Unfortunately unless you are one of those lucky rich people (I know, most of them worked for what they’ve got etc) then saving is a massive part of travelling. It’s not cheap to wander from town to town, trying all the different food and beer and when you have no regular income the pennies can disappear very quickly.
That’s why it’s so important to make the most of the opportunities you have to save money before leaving on your big trip. These days having already saved for a big adventure I’m naturally a bit tight and don’t spend my money on anything unnecessary. While traveling you try to make every penny go as far as possible because quite simply once the money has gone so has your freedom.
Obviously everyone spends there money on different things depending on your interests but here’s how I try and limit the pennies leaving my account.
Spotify – This may sound like a weird one as spotify costs money. The thing is, it costs a lot less money than buying a few CD’s each week which is what I used to do. For ten pounds I get access to everything I could possible want and it also helps me to find new music I like for no extra cost.
Ebay – It’s an addictive place but my other big outgoing was always money on books. I used to like having the brand new unopened book in my hand but again at around ten pounds a go they don’t come cheap. On Ebay its possible to get the same books used for a couple of quid including delivery. So far I’ve had no problems with the quality of them and even picked up a few ex-library books for 99 pence. Bargain. (It works for guidebooks too)
Living back at home – It can be tough living back with your parents, the loss of independence and a change back to their schedule etc but there is no doubt it saves you money. Contributing some rent money and towards food still works out much cheaper than renting a place of your own.
Savings account – Having a good easy access savings account can really make a difference to meeting your saving goals. Seeing your funds building up and taking pride in reaching your targets can be very rewarding and soon help you forget about not buying the latest gadgets or other unnecessary items. All of these things can contribute towards you having a much bigger budget for your dream trip.
The key to remember is that every penny less spent at home is another spent somewhere amazing.
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