“How do you guys travel so often?”
“What’s your secret to constant travel?”
“How can I find good deals like you?”
“Can you help me budget for my trip?”
Over the years I have been asked these questions on many different occasions, and I love the conversations that follow. Travel is a main priority in my life right now, so to help others do what I do is an incredible feeling.
Unfortunately I don’t have a money tree, and I don’t have buckets of cash from an inheritance or the lottery (one could only be so lucky), and surprisingly you don’t need my Business Finance degree either… So let’s lay it out there folks, today I’m revealing my secrets to traveling and traveling often.
The Basics
- Think about your Vacation Mood
Where do you want to Travel? Somewhere close or an exotic location far away? What do you want to do? Relax, go on an exciting adventure, or maybe a little bit of both. Read my blog post about finding your RIGHT Vacation Mood for more ideas and to help get you focused. - Start Early!
I’m talking a year out my friends. Figure out your Vacation Mood and then start researching destinations that will meet your criteria. Starting early allows you to set a baseline of expenses so you can snag that great airline sale when it pops up. A head start also allows you to collect those necessary pennies! - The Internet is your Friend
The world is at your fingertips with the internet. Use travel search engines like: Hotwire, Expedia, Hotels.com, Priceline, Kayak, VRBO.com, and more to help you find good deals. Check out my posts about saving money with Hotwire car rentals (here and here), and if you’re looking to score cheap flights on Kayak.com click on the next two posts (here and here). Scoring travel deals is a real thing my friends!
$$ Money, Mula, Dough, Cash, Yen, Euros $$
- (Yikes, are we really going to talk about this?) While it is a sensitive subject, I wrote about our budgeting tips (and our “bonus” paychecks) in the World Travelers Plan of Action. Check it out!
- Unfortunately, while there are no “magic tricks” to make cash appear, sometimes it sure feels like it if you stick to your budget. The Magic of Budgeting breaks it all down for you.
Tips While on Vacation:
- Save money during your vacation so you can travel again! Read about how to Travel on $40 a day
- And finally, make sure you know how to Have the Best Vacation Ever
There you have it. My secrets to finding good deals, my secrets to finding the cash, my secrets to having the best vacation ever. What do you think? Tell me, where are you headed to next? Are you going to use some of the above secrets. 🙂
Pictures and Plane Tickets 
I definitely relate to this. Travel is a huge priority for me. I don’t get to do it as often as I want, but I do anything to make it happen (working three jobs, stalking flights, whatever it takes). I think one of the best things is just to stay open-minded and ready to accept a great opportunity. A lot of people only take a trip if it’s a top wish list place or if the agenda is perfect. I will go anywhere! Great post!
Love this! We are soooo all about planning ahead and traveling very budget-minded. We LOVE finding great deals! We just got back from Texas (more on that to come! 🙂 ) and our next big trip will be a[nother] cruise in January. Happy Labor Day weekend!
Finding great deals is such an awesome feeling! It’s almost like a huge sense of accomplishment 🙂 I can’t wait to hear all about Texas! What cruise are you headed on next? Enjoy your long weekend 😀
I’ll have to check out all your links here 🙂 thanks! We are planning our trip to Cuba next year 🙂 I can’t wait 🙂 also travelling back home in between other trips uses up my holidays and cash, but I have to go home at least twice a year. Travelling in England is so much fun, I love it, except that it’s quite pricey, but you can find good deals here, Charlie is very good at that! 🙂 have a great weekend!
Hey Kristina! Cuba sounds amazing. I am excited for you!! The pictures of that country look like you’ve stepped back into time, seems like such a neat experience. 🙂 Do you usually go home during the holidays, or just whenever you can find the time?
Hey Krystle, I am really looking forward to the trip, I hope we can make it. It will be so different from all the other trips and especially for Charlie. I was born in the Soviet Union so the communist regime is not something new to me, but for Charlie, it will be a real experience 🙂 But more than anything I am excited to meet the people, see the beautiful architecture, drink lots of rum, of course, and visit their beautiful beaches 🙂
I usually go home during the summer for a couple of weeks and during Christmas as I get some time at work, so I don’t need to use up my holidays. So I use up this time to go and see my family. Also if there are special occasions, like weddings, then I go home more than twice a year just for a short visit 🙂 I wish I could go more often though… I think I’ll have to start making shorter, but more frequent trips. Like you say, I just need to plan it well and look out for good deals 🙂
Hope you have a great weekend!
PLAN AHEAD!!! Can’t say that enough! Watch for the deals from more than a year out and find the pattern. When is the best time to book your flight to Hawaii, you’ll find it. Set a budget per day per person and stick to it. We travel OFTEN! Cali and The Beach next month for us, sistah! ALOHA!
Aloha Auntie! Yes, planning ahead is vital (and sometimes half of the fun) 🙂 What part of Cali are you headed to??
Great post and ideas. It is amazing what you can do with a little planning and the desire to travel. It still blows my mind the traveling we did when you were still in college and we were on a limited budget. Your budgeting is a close as you can come to magic. We’ve had a blast and seen the world in the process. Here’s to January and Hawaii!
can’t wait for January 🙂 Yes, all you need is a little planning, time, desire, and a little bit of cash never hurt either. Glad we both like to make this a priority right now! 😀
Great tips thanks!! 🙂
Thank you for stopping by 🙂