Whether you’re going on a month long trip or looking to leave your life behind and become a full-time traveler, it’s likely that you’ll want to save some money beforehand and prepare for travel. Thinking about how much money you need for your trip, what to bring and what you need to buy can all be very overwhelming. The last 6 months before we left the UK were some of the hardest I’ve ever had but I promise it will all be worth it. Here are some tips which helped us to save money before our trip.
How to save money
1. Set a savings goal
Do some research and come up with a savings goal. This will depend on where you’re going and how long. For example, if you plan on travelling South East Asia for 6 months, you’ll probably need significantly less than if you planned on travelling Europe for 6 months. It will also depend on how you want to travel; if you’re happy to travel on a budget, live in hostels and take public transport then you’ll also need less than if you stay in hotels and take regular flights between cities. Decide how much you think you’ll need and create a savings pot in Revolut or Monzo. Then you can regularly check the progress your savings pot is making.
2. Set a date
Once you’ve come up with a savings goal, give yourself a deadline. Buying the plane ticket and having an official leaving date will give you the motivation to start putting things into action. We gave ourselves 6 months to reach our savings goal which ended up being quite intense and we had to make a lot of sacrifices.
The time you need to save enough money will depend on a lot of factors. I was living in a flat in the UK with my partner, Quinn, so we had to cover rent and bills whilst also trying to save money. However, if you’re living with your parents or you already have some savings or a high-earning job, you might need less time.
3. Set weekly budgets
This one used to help me so much as I was always so in denial of how much money I was spending in a week. Turns out your morning coffees add up! I set myself a budget of £70 a week which used to cover petrol for my car and my food shop and wouldn’t leave much room for anything else. This really helped me to limit my spending meaning I could put more away into my savings.
4. Make sacrifices
As a result of my weekly budget, I often had to make sacrifices. Quinn and I wouldn’t go out to eat as often as we used to and limited takeaways to once or twice a month. We also stopped going on nights out with our friends unless it was a special occasion. If you do end up going on a night out, set yourself a spending limit. I used to take one card with me and would only transfer a bit of money onto that card so once it ran out I couldn’t spend anymore.
5. Find free stuff to do
During those 6 months of serious saving, Quinn and I tried to find as many free things to do as possible. We would go on walks, go cycling together, go to parks or spend the weekends visiting our families. There are so many things you can do that don’t involve spending money so try and stick to those!
6. Sell things you don’t need anymore
If you plan on becoming a full time traveller or intend to go on a long trip, it’s likely there will be a lots of things which you don’t need anymore. Before we left I sold half my wardrobe, kitchen bits, my coffee machine, my car and even some furniture.
7. Don’t buy things unless you’re taking them with you
During the 6 months before we left, I made sure not to buy anything which I wouldn’t take travelling with me. Since I was focusing on selling things I wouldn’t need, it didn’t make sense to buy even more unnecessary things. Limit your spending and make sure to only buy things which you’ll need for your trip.
8. Work an extra job if you have time
I was working ridiculous hours as a waitress before we went travelling. Quinn even worked two jobs; he worked his 9-5 and then waitered in the evening. The idea was that if we spent the evenings working then we wouldn’t be tempted to spend money or go on a night out. Also, a bit of extra money never hurt anyone.
How to prepare for your trip
Once you’re underway with your saving and your leaving date looms closer, it’s time to get preparing! Here’s a few ways which will help you to prepare for your trip.
Make a list of things to pack
Start by choosing the size of your backpack. If you’re doing a longer trip, you need to consider a change in the seasons and might need more clothes, hence a larger rucksack. I use a 65L backpack as I have my summer clothes for South East Asia but also my puffer jacket and jumpers for Canada. If you’re a light packer, opt for a 45L bag or smaller so you can also take it on flights as carry on luggage rather than paying for it to be checked in.
Once you have the size of your bag figured out, you can decide what outfits you’re going to bring. You only really need a weeks worth of outfits as it’s likely you’ll be doing laundry regularly on your trip. Don’t get too caught up on which outfits you’re bringing and focus more on the essentials! You can find a list of my essential travel items here.
Check Visa requirements
Before you leave, check the VISA entry requirements for your country. To enter some countries you might need to apply for a VISA beforehand, while others you can pay for at the border. Make sure you plan ahead to avoid getting delayed at immigration.
Travel insurance
Don’t leave without travel insurance! You never know what might happen so just make sure you’re insured.
Get yourself an eSIM
We quickly became tired of searching for plastic SIM cards when more often than not, they would stop working before the plan I paid for officially ended. Now we use Airalo to buy local, regional or international eSIMs to save the hassle of searching for a physical SIM in every new country. You can download your eSIM before you leave and activate it straight away once you’ve reached your destination – it’s that easy!
Download all the must-have travel apps
Read my post 9 must have apps for travelling Southeast Asia. These essential app will help you prepare, find cheap transport, accommodation and the best activities during your trip. Downloading the apps before you leave will save you a lot of hassle having to create new accounts when you’re already in a different country.
Book your first few nights of accommodation
Once you arrive at your destination, it’s likely you’ll be tired from all the travelling and all you’ll want to do is get to your accommodation. Make sure to book your first few nights away in advance so you’re not desperately trying to find something once you arrive. Here are a few apps/websites I use to book accommodation when I’m travelling: