This is a sponsored guest post.
The mere idea of travelling is exciting, and it’s even more fun planning it. Travelling, especially internationally, holds the promise of worthwhile experiences. Exposure to different cultures, tasting unique foods and hearing different languages, all make for lifelong memories. These are all things to look forward to, but we cannot forget about the major aspect about traveling, and that is the financial aspect.
There are different ways to travel around. You can be as minimalistic as possible; this is how backpackers are born. Not everyone is suited for that kind of travel lifestyle. Some people choose to have the ultimate travel experience, and in order to have that, you must have money.
Of course, you can still have a wonderful experience in a country with a small amount of money, but if you want a trip with quality and substance, then you need cold hard cash. Eating street foods will make you feel like a local, but missing out on the luxury of fine dining can be disappointing.
Walking along the busy commercial strip of the city will allow you to have some sort of cultural immersion, but not being able to do a certain activity that can only be done in a specific city, due to lack of funds, is a vacation let down.
To keep things short, going on vacation requires money to be enjoyable. If you want to have the time of your life, consider some of these money-saving habits to fund your wanderlust.
Keep Your Daily Expenses at a Minimum
The moment you are certain you’re going to travel is the day you start minimizing your daily expenses. This means fewer visits to expensive coffee shops, and eating out. Preparing meals at home is less expensive. If you could cut down your utilities, try to implement measures that can conserve water and energy.
You can cancel certain subscriptions for certain services. Maybe open your windows instead of turning on your air conditioner. Explore ways you can save money and apply them to your daily routine up until your vacation day.
Aim For Work Incentives
There are many companies and employers that offer work incentives for industrious employees. Use your dream vacation as inspiration to work harder, and significantly reduce your absences and tardiness to put you on the list of top performers. No effort will be done in vain when you are focused and determined to get to the end goal.
Sell Unused or Underutilized Items
It’s time to open your treasure chest or simply just look around your room and identify items you don’t really use. Having a future vacation coming up is all the more reason to sell items for additional funds. Utilize online platforms like eBay, or even Facebook’s marketplace. Put “vacation fund” as your RFS (reason for selling). Apart from giving you more money, this also allows you an opportunity to declutter your shelves and make space in your home.
Your Bank Can Help
Use your credit card that accumulates airline miles for your purchases. Using your flyer miles can potentially give you a significant discount, if not the whole ticket price. In addition, possessing a credit card can give you the privilege of using exclusive airport lounges, or discounts from restaurants here and abroad.
Many banks that offer personal loans find travelling and vacation an acceptable reason for approving such a loan. Find out the loan qualifications, and make sure you have a positive credit score to make the application process go with ease.
Take On a Side-Gig
If cost-cutting isn’t enough to provide you with more funds, then additional income should be an effective solution to that. Taking on a side job, working part-time, or freelancing is a great way to increase your cash flow. Just make sure that as your income grows, your daily lifestyle and spending does not grow too. If it does, then all your effort will be in vain.
It can be daunting to think about spending another couple of hours awake and doing more work, but all it takes is proper time management and dedication. Imagining yourself on the beach, basking in the warm sun while sipping coconut juice, should be all the motivation you need.
