. The great lessons I learned has been precisely those that my journeys had taught me.” – Paulo Coelho

These are a few small sacrifices that make a BIG difference. So, stay in a few nights. Skip the Starbucks before work. Paint your own nails. Do it for the stamps, the people, the photos, the memories. Do it to alter the way in which you relate to the world and others. Broaden your perspective and challenge yourself.

Have you ever heard a song for the first time and felt an entirely new feeling? That is what it is like to travel to a new city. It is wonderful mix of fear and excitement that will never get old.The best thing I have ever done for myself is committing to a journey of self and global exploration. I have since visited 28 countries on a very tight (college student) budget.

You will never regret buying that plane ticket.

So, GO!