No matter where you are in your life, chances are you're looking forward to your next travel opportunity. It seems like an almost universal trait that humans want to see the world. There are many good reasons for this. There is nothing more exhilarating than experiencing a place unlike any you've ever visited before.
Unfortunately, the simple truth is that traveling is expensive. Even those of us lucky enough to live a comfortable life, with the ability to spend on what we want while still saving, have a difficult time putting aside enough cash for an international trip. I've heard of some folks taking out personal loans to accommodate a trip, but that comes with interest and monthly payments. Just taking flights and accommodation into account, most people are already stretching their means.
The good news is that, these days, there are many more ways to save money for traveling than ever before. Try the following strategies.
Get into investing
The most industrious way to get more out of your money is to start investing. Instead of just building up a savings account, you can actually grow what money you already have. With sites like investorjunkie.com providing research and articles that will help any beginner learn the ropes, you too can become an investor.
You don’t need a particular education or any experience to start investing. Technology will do most of the legwork for you, with robo-advisors using algorithms to determine the investments most likely to grow your money.
You're still going to need to have a hand in it, but that can be fun rather than intimidating. Learning more about investing and using technology to grow your money is exhilarating and will quickly become your passion.
Budget like a pro
Regardless of your income, there is always an easy way to get more out of it. Budgeting is a simple and informative process that will save anyone money. There is doubtless money you could be spending more wisely, and if you started tracking what you earned and spent, you would be on your way to doing so.
Budgeting today doesn't need to be time-consuming or frustrating. On the contrary, good budgeting apps (such as the well-known Mint) connect directly to your accounts and cards and categorize your spending for you. They chart how much you spend on certain categories each month and where you could save.
The moment you have your budget in front of you, you'll be one massive step closer to saving money.
Grocery apps
One of the most common ways people overspend is when buying groceries. We tend to go to the store and choose what appears appealing at the time. If you go when you're hungry, you're particularly liable to spend on food you don't need. We end up buying food that goes to waste.
If you use a grocery app (or even Postmates) to do your shopping, you're less likely to buy things you don’t need. Rather, you stick to whatever list you have created, searching specifically for those things.
It is also much easier to compare prices and see what your options actually are. You have to pay for delivery, but what you save more than makes up for that.
Image credit: Lindblad Expeditions
