We were away from home for nine months. Nine months of successful and failed attempts of adventures. But nine months of 100% successful *living life to the fullest* for sure. I’ve been asked a bit about money lately– in regards to travel, this blog as a career, and more. I answered a bit on how we budget for travel in THIS post if you’ve missed it. And because you’ve asked, I plan on writing about blogging as a career soon. But for now, let’s talk about a bit more about travel and spending and saving money, Cool?
Nine months of traveling and we’ll be traveling soon for more. We are able to do this by being cautious with our money and never spending more than we make. We are big advocates for spending money on experiences and not material items. While others might choose to invest/spend in luxury items, we choose to save money for times when we are able to get away and travel. While travel is a want and not a need, it’s a need we like to save and plan for.
I love traveling. It is my favorite thing to do — other than laying somewhere warm with partial sun and a breeze. But I mean: laying somewhere with a breeze while traveling? Bonus! I see travel as the ultimate life experience adventure for myself, my family, and specifically Marlowe. Whether we’re in a remote Mayan village in the mountains of Guatemala or Alex and I are escaping for a week in New Orleans, we’re experiencing life in someone else’s culture and life. And it feels good.
For travel, we like to plan as much as we can to ensure we’re getting the most bang for our buck. I typically spend a few hours (or days depending on the trip) online so I can find us the best rates on a place to stay. You can, without a doubt, find cheap places to stay at the last minute (depending on where you’re traveling of course) but the places may not be as cute, haha.
I know not everyone may love this travel tip, since many people look to travel/vacations as an excuse not to cook, but we totally like to rent a place with a kitchen, even if it’s a small one. We tend to head to the supermarket the night we get there or the next morning for fruit and snacks. I mentioned this on instagram, but even if you just eat breakfast in your hotel/apartment then you’re probably going to save a hefty amount of money on the total budget of your trip. I’m not saying you should do this for every meal (though you totally can). Part of the fun of traveling is trying out all the delicious food that the city/town/village has to offer. But one meal a day can make a big difference!
Traveling off-season is also a great way to save money! Restaurant prices wont change, but hotels will have much lower rates during off peak times!
We also tend to travel in places that are easily walkable. This saves money on car rentals as well. This way we get to see a huge amount of the place by foot and get some fresh air and exercise too. When we need to go somewhere further (you know, to get to the ice-cream place on the opposite side of town) we just Uber it up. Then it’s super easy to see the exact amount of money you’ll be spending on your round trip. Or your one way… if you decide to walk back to your place post ice-cream.
In my big money saving post (from forever ago), I talk a bit about credit cards. I’ll totally never advise you guys to go out and get a credit card to put invisible non existent money on. I don’t think you guys should ever spend money that you don’t have. But if you know you’re not going to make stupid choices (with money but also in life in general, haha), then I would totally suggest looking into a credit card that offers rewards in return.
If you’re considering a new credit card, I’d look into the Uber Visa Card! There are a ton of benefits to it. And not only can you get rewards, but one of the rewards is 3% back on hotels, airfare, and vacation home rentals. That can be a good chunk of change to make back for expensive flights and longer monthly+ rentals 😉 In general flights and hotels/rentals tend to be the biggest expense in travel, so if you can earn rewards on these, then why wouldn’t you? There are also no foreign transaction fees*, which is HUGE. Each couple of dollars per purchase really adds up! AVOID foreign transaction fees at all costs!
You guys know, I don’t think you should go out and blow all your money on frivolous things, BUT if you’re going to be spending money anyway, then don’t you want to benefit from it? Yes, saving money and spending money are two different things, but when making purchases (whether big or small) it’s great to be mindful of how we will benefit from each purchase. And fortunately the Uber Visa Card is great card to receive rewards on big travel purchases and well as everyday purchases too 🙂 Anything from 4% back on dining out* to 2% back on eligible online purchases*! Crazy right?
Alright friends! I hope these little tips and things help you out in some way! My best tip is always the same, no matter what the purchase is, no matter how big or small, be mindful of it! Cheers friends 🙂
This post is sponsored by Uber. All opinions are my own.
*Terms Apply. Please review the FAQS and Rewards Summary for important information about program benefits and features listed above and the Terms and Conditions for full details about the rewards benefits (such as how points are earned), interest rates and account fees and terms for this particular offer before applying.
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