Saving For Travel – An Introduction
I wrote this post years ago for a client’s website, and it’s disappeared, so I’m reposting it here. I updated it a little. Hopefully something here helps you save for travel a little faster!
Prioritizing Travel
We’ve been traveling with our three kids (now 14, 16 and 18) since they were born. In all we’ve taken them to 65 countries, all 7 continents, and 20 states – mostly when they were younger, since logistics get more complicated as kids enter middle school and high school and they don’t want to miss school. Why have we traveled so much as a family? Because of the benefits that we witnessed early on. We saw the kids’ language skills improve as they were able to take what they learned in school and practice it in the real world. They recognized the importance of learning, and using, other languages! And we’re a foodie family because of travel. Our kids grew up trying foods around the world, and learning to make those foods, and became amazing eaters (and good cooks) in the process.
But it goes even further. Our kids were able to experience independence at fairly young ages, as we let them explore foreign cities and islands. They also, through 14-hour plane flights and three-hour European meals, gained a remarkable ability to be patient and entertain themselves when they were little! And they’ve truly become who they are through travel, as they discovered new passions and skills, and we in turn chose destinations and created itineraries based on those passions.
And then there are the benefits that come from experiencing other cultures, and seeing how differently people live around the world – and what problems they face. We saw our kids become more empathetic with every trip and experience, and are optimistic that later in life when they’re making decisions that can affect others, they’ll make the right choices.
Travel has always been our priority, and will always be our priority. But how do we come up with the money for travel in the first place? A lot of small ways that add up…
We Eat at Home
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans spend over $3,600 each dining out every year (source). While going out to eat is usually a nice thing, remember that you’re paying for the restaurant’s staff, rent and profit in the price of your meal. You can cook at home for a fraction of the cost. So we do.
We Don’t Give Gifts
In part because we travel so much, our kids value experiences far more than physical possessions. So this one has always been easy for us. Birthdays mean cards and a home-cooked meal (of the birthday boy/girl’s choosing). Christmas brings a few small things under the tree, but nothing big.
We Don’t Have a TV or Go to Movies
OK, we have a small television in our basement, but we never watch it. If you still have cable or subscribe to a lot of streaming services, calculate what you’re paying annually. I’m guessing it adds up to a couple of plane tickets! And the best thing about those plane tickets is that when you’re flying to your destination, you can catch up on all of the movies and shows you’ve missed the past few months. Win-win!
We Don’t Have a Lawn
We took out the grass around our house to save water, because of California’s long-term drought. An unexpected upside – no longer having to spend money on a lawnmower, a lawn service, or water.
We Don’t Splurge
There are so many ways to spend money if you’re not thinking about saving long-term for travel. A $5 take-out coffee every day adds up to over $1,800/year. Throwing something in your cart that you don’t really need just because it’s on sale? That adds up too. As does buying anything at all on Black Friday. We get inexpensive haircuts. We never go for manicures or pedicures. All of these can be enjoyable –they’re just far lower priorities for us than travel.
We Charge Everything
And finally, by charging everything we can (travel of course, but also online purchases, groceries, gas, utilities, doctor’s visits, etc…) to credit cards that earn miles, we can earn free plane tickets to a lot of the places we travel. These are some good cards to consider. If you’re using a debit card, or paying cash, you’re throwing free travel away.
Take your kids everywhere! The benefits are amazing. And by making a few small changes to your monthly spending habits, travel can be yours far earlier than you thought possible.
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