Find one major expense to cut from your daily life. How much can you save for travel by cutting it? How many other expenses (large or small) could you reduce in order to put that money toward travel?
I’m from Boston, and…
I love me some Dunkies in the morning!
But to spend a few dollars a morning on Dunkin Donuts coffee (and sometimes a croissant, or ham, egg, and cheese on an onion bagel, or a skim-milk coffee Coolata with coconut AND blueberry flavors with whip crème on top…mmmmmmm….. adds up.)
I knew before my trip cutting out Dunkies totally would put me into junkie-like withdrawals..but I cut way back on the Dunkies I had each day. Say $4 a day, at 7 days a week, for average of 30 days a month, if the car you are in is going north on the highway at 75mph…adds up.
So I cut out a good amount of Dunkin Donuts. Of course, here in Medellin THERE ARE DUNKIN DONUTS! Actually there are Dunkin Donuts all over South America (*squeel*)…but I only buy it when I’m in an airport traveling, and they are honestly nothing like the Dunkin Donuts at home (I miss real bagels and fresh breakfast sandwiches).
(So far, I have not succumbed to taking a 10 minute metro ride to Parque Berrio to get Dunkies yet…though I am not ruling out the possibility)
(Nope, this morning I went there and had a delicious mocha latte and croissant. I’ve officially made an excuse to go to Dunkies here in Medellin….but seriously…I DID need to get a photo of the Dunkies in Parque Berrio…)
But there are many things you can cut back on to save money to travel. Seriously. Its not that hard.
Like to go out drinking a lot? Go out for a couple cheap beers 1 night a week (not 7). Or buy beers and stay at home and invite friends over.
Do you really need that 27th tank top, that looks like the other 26, but in a slightly different shade of chartreuse?
Or that $20 steak at the restaurant, when you can buy the same steak for $7 at the store, and go home and marinate it yourself and make it a million times better than the underpaid, overworked cooks in the kitchen of your favourite restaurant?
There are also a ton of free things to do in cities. I go to these mostly (vs. paying for some fancy tour, that pretty much will bring you to the same free places). I also got the Civica Metro card here in Medellin. It makes each ride on the metro cheaper. And the card itself is free (I just had to wait in line for an hour and a half).
Its really not hard to save money. In the states, we think traveling is some far off thing only rich people can afford. I did.
Turns out, its totally not true!
I am nowhere close to rich…but by not going out to eat a bunch (I love food), buying Dunkin Donuts 3 times a day (I love me some Dunkies), and not spending a bunch on clothes, (just think…am I going to want to lug THAT around in my backpack too?) I saved enough money to pay off my debt (car, student loans, doctors) and save the money to come to South America, for what is now going on a 5 month trip.
It’s the small things that add up.
This is part of Boots n All 2012 Indie Travel Challenge. I’m doing this in hopes of becoming a more consistent and better travel-blogger. And maybe finally be able to afford Dunkin Donuts every day again.