1. I work as much as I can!
From the start of any new job I let them know I like to travel. Even if your employer may not agree with you taking off every other month, managers LOVE when your flexible and want to work more. In order to travel more, most times I'll pick up extra shifts and work 7 days a week but as long as I'm getting 7 days off in return. Working extra days will make up for the money being lost on vacation! Being flexible at your job is definitely the key if you're wanting to have time off. If someone calls out, I'M ON IT. It’s my job needs more help, I'M ON IT. If I find a side job, IM ON IT. Extra money in your pockets means, more travel!
2. Be on a budget!
Ever since traveling I learned to avoid buying things I “want” and only purchase things I need! Food is always a must, so food is the only thing I splurge money on. Anything else besides food is basically a want that I don’t need to spend money on.
3. I recycle my closet!
As a girl, recycling your closet can be difficult! At first, traveling to new destinations without a new outfit was very difficult for me because I take multiple pictures of myself. I love being a trendsetter in pictures and didn't dare to get caught with the same outfit on in a different picture. Instead of buying new clothes I tried to recycle my old clothes and just wear the same shirt with different attire so it’s doesn't look like the same original outfit. Recycling my closet also means stealing a few fits from my hubby's closet! Whether it’s a larger shirt, hat, scarf, and etc...I made it mine. Not only do I try to mismatch outfits but I stopped caring what other people thought if I wore the same outfit or not. I’m in a whole different country and recycling my closet only gets me to more destinations!
4. I don’t go out and socialize much as my other friends when I’m home.
Going out definitely can cost you. Especially living in New York City. Don’t let me even mention if you're going out for drinks. Between me and my hubby going out to the city, our bill can cost us up to 100$. Let me also mention, if we take the Metro North which cost $12 for the both of us or a cab ride ranging from 7-40$ depending where we take the cab home. The whole cost of a night out in New York is a plane ticket I could normally purchase.
5. I don’t stick with one airline.
I’m really not picky who I fly with. Even if it’s Spirit Airlines which I must add, that I hate sooo much. Most times flying with Spirit, I almost always have an issue but if a find a ticket for 80$ guess who’s flying with Spirit Airlines ? I am!!! The end destination is better than the actual flight!
6. Invest in a beneficial credit card.
I have a "Chase Sapphire Preferred" credit card. It does have an annual fee once out of the year, but worth the benefits. Investing in a beneficial card, I can now use overseas where I won't be charged foreign transactions fees on every purchase. It also gives me cash back for every dollar I spend which I can use towards my bill. Who gets paid to spend money!!!!
7. I don’t always book my vacation at one time.
If I only have money for a flight ticket then the flight is the first thing I spend money on because a flight ticket could go up at any time with no warning! After I have my flight book, I start saving up for a hotel or Airbnb. After my flight and hotel are booked, I finally start looking for activities to do if I want to do them while on vacation.
8. Credit card life is everything!
Good credit actually comes in handy when traveling. If you could get your hands on a credit card, that is. More than half the time I don’t even have all the money I need for my vacation! Normally, I have to have at least half of the money for the trip before booking! Having half of the money keeps me out of debt and spending money I don’t really actually have. Using your credit card is also great for when airlines are having a blow out sale for flight tickets and you don’t have all the funds for it the same day! If you wait too long most likely it’s going to be sold out so u need to put it on your credit card! Now, I only advise booking trips on a credit card if YOU can manage your money correctly and avoid purchasing a vacation you know can’t pay back! You're selling yourself up for failure if you do!
9. I subscribe to Skyscanner notifications.
SkyScanner is one of my favorite booking websites. It’s a third party website that filters out all the booking websites and shows you the cheapest ticket to your destination. If I have a specific destination I want to go to, then I subscribe for notifications if I’m not ready to purchase that day to watch the fares increase or decrease. Also, remember to clear your history after searching multiple times. Airfare tickets fares increase after multiple searches because they think the tickets are in high demand!
"Traveling is not something your good at. Its something you do. LIKE BREATHING."
-Gayle Foreman
