Girl Guide to Saving for Long Term Travel

If you’re serious about making your dream of long-term travel a reality, then its best to start putting your pennies aside! While it’s the most obvious way of funding your travels, saving up is not always as easy as it sounds. Here’s a quick guide to saving money for long-term travel.

Know your goal

The more specific your goal, the easier it will be to save up and make it a reality. Instead of planning your trip some time next year, set a date, or even better, book a flight! This way, you will turn your trip from a dream to an achievable, realistic goal which will make you more determined to save.

Set monthly savings goals

Once you know when you’re setting off, another important part is figuring out how much money you need and how long it will take you to save. Set yourself monthly savings goals and make sure you stick to them.

Monitor your spending

Monitoring your daily spending will help you figure out where your money goes (you’ll be surprised how much you spend on things that you buy without thinking, like clothes or eating out!) and help you keep the costs down. Use a budget app like Money or Home Budget. If you prefer a more old-school approach, keep track of your spending in a spreadsheet.

Cut down unnecessary expenses

Making a dream come true comes at a price. Sadly, this price often materialises in a form of a new handbag or a night out with friends. If you’re serious about making your dream a reality, you need to bring you spending to a minimum. Prioritise! That handbag you were dying to buy (and which you’ll probably forget about in a few months) may be the equivalent of a few nights’ accommodation at your dream destination – and I think we both know what’s higher on your priority list! Instead of a night out or eating out, host a potluck dinner or have a girls’ night in with your besties. This way, you’ll still get to have fun with your friends but at a much lower cost. Win-win!

Choose the right savings account

Put your money into a savings account offering the best interest rates and flexibility. I recommend ISAs (Individual Savings Accounts). With this type of account, you don’t pay tax on your interest until you make a withdrawal (money transfers between cash ISA accounts don’t affect the tax-free status). However, I’m no banking expert, so click here for a specialist advice and here if you want to learn more about ISAs.

Live at home

Yup. This may be the most dreaded way of saving but it’s definitely the easiest. Living rent-free with your parents will help you save massively! And while this option is definitely more appealing to those in their early 20s or fresh out of college, it’s still worth a mention. Otherwise, consider getting a roommate to keep the costs down.

Remind yourself about your goal

There will be times when your goal will seem unachievable or so far in the future that it will be hard to find the motivation to save. This is when physical reminders of your dream adventure come in handy. Print out photos of the places you want to visit and hang them over your bed, your desk or put them on the fridge – basically, somewhere where you’ll be able to see them every day. Buy book guides, read travel magazines, browse Pinterest, connect with other travellers online etc. Basically, surround yourself with daily reminders of your goal to stay inspired and motivated!

Have you ever saved up for a dream trip? Share your tips to help inspire other travellers to make their dreams come true!