How to make your travel dreams a reality
How do you travel to all of these amazing places?
It is all about setting your priorities!! This is my answer to the many questions that I am asked: How do you travel so much? How
can you afford it? You must have a lot of money!
Travel is a priority in my life, it is something I could never imagine my life without. Contrary to popular belief of people who travel, I am not rich! One day,
how I viewed money and what I spent my money on changed, there was a shift in my mind and I started putting travel first.
So how do I save for travel?
It was a day I will never forget, I scooped up a beautiful caramel coloured blouse, the silk slipped through my fingers as I reached for the price tag. It was a familiar feeling, I loved shopping and $135.00 for a shirt that I loved, was worth it. This time was different though, I had flown to Mexico and experienced international travel shortly before this excursion. $135.00 for a shirt, wasn’t that close to how much I paid for a night at the hotel in Cancun? I looked down at the woven piece of fabric that gave me a little high when I handed it to the cashier and heard the cash register ting and the bag with gold lettering was handed over to me and the blouse was mine; and then I thought back to how I felt in Mexico. I was wrapped in a tropical, sea salt filled blanket of sunshine and pure bliss the whole time I was there. Wouldn’t I rather spend my money on that feeling then the short, unfulfilling pleasure I got from purchasing a material object?
That was the day my life changed and I began the magical journey of exploring the world.
I altered the way I viewed purchases
This dress equals one night at a hotel in a new destination; it was like my mind became engulfed with how I would be able to afford to travel. I rememberstanding at dollarama, starring at something I wanted to buy and thinking, is this $4.00 item really necessary?! Maybe that was going a bit overboard, but I couldn’t help it, I wanted to make sure that I saved as much as I could to see the world.
I cancelled every bill/fee/subscription that I was paying for that was not necessary
Why was I spending my hard earned money on things that I really didn’t need? My cell phone bill was out of control, so I downgraded my plan to something that worked for me and my wallet. Luxuries like subscription boxes, having access to every streaming platform and buying the latest iPhone became stuff that I no longer wanted.
I started cooking more and eating out less
I used to adore going out to restaurants to eat; no cooking, no dishes, overpriced drinks, who didn’t love to splurge! One day I signed into my online banking and wrote down every single restaurant I spent money on in one month. When it equaled one third of my salary, that was the end of that. Don’t get me wrong, I still really enjoy going out for a night on the town, but I now save this for special occasions and it is not part of my regular routine.
Cooking your own food is not only healthier, but it actually saves you more money than you think.
I found the beautiful world of thrift stores
I had never been to a thrift store before and I hesitantly walked into a world full of different items. After scoring some amazing finds, I was hooked. I have found so many pieces over the years that to this day, don’t even fit me, but I keep deep in my closet because I love them so much (and secretly hope I will fit back into them one day!). Another amazing reason thrift stores are wonderful? Their prices! I could walk into a thrift store and find a free people dress for $20 that would cost me $100+ new. No brainer right?!
I began to downsize
I am the queen of keeping things for years that I never use. Oh yes, one day I will need this thing that has been sitting in a box of darkness for 6 years. I used to keep everythingggggg but then, I sold a lot of my stuff or got rid of it. My mentality became something of a minimalist and I thought to myself, if I can’t fit it in my suitcase, I don’t need it! Now that I have bought a home, I do have more things but I don’t have more than I use. Sometimes I get carried away thinking of all of the glitz and glamour that is housed at Homesense but then I snap myself out of it and think about what I need and if I would rather have that item then say, sail on a catamaran in the Caribbean on an excursion? The thoughts of all the beautiful items vanish and I am back to my travel money saving self!
I put my plastic to work
Did you know that Scotiabank (Canada) has a debit card that allots you points that you can use towards travel purchases, every time you use it? It is called the passport debit visa card. It works just like any credit card where you are rewarded for every purchase you make. It provides points and then when you purchase a travel related item such as a plane ticket, you can convert your points into cash that goes right back into your chequing account. How perfect is that? I tend to spend a little bit too much on my credit cards sometimes so having this amazing offer on my debit card works really well for me.
Find a remote job - bonus points if you have your own business or if you can work on a project basis
All of your worries can fade away if you want to travel, especially for a longer period of time, and you can make money on the road. Being a travel agent was awesome for this, I remember sitting at my desk in Ecuador, I was only there for 16 days but I booked 2 trips for clients. With a few clicks, adding requests and creating invoices, I was all done and had made back what we had paid to go to the Amazon a few days earlier. After working I still had time to go down to the beach and relax and head to a darling cafe on the strip. Don’t let that fool you though! There were times when I didn’t book anything or make money, it was not a, I work for 10 minutes a day and bring in 10k a week situation. There are so so many options for remote work now it is mind boggling. I have worked for myself as an agent for years but I also worked for 2 companies online during the pandemic as a travel writer for a more stable income. Whatever you are looking for; project work, part-time or full-time work, it is out there, trust me! If you do not know where to start, send me a message, I have so many reputable sites that provide remote jobs!
If you want to travel a lot, apply for jobs in the travel industry
The amount of times I have stayed at hotels for free, at heavily discounted rates or had access to things that most people don’t is incredible. I have access to airline fares that are not published to the public, I have perks with cruise lines, amusement parks, hotels, airlines, tour companies, and any other type of travel you can imagine. Being a travel agent, even if you do not make a lot of money, is worth it for the discounts alone! There are many other amazing jobs in the travel industry as well, which will come back soon full force! Take some time to look into different areas, like tour leaders, flight attendant and travel agent which will give you the freedom to travel.
The bottom line with travel is, if you want it, you will figure out what works for you in order to get to your goals. If I have one piece of advice that you will listen to, it is to never think that you cannot travel because of finances. If you are willing to do the grunt work, give up some luxuries (and some things that are not luxuries) and really work your budget and figure out what is important to you, you can see the world, even if it is slowly and over a long period of time!
I have headed down many avenues in my lifetime, from wanting to go to to school to become a paralegal and work in Manhattan (Suits style!) but settling and working for lawyers in Toronto for years; to doing a 180 and working in the travel industry as an agent for over 7 years; to now becoming a real estate agent! And somewhere in there I worked as a travel writer and did a brief stint at an interior decorator firm (I am really showing my age here!). Whatever you chose to do, make sure it aligns with what you want in life and if traveling a lot is the goal, find something that you can work with!
If you have any questions or need any advice, feel free to message me and I can try my best to help!