One of the questions I’ve gotten the most is how do I afford to travel so much?

“How do you afford to travel so much?

WELL, my friends, I’m here to finally answer that question… There’s quite a lot to it, but here’s the gist.

Tip #1 and the MOST obvious: SAVE YOUR FREAKING MONEY!

Does that seem hard to you? Well, it is! But it’s worth it!

I am grateful that I could save all of my job money in high school, which gave me a pretty solid foundation. But when I’m home for semesters, I work my absolute ass off, working multiple jobs, and SAVE my money. I don’t spend it on frivolous things at home, I don’t go out a lot and waste money on drinks at bars everyday. I satisfy my coffee addiction with cheap stuff, usually passing the local Starbucks with a bit of a sad face, but a fuller pocket. Have you ever thought about how much a Starbucks drink a day will cost you in a year, or the 7 different streaming subscriptions that you OH so need, or that new brand-name pair of shoes?

For me, it’s all about living below my means at home, so I can afford to buy a plane ticket to live my best life in another country in a few months. It’s about deciding where your priorities lie, and frankly, a scuba diving lesson in Bali is worth trading out Starbucks for some cheap stuff.

Tip #2: TRAVEL CHEAPLY

My way of travel for sure is not the luxury way. BUT – If I had to have it the luxury way, I wouldn’t be able to go a lot!

There’s 3 main things that suck your money dry when traveling: transportation, accomodation, and food. 

Regarding transportation, I do my due diligence in searching for cheap flights and budget ways to get places. Especially for international flights, researching months ahead will definitely help you out. 

As for accommodation, I also search for cheap places, and end up in hostels a lot that let me just rent a bed. OR I stay with friends or couch surf. 

If you’re curious about what websites I use to find cheap transportation and accommodation, sign up for my email to get my exclusive FREE Travel Resource Guide! 

And then there’s the last part that really hits the wallet: FOOD. We gotta eat, don’t we? 

Well… we do… but we don’t. You don’t have to go out to a new restaurant every night just because you’re traveling. The biggest way to save on food is to actually buy GROCERIES and cook your own food in your hostel or airbnb. Be conscious of the random smoothies every day – it all adds up. Tracking your spending with a budget travel app like Tripcoin can help you TREMENDOUSLY.

To travel cheaply is an art, honestly. You need to be mindful of what you spend your money on – transportation, accommodation, and food taking up the most. HOW you spend your money is important too – mindful of international fees on cards and cash exchange fees – but we’ll get more into that later.

Tip #3 and FINAL: WORK THE SYSTEM, WHATEVER SYSTEM

If you’re a college student, your time is now. Talk to your university – find out your options to study abroad, then use your scholarships or loans that you already have, to spend that semester somewhere else! My last semester in Spain was FULLY FUNDED by my academic scholarships and I’ve been on TWO fully funded summer trips – one on an Honors program in the Netherlands and the other a service trip to Africa. Yes, it took a lot of work to get there, but it’s possible, you just need to find out what’s available. So don’t wait – go to your study abroad office and check it out!

If you’re the rest of the world and not currently sheltered by a university, never fear – there are still options out there. There are fellowships, couchsurfing, WOOFing, volunteering – OR think about your current job. Is there a way for you to take that on the road? Or a reason that you can convince your boss that you NEED to review this resort in Bali FOR THE SAKE OF THE COMPANY?

Personally my next plan since I’ve just recently graduated, is to teach English abroad, or use my TEFL certification to teach English online while I travel. Thus, I’ll be able to generate an income while I go, or make an income in-country.

OVERALL? PRIORITIES & PLANNING

I hope this answers your question of how I travel so much. It’s all about deciding your priorities and planning well. While I’m home, I am working my ass off trying to save money for later, while I plan a way to travel cheaply through a system like my university. And when I am in-country, I track my spending and travel in a frugal, backpacking way, rather than the luxury life. So, even if you’re a flat-broke college student, you can country-hop too. I know, because I’ve done it – but it requires some sacrifice and the knowledge of where your priorities lie.

If traveling still seems intimidating to you, trust me – I get it. Not sure what website to use? Is that cheap flight legitimate or too good to be true? Curious of how to stay with locals for the best immersive experience? Enter your email in the link below to get my FREE Travel Resource Guide and join my tribe to learn more about travel, yoga, and photography.