How To Save Money For Travel: From Someone That Travels Often
This is going to be hard for some people to hear, but travel costs much more in 2024 compared to 2019. Probably more than what you have imagined. Post-pandemic travel has been deemed "revenge travel" in the industry as people are booking more than ever before and they're willing to pay whatever it takes to go on those bucket list trips. Post-Covid travel cost is up across the board and many people don't blink an eye when it comes to pay. As someone that plans travel for a living, I see it every day.
However, I also see the flip side of that coin. I see the cost of groceries. I see the cost of gas. I know how much it costs to adult nowadays. It truly hurts my heart when I have to tell clients that what they're looking for in a vacation is not feasible for their budget. The cost of air alone is eating up a lot of budgets, especially for international travel, and sticker shock is a real thing.
Not only do I plan travel, traveling myself is a big part of my job. My trips do not come free, as some may have imagined. There are times where I am paying rack rate or have a slight discount, but nothing is for free whatsoever.
In 2023 alone, I...
-went on 3 cruises (Princess, Disney, and Royal Caribbean)
-traveled to Jamaica for a stay at Sandals Ochi and tour of additional Sandals and Beaches properties
-visited Walt Disney World five times
Factor in airfare, transportation, drink packages, wifi, food, souvenirs, etc., my "all fun and games job" comes with a price tag. Luckily a good portion of this is tax deductible as this is my business, but I still have to pay for myself and upfront. So, how do I do it? Here are five things that I consistently do in order to travel the way I do...
1. BUDGETING - The biggest thing I've done to fund my travel is that I budget year-round, by the month actually, for basic necessities, savings, and bills. I cannot emphasize the importance of budgeting throughout the year enough! Doing this shows me exactly how much money I'm going to spend on groceries, gas, and more. Doing this also allows me to allocate a portion of my household income each month to my travel fund, or a travel credit card that I have recently booked on. More on that in a minute.
2. CUT UNNECESSARY EXPENSES - I have canceled Amazon Prime, only use streaming services instead of cable, given up daily trips to Starbucks, removed random extras on my cell phone plan, and more. There are lots of ways to cut out things that don't serve a purpose and pocket the savings to put towards a trip.
3. MEAL PLANNING - This is huge for my family. Every Saturday morning before I head to the store, my husband and I go over the calendar for the upcoming week to see which kid has what going on, and we plan our dinners around the schedules. Mondays are usually Cub Scouts meetings, which means I need something that's quick to make when I get home from the office. Luckily my family loves our tradition of Pizza Friday, so pizzas are forever on my list. Not only does this help save money because I'm only buying what I need for the week and I stay on budget, this always makes my working mom life so much easier.
4. TRAVEL HACK (KIND OF) - I use my Southwest Airlines card to book my air and redeem points every chance I get. I'm also a Disney Visa cardholder and I absolutely utilize that card for Disney purchases. Before a trip, I redeem my Disney Reward Dollars and use those for purchases in the parks. Here's the biggest thing with using credit cards: you have to be disciplined when using them. You can't charge, charge, charge, reap the rewards, and not pay them off in a timely manner.
5. UNDERSTAND THE BIG PICTURE - Travel is different for me since this is literally my job. Traveling to the destinations I plan not only helps me gain a better understanding of the destination itself, it helps me be a better travel planner to my clients to speak from unbiased, personal experiences. I understand that the cost of my travel is going to result in a return on investment. For someone not in the travel biz, your big picture is understanding that travel is possible with the right prioritization, and that memories made with family and friends is something that you cannot put a price tag on.
Oh. In case you didn't know, most destinations (Disney, Universal, Sandals & Beaches Resorts), only require a minimum deposit upfront (Disneyland and Walt Disney World for example, require a $200 refundable deposit) with a final payment date. You can make payments however often you would like, for any amount. There is no interest attached as they are not set payment plans. As long as your balance is paid in full by your final payment date, you're good to go. This is where having professional help (me) comes in handy.