Have you ever felt envious going through the Facebook feed of a friend who went to the same college as you did, has the same kind of job as you have but manages to travel far more in a year than you do in a couple, or worst, three years? Have you ever wondered how they manage to afford all those holidays to distant parts of the world when you credit card is always maxed out. We bet you have!
Before you accept it as some divine interference working in their favour and start feeling that you cannot do anything about it, we are here to reveal the truth. Here is our list of top five things that frequent travellers do to afford their journeys, and you should too:
They Shop Only When Necessary
If you are one of those people who feel the need to shop before every vacation that they take because you never have anything good to wear, here’s a revelation: At least 30% of all expenditure that you incur on your holiday comes from shopping before the holiday and during it. Frequent travellers don’t buy five different hats for five different days at the beach. More often than not, you will see them wearing the same hat while the places in the background change because they are genuinely curious about new places, and not how they look while exploring them.
They Have a Savings Fund for Their Travels
If you thought that you could eat outside, party every weekend, take a cab home instead of the train and still manage to save enough money to travel, you are mistaken. Frequent travellers mostly have a savings fund dedicated only for their travels and that is where most of their money goes. They have to consistently make choices that will help them save money that could go into the fund.
They Find Work That Aids Their Travel
For those who are genuinely interested, there are plenty of opportunities for travelling and making money at the same time. If you want to travel the world, it doesn’t always have to be on a golden ticket. Find volunteer work to do at the places you are interested in travelling to, and earn yourself free accommodation and food or find a job that requires frequent travelling, like the frequent travellers do.
They Take Budget Trips
If you can’t do without a spa and a Jacuzzi while you are vacationing, sorry to say, you will never be able to travel like those friends you envy. Frequent travellers are mostly budget travellers who stay in hostels, and 3-star hotels, and only rarely treat themselves to a luxurious stay. They eat local food in local markets, and develop a knack for getting the best bargains on flights, shopping etc through research. They are on constant lookout for best travel deals and grab them before anyone else can. So to be a frequent traveller, you have to take budget trips that won’t burn a hole in your pocket. It might take some time, but you can develop the art of travelling on budget with some effort.
They Develop a Genuine Love for Travel
It’s easy to see your friend at the peak of a mountain, and think ‘I want that’, but to take the steps that are necessary to reach the peak take consistent perseverance and motivation. The road is not always easy on regular travellers, but they keep continuing because they are in genuine love with the feeling of discovering new places, meeting new people and being on the road, no matter how hard the journey gets. That is why before you start working toward travelling frequently, you need to ask yourself that is it the love that drives you, or is the momentary lust.
