How To Travel Full-Time for Cheap: Part 1- Before You Go Suzy Guese April 28, 2016 Budget Travel, Solo Travel, Travel Tips Okay, so we all bemoan the lack of cheap flight deals to our dream destinations, the dearth of vacation days, and full-time schedules that cause us to travel less frequently than we would like. It’s easy to let the reasons why you shouldn’t travel mount until you lose all hope of hitting the road full-time. That got us thinking, is it really possible to travel full-time and without an end to the trip in sight? Rather than dreaming of spending your life globe-trotting, we aim to help make those dreams more of a reality. In the first post of this two-part series, we’ll look at ways to prepare and save for your full-time travels before you hit the road. Eliminate Big Expenses at Home It doesn’t make sense to keep spending a lot of money back home when you plan to travel for an extended period of time. If you really want to begin traveling without end, then you’ll want to eliminate all the large costs at home that weigh you down. Car payments, rents, as well as mortgages and cable bills, shouldn’t be your concern when you’re on the road. If you want to get serious about traveling full-time, you don’t want to be caught paying for things you don’t use while you’re gone. If your lease is up or you are considering moving, now might be the perfect time to make the dream of full-time travel come to fruition. These cheap flight deals will save you more on travel, so go ahead and find your tickets! Sign Up For Travel Rewards Credit Cards The money you spend when you’re on the road should provide travel perks along the way. Exchange your regular credit cards for travel rewards credit cards. These cards can yield free or cheap flight deals, complimentary hotel stays, and tours as you travel. You can even really get into travel hacking and never pay for flights again by taking advantage of sign up bonuses on some of these credit cards. Travel-themed credit cards are also a good idea for full-time travelers, as they tend to carry no foreign transaction fees. RELATED: Make the most of your next vacation by following these 2019 travel hacks! Head to Destinations with More Bang for Your Buck Before you take off, you have to know where your first destination will be. Determining your route will also help you shape a realistic budget. Some destinations will lend more bang for your buck than others. If your income situation is a bit clouded, it is best to start in budget-friendly destinations. For example, Thailand might seem like quite the bargain when compared to Switzerland. While you can find budget deals no matter where you go, travelers need a realistic plan so that their destinations won’t cause overspending. You would hate to blow through your entire savings and fail to find work on your first stop. Lay The Groundwork For an Income Hospitality jobs in tourist locations, home exchanges, or freelance jobs can be great sources of income while traveling. Once you have determined your route, you’ll probably have an idea of how much money you will need to survive. You’ll need a money source from somewhere no matter the budget. First, talk to your current employer and see if you can continue your position remotely. If this isn’t an option, lay the groundwork for how you will make money on the road. Bottom line, you’ll need some money to travel. It’s best to have a plan in place before you are forced to head home due to a lack of funds. Reduce Expenses and Pad Your Travel Savings Account Sure, you can sell your home or move in with a friend to save some money while you prepare to travel indefinitely. However, you can yield a great deal of savings just by cutting out the little things. For example, if you stop eating out just once a week with an average spend of $30 each week, you’ll have an extra $120 in your wallet each month. It’s never a good idea to head out on the road without having saved up something in your piggy bank. Stop buying your morning coffee out or eliminate unnecessary shopping sprees and watch the savings for your trip roll into your bank account. Traveling full-time doesn’t have to remain a dream that’s never actualized. With careful preparation and planning, you can find cheap flight deals and never look back. Stay tuned for the second part of our series on how to keep traveling once you’re on the road. How do you prepare and save for travel? Share your tips with us in the comments section below.
