When it comes to travel, money (or lack there of) is often quoted as the biggest obstacle.  But it shouldn’t be.

Figuring out how to save the money for travel can be quite overwhelming, but there are many ways to cut back on everyday expenses if you’re willing to reassess your priorities.

You don’t need to be rich to travel the world; with a couple of creative strategies you might be amazed at how quickly you can accumulate a savings.

How to Save Money for Travel

Pay Off Your Credit Card in Full

Credit cards can be amazing; they offer travel rewards which allow you to save while you spend, protection against fraud and theft, and most cards also include perks like airport  lounge access and travel insurance.

But what’s not so amazing? The 10 – 20 % interest they charge you if you fall into debt (and they’re counting on it). Credit cards debts have hit a record high, and in America alone, households now owe $931 BILLION in credit card debt.

That’s billion … with a B.

One of the simplest ways to save money is to pay off your credit card in full at the end of every month. If you do owe money, check the amount of interest you’re paying. If you’re paying a high interest rate it may be worth shopping around, or seeing if a personal loan will cost you less.

Use Coupons

There are plenty of coupon sites online which have offers for everything from everyday purchases like groceries, to luxury purchases like designer clothes. And coupons are a great way to save on travel itself when you’re making bookings.

You can download apps like Savvy that do the searching for you, and automatically apply the best coupon at checkout. This is a really great way to save both time and money, and never have to pay full price for anything.

With one click, you install the Savvy plugin to your browser, shop online as you would normally, and they find and apply the best coupons at checkout, whether you’re shopping on Amazon, Groupon, Nike, or other popular stores.

Joining Savvy and downloading the plugin are both free.

➡ JoinSavvy.com

Use the 24 Hour Rule

The 24 hour rule is a simple one; you take 24 hours to think over every nonessential purchase, which helps you avoid purchasing on impulsive.

Want to surprise your kids with the best trampoline? Don’t just buy it on a whim – talk it over with your family, sleep on it, and maybe you decide after 24 hours that you’ll buy a second hand one.

If you’re an avid online shopper, make use of your wish list / cart, as you can come back to these a day later once you’ve had the time to decide.

Another great way to change your purchasing mindset is to think of purchases in hours worked instead of cost. For instance if you’re thinking about buying a new phone for $900 and you make $10 an hour, ask yourself if an upgrade is really worth working for 90 hours.

Unsubscribe

One of the best ways to avoid impulsive purchases and unnecessary spending is to remove all temptation. And the best way to do this is to unsubscribe from marketing emails.

You’ll find an unsubscribe link at the bottom of each email, and by law every email is required to have this option. Marketing strategies are very savvy these days, and they often tailor content based on your previous purchase / search history.

For the same reason, it might be a good idea to download an ad block to your browser to remove online advertisements. And if you have any memberships you’re paying for but not using (like the gym), cancel it ASAP. Otherwise you’re just throwing money away.

Food Savings

It’s easier than ever not to cook, and most people these days are taking advantage of that. The average US household spends around $3,008 per year on dining out based on a recent report, and that’s a lot of money you could be saving.

Just by going to the grocery store and simply eating at home will save you money, especially if you plan ahead and write a weekly meal menu so you can do one large shop instead of many small impulse buys.

Cooking larger portions of your meals and using them as leftovers cuts down on waste and means you can take your lunch to work, and make healthier choices as well as cutting down on costs.

Shopshop is a great way to keep a running shopping list on your smartphone, or if your grocery story has a pick-up option, consider ordering online to avoid picking up unnecessary items in the aisles. Most grocery story pick-ups are free, though there’s usually a minimum spend.

Transport Savings

When you factor in the cost of petrol, car insurance, car rego, car maintenance, and paid parking, owning a car can be expensive, forcing most people to take out a loan rather than saving up cash to pay upfront.

But if you live within walking or riding distance of work, consider taking the exercise.

Car pooling is a fantastic way of saving on transport if this is an option, whether that’s driving to work with your neighbor, or all taking the same car for a girls weekend out of town. And obviously public transport if you can bear it will save you money as well.

Most couples these days have a car each, but if you’re able to make it work sharing a vehicle, you’ll save a lot of money. And I’m not just saying that without experience; yes, you’ll have to adjust your schedule if one of you starts work early, but think about sipping cocktails in Tahiti.

Make a Public Commitment

Making a public commitment to saving can go a really long way to actually committing to doing it. Because there’s a difference between saying you want to save and actually taking action.

Making the commitment to save with another person, whether that’s a friend or your partner, can be a really great way of staying on track and having someone to hold you accountable.

Making a public statement, like putting up a post on Facebook, can be a great way of solidifying your commitment; the mindset is, “I’ve told people about it, so now I have to do it”; and feel good about what you’re achieving through your friends encouragement and support.

It also helps in not feeling pressured by friends, family, or colleagues to spend money if they know that you’re saving.

Reduce Your Vices

Do you smoke? Drink? Have an addiction to coffee? You would be amazed at how much you can save by cutting back on your vices (healthy and wealthy … winning!)

Some will be fairly insignificant and easy to de-prioritize, like luxury purchases, or upgrading your iPhone every 3 months. Others may be more difficult to endure, like kicking a coffee addiction, or cancelling your Netflix.

My best advice is to sit down and weigh up whether your goals of travel are worth the price. Are you willing to drink water instead of alcohol if it means you can fly to Iceland next month? Are you willing to quit smoking, if the money you save will pay for 4 weeks of vacation?

Whether it’s alcohol, smoking, or shopping, our vices are often a way to relieve stress. If you are going to give up a vice in order to save money, it’s important to find a healthy and sustainable way to relieve your stress, and make sure you can deal with the withdrawal.

Review Your Cost of Living Options

Cost of living is more expensive than it ever has been, but you might find that there are some great ways to save and source discounts on everything from car insurance to electricity.

It’s really important to shop around when it comes to essentials like car insurance, health insurance, and even your mortgage. Being on the wrong plan could be costing you a lot, and you might be surprised if you call and ask if the rate you’re getting is the best they can actually do.

Make sure you run a regular audit of your bank accounts and credit cards to see if you’re paying monthly fees. And there are hundreds of phone plans out there; review what you’re paying to make sure it’s the most cost effective, and use apps like Skype or Facebook to make international calls for free.

Paying your bills on time is a great way to avoid late fees, and some companies like energy providers might actually offer a discount to customers who pay on time.

Learn to DIY

Learning to do things yourself can be a huge money saver, whether that’s washing your own car and saving $40, or making your own greeting cards instead of buying them at the shops (which can cost between $3 – $10 per card).

Some things should be done by a professional for safety reasons (like anything electrical), but things like cleaning, fixing a hole in the wall, cutting your hair, even cleaning your car’s air filter; these type of things can usually be done with a youtube tutorial.

If you genuinely can’t do something yourself, do some quick research as to whether or not there are services in your area offered by students training to become professionals. By heading to a college, you can often spend less on everything from massages, to make-up, and even legal fees.

Create a Savings Plan

It’s one thing to read a list of savings tips, but if you really want to save money, you need to take actual action.

Now that we’ve set you up with ideas and strategies, the next step is identifying which of the above tips you can use, and setting yourself a realistic savings goal. If you don’t have a plan in place you’re less likely to stay motivated.

Creating a physical list of wants vs needs as part of your savings plan, and adding a dollar amount next to each expense can really put your habits and routines into a new perspective.

Work out how much you need per week for the necessities (rent, electricity, petrol, food etc), and how much you spend per week on the non essentials (smoking, alcohol, new clothes etc).

Based on your assessment, decide whether you want to remove any expenses that aren’t necessary, have any room to cut down on those which are (ie riding a bike to work instead of driving the car), or pursue additional income in order to meet your goals.

Take Action (Easy Checklist for You)

➡ Download JoinSavvy.com for coupon codes

➡ Unsubscribe from all marketing emails

➡ Make a weekly meal plan and grocery list

➡  Call around to organize a car pool

➡  Make a public commitment (tell your friends you’re saving)

➡ Review your cost of living

➡  Create a savings plan

➡ Additional resource: How to Make Money At Home (If You Live In An Expensive City)

TOOLS FOR MANAGING YOUR SAVINGS. CLICK THROUGH TO AMAZON ↓

INSPIRED? PIN THIS TO YOUR TRAVEL PINTEREST BOARDS ↓

Saving money can be daunting, but there are many ways to cut costs. With these strategies you might be amazed at how quickly you can build a travel fund.

Saving money can be daunting, but there are many ways to cut costs. With these strategies you might be amazed at how quickly you can build a travel fund.

Megan is an Australian Journalist and award-winning travel writer who has been blogging since 2007. Her husband Mike is the American naturalist and wildlife photographer behind Waking Up Wild; an online magazine dedicated to opening your eyes to the wonders of the wild & natural world.

Having visited 50+ countries across all seven continents, Megan’s travels focus on cultural immersion, authentic discovery and incredible journeys. She has a strong passion for ecotourism, and aims to promote responsible travel experiences.