More often than not, I get asked how to travel more. The questions don’t really address the financial element, but more about how to manage finding the time to travel all over. In my opinion, it boils down to your personal travel motivation.
Find your WHY.
I’ve done my fair share of traveling. The most important motivator for why I want to travel more is because I desire it. I crave to see what the world is like: how others live their daily lives, what the food tastes like, how our lives intertwine with nature.
Ask yourself some questions and be honest. Do you want to travel because you’re curious about culture? Maybe you want to see some of the greatest wonders of the world? Are you itching to travel because that’s what’s “hot” right now?
Whatever your reason, find it. You’ll find that once you realize why you want to travel, it’ll be hard to forget it. 😉
Find your HOW.
If you want to travel more, you can make it happen. How? Make it a priority.
You could be a budget traveler, luxury traveler, or somewhere in between. What’s great is that travel can fit almost any budget.
For instance, to travel more, I prioritize it by reducing my disposable income spending and building up my vacation time at work. In other words, pay attention to how you spend your time and money.
Money
I’ve minimized a lot of social activities that require money. That means not eating out and going out to bars as much. Although, some happy hour deals are too good to pass up!
An alternative to going out to bars all the time could be to have get-togethers. The amount you spend on drinks and food when at a friend’s place will be significantly less than its equivalent at the bar. Personally, I have no problem cutting costs at home in order to spend it experiencing a new destination.
Look at where you’re spending your disposable income and determine the area(s) where you can reduce your spending. I find that reducing my spending is manageable when I know what it’s going towards.
Time
I’ve worked full time for the past few years and during this time, I’ve learned to manage my vacation days by understanding how the company’s accrual process works. By using simple calculations, I know how much time I can take off in the near future, which really comes in handy when I’m aching to travel for a few weeks.
I know that unpredictable events can occur and you may have to use some of your accrued vacation time. Don’t stress – do what you need to do. Take that personal time you need. You can always readjust your travel plans.
Also, take advantage of weekends and public holidays! It is easy to get caught up in your daily life, making social plans for the upcoming weekends. Just know that it is okay to block a weekend every now and then to travel more. Treat yourself!
Research, research, research!
I can’t tell you enough how important it is to do your research. Whether or not you are planning for a trip, knowing what’s out there opens up your possibilities.
Even when I’m not actively preparing for a trip, I’m inadvertently looking. How? I subscribe to flight deal websites. Yes, multiple websites!
The websites will send you daily emails of all the current flight deals with a departure from cities in your selected continent to any destination in the world.
This method will surely make you add countries to your travel bucket list. Who knew you ever wanted to visit Laos until that flight deal notification came through?
