It happens to us all from time to time: Instagram envy. You see someone post a picture from vacation on a beautiful island or in a breathtaking city, and immediately you get the travel bug. But there’s one thing holding you back—your wallet.
It is possible to travel around the world without breaking the bank. In four simple steps, you can make it happen; finally, you’ll get to be the Instagram envy of all your friends.
Step 1: Save
We said travel cheap, not travel free! Of course, you’re going to have to spend some money to travel. But you can do this without putting yourself in a long-term financial situation.
Rather than just booking travel with your credit card and worrying about it later, be smart and start saving before your travel is final. Putting small amounts of money on a regular basis into a travel fund (whether physical or digital) will put you in a much better position when it’s time to shell out the cash.
Make small adjustments and use the saved funds for travel. For example, if you typically buy a coffee before work every day, making coffee at home can save you at least $700-800 dollars in a year. Soon, you’ll have all the money you need for traveling, and your bank account won’t even notice.
Step 2: Research
Booking a vacation is exciting, but travel sites often exploit this excitement to charge you ridiculous prices. If you just click on the first thing that comes up when you Google “best vacation” or “cheapest flight,” we can almost guarantee that you’ll get neither.
Do your research. Find out what destination has the optimal conditions for visiting during which time of year, so you don’t find yourself in the tropics during hurricane season or any other less-than-ideal situation.
Also, research what places have the things you’re interested in. If you’re into surfing, a beach vacation on the ocean would be awesome. But if you hate skiing, a mountain resort may not be the best destination.
Finally, research typical pricing for transportation, lodging and activities, so you know how much you need to save to cover all your expenses and have additional spending money while you’re there.
Step 3: Plan
When you’ve done all your research and feel comfortable with how much money you’ve saved, it’s time to plan!
Take some time to hammer out the details—coordinate schedules with whomever you’re traveling with, request time off of work well in advance, and get planning. Figure out when you want to leave and return, what activities you want to do on which days, and narrow down things like airlines and hotel options and alternatives.
You’re almost there, just one last step—and this is where the life hack comes in!
Step 4: GetAway
Before you get away, make sure to GetAway. Joining this exclusive travel membership saves you money on hotels, cruises, cars, flights, timeshares, lifestyle and more. You can save up to 50% off of commercial travel prices and earn rewards points toward future travel. When you refer friends and family, you can save even more.
Take advantage and create memories for yourself and your family that will last a lifetime—while saving money. That’s a life hack if we’ve ever seen one.