How to save up for travelling

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

Sure, it’s utterly necessary that you shop from the latest collection at Zara. But if the price you have to pay is that weekend camping trip you had planned, don’t you think the shopping could wait? It’s not very gloomy — you can still enjoy a few worldly pleasures and save enough to stick to your travel plans, if you incorporate some financial discipline. As cringe-worthy as that word is, I’ve realized it’s needed.

Here are a couple of tips (obvious and ignored) to stop living extravagantly and shift focus to your love for adventure or any other expensive hobby (read: ice sculpting) you may have!

Transport:

If you travel to work by yourself, consider taking the public transport. Or carpool with people travelling to locations near you. In a city like Mumbai, travelling to work costs me about Rs.500 by cab. But if I take the bus, it costs me a minimal Rs 30. Better yet, there’s a carpool group I’ve joined and when I travel with them, it’s a reasonable 50 bucks and it’s super-comfortable.

If you have a car, invite others to join in to share costs. Fill up your tank completely when the prices are lower. Get into the habit of walking or cycling short distances. Keep up the maintenance of your vehicle; keep the A/C and your speed regulated to save fuel.

Food:

Yes, you just got your salary and you deserve to treat yourself right. Just make sure you don’t behave like you’re royalty from the UAE. We’re all aware of spending habits that make our money last only for half the month, after which it’s beg borrow steal (Watch this Abish Mathew video for reference).

But you need to make the cash last longer and save up for your adventures!

In a country like India, where most adults live with their parents, food always gets taken care of. This is a huge plus- choose homemade healthy food over Subway. If you live by yourself, learn basic culinary skills and shop for ingredients at wholesale markets. Prepare dishes over the weekend and store them for use during the week.

Also, Coke or Pepsi needs to be replaced by water, your body will thank you too.

The parties:

This is obvious- eliminate or at least cut down a few party plans to save up. Also, choose to do house parties, over drinking at bars, where there’s always a freeloader lurking around. If it’s your home, remember, it’s BYOB- you don’t need to treat everyone just because it’s your neighbour’s cousin’s dog’s birthday.

Be a cheapskate:

Save like nobody’s watching! Go through sites like GrabOn or Groupon to find great deals on products and services. Buy DVDs and skip going to the multiplex. When you do, eat before to avoid expensive popcorn or drinks. Take care of your own grooming and keep a strict check on your phone and electricity bills.

Learn to shop for electronics and other equipment at second-hand shops. Cancel out those subscriptions you don’t need -the ones you promise to catch up on soon, but never do.

Save like your life depends on it. Don’t fret if your friends start talking about how you are too careful (read: miserly). You’ll be the one smiling on that dive trip later!

Make some extra cash

If you have the time and the energy, see if you could pick up freelancing work for a couple of hours, apart from your job. If you travel to work with your laptop, and don’t drive yourself, maybe you could squeeze in some work time during your commute. Even a little bit goes a long way.

Regularly get rid of things you don’t need. Be brutal while picking stuff you don’t need. And sell it off online or on Facebook and Social media groups.

To become more conscious of your spending, start getting into the habit of paying by cash wherever you can. Keep yourself motivated by setting a visual reminder of why you’re saving- a cool picture of the place you want to visit.

Apart from this, there are a few obvious things you could do for managing money while you travel, like booking your train or flight tickets in advance and on incognito mode. Befriend locals and stay with them, which turns out to be way cheaper or even free. Plus, experiential travel is all the rage nowadays.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be posting a lot about great budget adventure trips that you could choose from. So make sure you subscribe to the blog!

HAPPY ADVENTURING!