Ways to save money and free up time to travel

This post is all about to get you travelling as soon as possible! I will add to this over time, whenever any situation changes and as I learn as I go… It is based on a lifetime of experiences and useful in any kind of situation!…. No matter if you are loaded or poor, or if you have spare time or not… you will need at least one of both ingredients… Let’s explore ways to save money and free up time to travel!…

 

Travel is easy: you only need money and time

The ingredients to travel is easy…. All you need is money and time*… Life, however, seems often unfair as usually you only have at most one out of two necessities! But not to worry as in this post I list down all my best tips and tricks based on a lifetime of experiences how to get you on the road in no time!

*Good health will certainly help too, but is unfortunately beyond our control, so let’s focus on what we CAN influence!…

Ways to save money and free up time to travel

 

Over the lifetime of the average person, there will be a similar balance between time and money. If you are aware of this and aim to plan ahead you can make the most of your potential travel experiences during your life!… Hence, let’s explore ways to save money and free up time to travel..

Let’s have a look when you are/were young, with usually lots of time on your hands, to when you are/will be older when you have money but struggle with those limited days of leave up to retirement when you (hopefully) have finally got both free time and money to spend (but with a higher risk of health issues)!…

Ways to save money and free up time to travel

 

I expect that most of you are not close to your retirement, Hence chances are high that you cope with either the issue of wanting to travel more but are restricted by either money, or time, or both!… Therefore you require all the advice you can get! Let’s explore the various situations and see what we can do about it!…

 

No Money – No Time

Whoops!… Something is going wrong here! There may be many issues that cause this situation!… However, do take one step back, and realize that you do not need much money to travel, as we will see below…. Also, do realize that you could likely free up time in ways that you do not realize… Let’s start with fixing at least 1 of both ‘ingredients’ by reading the below… You can likely ‘fix’ your situation!… If not, reach out to me via email or social media… Happy to think along!…

There may be something else at play here, especially for the bit older readers… Think about your spending patterns, when is the last time you bought a new car, a new phone, a new bag, etc. Did those items really make you happy or did you already put them in the back of your closet? Travel experiences never go away! They stick with you forever… Also, think of ways to save money while you travel, see below for more tips… Holidays do not have to be expensive at all!Perhaps you THINK you do not have money, but you just need to realize you it does not have to cost as much…

 

No Money vs. All the time in the World

This situation usually the case for the younger readers with time on their hands. You are eager to explore, however, you (think you) don’t have the money to travel!… Or perhaps you have (a little) money, but do not want to ‘waste’ it on travel… Well, I can assure you that money ‘wasted’ on travel is never a waste!… No one will take those experiences from you and you will learn and grow as a person, just because you are travelling and putting yourself in new situations and out of comfort!…

This is also exactly what to tell your (grand)parents! Highlight the benefits to them of you going on a holiday or having abroad experiences. If you are young they may allow you to work abroad (e.g. pick strawberries in Australia, work as an Au Pair in New York or London, become an English teacher in Peru… usually your accommodation and food is already provided). Your (grand)parents may even sponsor you with some amount (perhaps in return for some chores). Make a ‘business case’ out of it and show them how this will let you grow as a human being…

I was lucky that my parents often took me to exotic destinations when I was a child, when I grew older I liked to start exploring on my own… Another way, especially when you are young, is to try if you can join a friend, whose family is always travelling to more exotic destinations! You parents may like this idea, and pay for your expenses, and you will have the travel experience!… You never know, you could be lucky!… Think outside of the box!…

Ways to save money and free up time to travel

 

Limited Money vs. Plenty of free time

Once you grow older, you likely will get some sources of income and are slowly able to set some money aside. Time is still freely available… I am talking many and long college and university leaves…. This is the time to plan your budget backpack travels! (for which you likely do not even have to buy a backpack). To give some examples, it was that during this time I travelled to Thailand, Laos and Vietnam and in between my graduation and starting my first job, I travelled through South America for 6 months, on a budget of ‘only’ 6000 Euro… Travelling from Quito, Ecuador, even including the Galapagos all the way to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil

And there are many ways to even cut down further on your costs: Go hitchhiking, buy a cheap motor or car and go on a road trip (after which you resell it again), hike and camp for free in the wild (if you know what you are doing and where it is allowed!)… Do check out my post on how to save money in the relative expensive Gulf Region, like the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

 

Plenty of Money – Limited on time

This is the typical problem of most adults!… You finally landed that job and start making money! However, just a few months in you wish you had travelled more before when you had so much time on your hands!… If only you had that time no, or your current money back then!… Welcome to the ‘working age’ and if you are not careful and not plan things right you may have to sit this situation out for decades to come until you can retire!…

Luckily you will have some leave days, so now the trick is to make the most of your (valuable) time, and perhaps spent a bit more of your money… I will summarize a few tips & tricks that I also mention throughout my posts:

 

Fly out the evening before your holiday

A simple, yet effective tip!… Check for flights (even if they are a bit more expensive) that fly out on the evening before your holiday (e.g. fly on Thursday night, instead of Friday for that weekend break). This allows you to wake up in your hotel (which also adds costs) stretching your holiday feeling and adding to the amount of time to explore your destination.

 

Find a job abroad

Start working as an Expat! (At the time of writing) I worked as an Expat in both Singapore and Dubai, I also studied abroad in the UK. Working abroad adds to your ‘holiday feeling’ each day AND most importantly provides you with an ideal base from which to explore the surrounding travel destinations! E.g. For me as a Dutchman, Bali was only a 2-hour flight away from Singapore, instead of the otherwise 14 hours from Amsterdam… Indirectly, also saving your money on long-haul flight destinations!

 

Travel in between jobs

Switching jobs? This is the ideal time to travel!… Sign that new contract, but request to start a few weeks/months later! Think about it, that new employer will not say “no”, they are happy they finally found a suitable candidate! No need to tell them that you are travelling, but if you mention it, the benefit would be that you have ‘cleared your head’ and would ‘gain energy’ for the new job!… Which employer would not want this!? However, do ensure you have some savings, as you will not have any income during this period.

 

Plan for early retirement

A slight bridge to the next section: Plan for early retirement! This is something we are working on!… If you have the luxury to set aside and invest substantial savings, you are pulling your retirement to a younger and younger age!… Being financially independent at a young age, and not risking the many health problems that old(er) retirees cope with, is obviously ideal to venture out into the world!

 

Plenty of Money vs. All the time in the World

This is the typical retirement scenario!… Hopefully, we all reach this and in good health!… It is hopefully at this age that you can afford that luxury cruise or those long-haul intercontinental flights, while also having all the time in the World!… As mentioned in the previous section, it would be ideal to start planning to push this retirement age to as young (and healthy) as you can!… With rigid budgeting, planning and investing this is definitely within your reach!…

Ways to save money and free up time to travel

 

Those were my Ghost around the Globe tips on Ways to save money and free up time for travel!… In case you have any comments, ideas, suggestions or questions, please reach out!… You know how to find me!… If you like to know more about my background, check the About Casper page!