I’ve got some tips I swear by to help me save for travel, to ensure I’m always ready to travel. I have used these tips for years and they’ve always worked. Along with a little, actually a lot, of discipline. Are you ready to save for travel?

Why listen to me?

You may or may not know I used to work in finance. So, this is an area I like to think I’m a bit of an expert in. My career spanned 13 years, of which 8 years I was a bank manager, and a bloody good one at that!

In my years, not only did I teach customers how to budget but I coached my staff to teach customers. Plus I’ve saved for all my trips myself and I’ve now been to 62 countries….Okkuurrr

This takes discipline and a change in habits, and behaviour. If you’re serious about travelling, it’ll actually be the easiest and most rewarding changes you’ve ever made.

My Tips To Help You Save For Travel

First things first, you need to know what money is coming and where its going. Do up a budget so you know exactly your fortnightly/monthly incomes and expenses. This may be a slap in the face but it is completely necessary. You need to be able to understand your spending habits and where and how you can tighten the reigns

Set up a saving (travel) account that is “stopped to debits” (sorry banky talk)

Essentially you will need to ask a bank worker to apply an electronic “stop” on your account. This means you have zero access to debit (remove) funds via a card/atm or internet banking.

To have it removed you will generally need to physically present yourself and your ID in the branch. This should be deterrent enough to assist you in saving your travel funds.

It is important that this new savings account has no fees attached to it in anyway. It should also be interest bearing.

This means not only are you putting money into it every time you are paid but additional interest is being paid to you by the bank each month.

Set up another account. This will be your bills account. Get real with yourself about your spending habits. You need to change them in order to save.

What Else Can You Do To Save For Travel?

So, from now on buy instant coffee, use public transport, create grocery lists and buy the “home” brand from the supermarket.

Therefore, you can now cook your meals and take your lunch to work. Also, stop buying clothes (this is also good for the environment fyi), cancel your gym membership, paytv and any subscriptions you may have set up.

Change your phone plan, change service companies and finally, reduce your outings to once a fortnight/month, if not cut them out all together.

There are so many additional ways to reduce your spending once you take a magnifying glass to your own habits

It’s then time to work out again what expenses you have now that you’ve reigned in your spending. Work out what is needed to “live” off for your pay cycle eg petrol, groceries, general living expenses.

Go to your payroll department and get them to make direct credits from your salary into your 3 accounts. eg your “bills” account (to ensure expenses are covered), your “living” account and the remainder goes straight into your “travel” account.

Your service providers (eg electricity, gas, water, phone etc) can then direct debit bills when they are due, once you provide them the new account details.

Whilst you’re in beast save mode, why not consider a side hustle or multiple streams of income to further increase your savings potential.

Check out my blog post on 15 Simple Ideas to Boost your Income

Why not also check out my blog post here about travelling for longer on a budget

I have had this setup in place for as long as I can remember and it has meant I’ve always got savings ready and waiting for travel. Why scrounge around last minute, or miss out on that hot flight deal? It’s so much better and less stressful to put money aside to fund my passion regularly.

Reach out to me via a comment or a DM on Instagram or my FaceBook page if you have any questions

Are you ready to save? Will you use my tips?

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