Wanderlust with No Limitations: How I Save to Travel Regularly

Many of you may know that I recently visited France and Hungary in February. Imagine coming back home to frigid February in Washington, DC, and feeling more determined than ever to make trips like this happen at least once a year.

Guess what? I fully intend to.

So in the spirit of making things happen that you want out of life, I thought I’d share some practical tips that I’ve been putting into practice in the past few months to save money. Some lifestyle changes will have to happen to make this work, but setting goals like this for myself are 100% worth it.

To inspire you, these are some ideas that have helped me up my savings:

Cheap rent

I live in the city, so moving here from North Carolina meant having to give up certain benefits (extra space, privacy, pets allowed, a wood-burning fireplace, poolside view, etc.) Bye bye, low cost of living!

That meant taking on one teeny tiny room in a house with three roommates. But to be honest, I’ve always wanted to live in a city, so while those amenities were awesome and I’d love to have them again someday, certain sacrifices had to be made. As soon as I found a spot with great rent in a favorable location, I pounced. When searching for housing, be patient, look closely, and it’ll pay off. Saving a few hundo a month because you stuck with your budget is a massive game changer, y’all.

Bike ride/public transport

My job allows tax-free dollars to be taken straight from my paycheck and loaded directly onto my metro card. While it took time (I used to hate the metro, having felt like I was doomed to get lost every time I used it), I did get the hang of it.

I also spent a weekend morning timing my route to my office on my bike, and it’s actually the fastest - and cheapest - route to work. A free workout and a free commute rolled into one? YAS hun! It takes some planning ahead to bike to work (aka planning time to lock up, change, and shower), but the money-saving factor is hard to beat.

Meal Prep

Some weeks I’m more on top of it than others, but I do try to dedicate one night every week or every other week to meal prepping. In the long term, though my MP nights take me 2-3 hours depending on how many recipes I knock out, it saves me a tremendous amount of time (going out to eat, stopping on the go, or cooking dinner or breakfast every day) and money (all those “on the go” convenience stops add up quickly). But once you nail down four or five recipes that are easy and your favorite, they become second nature, and even an enjoyable and therapeutic part of your weekly routine.

Company Perks

I’m very fortunate to enjoy a number of perks at my job. Free yoga is offered onsite, we get weekly shipments of fresh fruit from Whole Foods, and events and potlucks mean lots of leftovers to snag and take home. Everyone’s work circumstances may be different, but pay attention to and take advantage of whatever your company may have on offer.

Reusable tampon

Menstrual cup via Allure

Feminine products are expensive, can I get an amen? Luckily a friend of mine (my boss actually) recommended a product called a Diva Cup - reusable silicone cup that “catches” menstrual blood and reusable for several months, depending on your frequency of use. They can last up to twelve hours, and are easy to keep sanitary by boiling it in between uses. This product is phenomenal, and has no doubt spared me so many dollars dropped at drug stores when it’s time to restock on pads and tampons.

Spending Saturdays

I’ve started trying this new habit of saving my splurges and fun spending days for the weekend. Friday mornings I’ll treat myself to a special coffee drink, and Saturdays are either brunch or dinner outings with my friends. Because I spend the time and effort to meal prep to save on the weekdays, I allow myself the treat of enjoying a meal out either when I’m out with friends, or have no plans for an evening and still take myself out to dinner with nothing else but a good book. Small indulgences like this maintain a healthy relationship with money - squandering it is obviously poor habit, but it doesn’t have to be a devilish thing we never touch and only stow away in our 401ks, either!

No-Spending Mondays

Similar to my Spending Saturdays, the converse I’m also giving a crack at is No-Spending Mondays. I figured one day of the week that I wait to spend any money on will allow me a small bit of practice in self-discipline with my money. After all, I can always dedicate my online shopping to Mondays, and instead of impulse buying, if I wake up still wanting certain items on Tuesday or Wednesday, then I’ll know it’s a good purchase.

Auto-save

When I started my job, I had our company payroll department set 20% of my check to go straight to my savings/investment account. After I got back from my big trip, I went back to my department and asked them to up it to 25%. That’s how determined I am to start learning to save aggressively - by learning to live smaller and within my means. This makes me more conscious of how high a balance I put on my credit card, because more of the funds I earn to pay it off are going into my savings.

Master snack packer

This is money-saving habit of gold, especially when you’re traveling. For me, because I’m a pathetic slave to my stomach and its impulses, I can’t just “fast” for an afternoon when I’m not trying to spend...for those of you who can, God bless you, but if I’m hungry and I walk by a Chic Fil-A smelling like all kinds of right, guess what’s gonna happen??

So again, this takes some planning ahead, but whenever possible I try to pack healthy snacks that are filling and non-messy. When I hopped on a bus to visit friends in Brooklyn, I brought a mason jar loaded with grains and veggies and that made for a great snack that kept me satisfied on the ride up. Be mindful of your travel options and their policies (i.e. no liquids or soft foods on most airlines, etc.), but then go crazy! It’ll be that many more meals you’ll spare yourself from spending on, you can enjoy yourself at the next meal out you treat yourself to, and wallet your will thank you.

Free food

Ever tried Googling “free food” in your city? You’d be surprised what you’ll find! Google, Groupon, EventBrite, and so many other resources will point you in the right direction, and you might even strike gold and find an event that you enjoy and would plan to attend anyway that also serves food and drinks, too.

That may seem like a lot, and I realize that not everyone can always adapt to the same spending decisions. But these have worked well for me so far, and my hope is that it will help some of you find ways to make saving something satisfying for yourself. It is possible! And few things in life, especially when we’re young and not making as much money, are more rewarding than paying your own way to get there (watch me now, mom and dad).

What are some saving tips you guys have used to work toward a big splurge?

Cover image via Road Affair