Do you catch yourself daydreaming about the next adventure during work hours? How about browsing through pictures of exotic destinations on Instagram right before the lunch break?
It’s a fact; we all look forward to the time off from work each year. We need a break. Whether it’s to visit family, explore some new corner of the world, or unwind with the peace of mind that no work awaits you in the morning. This time away helps us refresh.
Even if you love your job, it’s easy to get bogged down by the day to day monotony and build-up of small negative encounters (i.e., workplace drama). Suddenly, we’re fretting over things that shouldn’t be taking away from the focus of why we chose a specific career path. This is where that time away becomes essential to a balanced life.
Two Weeks a Year Wasn’t Cutting it Anymore.
After getting a serious travel bug and some inspiration from a travel community in 2016, I wondered why I was limiting myself to these short and infrequent holidays. Of course, the first issue that comes to mind is the responsibilities of being an adult. Or ultimately: Can I afford to travel more? The answer is hell, yes.
Our travel adventures for the past seven years are a perfect example of how anyone can do it if particular priorities are set. In the past decade or so, we have been to some pretty amazing places, living off of one paycheck that we only count on for about half the year.
How to Start Traveling More
When we took the plunge back in 2016 when it was just the two of us, here were the basic steps we took to start our adventures:
1. Get inspired.
Not sure where to start, what to do, or whether it’s possible? Do your research and find what speaks to you. Reading other people’s stories helped me realize how possible our travel dream was.
2. Watch for that deal and commit to traveling.
In my opinion, this is the most critical step. Stop with the “maybes, “what ifs,” and daydreaming and go for it! As soon as you find that great airline deal to a destination on your bucket list, take it as a sign and get the wheels rolling.
The best way to find these deals without being a slave to the internet is by subscribing to a few budget travel sites and checking their weekly newsletters. There are also tons of great travel groups looking for deals on Facebook these days. I am currently subscribed to the following:
- Kayak
- Travelzoo
- Norwegian Air
- Delta
- United newsletters.
Also, consider the cost of travel in different geographic locations and choose what fits your budget and dreams best. (i.e., it’s a lot easier to save for a few months in Southeast Asia than in Europe or New Zealand)
If you want to go to the next level, you can also figure out how to use credit cards to your advantage (if you live in the US). You can go down that rabbit hole here with 10x travel. It’s helped us travel as a family of 4 for minimal upfront flight costs.
3. Save your pennies.
Set a budgeting goal and stick to it. With epic travel goals, it should be easy to stick to! With this goal in mind, it was easy to pick out some of the silly things we spent money on. So many articles are out there today regurgitating the same common sense knowledge on how to save money (i.e., stop eating out and watching cable). Use your goals to stick to what you know could easily save money.
4. Make intelligent investments.
If you make big purchases that will make a dent in your savings, make sure it’s worth it. One of my favorite and best investments to date is a 1996 Subaru Legacy that I bought for $1500 in grad school. The reason its my favorite investment is I never had to make payments, I’ve spent very little on repairs, and its continues to run like a champ. It just hit the 300,000 mile mark this week!
Another good investment was our home in Reno, NV. We enjoyed two years in our home before realizing we wanted something more. Luckily, we chose a house with mortgage payments that responsible tenants could easily cover (with an added bonus of some passive income). The bottom line is: don’t make big purchases that will leave you drowning in debt and stuck somewhere you don’t want to be!
5. Simplify your life.
If you want to have the freedom to take off when you want, you can’t be buried in stuff. For example, we decided to “downsize” our lives when we started saving for traveling by renting our home and moving into a 5th wheel. With this downsize, we could prioritize and rid ourselves of a lot of junk we didn’t need that had accumulated in our first two years of marriage. Practicing this minimalism has helped us realize what is truly important in life and kept us from becoming excessive crazed consumers.
6. Find a flexible job.
This is last on the list because it’s essential, but if you do all the other steps- I find this part will fall into place. You’ll be super motivated and figure it out. You have so many options that it’s up to our preferences: remote jobs, flexible jobs that allow breaks between contracts, seasonal jobs, etc.
I started as a traveling physical therapist so that I could take one to two months of in-between. Now, I have transitioned to full-time remote work as a writer and website owner to have complete flexibility. And if I can do it, so can you.
Have fun. Enjoy life. Don’t live to work!
